盒式磁带常见问答

Walkman and cassette FAQ​
随身听和盒式磁带常见问答

Cassettes​ 磁带

• Are all cassettes equal?
  所有磁带都一样吗？
• No, they aren’t at all. They are different because of their design, but mainly because of their chemical composition and, thus, their magnetic and sonic performance. There are four types of tape regarding their composition: I (normal or ferric), II (chrome), III (ferrichrome) and IV (metal). You can see many different models at Vintagecassettes.com.
  不，它们一点也不相同。它们之所以不同，主要是因为它们的设计，但更重要的是因为它们的化学成分，进而影响了它们的磁性和声学性能。关于磁带的组成，有四种类型：I（普通或铁质），II（镀铬），III（铁铬）和 IV（金属）。你可以在 Vintagecassettes.com 看到许多不同的型号。

• What are those holes in the top side of the cassette?
  磁带顶部那些孔是干什么用的？
• Those holes are meant to let the deck automatically identify the tape type and the ability to be recorded.
  这些孔是为了让甲板自动识别磁带类型以及是否可以录制的功能。

​

• What are type I (ferric) tapes?
  什么是第一类（铁基）磁带？
• Type I are the most basic tape type. Made of ferric oxide particles, they are the most common tape out there. They have decent performance and very low price, but relatively high background hiss. Most well-known models are: TDK D, SONY EF & HF, Maxell UR & UD or BASF Ferro Extra.
  I 型是最基本的磁带类型。由铁氧体微粒制成，它们是最常见的磁带。它们性能中等，价格非常低，但背景噪音相对较高。最知名的产品模型包括：TDK D, SONY EF & HF, Maxell UR & UD 或 BASF Ferro Extra。

• What are type II (chrome) tapes?
  II 型（铬）磁带是什么？
• Type II are the most popular high quality cassette. Made of chromium dioxide (true chrome) or ferric particles doped with cobalt ions (pseudo-chrome), they offer better performance than standard type I, with better maximum output level (MOL), higher treble saturation limits (SOL) and lower background hiss. They usually were more expensive than type I. Most well-known models are: TDK CDIngII, SONY UX, CDIt II, Maxell UDII or BASF Chrome Extra, Chrome Super.
  II 型是最受欢迎的高品质磁带，由铬氧化物（真正的铬）或掺有钴离子的铁磁粒子（伪铬）制成。它们的性能优于标准型 I，具有更高的最大输出电平（MOL）、更高的高频饱和极限（SOL）和更低的背景噪音。它们通常比型 I 更昂贵。最著名的型号包括：TDK CDIngII、索尼 UX、CDIt II、Maxell UDII 或 BASF Chrome Extra、Chrome Super。

• What are type III (ferrichrome) tapes?
  第三型（铁血红素）磁带是什么？
• Type III was a commercially failed experiment, based on mixing type I and type II. They thought they will get the best performance of both tape types, but also they had their weaknesses. They were in the market for very few years and then disappeared.
  类型 III 是一种商业失败的实验，基于混合类型 I 和类型 II。他们认为可以获得两种磁带类型的最佳性能，但也存在弱点。它们在市场上存在的时间非常短暂，然后消失了。

• What are type IV (metal) tapes?
  什么是第四类（金属）磁带？
• Type IV are the most advanced and have the best audio performance over them all. Made of not oxidized ferric particles, they offer higher maximum output level (MOL) and the highest treble saturation limits (SOL), as well as low (but not as low as best type II) hiss. Most well-known models are: TDK MA, SONY Metal SR & XR, Maxell MX or BASF Metal.
  IV 型是最先进的，拥有最好的音频性能。由未氧化的铁粉制成，它们提供最高的最大输出级（MOL）和最高的高音饱和度限制（SOL），同时具有较低（但不如最优质 II 型低）的嘶嘶声。最知名的型号包括：TDK MA，SONY 金属 SR & XR，Maxell MX 或 BASF 金属。

• Which cassettes are the best?
  哪些磁带是最佳的？
• To find the best cassettes of each type, you may look for high MOL and SOL, low noise and flat frequency response with your deck, both in record and play. TDK AR, SA, MA, Sony HF-S, UX-S, MetalXR, Maxell XLI, XLII-S and MX are good examples of excellent tapes, but there are many others, as well as many variants over the years.
  为了找到每种类型的最佳磁带，您可以在您的播放器中寻找高 MOL 和 SOL，低噪音和平坦的频率响应，无论是录音还是播放。TDK AR、SA、MA、索尼 HF-S、UX-S、MetalXR、Maxell XLI、XLII-S 和 MX 是优秀磁带的出色示例，但还有很多其他磁带，以及多年来的许多变体。

• Do they degrade over time?
  它们会随着时间退化吗？
• Although tapes do age with time, as every other thing, they keep their condition pretty good over the years. It’s normal that a cassette is in excellent condition after 40 years. Hot and humidity has high importance in that.
  尽管磁带会随时间老化，与其他一切事物一样，但它们在数年内保持相当好的状态。40 年后磁带保持良好状态是正常的。高温和高湿度对此有很大影响。

• Are there newly manufactured blank cassettes?
  是否有新制造的空白磁带？
• Yes, there are a few manufacturers of blank cassettes today, like the National Audio Company in USA.
  是的，现在有一些空白磁带制造商，比如美国的国家音频公司。

• Is it recommended to rewind a tape after storing it?
  存放磁带后，建议回放磁带吗？
• Yes, it is. Looks that if cassettes are stored not completely rewinded to the end of any of the sides, the tape segment which is exposed can be affected and the mechanical integrity of the whole tape may suffer a bit.
  是的，确实如此。如果磁带在任何侧面未完全回放至末端存储，则露出的磁带段可能会受到影响，整个磁带的机械完整性可能会略有受损。

Recording on cassettes​ 录音磁带

• Why do I have to use the tape selector when recording?
  为什么录制时必须使用磁带选择器？
• That’s because of the correct bias setting. Bias is a polarization current needed to optimize the recording process. Different types do need different amount of bias current during recording, to show lower distortion and to get a sufficiently flat frequency response from the lowest bass sound to the highest treble. Each position of the selector sets a different amount of bias current, which increases when we switch from type I (normal bias) to type II (high bias) and even more to type IV (metal bias).
  这是因为正确的偏置设置。偏置是一种极化电流，用于优化录制过程。不同类型的录制需要不同的偏置电流，以降低失真并从最低的低音到最高的高音获得足够平坦的频率响应。选择器的不同位置设置不同的偏置电流，当我们从第一型（正常偏置）切换到第二型（高偏置）再到第四型（金属偏置）时，偏置电流会增加。

• Why do I have to use the tape selector when playing?
  为什么要使用磁带选择器播放？
• That’s because of the playback equalization setting, indicated with a couple different time constants. For type I a 120µs (microsecond) setting is required, which sets a particular EQ curve that is appropriate for this type. For tape II and IV, 70µs is required, which sets a different curve with some treble attenuation.
  这是因为播放均衡设置，使用了不同的时间常数。对于类型 I，需要 120 微秒的设置，这设置了一个适合这种类型的特定均衡曲线。对于磁带 II 和 IV，需要 70 微秒的设置，这设置了一个不同的曲线，其中有一些高频衰减。

Of course, the playback EQ of choice is intended to be the same setting which was used also during the recording, so we may still have some freedom of choice if our deck permits separate bias and EQ settings, otherwise the most “proper” EQ is automatically set together with the bias on those decks with “tape type” selectors or with automatic tape type identification.
当然，选择的播放均衡器应该是与录制时相同的设置，因此如果我们的小播放器允许单独设置偏置和均衡器，我们仍然可以根据情况做出选择。否则，在具有磁带类型选择器或自动磁带类型识别的设备上，最“正确”的均衡器会与偏置一起自动设置。

Setting the wrong type or, better, a different one between playback and recording, will cause incorrect EQ. Many people use 120 µs for chrome tapes because they either compensate the lack of highs because of a not-so-good recording or simply wish to boost the high frequencies a bit.​
设置错误的类型或，更准确地说，在播放和录制之间使用不同的类型，会导致均衡器设置不正确。许多人使用 120 µs 的镀铬带，是因为他们试图补偿录音质量不佳导致的高频缺失，或者只是想略微提升一下高频部分。

• How can I record a cassette from my computer?
  如何从我的电脑录制磁带？
• There some tutorials out there. You can simply connect your soundcard’s output to the Line IN of your deck, set the appropriate recording level and you’re ready to go. For a detailed, step-by-step tutorial, please read my Guide to make good recordings.
  网上有一些教程。你可以简单地将声卡的输出连接到你的混音台的 Line IN，设置合适的录音级别，然后就可以开始了。对于详细的，一步一步的教程，请阅读我的指南以获得良好的录音效果。

• Can I record from my phone/MP3?
  我可以从手机/MP3 录音吗？
• Yes: you can connect your phone/MP3 output to the line input of your deck/boombox using a cable with a 3.5mm jack for the phone and the required connector in the other side (RCA, jack…).
  是的：你可以通过使用具有 3.5 毫米耳机插孔和另一端所需的接口（RCA、插孔等）的电缆，将手机/MP3 输出连接到你的唱机/便携式音箱的线路输入。

• Can I record over a prerecorded cassette?
  我可以覆盖录制好的磁带吗？
• It’s not an usual thing because the magnetic tape is the same usually found in a blank cassette (usually a cheap type I) but, yes, you can record over it. You must cover the holes on top side of the shell with some adhesive tape or your deck won’t let you record.
  这不是常见的事情，因为磁带通常是空白盒带中常见的一种（通常是便宜的一类 I 型），但是，是的，你可以录制。你必须在壳体的顶部用一些粘性胶带覆盖住孔洞，否则你的播放器不允许录制。

• Are old blank cassettes any good?
  旧的空白磁带还有用吗？
• Yes! Indeed they are. In fact, if they are not cheap ones and not very old (more than 40 years), they can actually be much better than modern ones, especially if they are some good old-school type II and IV.
  是的！确实如此。实际上，如果它们不是便宜货且不太旧（超过 40 年），它们实际上可能比现代产品好得多，特别是如果它们是某些好的老式类型 II 和 IV 的话。

• How much time can I record in?
  我可以录制多长时间？
• It depends on the lenght of the tape. Most common cassette tape lenghts are 46, 60 and 90 minutes , but there are also a few different lengths like 30, 50, 54, 64, 70, 74, 80, 100, 110, 120 minutes and also some rare and crazily long 150 and 180 minutes cassettes (but these two latter ones are filled with such a thin tape that it’s not really wise to actually use it, because the risk to find that very thin tape jammed into your deck’s transport/mechanism is very high).
  取决于磁带的长度。最常见的磁带长度为 46 分钟、60 分钟和 90 分钟，但也有其他不同的长度，如 30 分钟、50 分钟、54 分钟、64 分钟、70 分钟、74 分钟、80 分钟、100 分钟、110 分钟、120 分钟。还有少数罕见的以及非常长的 150 分钟和 180 分钟磁带（但后两种磁带由于磁带非常薄，实际使用风险较大，因为磁带极易卡在放音机的运输/机械装置中）。

The nominal length is always referred to both sides of the cassette together, so you should divide it by two to actually know how much recording time you have on each of the cassette sides.
名义长度总是指磁带两侧的总长度，因此你应该将这个数字除以二，来实际知道每侧磁带上你拥有的录音时间。

So, make sure that your songs’ lists (each list for any of the two cassette sides) will nicely fit on your cassette tape’s sides.
因此，请确保您的歌曲列表（每份列表对应磁带的两侧中的任何一侧）能够很好地适合在磁带的两侧。

But, of course, you are still free to record some shorter song’s selection and then leaving some blank tape at the end of the side.​
但当然，你仍然可以录制一些较短的歌曲片段，然后在磁带的一侧末尾留下一些空白。

• What is Dolby and what it does?
  杜比是什么以及它做什么？
• Dolby NR is the most well-known noise reduction system. It effectively reduces the background hiss without degrading the sound. To play a tape with it (Dolby decoding) you must do the recording with Dolby active too (dolby-encoded recording) or you will end up with a strong treble cut. And it’s very important to choose the same Dolby NR type while playing (decoding) as the one which was originally used during the recording (encoding), so it’s wise to also take note on the cassette if it was recorded with some Dolby NR and, eventually, which type of Dolby NR. Be aware that although many walkmans and boomboxes features Dolby, it’s only for playback, which means that they cannot encode the recording, only decode it.
  杜比 NR 是最著名的降噪系统。它能有效地减少背景噪音，而不会使声音质量受损。要播放带有它（杜比解码）的磁带（磁带需要杜比编码），必须在录音时也开启杜比功能（杜比编码录音）否则最终会得到严重的高频削减。而且在播放（解码）时选择相同的杜比 NR 类型非常重要，就像最初录音（编码）时使用的一样，因此在磁带盒上记录是否使用了某些杜比 NR 类型以及最终使用了哪种类型的杜比 NR 也是很明智的。要意识到尽管许多随身听和大功率收音机具有杜比功能，但这些功能仅用于播放，这意味着它们不能录制磁带，只能解码。

• What is the difference between Dolby B, C and S?
  杜比 B、C 和 S 有什么区别？
• These are different Dolby noise reduction systems. Dolby B is the earliest one, the most widely available of them all, also called Dolby NR or simply Dolby. Dolby C and S were released years later and offer better reduction but they can be found only in high quality (or simply more recent) machines.
  这些都是不同的杜比降噪系统。杜比 B 是最古老的，也是最广泛可用的，通常也被称为杜比 NR 或仅称为杜比。杜比 C 和 S 是在几年后发布的，提供更好的降噪效果，但只在高质量（或简单来说是较新的）机器中可以找到。

• Can I record metal tapes in my boombox/walkman?
  我能在随身听里录制金属磁带吗？
• Yes, you can. But don’t expect the same good performance of a good deck, because of the need of high (also adjustable) bias that good decks can apply to the recording that boomboxes usually cannot supply, even if they state “metal tape compatible”. But if they don’t even have a “metal position” setting, then the tape would be recorded in a heavily underbiased situation which means a recording with lower and not consistent level (especially on the lower frequencies), with high distortion and with way too much treble to be considered acceptable.
  是的，你可以。但不要期望与好的音响设备相同的好性能，因为好的音响设备可以应用的高（还可以调整）偏置是 boomboxes 通常无法提供的，即使它们声明兼容金属磁带。但如果它们甚至没有“金属位置”的设置，磁带将被记录在一个严重欠偏置的情况下，这意味着录音的水平较低且不一致（特别是在低频），伴有高失真和过多的高音，这被认为是不可接受的。

• What is MOL? 什么是 MOL？
• It’s the acronym of Maximum Output Level. It refers to the maximum output level that a magnetic tape can handle with good audio quality. That means it doesn’t show more than 3% of third harmonic distortion, typically at mid-low frequencies. It can reach a bit higher output level, though, but with higher distortion. The MOL is frequency-dependent and inversely proportional to: the higher the frequencies, the higher the distortion, so the MOL is lower. But the “official” MOL, as you can read on the several tape tests available on the old Hi-Fi magazines, it exactly the level where the tape reaches 3% of third harmonic distortion at 315Hz frequency. You wouldn’t find an “official” MOL at treble frequencies (i.e. 10Khz) because the third harmonic of a 10Khz frequency is 30Khz, which is inaudible, and moreover the tapes tend to saturate much more quickly (read: at a much lower level) on treble frequencies and so, to give an indication about how much treble a tape can take, the official parameter used for treble (typically just 10Khz frequency) is SOL which means Saturated Output Level, which is the maximum level that a certain tape can reach on treble regardless of if you try to give it even more than that on the input side (and trying to record with such treble excess on the input side will simply cause some self-erasure of the whole recorded signal while going onto the tape).
  最大输出水平的缩写。它指的是磁带能以良好音质处理的最大输出水平。这意味着它不会超过 3%的三次谐波失真，通常在中低频段。它能达到更高的输出水平，但失真也更高。MOL 依赖于频率，频率越高，失真越大，因此 MOL 越低。但你可以在老式音响杂志上找到的“官方”MOL，正好是磁带在 315Hz 频率下达到 3%的三次谐波失真。在高频段（例如）你不会找到“官方”的 MOL。 因为 10KHz 频率的第三次谐波是 30KHz，这是不可听的，而且磁带倾向于在高频段饱和得更快（阅读：在较低的水平上）。因此，用于描述磁带能承受多少高音的官方参数是 SOL，即饱和输出电平，这是磁带在高音段能达到的最大电平，无论你试图在输入端提供更多的电平，都会导致记录信号在磁带上自我擦除。

Playing cassettes​ 播放磁带

• Can I play any kind of tape in my walkman/boombox/deck?
  我可以在我随身听/便携式音箱/盘式播放机中播放任何类型的磁带吗？
• Although recording is something that needs some attention and some skills if you want to achieve a good recording quality, playing is very easy and only needs two selectors to be set: 70/120 µs and Dolby. Any type of tape can be played in almost any machine if it has these two selectors. The only exception can be related to type III, as there are just a few decks that are compatible with this tape type but, for playback only, properly recorded type III tapes can be played also at type II (70 µs or “chrome”) EQ setting.
  虽然录音需要一些注意和技巧以获得良好的录音质量，但播放非常简单，只需要设置两个选择器：70/120 µs 和 Dolby。如果机器有这两个选择器，几乎任何类型的磁带都可以在任何机器上播放。唯一可能的例外与类型 III 相关，因为只有少数磁带座与这种磁带类型兼容，但正确录制的类型 III 磁带也可以在类型 II（70 µs 或“镀铬”）EQ 设置下仅用于播放。

• Why can’t I skip a song?
  为什么我不能跳过一首歌？
• Well, you can skip a song, but not instantaneously. You must wait until you fast forward or rewind to find the starting point of that song, which usually needs a few seconds of patience to reach the right place along the tape side/length. Don’t forget tape is a physical recording medium without the extremely quick and direct random access you would find as a base feature on most digital recording media, then with analog tape you must physically wind the tape on the exact place where a certain song was physically recorded.
  嗯，你可以跳过一首歌，但不是瞬间的。你必须等到你快进或倒带找到这首歌的起点，这通常需要几秒钟的耐心才能到达磁带上正确的位置。别忘了，磁带是一种物理录音介质，没有像大多数数字录音介质作为基础功能那样极其快速和直接的随机访问。对于模拟磁带，你必须在某首歌曲实际录制的确切位置上物理地卷动磁带。

• My walkman/boombox has eaten a tape; did I do anything wrong?
  我的 Walkman/大音响吃掉了一盘磁带；我做错事情了吗？
• You probably haven’t cleaned the rollers and/or the capstans. Keep them neat by cleaning with –preferably denatured- alcohol every 8-10 tapes or hours and you won’t have any problem. But if you still have such problems on a well cleaned deck then it’s time to consider if the deck needs to be properly checked and eventually repaired.
  你可能没有清理滚轴和/或卷轴。通过每 8-10 卷带或每小时使用-优选变质-酒精清洁，保持它们的整洁，就不会有问题。但如果在已经清洁得很好的甲板上仍然遇到问题，那么是时候考虑是否需要适当检查并最终修复甲板了。

• Do I have to do anything for maintenance?
  我需要做任何维护工作吗？
• Yes: cleaning the rollers, capstan and the head periodically. Most manufacturers recommend doing that every 10 hours of playing/recording. Follow the procedure as described in the owner’s manual.
  是的：定期清洁滚轮、压带轮和磁头。大多数制造商建议每播放/录制 10 小时进行一次。按照用户手册中描述的步骤进行。

• Why do I have to use the tape selector when playing?
  为什么播放时必须使用磁带选择器？
• Because the recording has been made in a special manner (using 70 or 120µs EQ curve) to get a flat frequency response (and, thus a good sound), you must play it with the same setting.
  由于录音是使用特定方式制作的（采用 70 或 120µs EQ 曲线），目的是获得平坦的频率响应（从而获得良好的音质），因此您必须使用相同的设置播放。

• My walkman/BB/deck doesn’t have any tape selector…
  我的 walkman/BB/播放器没有磁带选择器..
• Then it either has auto tape selection (it usually states it) or it is compatible with type I tapes only.
  然后它要么有自动磁带选择（通常会标明），要么只与类型 I 磁带兼容。

• I realized that it sounds better to me when I switch Dolby OFF with a Dolby-encoded tape, why?
  我发现当我使用 Dolby 编码的磁带切换关闭 Dolby 时，听起来更好，这是为什么？
• This is a common behavior. When recording onto a tape with standard quality gear (like a boombox, a walkman or a cheap deck), the frequency response usually lacks some treble. One simple trick is to set Dolby OFF while playing a Dolby encoded tape, as it enhances low level, high frequencies. It’s not the best way to get a good and faithful sound, but it does the job. Anyway, this (cheap) trick may work only with Dolby B-encoded tapes as other (more complex) NR types would be quite unlistenable, if not properly decoded.
  这是常见行为。当使用标准质量的设备（如便携式录音机、随身听或廉价的播放器）录制时，频率响应通常会缺少一些高音。一个简单的技巧是在播放杜比编码磁带时关闭杜比，因为这会增强低水平的高频。这不是获得最佳音质和忠实声音的最好方法，但已经足够。无论如何，这个（便宜）技巧可能只适用于杜比 B 编码的磁带，因为其他（更复杂）的噪声减少类型，如果不正确解码，可能会非常难以听，甚至无法听。

• I realized that it sounds better to me when I switch tape selector to type I when playing type II or IV tapes.
  我意识到当我播放类型 II 或 IV 磁带时，将磁带选择器切换到类型 I 听起来更好。
• Same trick as before: this trick sets an EQ curve with higher highs, due to using 120 µs rather than 70 µs. It’s not the best way to get a good and faithful sound quality, but it works in some cases.
  之前的伎俩：这个技巧使用 120 µs 代替 70 µs 来设置 EQ 曲线，导致更高的高点。这不是获得良好和忠实音质的最佳方法，但在某些情况下有效。

• Can I touch the tape with my fingers?
  我可以用手指触摸这个磁带吗？
• Yes, but you should not… if you don’t want to damage it with your fingerprints’ greasy residues.
  是的，但你不应该……如果你不想用手指的油腻残留物损坏它的话。

原文链接：https://stereo2go.com/forums/threads/the-cassette-faq.1468/