How does the monitor function work on this receiver?

[DanielT]

I read HK's description but it doesn't make me much wiser. Purpose of the monitor function, that is. Listen a second after recording, what purpose does it serve? And why is this switch depressed? (on the tape recorded)

This function is not something I will use, but I am still a little curious.

 

[Zek]

Listen a second after recording, what purpose does it serve?

So that you can check the quality of the recording on the tape.

 

[DVDdoug]

Sadly missing with digital recording. Sometimes people don't know if they've recorded nothing (or garbage) until the next day.

To really get the most of it requires a 3-head tape machine (separate record, playback, and erase heads).

It was also popular to connect an equalizer in place of a tape machine.

 

[DanielT]

Thank you for the answers. Now I understand better. That monitor function seems to be good and sensible .

Speaking of features. Since the receiver HK330C has a tape out, I connected a subwoofer via that output. I then handle the volume via DAC Topping E30.

 

[MaxwellsEq]

3-head devices (professional tape machines and some domestic and cassette machines) had a record head and a separate playback head just to the right of the record head. Listening to "monitor" allows you to check your recording is going ok and is setup correctly. The delay is because the tape has to move to the right to be heard!

On professional mixing consoles this was an essential feature.

 

[DSJR]

'Tape Monitor' buttons were commonplace in almost all amplifiers back in the day and those of us able to afford three-head tape or cassette decks found the facility incredibly useful when recording.

I'm out of it for so long I'd forgotten that over the last twenty years or so, nobody does home recording as such now...

 

[DanielT]

'Tape Monitor' buttons were commonplace in almost all amplifiers back in the day and those of us able to afford three-head tape or cassette decks found the facility incredibly useful when recording.

I'm out of it for so long I'd forgotten that over the last twenty years or so, nobody does home recording as such now...

That could probably be the case. Here is a picture of another receiver. A Swedish-made one, Luxor 5082-R. It also has that monitor function. Plus source tape-1 and tape-2. With setting 2 to 1 or 1 to 2 dubbing. There was probably a lot of interest in recording on tape at the time, I can guess.
A record player I can imagine plugging in and listening to my old vinyl records. Mostly for nostalgia's sake. Plus it's fun fiddling with vinyl records. BUT to start recording cassette tapes via, for example, the FM radio, I will never do that. I can easily live without that cassette tape nostalgia. Nice to avoid that. Hooray for streaming music I say!
Despite that, right now, mostly because I was curious, I connected an antenna and tested the radio in the receiver. Damn good receiver part in it. Good signal strength. Easy to set FM channels in noise-free stereo mode

I see another feature on that Luxor receiver now. Next to the Loudness function there is a "HI-BLEND" button. Now what could it be? I can't find any information about that.

https://www.hifigoteborg.se/Luxor%205082%20R%20%20spec.htm

 

[DSJR]

Nostalgia? The 1980's is as if it was six months ago if I don't think too hard - and then reality kicks in and I think of all the totally life changing experiences I had since then, including having to give up my once end-game speakers 'cos they were so big and heavy and simply couldn't be fitted into our then marital home.

I still keep a Denon three head machine which played back tapes made on my Nak CR7 very well last I used it and has record calibration level and bias controls on it. Not used for a while, so may well be weak head-block springs and lop-sided belts now...

 

[MaxwellsEq]

The delay was dependent on tape speed. 30 inches per second was swift whilst 7.5 IPS was longer. In cassettes record and playback heads were just next to eachother, so the delay was surprisingly small, given the paltry 1 7/8 IPS speed.

 

[Barrelhouse Solly]

The "second" is metaphorical. As others have mentioned there is a physical distance between the play and record heads. You can switch the audio between the source material and the recording.

 

[AnalogSteph]

BTW, the tape loop also was where you would commonly integrate an equalizer.

I see another feature on that Luxor receiver now. Next to the Loudness function there is a "HI-BLEND" button. Now what could it be? I can't find any information about that.

When was the last time you were listening to FM stereo radio with slightly less than ideal reception? That was exactly the kind of scenario where you would have found a high blend function useful, which does exactly what the name implies - it blends the left and right channels together in the highs, eliminating L-R up there. Given the ginormous noise penalty of FM stereo (up to 23 dB in places with 75 µs deemphasis like the US), this can make things a lot less annoying to listen to without giving up on stereo altogether.

 

[DanielT]

BTW, the tape loop also was where you would commonly integrate an equalizer.

When was the last time you were listening to FM stereo radio with slightly less than ideal reception? That was exactly the kind of scenario where you would have found a high blend function useful, which does exactly what the name implies - it blends the left and right channels together in the highs, eliminating L-R up there. Given the ginormous noise penalty of FM stereo (up to 23 dB in places with 75 µs deemphasis like the US), this can make things a lot less annoying to listen to without giving up on stereo altogether.

Interesting. Even though it wasn't that many decades ago that feature fulfilled its function, it still feels like something ancient, or like I'm acting as an archaeologist discovering things. Which is fun.

Edit:
I listen to the radio a lot, but nowadays it's internet radio, music as well as podcasts, usually via speakers with Bluetooth functionality or Bluetooth headphones.
Listening to music via the radio is still superb for discovering new music. No recording of FM radio to cassette deck these days, but I do add music I've heard via internet radio to my spotify lists.

Here are tips on different channels:

CD Quality Internet Radio

How to listen to CD Quality Internet Radio in lossless FLAC with browsers and apps plus a list of CD Quality Internet Radio stations.

www.hiresaudio.online

 

[Philbo King]

The delay was dependent on tape speed. 30 inches per second was swift whilst 7.5 IPS was longer. In cassettes record and playback heads were just next to eachother, so the delay was surprisingly small, given the paltry 1 7/8 IPS speed.

Yeah, IIRC it was about 50 mS on my Teac C3 cassette deck. Good for a 'slapback' delay.

 

[DanielT]

Thank you for the answers. Now I understand better. That monitor function seems to be good and sensible .

Speaking of features. Since the receiver HK330C has a tape out, I connected a subwoofer via that output. I then handle the volume via DAC Topping E30.

I forgot to mention one thing you can try to reduce mixing frequencies from speakers and subwoofers. The signal from the receiver /amp's tape out is unaffected by the tone controls. Thus, you can try turning the bass tone control down to 0 position if you use an active sub that receives the signal from the tape out, that is.
I don't see in any manual how the bass tone on the HK330C works, but I'm guessing -10 dB at.. 80-100 Hz? if you turn it down to the 0 position.
In any case, an HP filter has been fixed for the speakers. Or something like an HP filter.

Perhaps not the most optimal solution to integrate a subwoofer (sub that is active with volume control and adjustable LP filter).
Or it could be a good solution. The easiest way is to measure with a microphone to see if there is potential in such a solution.

 

[DanielT]

Thank you for the answers. Now I understand better. That monitor function seems to be good and sensible .

Speaking of features. Since the receiver HK330C has a tape out, I connected a subwoofer via that output. I then handle the volume via DAC Topping E30.

I forgot to mention one thing you can try to reduce mixing frequencies from speakers and subwoofers. The signal from the receiver /amp's tape out is unaffected by the tone controls. Thus, you can try turning the bass tone control down to 0 position if you use an active sub that receives the signal from the tape out, that is.
I don't see in any manual how the bass tone on the HK330C works, but I'm guessing -10 dB at.. 50-100 Hz? if you turn it down to the 0 position.
In any case, an HP filter has been fixed for the speakers. Or something like an HP filter.

Perhaps not the most optimal solution to integrate a subwoofer (sub that is active with volume control and adjustable LP filter).
Or it could be a good solution. The easiest way is to measure with a microphone to see if there is potential in such a solution.

In any case, if you have those functions, you can test. Just a twist away, so to speak.

 

[Philipp]

BTW, the tape loop also was where you would commonly integrate an equalizer.

Sorry to step in here, but it seams to be the closent to my thread (nobody answered to yet) and maybe you could help.

Here the thread: KLICK
Maybe it is better to discuss it there.
The question is pretty similar though.

Help would be much appriciated.
Here is what I want to do, could that work?

 

[DanielT]

Sorry to step in here, but it seams to be the closent to my thread (nobody answered to yet) and maybe you could help.

Here the thread: KLICK
Maybe it is better to discuss it there.
The question is pretty similar though.

Help would be much appriciated.
Here is what I want to do, could that work?
View attachment 344844

Ok but how do you change the volume? See #4 so that both speaker and sub are matched in volume when that happens? I change the volume with the Topping E30 DAC. Tape out has a fixed signal strength on my HK330C.

 

[Philipp]

I change the volume with the Topping E30 DAC. Tape out has a fixed signal strength on my HK330C.

Yes, Tape out (as a REC out) has fixed volume, but it is my office setup, in the last couple of month, I nearly never changed volume. So it is not ideal, but when functional otherwise, its ok for me in that regard. The sub still has a volume knob. Its in reach if needed.