SO RARE! Exploring the GE 3SVA410 STEREO microcassette recorder!

[radiotubes]

Very interesting and professional and i do believe ive been to to museum drooling lolI have to find a microcassette with radio.Neat way to record off radio while im traveling.

[thatmuse76]

About 10 years ago I bought two of the boombox units, one with the tape recorder, one without. If I still had either one of them, I would have sent you the one missing the recorder since you have that unit. Hindsight is 20/20. They still occasionally turn up.

[clydesight]

@thatmuse76 Thanks for the thought! I can still use the recorder, just not quite as GE intended. I believe this machine was actually built by SHARP, as they have an identical unit.

[mp1101ful]

vhy not???Did you get it for repair???

[clydesight]

@mp1101ful

This machine is part of the ClydeSight collection and will eventually be part of the Vintage Tape Recorder Hall of Fame. It is not for sale.

[mp1101ful]

can i have this recorder???...Or you threw it out

[clydesight]

@mp1101ful

No and no.

[BadBrad23]

That is cool! I have this exact same model. It works perfectly. I bought it about 7 years ago at a junk store for 5 bucks. I did not know it went into a boom box. I though It might have went into a midi player or piano maybe... Thanks for vid....

[m134mr]

very interesting recorder. Is the music that you use your own composition? It is very nice, lovely piece of music

[clydesight]

@m134mr Thank you for your kind comment.

Yes, the music is my own composition called Lullabye Clyde. You can download a copy from my website, clydesight d o t com. Scroll to the bottom of the page and pick the link that says exciting MP3 music files.

I also have a video with the music here on YouTube called: Lullaby Clyde.

[cliffordiscool]

@blkmalencali i have one, but im looking for the boombox, name a price

[blkmalencali]

I Have the boom box for this cassette player. This player was missing and I'm looking for a replacement.

[clydesight]

@blkmalencali

Try E-Bay. One may appear there.

I'm looking for a schematic to know what the pin outs in the bottom of the player are for. I figured out some of them, but not all.



[fatcatbuzz]

I listen to some recordings some people made from these stereo microcassette recorders and you are right, the tape hiss is way too in your face. It's like listening to music on a standard normal bias cassette tape with no Dolby noise reduction. That's why I use Type II or IV cassette tapes. The sound quality is way better. I sometimes, believe it or not, like tape hiss. But, not when you can hear it along with the music. The signal to noise ratio must be very narrow on these units.

[clydesight]

@fatcatbuzz

I wonder what the micro cassette would sound like using metal tape (assuming I ever find a metal micro cassette!)

I'm used to hiss, what drives me bonkers is wow and flutter!

Digital is less hands on than tape, less tactile, but it has some conveniences. I like the ease of editing in programs like Audacity.

I've never used a good digital recorder. The few I have tried are WAY overpriced AND crappy sounding anyway.

A GOOD tape deck is a dream to use.

[fatcatbuzz]

@clydesight Even standard metal cassettes are pretty rare now, although I still have about 100 new ones I haven't used. I can only imagine how rare a new, or even a used tape would be to find for these unit. I wouldn't use one of these for music, though it's neat to see one in action. I never really like the sound quality of microcassettes, even for voice.

Digital does have some nice editing features and good sound quality. But, I read an article about how tape editing is becoming a lost art.

[clydesight]

@fatcatbuzz I have one metal standard cassette. It seems to have a bit more high end to it.

Microcassettes really pushed the limit of analog tape. I mean, it runs at 15/16ths ips and even slower on super thin tape with hardly enough coating to make a difference (I have some SOMNY microcassettes that you can SEE through!) and yet, it works, badly, but it works.

I like digital tape editing, especially the UNDO function. Life should come with an UNDO.

[fatcatbuzz]

@clydesight UNDO, huh? I'll have to look that one up. Yes, the metal tapes have way more to them. I use to do all my master mixes on them because I don't have a 2 track reel to reel and I didn't have anything digital at the time. Plus, you get a warm analog sound which is awesome. I can't wait to move back the States to start using that stuff again.

I have a couple of microcassette recorders, but I never liked them that much. I think they are only good for simple voice recording, not music.

[clydesight]

@fatcatbuzz

There have been plenty of times where I worked on restoring a tape recorder and made a stupid mistake. I have often wished I could just press the UNDO key and go back in time to before I made the mistake!

Obviously, with digital, I CAN do that. But life is not digital.

A lot of people talk about the warmth of analog sound and the coldness of digital sound. So there must be something to that.

I have a few microcassette recorders that aren't even good for voice recording!

[fatcatbuzz]

@clydesight You're right. The good thing about about digital is that if you make a simple mistake you can go back and fix it easily. Which has many advantages for sure. But, the one argument I have heard that people make about the musical aspect of digital is that some times artists rely on that editing side of digital in order to make up there their lack of musical skills. Also, some of that sound that people came to love about analog is lost in digital which I've thought to be true.

[fatcatbuzz]

That would be a nice little unit to own. Especially for field recordings.

[clydesight]

@fatcatbuzz

I think it is cute and a rarity. For field work, I'd get a good quality stereo digital recorder (shocking concept?). I have read that these units have amazing recording quality that cassettes cannot touch. But for tape format, this little thing is pretty much the limit!

[fatcatbuzz]

@clydesight Yeah, digital does have it's place in this new audio revolution and it's really only people like you and I that still prefer tape in some instances. For me, I think digital is about convenience and I am thinking of going digital for recording because I live out here in Korea for a job and have no way to record my music anymore. All my tape stuff is in my parents attic in Minnesota.

I was wondering what that unit would sound like in that boombox you mention. Maybe we'll never know.

[clydesight]

@fatcatbuzz

When it comes to reel work (;>) , digital is the way to go, but good digital (there's plenty of junk available) It's small, convenient, etc.

Tape is great for nostalgia, and sometimes for the sound. My Wollensak 5750 has simply wonderful stereo separation and a warmth that digital can't touch.

This GE probably sounded pretty good in the boombox if their amp had good filters. The tape hiss is pronounced and annoying.

The GE probably sounded nice

[fatcatbuzz]

@clydesight I would have to say that digital in a convenient way to record as far as I know, although I've never owned Protools or any DAW programs. I have recorded a couple of time with digital, but always loved the sound I got with my 4 or 8 track Tascam tape recorder. I hate how everything is internal in DAW programs and it really takes off the hands on approach to working with tape. But, I do want to get into the digital realm because that is the way everything is going. I love tape hiss.

[clydesight]

@fatcatbuzz

I imagine a TASCAM tape recorder would be super impressive! They have a fantastic reputation. Out of my league for sure, unless they made a rim drive 3-inch reel machine (just kidding).

[fatcatbuzz]

@clydesight Nice comment about the 3-inch. 하하하 Those old Tascam units are great. I use to get really nice sound from those tape units, especially when I use a tube preamp and condenser mics for acoustics. Sure, there are not at the level of the tape recorders they used at Abbey Road and we'd all love to get our grubby little hand on the equipment they used there, but they still get an impressive sound you record everything properly. I love those units better than anything digital.

[clydesight]

Studio equipment looks so exciting to use, if somewhat intimidating. Bit of a learning curve going on there!

A mic that is balanced to a recorder, and a recorder that is balanced to an amplifier, and an amp that is balanced to speakers... that's the formula for really wonderful sound. That's what studios do.



[fatcatbuzz]

@clydesight I've been in some professional studios and yes, they can be intimidating because of the size of all the equipment. It's all about signal flow, but even then some of all those bottoms are like "what is this for?" I can deal with a mixers with 16 to 24 channel, but some of those consoles in professional studios go up to 48 channel or more. Oh course, as you said, studios are set up to sound great and that's why even with home digital equipment artists still use professional studios.

[thecrystalcauldron]

"So rare" to see such an interesting video. Thank you very much

[clydesight]

@thecrystalcauldron Thanks! This machine is a real treasure, not only for the sound, but also, it is... well, you know... rare. I've only seen one other of this model, and that was over a year ago on E-Bay.

[RODALCO2007]

An other great piece of audio engineering.

Never knew that there were stereo versions of the micro cassette recorders on the market.

Thanks for showing.

[clydesight]

@RODALCO2007

Thanks for the comment. Stereo microcassette recorders only lasted about two years on the market. The problem was the cost and the metal formula (Type IV) tape was expensive.

At the time, standard cassettes ruled the day, and people saw no need to switch to another format that was essentially the same, only smaller. There was no perceived advantage.

[eltonandlaurafan]

I think that the Walkman was the reason that units like this were tried. Have it hooked to your home stereo, transfer your cassettes or LP's to it, then take it along with you, as a smaller alternative to the portable cassette players of the time. I had to split the comment into because YouTube gave me an error trying to post it.

[clydesight]

@eltonandlaurafan

Hi, I agree about the intended purpose. In sad news, I read on CNN that SONY decided to retire the Walkman today. They announced they would make no more.

While the market in the US had dwindled, they had a stronger on in Asia. Now they don't. I believe they will sell out all they have remaining and then that's the end of it. It is sad to see a technology die.

So hang on you your Walkmans! They are now officially extinct. - or so it would seem.

[eltonandlaurafan]

SO FREAKIN' AWESOME!!!! I never knew such a thing existed. The cassette recorder Gods were smiling down on you that day! I'm not surprised that it's A.C. Bias, even though it's a G.E., all the work to make it stereo and make it D.C. Bias would just ruin the whole point.

[clydesight]

@eltonandlaurafan

Thanks.

Yes, the TRGods were smiling on me, and again when I was actually able to find and correct that tiny component problem.

I could not figure out the speed switching for days. Then a little voice (probably because it is a little recorder) "said", "Look on the little amplifier board through the super magnification thing that you wear on your head!"

Broken contacts are really hard to detect! But there it was, right in front of me!

[stratocat9999]

Nice piece! There was a push by Panasonic, JVC, Sanyo/Fisher, among others to create HiFi stereo Micro cassettes in the 80's. They got as far as a couple of boom-boxes and car stereos, but no dedicated decks for the home system. But they did produce (or at least proto) a few units similar to this that could be connected to a home system. Needless to say it never took off, (the audio quality was not very good) but it was an intriguing idea for very portable music. Nice!

[clydesight]

@stratocat9999

Thanks

I remember when this technology came out. I was very excited by the concept, but the costs were pretty high. Did anyone make a commercial recording on microcassette for these units?

[stratocat9999]

@clydesight According the to the industry trades of the time, they did make a few car stereos, and pre-recorded tapes were in discussion, but were never produced. I followed this with interest, right up until I heard one. Even with metal tape, they weren't very good. Perhaps dbx might have helped the overall quality as opposed to Dolby B. Like the Digital Cassette, this was not meant to be, :)

[clydesight]

@stratocat9999

Thanks for the info. I seem to remember that mention of pre-recorded tapes. Like you, I followed this technology with great interest. But I never got to hear a stereo microcassette. I had bought a plain old mono one (made by GE) which was actually pretty good, but the hiss drove me nuts.

Useful for dictation, but HIFI? No way.

Pity as microcassettes are so cute!

[thereelmaster]

well i never.

[clydesight]

@thereelmaster

Yes, it is amazing what one can find sometimes.

[coolbluelights]

wow that's really awesome! I hope you can get the boombox it went into! They just don't make cool stuff like this anymore. I remember seeing a hifi system with a microcassette deck in back in elementary school in the 80s!

[clydesight]

@coolbluelights

Thanks.

If I had the specs on the connector, I could rig this for working with any boom box. I figured out some of the pins but others are a mystery.

[CassetteMaster]

Whoa!! A STEREO MICROCASSETTE! Interesting indeed. I still would have liked to hear the built-in mic sound. From the recording, it sounds DC bias from the amount of background noise.

[clydesight]

@CassetteMaster Thanks for your comment.

The built in mics pic up a lot of machine noise. I think it has AC bias, I found a small coil in the corner of the amplifier, and it has the metal EQ setting, so I am pretty sure they stuick a bias coil in there.

But the amp and tape are hissy, so it may fool you into thinking it has DC bias.

[vwestlife]

@clydesight The "beat cut" switch means it has AC bias. This switch adjusts the frequency of the bias oscillator so that it won't interfere with the radio station you're trying to record.

[clydesight]

@vwestlife

Thanks.

[Felix2417425]

AMAZING!!! very nice machine!

[clydesight]

@Felix2417425

Thanks, Felix!

[CoolDudeClem]

What a little treasure!  Nice work getting it working and it sounds pretty good. I'd love to have one of these. While out and about I'd listen to my music on it while everyone else is using there normal boring mp3 players and ipods. They might think I'm crazy but analogue is more reliable, easy to use and would still be working a long time after thier digital players die on them.

[clydesight]

@CoolDudeClem

Thanks, Clem.

I bet if you were out and about with almost any tape recorder, especially a reel to reel, you'd get a lot of attention. People don't know what they are anymore!

This one is so tiny, you'd have to make some kind of fuss to get people to see that you had it. It definitely fits in a shirt pocket.

[lgayer]

This is an absolute gold you have here. Microcassette recorders (hi-fi) are extremely rare. I´m trying to get one here in Europe but the prices are far from reasonable. I think I´ll stick to the reel to reels :)

[clydesight]

@lgayer

Thanks for your comment.

Yes, I was REALLY lucky to find this one.

I've had similar experiences to yours. I found an original Olympus Stereo IN THE BOX, but the price was several hundred dollars! Sorry, no can do! And didn't. But perseverance pays off, and the Tape Recorder Spirits were with me one day and I lucked into this unit.

However, if anyone else had gotten it, it would have been a disappointment. The machine did not work properly.

[umajunkcollector]

@clydesight The Olympus and GE looked alike many times for the micro recorders. But the Olympus looked a bit nicer. Back in the 80s, I had the Sony (MC1000 ?) stereo micro cassette recorder. It was longer than the GE. I tried recording live music withit, and it was a fair recording after it was dubbed to a cassette. As you said, the internal mics and speaker sound bad. I recall no stereo separation with the Sony's built in mics, worthless. But it was OK with two mics.

[clydesight]

@umajunkcollector

I agree about the internal mics.

They are spaced too close to get good stereo separation. Stereo camcorders have a similar problem. But at least Camcorder mics are pretty quiet, while microcassette mics and most built in standard cassette mics just aren't isolated enough to eliminate machine noise.

So an external mic is a necessity.

[fatcatbuzz]

@clydesight It seems like no internal microphones are ever any good. Even with my little cassette recorders I use mics that aren't a part of the unit.

[clydesight]

@fatcatbuzz

I agree, external mics generally are much better than the built in ones. But, in the high end broadcast cassette units, they do shield the internal mics pretty well.

[BadEditPro]

An incredible find... The microcassette as hi-fi component was just a flash in the pan in the early 80's... These machines re so rare today. Great video! :) JC

[clydesight]

@BadEditPro

Thanks for your comment! Yes, these things didn't hang around, but what a concept! I was sure lucky to find this little baby.