What is tape out on vintage amplifiers?

M

Michael880

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I have a Luxman L-116A integrated amplifier and at the back, there are two sections for tape 1 and 2 and they are split into tape out and moni plugs.
What does tape out and moni mean and what do they do?
 
Michael,

Welcome. Tape out is for recording to a tape deck. Back in the olden days it was common to copy vinyl onto cassettes or reel-to-reel decks. Tape out is a fixed level for dubbing. Adjustment of the level is made on the tape deck to accommodate different tape material and the specific tape deck. The decks had "vu" meters to monitor the input level.

Sorry, I do not know what "moni" means. Did you mean "mono"?
 
Welcome. The monitor (moni) out (when turned on) function is for listening when one has a 3 head tape deck so one can monitor (listen) to the (tape) recording as one is recording.
 
Sometime the tape monitor was called Tape In. You could also use it like an aux input - no need to have a tape recorder if you just wanted to listen and not record. However, there was another purpose. If you had some sort of a signal processor (like a noise reducer or record declicker which I had in those days - an SAE 5000 IIRC), you could plug it into the tape out/tape mon loop and whatever you were playing would feed through that loop if you pushed the tape mon button. My current, quite new preamp - Herron 360 still has a tape loop with a tape out and tape mon/in, just called tape.

Larry
 
Yes - with one caveat. The Audioengine D1 has a max output of 2V and your Luxman has an input sensitivity of 150 mV so you may need to turn the volume down on the DAC so you don’t overload the input of the Luxman.
Tom
 
W9TR said:
Yes - with one caveat. The Audioengine D1 has a max output of 2V and your Luxman has an input sensitivity of 150 mV so you may need to turn the volume down on the DAC so you don’t overload the input of the Luxman.
Tom
Click to expand...

Will a Harrison Labs 12 dB RCA Line Level Attenuator(from amazon) help fix the voltage mismatch problem? Also, how do you know if you have overloaded the amplifier input.
 
An EQ (equalizer) is also used in this Tape 2 or Monitor spot. I have one connected to my Akai and Kenwood Integrateds to shape the sound in my less than ideal listening room! Just an after thought!
 
joeinid said:
Welcome to the forum, thank you for joining.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the welcome wagon, LOL!! I'm really ready to start another project with a few items I just picked up.....a 70's Pioneer EQ model: SG-50 and Pioneer Cassette Deck model: CT-F600, both in good working condition. I know they will need some cleaning (deoxit) and cassette deck will need some lithium grease re-applied to gearing, etc. but I got them for a few bucks and ready to do some serious listening when done. I forgot just how good some of the Pioneer and Kenny's were back then so I am hoping for the best.
Thanks Joeinid!
 
Michael880 said:
Will a Harrison Labs 12 dB RCA Line Level Attenuator(from amazon) help fix the voltage mismatch problem? Also, how do you know if you have overloaded the amplifier input.
Click to expand...

Rothwell, out of England make a much better Attenuator. I was looking at the Harrison but ended up getting the Rothwell's. They are considered the best at this type of products.

And, yes this discussion brings back some memories. I was a huge Nakamichi fan back in the day.... I loved my 682zx!!! (I felt the 600 series was so much better then the series that followed; just my opinion).
 
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