1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

Making a copy of the STAR WARS MFSL extraordinary cassette

Discussion in 'Cassettes' started by walkman archive, Dec 27, 2016.

  1. walkman archive

    walkman archive Administrator Staff Member

    Messages:
    1,883
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Barcelona
    I recently bought this cassette, and I was shocked by its sound quality. These guys really knew what they were doing! This is, by far, the best sounding release I've heard of this famous soundtrack. I didn't know about MSFL ever but it's now on my target definitely.

    I showed it to a friend and he was shocked too, so I offered him to make an exact copy. First of all I scanned the J-card and printed a precise copy using my home printed. It's not a professional printer at all (in fact it's just a 60€ Canon inkjet printer) but I have colour-calibrated it, as I have the right tools for that (I work on pro photography).

    MFSL Star wars cassette copy 01.JPG

    As I know I'll be doing more than one copy, I decided to make a master copy using dbx system so I did it using a brand new SA-X in my Technics Super-RS-B965, a special version highly modified by ANT Audio. I also printed a specially modified version of the J-card for that:

    MFSL Star wars cassette copy 02.JPG

    The frequency response of the SA-X in the B965 is suprisingly flat, begin-to-end. The main problem was that that the MFSL cassette is Dolby-coded and I had to decode it properly. The problem with Dolby (B in this case) is that it always looses some treble... unless you have an external decoder with calibration capabilities, that I have. I used my JVC NR50 for that and I could find -by ear- a proper setting that doesn't not eat any treble from the music, so I could copy it into the SA-X with dbx, allowing it to preserve the entire original dynamic range. The audio copy is almost perfect.

    MFSL Star wars cassette copy 04.JPG

    Then I played this SA-X and made his copy on a Maxell XL-II using my SONY K909ES with Dolby S in this case. This copy will go to my friend Manuel @mankamaz. As we both have a K909ES, I suggested him to make his copy using dolby S because this one is less sensitive to changes in the internal calibration of the deck, thus preserving the original DR. I had to correct the freq. response using my EQ because I realized that when I active the Dolby S in the K909 the treble raises quite a lot dB (around 5dB above 15kHz). Not hearable to me as my ears cannot detect that anymore, but anyway incorrect response.

    MFSL Star wars cassette copy 03.JPG

    Anyway, I corrected it with my EQ, fully analog, until the copy with Dolby S was exactly the same to the original. It's wonderful to see how well can an analog copy keep all its quality after several high quality copies. Best of all is that it keeps all the 'life' in the sound, that get lost in the first digitisation...

    MFSL Star wars cassette copy 05.JPG
     
    Last edited: Dec 28, 2016
  2. cmarti

    cmarti New Member

    Messages:
    21
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    Orlando, FL
    Marvelous job, I am seriously impressed and your friend is very lucky :)
     
    walkman archive likes this.
  3. walkman archive

    walkman archive Administrator Staff Member

    Messages:
    1,883
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Barcelona
  4. Elite-ist

    Elite-ist Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    259
    Trophy Points:
    63
    Location:
    Squamish, B.C., Canada
    Nice job, Hugo. There are a few manufacturers of pre-recorded cassettes that made excellent copies for the masses. MSFL was one of them.

    Nando.
     
    walkman archive likes this.
  5. walkman archive

    walkman archive Administrator Staff Member

    Messages:
    1,883
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Barcelona
    You're right, Nando. You the canadians and US people were lucky because we had nothing like that here in Spain. All cassettes here are mediocre and of low quality. So was it that I always believed that cassettes cannot offer more... until now. I recently got a huge lot of 130+ cassettes from the US and I was impressed of the quality of many of them. Light years ahead of spanish ones...
    I know MFSL but very few more. Crystal? Barclay-crocker (for reel). What ones are worth too?
     
  6. mankamaz

    mankamaz Administrator Staff Member

    Messages:
    144
    Trophy Points:
    43
    Location:
    madrid,. spain
    Hi Hugo, great great job
    I'm looking forward to have that tape in my hands! :cool:
     
  7. walkman archive

    walkman archive Administrator Staff Member

    Messages:
    1,883
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Barcelona
    Glad that you like it :)
     
  8. Elite-ist

    Elite-ist Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    259
    Trophy Points:
    63
    Location:
    Squamish, B.C., Canada
    Hugo: Here is a link to other audiophile pre-recorded cassettes: http://vinylfanatics.com/analoglovers/page7.html

    Also, there are a few demonstration cassette tapes, which automobile manufacturers offered with their new vehicles, back when cassettes were king for car audio systems.

    [​IMG]

    Nando.
     
  9. walkman archive

    walkman archive Administrator Staff Member

    Messages:
    1,883
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Barcelona
    I have seen some of those tapes. That's something I've never seen in cars here. Wonderful.
    I've seen that even MFSL did some of those cassettes with BOSE and for some brands. It's ironic that people are selling these tapes that are clearly marked as "NOT FOR SALE" :laugh:
     
  10. walkman archive

    walkman archive Administrator Staff Member

    Messages:
    1,883
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Barcelona
    Oh, thanks for the link. I'll take a look. Needless to say that your sony deck is truly elegant and timeless. Wonderful piece of vintage technology!
     

Share This Page