Need Kenwood KX-1060 Help

[1911]

HOWDY. I had a Kenwood KX-1060 back in the day and I recently purchased another. I cannot find a free manual to download and I need help recording. I do not remember the procedure and I cannot figure out how to record an LP on this unit.

Do any of you have a manual or can anyone walk me through the process?

Pre I am using is an Audio Research SP14.

Thanks -

 

[TLS Guy]

HOWDY. I had a Kenwood KX-1060 back in the day and I recently purchased another. I cannot find a free manual to download and I need help recording. I do not remember the procedure and I cannot figure out how to record an LP on this unit.

Do any of you have a manual or can anyone walk me through the process?

Pre I am using is an Audio Research SP14.

Thanks -

Here are you instruction manuals.

AR SP14

Kenwood KX-1060

You probably will have to register with Hi-Fi engine to read them.

Anyhow connect record out of the AR to record in of the Kenwood, and Tape out of the kenwood to tape in of the AR.

Now select what you want to record on the AR. Put in a tape and select Bias and Eq appropriate to the tape you are using. Engaging Dolby NR is strongly recommended. Select disc on the AR and select Record on the Kenwood, Set record levels correctly. Once you have done that start over and make the recording with the optimal record gain levels in the Kenwood.

To hear the tape, start Playback and and select the tape input on the AR.

Since this machine is new to you, demagnetizing the heads and guides is strongly recommended as well as cleaning the heads and tape path with tape head cleaner. Do this regularly.

This tape deck is pretty old, so don't be surprised of it does not work, or not work very well. Decks of this age frequently require the restorers hand.

Compared to modern sources cassette tape decks are comparatively poorer than modern digital methods and by a long mile. Units like that are basically of historic interest. I have TEAC and NAK cassette decks, but they are part of what I call the museum end of my system.

 

[1911]

Thanks Mark.

My "new" KX-1060 has been serviced and the heads have been cleaned. I am not certain if the heads have been demagnetized or not. I did have a KX-1060 back in the mid 80's, so it's not exactly new to me, but it obviously has been several decades since. I realize that digital recording methods are superior to cassette tapes, but I do not have a way to record an LP digitally, unless I can figure out a method to record/rip them on/to my computer. While I do have a CD player, I do not currently have a CDR, nor do I have one connected to my system. Also, I do have quite a few TDK Metal cassettes I recorded in the late 80's and the fidelity remains surprisingly good. I agree that such units are of historic interest, but just the same, I enjoy being able to use them as intended.

Thanks again.

 

[1911]

Turns out I had forgotten to connect the deck's tape out to the Pre Input.

Other than that I used a NOS TDK D60 to record the LP and it turned out beautifully. Sounds great!

Thanks for the help.

 

[tensyo]

I would encourage you to consider investing in a digital recording setup if you are serious about recording your LPs. There are many affordable options available, and you will be glad you did once you experience the superior sound quality of digital recordings.

As for your TDK Metal cassettes - I wanna note that even the best cassette tapes are still limited by the inherent flaws of analog recording. If you are truly concerned about preserving the sound quality of your recordings, I would recommend digitizing them as soon as possible.

 

[1911]

Tensyo: Thanks. Do you have any specific recommendations on a digital recording rig?

 

[lovinthehd]

An ART Phono Plus can be an easy way to get a device to enable recording of vinyl on your computer....

 

[1911]

lovinthehd: Thanks!

 

[TLS Guy]

An ART Phono Plus can be an easy way to get a device to enable recording of vinyl on your computer....

That does look like a handy unit at a reasonable price.

 

[TLS Guy]

lovinthehd: Thanks!

Although I have an audio workstation with a lot of audio files on it now. I actually do not archive my large LP collection. The reason is that LPs actually preserve very well, and are probably the world's most stable and best archival medium. I have LPs going back to the pre stereo era, that play fine. I bought my first LP age 7, and still have it.
I bought it is 1955.

If you are trying to preserve your vinyl archive, then you will need fail safe backups. Hard drives of all types are much more likely to do a "wobbly" than your LPs.

So unless you are a careless klutz, your LPs are not particularly in need of special archiving, because as I have said LPs are a stable archive medium in their own right.