What is the best way to dub tapes?
The previous edition of this FAQ (version 3.1, from 1998) was almost all concerned with trading cassette tapes. For a detailed explanation, find a copy of that FAQ. What follows is a short summary. Most people prefer you to dub without using Dolby Noise Reduction. While Dolby NR suppresses a lot of the hiss generally associated with cassettes, it also cuts back on some of the “ambience”. Nearly everyone will tell you not to use high-speed dubbing. High- speed dubbing can damage sound quality considerably. Use “virgin” tapes — in other words, do not record the bootleg over the top of something else — use a brand new, unused tape to record the bootleg onto. Maxell and TDK are generally considered to be the best tapes. You should always use “Type II” tapes.
