2. amps-preamps
  3. 191003-118372

How to connect old tape deck to Pass XP-22 to listen/record

I’m soon to acquire a Nakamichi RX-505 and want to connect it to the pass labs preamp in order to listen through my system as well as record from the turntable. Apologies in advance if this is a simple process, but the connection on the Pass is a tape loop and even though I’ve read what that is and basically how to use it, I thought I’d ask the experts on this board for connection directions as I’m still not quite sure I’d be doing it correctly The key is being able to record from vinyl but also listen to tapes through the system. Thanks in advance.

cabalaska
tbac23
2 posts
 

It’s been a while, but you should be able to run RCA on the tape out to the Nakimichi, and there will be a line out on the Nakamichi that will be your RCA path back into your Pass XP-22 Tape In. If you’re playing Vinyl you should be able to activate the tape loop on the XP-22 and record (and listen) as the record plays...

elliottbnewcombjr
5,471 posts
 

I don't see 'monitor' on the preamp. The 'out' of your preamp's tape loop is always active I suspect.

old days: monitor let you choose to hear either the selected source (monitor off) or the recording of the selected source (monitor in, i.e. the tape loop's 'tape in' is the monitored input)

you could listen to something, any source you were recording, by choosing it's input, i.e. hear the lp while recording it (listening to the phono), OR use monitor to instead listen to the recording, i.e. listen to the output of the recording of the LP, 

 

Without Monitor as a choice, IF you simply choose TAPE as an Input, then you will always be listening to the tape not the source.

cabalaska OP
21 posts
 

tbac23,

thanks for replying. Your method seems to imply that I can only hear the vinyl playing as i record on the tape deck, which is fine, but what about being able to just play a tape and hear it through my system? Does the tape loop allow for playback or does the tape out have to be connected to one of the preamp inputs?

elliottbnewcombjr,

thanks as well for the reply. you are correct, there is no monitor on the preamp, but the remote has a button designated "tape". The manual states: "pressing the tape button selects the tape loop and displays INPUT TAPE t with volume at 000. Push the tape again gets you out of tape mode"  That doesn't really tell me very much. 

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