Adding record in and out to a passive preamp

[diviy]

Anyone got any ideas how I can add a record in and out to my passive pre amp ?
I have a reel to reel cassette player and a minidisc I have picked up a Sony SB300 so i can connect the three items but my passive pre does not have a record in and out .
Cheers Gerry

[Barry]

The Sony SB300 will do both the input and record output selection.

https://images.reverb.com/image/upload/s--NqEMgzWh--/f_auto,t_large/v1645838641/iiwy4ynwrclrwbpxqba0.jpg

http://www.wiredwood.co.uk/wordpress/sony-tapecorder-selector-sb-300/

Connect the unit in front of your passive pre.

[Ali Tait]

Beresford do a range of options-

http://www.homehifi.co.uk/S/selector-phono.htm

[Lawrence001]

Assuming you don't need to record and listen to different sources at the same time, I think in theory record in is just the source you select and record out can come off the source selector in parallel with the potentiometer to some RCAs. If you have spare inputs you could rewire one pair from the source selector inputs to the outputs.

I'm not sure about things like the signal going in the wrong direction, resistors, buffers etc so someone with more knowledge than me could comment. I think low impedance outputs and high impedance inputs in the tape recorder sort any issues.

[diviy]

Sorry the switch boxes a Sony SB-500it has three inputs for recording the on the amplifier side has a line in and line out

[diviy]

Sorry the switch boxes a Sony SB-500it has three inputs for recording the on the amplifier side has a line in and line out .I have a a passive preamp converted to just a switch box as it had four inputs and two sets of out .so wondering it if I could connect the SB-500 output to one of the outputs and the input to one of the spare inputs on the switch box ?

[Barry]

Does your switch box look like this:

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/~DQAAOSwnmFg2X8z/s-l1600.jpg

with the connections as shown here?

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/KJAAAOSwyxZg2X9B/s-l1600.jpg

Connect the sources (which I assume are at line level, say 500mV) to the various "Tape" inputs, and the "Amplifier line in" to your passive preamp. Use the 'Monitor' controls to select either of the tape inputs (setting the toggle switch to "Source").

[diviy]

Cheers Barry I will try that method out.:cool:

[topoxforddoc]

The issue you have is that you only have one lineout i.e. the output to the power amp. A tape loop include an extra input and OUTPUT. The output is the record out on a tape loop.
If it’s just for recording (and you can monitor on headphones as opposed to speakers), you can just use any line input and feed out to the line out for the power amp.

[337alant]

In a passive pre you have a set of input sockets and an input selector switch.
The output from the input selector switch goes to a Potentiometer or stepped attenuator the out from that to a set of output sockets
Take another set of wires from the selector switch output and take them directly to a new set of output sockets, this second set goes directly to your R2R input, the output from your R2R can go back into one of the source selector sockets.
This will give you full line level input to your R2R so if you are recording from a DAC or a CD player you will be getting approx +4db / 320nWb/m level if your recorders can handle this input level you will get a very clean recording
older tape loops had buffers and attenuation but just sound dull IMHO
Alternatively just do what I do and plug the output of the DAC/CD/Phono directly into the R2R input for the best recordings

Alan

[diviy]

Thanks for all the advice but I am going a different way now Picked up a Toshiba Sy-330 pre amp mint condition and very cheap it is currently being recapped ,phono stage converted to a normal output ,better power supply and one of the outputs being modded for digital.