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<rss version="2.0"><channel><title>Capstan</title><link>https://allegrosound.com/</link><description>A reference journal for vintage hi-fi, tape and the home audio archive</description><item><title>The makers behind classic hi-fi: Nakamichi, Denon, McIntosh, Marantz, Revox and Studer, Technics</title><link>https://allegrosound.com/ManufacturersCorner.html</link><guid>https://allegrosound.com/ManufacturersCorner.html</guid><pubDate>2026-10-24</pubDate><description>Short, sourced histories of six manufacturers whose equipment is still sought after: where they started, the products that made their names, and what to know when you meet their gear secondhand.</description></item><item><title>A good hi-fi system on a tiny budget</title><link>https://allegrosound.com/NoCashAudio.html</link><guid>https://allegrosound.com/NoCashAudio.html</guid><pubDate>2026-10-24</pubDate><description>How to build a satisfying stereo for very little money: where to spend first, finding secondhand speakers and amplifiers, matching power to speaker sensitivity, free improvements from placement, sources that cost nothing, and what not to waste money on.</description></item><item><title>Tracking down rare vintage audio components and parts</title><link>https://allegrosound.com/AudioFindersService.html</link><guid>https://allegrosound.com/AudioFindersService.html</guid><pubDate>2026-10-23</pubDate><description>How to find a rare amplifier, deck or spare part: identifying exactly what you need, saved searches, clubs and swap meets, parts donors, cross-referencing components, reproduction parts, and avoiding scams and misdescribed items.</description></item><item><title>Finding and reading service manuals and schematics for vintage audio</title><link>https://allegrosound.com/manuals.html</link><guid>https://allegrosound.com/manuals.html</guid><pubDate>2026-10-23</pubDate><description>Where to find owner&#x27;s and service manuals for old hi-fi legitimately, what each kind of document contains, how to read a schematic, parts list and adjustment procedure, and how to respect copyright while sharing.</description></item><item><title>Point-source stereo recording: XY, ORTF, spaced pair and Blumlein</title><link>https://allegrosound.com/PointSourceRecordingServices.html</link><guid>https://allegrosound.com/PointSourceRecordingServices.html</guid><pubDate>2026-10-23</pubDate><description>How to record a choir, an ensemble or a room with just two microphones: how coincident, near-coincident and spaced pairs create a stereo image, the standard angles and spacings, placement, mono compatibility and simple monitoring.</description></item><item><title>Getting audio off DAT tapes: drives, errors, sample rates and digital capture</title><link>https://allegrosound.com/DigitalAudioTapeTransferServices.html</link><guid>https://allegrosound.com/DigitalAudioTapeTransferServices.html</guid><pubDate>2026-10-22</pubDate><description>How to transfer Digital Audio Tape (DAT) recordings bit for bit: choosing and checking a deck, head clogs and error correction, 48, 44.1 and 32 kHz, long-play mode, SCMS, S/PDIF and AES3 capture, and verifying the result.</description></item><item><title>MiniDisc to digital: NetMD, Hi-MD, ATRAC and optical capture</title><link>https://allegrosound.com/MiniDiscTransferServices.html</link><guid>https://allegrosound.com/MiniDiscTransferServices.html</guid><pubDate>2026-10-22</pubDate><description>How to get recordings off MiniDisc: what ATRAC, SP and MDLP modes mean, why NetMD uploads were restricted, which Hi-MD recorder uploads standard discs, and how to capture in real time from an optical output.</description></item><item><title>Vacuum tubes in hi-fi: common types, matching, testing and bias</title><link>https://allegrosound.com/tubes_AllegroSound.html</link><guid>https://allegrosound.com/tubes_AllegroSound.html</guid><pubDate>2026-10-22</pubDate><description>A practical introduction to valves in audio equipment: what preamp, power and rectifier tubes do, the types you will meet (12AX7, EL34, 6L6GC, KT88, EL84, 300B and others), matched pairs, testers, fixed and cathode bias, signs of a failing tube, and the high-voltage safety rules.</description></item><item><title>Transferring reel-to-reel and cassette tapes to digital: a careful method</title><link>https://allegrosound.com/AnalogTapeTransferServices.html</link><guid>https://allegrosound.com/AnalogTapeTransferServices.html</guid><pubDate>2026-10-21</pubDate><description>How to get reel-to-reel and cassette recordings into clean digital files: checking the tape, sticky-shed and baking, track formats and speeds, head cleaning, azimuth, Dolby and dbx decoding, levels and file formats.</description></item><item><title>Buying a reel-to-reel tape deck: what to check, and what it will cost to keep</title><link>https://allegrosound.com/4sale_reel-tape-decks.html</link><guid>https://allegrosound.com/4sale_reel-tape-decks.html</guid><pubDate>2026-10-21</pubDate><description>How to choose and inspect a used open-reel deck: track format, speeds and reel size, heads and head wear, pinch roller, brakes and tension, motors, electronics, accessories, and why the right machine depends on the tapes you want to play.</description></item><item><title>What fails in vintage amplifiers, receivers and tape decks, and what to do about it</title><link>https://allegrosound.com/AudiophileRepairServices.html</link><guid>https://allegrosound.com/AudiophileRepairServices.html</guid><pubDate>2026-10-21</pubDate><description>The usual faults in 1960s to 1990s hi-fi: dried electrolytic capacitors, scratchy controls and switches, dirty relays, perished belts and idlers, lamps and drifting bias. What recapping really means, what to leave to a technician, and the safety rules that come first.</description></item><item><title>Buying used vintage hi-fi: what to check before you pay</title><link>https://allegrosound.com/4sale.html</link><guid>https://allegrosound.com/4sale.html</guid><pubDate>2026-10-20</pubDate><description>A buyer&#x27;s checklist for secondhand amplifiers, receivers, turntables, tape decks and speakers: researching a model, reading listings, questions for the seller, testing in person, shipping risks, and the restoration costs to budget for.</description></item><item><title>Digitising a home music archive: formats, files, metadata and backups</title><link>https://allegrosound.com/MusicTransferServices.html</link><guid>https://allegrosound.com/MusicTransferServices.html</guid><pubDate>2026-10-20</pubDate><description>A plan for turning a box of tapes, discs and records into a lasting digital archive: sorting what you have, which formats need attention first, preservation and listening files, naming, metadata and a backup routine.</description></item></channel></rss>
