Cornwalled Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Hey Guys, Back in 2000, I got an an Associates degree in Recording Arts from Full Sail Real World Education. As part of their studios, they made many reel to reel decks - both 2" 24 track, as well as 2 channel master units. I enjoyed working with them, calibrating, cleaning, etc. They certainly sounded great. As I recall, the 2 inchers were Studer (don't remember the model, but they were nice). The little guys were various brands- Tascam, etc. I don't remember if the 2 channel ones were 1/4" or 1/2". They might have had both. Anyway, my question is this: Does anyone here use reel to reel in their home stereos? If so, where do you get your tapes from? I have been interested in getting a machine myself, but don't know where I would get tapes. I'm only really interested in tapes that already have music on them - mainly classical, jazz and blues. Or even the occasional big band record- Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington esp. Which size format is most common for home use- 1/4"? Also, how about what IPS? Any machines that are a good deal on the used market right now? Another concern is upkeep on a discontinued format. My worry is if something goes (a motor, belt, heads, etc.) that I won't be able to find the parts or get it serviced. Is this a real problem? One thing I do have is the Interclean head cleaning kit which has the S-711 head cleaning fluid and the CS-1 swabs. I used to use it on my Nak before it quit. I have done alignments before, but that was almost 10 years ago, so I would need a refresher. Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated, as I am definitely interested in adopting this charming format if you guys think it would be workable (and not too expensive). Thanks! Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZAKO Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Try tapeheads.net Or gearsluts.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picky Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 I still have my 1976 Teac A-3340S 4-track of which I am the original owner. Unfortunately, I have no room in my theater's equipment rack so it's currently stored in its Anvil road case. I do miss using it. But some day I may break it out an play for a while. -Glenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. RF62 Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 I have one as well, but its at my Dad's place right now. Still works perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Of course. Mainly because you can find real steals on pre-recorded material on ebay. Take a look, there is a large variety and some of it is stuff that would bring a LOT of money as an LP (along with ticks, pops, and surface noise) but may go for 10 bucks or less as R2R. I have some dillies, including "Meet the Beatles." 1/4 track stereo is the way to go for this, but if you get hooked and want the very best, like Tape Project, one of the decks that can do both would be in order...but they bring pretty high prices. Also bear in mind that competent techs are few, far between, and expect a bag of gold up front to work on one. Just about cheaper to ditch it and grab a working one off ebay if it fails. Cheap, very high res analog thrills. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 I pick up reel to reels by the box load usually $20 at thrift stores etc. Most of it is crap but sometimes you get something good. RTR is great but I've only been using mine for about 6 months.I like to record my friends radio show since I have lots of tape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank1938 Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Jon, unless you already have a lot of r2r tapes, it becomes more the joy of watching the reels spin around as you enjoy your new toy. I used a DBX unit to copy all of my tapes to high res MP3s and got rid of the machines. Much easier ways to deal with good quality music nowadays. Frank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 >...high res MP3s... Ouch. OK, not going to question what you like, but for many of us "high res" and "mp3" is a contradiction in terms and certainly no match for R2R. Minimum would be 16/44.1 uncompressed and if they are really good I'd go 24/88.2 or 1 bit 2.8mhz, which has pretty well become my norm these days for anything worth recording. I certainly second the DBX which, properly set, will eliminate the tape hiss entirely. If dynamic range compression is evident, a bit more will really improve things dramatically. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank1938 Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 I certainly second the DBX which, properly set, will eliminate the tape hiss entirely. If dynamic range compression is evident, a bit more will really improve Dave, poorly stated on my part. I meant high res relative to the normal 128. Agree 100% on the 24/88.2 and certainly good enough for me not to have to wrestle with the tapes. Thanks for clarifying. Frank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Jon, Two things: 1. I have the tubes to send to you (hadn't forgotten you), but haven't found anyone with a tester to double check them for you... 2. I've been looking for a 16 track RTR (1/2 inch is fine). Found a 24 track 2 incher for $1900 from a place clearing out their gear. Hmmmm... nope, I sure don't want to have to buy tape for that. Most home users are, as Dave pointed out, 1/4 tape users. 1/2 or 1/4 track. Still have my 3340S as well, and a teac portable in storage. Bruce PS -My older son graduated from FS, in computer graphic design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 I still have my 1976 Teac A-3340S 4-track of which I am the original owner. Unfortunately, I have no room in my theater's equipment rack so it's currently stored in its Anvil road case. I do miss using it. But some day I may break it out an play for a while. -Glenn Glenn, you may need it serviced when you get it out. The grease on the pinchroller solenoid tends to dry out and get sticky, preventing the pinch roller from moving or at the least, not engaging smoothly and quickly. The braking solenoids may do the same thing, which can cause some massive tape spills. You could ask how I know this...but you probably can figure it out. BTW, new tape is available.Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocknLoad Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 RTR isn't the most convenient - but the cool factor is off the charts. I've got a Pioneer RT707 and use it regularly Try http://www.protapenw.com/acatalog/Open_reel_audio_tape.html - I've bought some blank from them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philipbarrett Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Tons of bargain Revox A-77s & B-77s out there. Be sure & get the 3.75ips/7.5ips quarter track models (not 1/4" which is pretty much standard for 2-track outside the studio 1/2" mastering decks) if you're looking to play tapes sold to the domestic market. Both are workhorses with tons of parts & service info. available. How'd Full Sail work out for you? In the industry? PB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornwalled Posted April 9, 2009 Author Share Posted April 9, 2009 Hello PB, What is the difference between quarter track and quarter inch? What size tape does a quarter track use? I have been away from tape for quite a while, so I have forgotten some things. I should clarify what I'm looking to use the machine for. I'm looking to use it for playing back domestic tapes with my home stereo, not as a studio mastering deck. Would the A-77 / B-77 be suitable for that? Thanks, Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Jon, Commercially released tapes will be 1/4 inch. They may or may not be 1/4 track stereo two tracks per side). Now I'm gonna have to get the portableTeac out of storage... another thing they were throwing away at school. Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picky Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Bruce: I appreciate the tip, man. I'll let you know. Thanks! -Glenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philipbarrett Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Hello PB, What is the difference between quarter track and quarter inch? What size tape does a quarter track use? Quarter inch is the width of the tape used for domestic RTR releases and most studio mastering tapes. Quarter-track is the use of 4 tracks, 2 (for stereo) running one way, 2 the other. Simply put, you can turn the tape over & play the other side. Studio decks are half-track, 2 tracks running in one direction, if you turn the tape over & start recording you'll erase over the previous tracks. All original domestic RTR releases were quarter-track. Disadvantage = smaller track width (4 vs. 2) so less fidelity. Advantage = less tape use, able to fit an entire album on one 7.5" reel at 3.75ips. You can record on any 1/4" tape but need to play back on the same type of track as recorded on. Good news is that many domestic decks had 2 sets of heads & a switch between 1/2-track & 1/4-track. Other things to look out for: 7.5" or 15" reels. Top line studio decks can hold a 15" reel of tape, most domestics can't. Domestic releases were wound onto 7.5" reels so this is not normally a problem unless youwant to play studio masters. Obviously a 15" reel capable machine will load a 7.5" reel. Tape Speed. Most domestic releases were at 3.75ips (inches per second), some high quality ones were at 7.5ips and some low quality ones at 1-7/8ips. Professional mastering is either done at 15ips with noise reduction (like Dolby SR) or 30ips. Some machines offered multiple speeds but most offered only 2. Make sure the 2 are the 3.75/7.5 combination. Sperate Motors. Many domestic machines used only 1 or 2 motors to control 3 rotating surfaces (feed-reel, take-up reel & capstan). This generally involved a complex system of belts and cams which have often worn out by now. The best machines used 3 independent motors for a much simpler drive chain. 3 Heads. Good RTR recorders had 3 heads, from left to right; Erase - Record - Playback. To save money cheaper decks often combined the record & playback heads which resulted in reduced performance for both. Seperate heads also give you the ability to "listen" to what you have just recorded (off-tape monitoring). Good news is that the Revox A-77 can be found in a 3.75/7.5ips 1/4 track version. These machines will take 15" reels and were designed by Willi Studer for continuous use in radio stations & the like. A good example is almost flat from 30Hz to 20KHz and will give 60dB of dynamic range at the slower speed. Another easy to find workhorse is the Teac 3340 originally designed for Quadraphonic use and able to switch between both 1/4 & 1/2 track. Plus the 4 big meters look SO cool. http://www.reeltoreel.de/worldwide/A77.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 As a point of info, the TEAC 3340S has switches on the heads so that the record head for a given track can be switched to playback, so you can do multitrack recording, playing along to previous tracks. When all are switched to playback, the timing is in sync (hence the 'S' in the nomenclature) I should send mine out to a good tech to have it gone over. Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarheel Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Reel size 7" and 10" I believe for home decks though I have seen 5" reels. 3.75, 7.5, and 15 ips tape speed. I have two rebuilt decks both in daily use. The older one is a Teac 3300S I bought in 1973. The other a Teac X-10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philipbarrett Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Sorry - you're right, 10" it is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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