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Reel to reel tape decks


CIGARBUM

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CDs and a Marantz SA-11S2 are wonderful. I tried vinyl now being sold to my generation, and it doesn't have anything on digital. Why would you, or anyone, settle for a sound ceiling of 15 Khz?

Come back when you are interested in music as opposed to khz.

Ever try to play a Paul Whiteman 78 in that CD player? How about an original Beatles R2R release?

If you are interested in khz, go listen to a bunch of crickets.

The vast majority of great music is not available digitally, and even if you are a kid you don't have enough time left before it is. I've a 78rpm recording of "Rhapsody in Blue" made 80 years ago that isn't going to get better by being digitized, nor am I likely to see a new digital release with the Whiteman band and George Gershwin at the keyboard.

SN, dynamic range, and khz is the least important thing about great recordings...unless you listen to "things" instead of music.

Dave

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Hey Dave,

Now you have hit the nail on the head,

I record old disc's to tape because it does a excellent job of reproduction . Using a TD124 through a good phono stage and a Tascam R2R is the way to collect music that simply does not exist for purchase and other than the cost of the tape ... it's free.

Finding the old recordings is a big part of the experience and pleasure involved in gathering a collection.

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Hey Dave,

Now you have hit the nail on the head,

I record old disc's to tape because it does a excellent job of reproduction . Using a TD124 through a good phono stage and a Tascam R2R is the way to collect music that simply does not exist for purchase and other than the cost of the tape ... it's free.

Finding the old recordings is a big part of the experience and pleasure involved in gathering a collection.

Why not you just play the records and avoyd the middle-man (this caise the open reel} in its' entirtie

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CDs and a Marantz SA-11S2 are wonderful. I tried vinyl now being sold to my generation, and it doesn't have anything on digital. Why would you, or anyone, settle for a sound ceiling of 15 Khz?

Come back when you are interested in music as opposed to khz.

Ever try to play a Paul Whiteman 78 in that CD player? How about an original Beatles R2R release?

If you are interested in khz, go listen to a bunch of crickets.

The vast majority of great music is not available digitally, and even if you are a kid you don't have enough time left before it is. I've a 78rpm recording of "Rhapsody in Blue" made 80 years ago that isn't going to get better by being digitized, nor am I likely to see a new digital release with the Whiteman band and George Gershwin at the keyboard.

SN, dynamic range, and khz is the least important thing about great recordings...unless you listen to "things" instead of music.

Dave

ou are engajed in a false choice pairadim say that you choos eiher science or music when realite is the one doe NOT nigate the other>>>>>>music is NOT more athentic if OLD or PORELY Recorded>>> > ... .......... .. NOR automaticly soul-less if recorded with full freqencie range

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ou are engajed in a false choice pairadim say that you choos eiher science or music when realite is the one doe NOT nigate the other>>>>>>music is NOT more athentic if OLD or PORELY Recorded>>> > ... .......... .. NOR automaticly soul-less if recorded with full freqencie range

Fully agree with everything you said but can't really tell if you are endorsing my statements or contesting them. In any event, if I understand you correctly, we are in full agreement. Listening pleasure for the music lover comes from the music...even heard from blocks away on PA speakers if the music is good.

Science becomes important when we choose to hear that source material as close as possible to what the mikes heard.

Dave

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Why not you just play the records and avoyd the middle-man (this caise the open reel} in its' entirtie

Same reason I do...the disc is far more subject to damage than the tape or digitized version. In my case, I digitize to DSD and the copy is flawless and will withstand an A/B from any audiophile I've had in the house.

I have several LP's I recorded straight from the sleeve in the 1970's and I can assure you the DBX encoded tapes I made at the time are more pleasant to listen to than the discs. None of the tapes have seed burns... [:P]

Long time ago and a different world.

Dave

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RTR is such a fussy format, even when compared to vinyl! And, having heard pre-recorded 3 3/4 ips tapes, I never was that impressed with using RTR for playback purposes only. But, the real reason why I think people still seek out these machines is "hi-rez" recording capability - and that's mostly the fault of the audio industry. There's no DVD-A or SACD recording decks, and physical recording formats for consumers are passe, so it's doubtful anyone would develop a new format to give tape-like quality in a standalone deck used in a hi-fi. MiniDisc was lossy and failed commercially, CD-R decks are rare and only 44.1/16-bit, and DAT is dead and not normally a 96/24 format. If they would actually make a SACD or DVD-A recording deck, and make it readily available, I would think most of the use for RTR would vanish. Otherwise, there really isn't a good way to make hi-res recordings without going the computer route, so I can see some logic in RTR for that use. I would think tape stock is getting hard to find nowadays, though, and the heads surely don't last forever?

Enough of my rant. Somebody really needs to produce a standalone DSD deck for hi-fi use, with high-quality DACs and ADCs, maybe something that would record directly to a DVD-RW! That would negate the need for RTR. Too bad most "typical" consumers have no use for home recording anymore (or even own a real hi-fi) thanks to the iPod/MP3 "revolution."

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Hmmm....

DSD Recorders

I've had an MR-1 for several years and love it. I've never understood why every serious audiophile doesn't know about these and have one. And, you are correct, it's better than a R2R and fits in my pocket. None of these are significant costs to an audiophile compared to other components. I'v done A/B's of my LP recordings against the LP several times with statistically even results each time. Further, DSD transcodes transparently to and from PCM.

RTR is such a fussy format, even when compared to vinyl! And, having heard pre-recorded 3 3/4 ips tapes, I never was that impressed with using RTR for playback purposes only.

Totally disagree. My experience with these decks goes back to vacuum tube MagnaCorders and they are idiot proof. 7.5 ips is the slowest speed used by anyone half serious, except for radio station logging which we did an 17/8 since fidielity was irrellevant.

Dave

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  • 2 weeks later...

Wow! I haven't been here in a while and its' great to see such a debate going on! I started my own reel-to-reel journey after getting a pair of RF-7's a few years ago and finding I wasn’t enjoying listening to music on CD’s and was experiencing “ear-fatigue”. That wasn’t the reason I’d bought the RF-7’s in the first place...I'd grown-up with RTR and wasn't enamoured of Vinyl, so off I went and, at this point, I'm way happy that I came back to RTR.

For what its' worth, my experience is that any machine you buy will need some work and its' prudent to make sure you already have a "tape tech" in mind. Especially if like me, you won't be doing your own repair/restoration/maintenance. I found it was really useful to get his/her opinion of the machine I was considering buying and an estimate for any obvious repair work needed. If I'd done that I would have saved the bundle of money I spent on various machines purchased along the road and gone straight to a Studer A810.

I also wouldn't rule-out getting a 'Mastering" machine...I recently got brave and acquired an Otari MTR-15. In hind-sight I really wish I'd consider a getting "mastering" quality machine along with the 810 in the first place...

Happy to see RTR activity here!

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Here is my take on the topic, for what it is worth:

A few months ago I bought a TEAC A-6300. I found a former TEAC technician in my area and had the machine brought up to specifications by him and calibrated to RMG LP-35 (new, current production tape). The A-6300 does look cool in my living room and it does look "vintage" and all that stuff, but the reason I bought it was because of sound and my desire to make great "mix tapes". I know the following statement causes all kinds of debate and anguish, but to my ear, CDs and mp3s are OK for the car and and occasional listening, but I go for an LP every time when I want to do some extended and enjoyable listening. I am not about to record a fine LP (new, re-issue, or old) on a CD, but I do enjoy the advantage of having three hours of music nicely recorded on a 10.5 reel of high quality tape. Auto-reverse and a 10.5 machine allow you to record at maximum speed for optimum results and will give you a three hour mix tape. Just my humble opinion: the sound can't be beat and, with the machine properly cleaned and calibrated, I get NO hiss or noise. Someone earlier made the commet that many bands record on tape. That is true and they don't do it because it is easier or cheaper, because it is neither.

Oh, and the TEAC does look cool in my living room as an added bonus!

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I used to have an older Sony unit which I really enjoyed messing with. I got it and a huge box of tapes for $50. It was DOA, but an evening on the floor with some beers and tools provided me with a list of stuff (mostly belts) it needed. I got the parts for next to nothing and was up an running in just a few days. I love all that old mechanical stuff, and poking around with likages, gears and the like. It wasn't a very high quality machine and I eventually got rid of it, and all the tapes. WHAT AN IDIOT! hahahah. Of course, I also threw a Nakamichi in the dumpster too.

So, now I am searching for the next one. I hope to find a nicer machine than the Sony with spares & tapes to go with it. Just missed a NICE Teac on CL a month or so ago.

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after getting a pair of RF-7's a few years ago and finding I wasn’t enjoying listening to music on CD’s and was experiencing “ear-fatigue”. That wasn’t the reason I’d bought the RF-7’s in the first place...I'd grown-up with RTR and wasn't enamoured of Vinyl, so off I went and, at this point, I'm way happy that I came back to RTR.

The harsh stock horn of the RF-7's can be very fatiguing. I never knew that cd's could be so smooth since I switched over to tubes and three-ways. [Y]
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W. Dave? What are using for an amp/..... and pre- amp???? With Horn Speakers........everyone ....might..want..to ...on...the page.......I hate to lead the pa

SAY WHAT

ck...but that is what Dave Brubeck is doing for me right now.................

Wow. What are you smoking? Where can I get some????

And just what Dave Brubeck are you listening to or are you seeing him in person?

Dave

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If you want to go R2R the Revox is one of the best one's to purchased used now, as you can still get parts and service for them. Look for a B-77 7 1/2...15 speed 2 track for best recordings. I have a A-77 4 track 3 3/4 7 1/2 speed Dolby model. There are others too, but I see more Studer/Revox parts on that auction site then any other brands. I also have 2 Akai that are 4 track but 7" only reels, but my Revox plays 7" and 10.5" reels.4 track... 15 speed R2R make better recordings but use more tape to do so. Pre-recorded reel tapes are mostly 4 track, unless you are just wanting to make your own recordings from a CD collection. This is not a format for a rookie nor is it cheep to purchase good used tape.

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