Jump to content

Who Here Has A 2 Track Reel To Reel Deck


jcmusic

Recommended Posts

I believe some of the folks here have RTR's.  I know I used to.  I had an Akai GX-747 and I had a dbx 224 mated to it (not internal dbx).  Never had any pre-recorded tapes, just made party tapes or copied LP's.

 

Not sure if I'm weird or not, (no comments please!) but one thing I always enjoyed about the RTR was simply watching the two 10" reels turn.  I found that to be relaxing.

 

Gave it free of charge and all my tapes (about 25 reels I think) to a good friend of mine.  I also drove 5 hours to hand deliver them to him.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've got a Teac 3300 SX and a Pioneer RT-909 that's been in a repair shop in Illinois for over a year. Don't know when I'll see that one again.

Same as Coytee I make compilation/party tapes. I know Tarheel still has a couple of reel to reels as well. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, Fast996 said:

Ampex,Crown,Studer and Sony....love them all. I listen to classical,opera,jazz,big band,country,and 1960's and 1970's rock.

Are any of those decks 15 ips? I've never listened to 15 ips. Wondering how the sound compares to 7 1/2 ips.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Although I don't use it anymore, I still have the Akai GX-370D that I bought at the Navy Exchange in Subic Bay, PI during our 1972-73 participation in the Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club. The picture is my setup in our VAW-115 Avionics Shop aboard the USS Midway (CVA-41) during Christmas 1972.

 

IMG_0010.thumb.jpg.522988aebe88c11ce3729ed60c5a1753.jpg

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, bluesboy said:

Are any of those decks 15 ips? I've never listened to 15 ips. Wondering how the sound compares to 7 1/2 ips.

All my Ampex can play up to 30ips,all others can play 15 ips except the Sony 777's which are 7 1/2

the higher the speed the lower the S/N ratio...distortion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have an Akai

Just now, Fast996 said:

the higher the speed the lower the S/N ratio...distortion

Actually, you get a higher S/N ratio... There are tradeoffs, though.

 

I have an Akai, Sony and Teac. The Akai I got from a widow whose husband got it while on vacation in S.E.A.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

27 minutes ago, Buck115 said:

Although I don't use it anymore, I still have the Akai GX-370D that I bought at the Navy Exchange in Subic Bay, PI during our 1972-73 participation in the Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club. The picture is my setup in our VAW-115 Avionics Shop aboard the USS Midway (CVA-41) during Christmas 1972.

 

IMG_0010.thumb.jpg.522988aebe88c11ce3729ed60c5a1753.jpg

The speaker in the photo looks like a Sansui SP2500. These speakers are still running in my parents house. My father bought his stereo in 1972 and enjoyed it every free minute until his death in 2003. My mother is still alive and when we visit her every two weeks we listen to music through these speakers, a Sansui QRX 6500 receiver and a Braun TG1000 real to real.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, KT88 said:

The speaker in the photo looks like a Sansui SP2500. These speakers are still running in my parents house. My father bought his stereo in 1972 and enjoyed it every free minute until his death in 2003. My mother is still alive and when we visit her every two weeks we listen to music through these speakers, a Sansui QRX 6500 receiver and a Braun TG1000 real to real.

 

The speaker shown in the photo is the next step up SP3500. On that cruise I bought a pair of SP3500's (Front Channels), a pair of Sansui SF-2's (rear Channels), a Sansui 2-channel receiver (don't remember the model), a Sansui QS-800 rear channel amplifier, and a bunch of other electronics. In the late 1990's I gave the Sansui Speakers, the Sansui receiver, and the QS-800 to a Missionary couple.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

39 minutes ago, jcmusic said:

Well I am not familiar with all the decks named so you will have to tell me which ones are 2 track that do 15ips?

My 3 Teac's are all 1/4 track and the gas pedal is to the floor at 7 1/2 ips.  The 3300 S is around 45 years old and was maintained by Kevin Kass who before retirement was a trouble shooter for Dokorder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Tarheel said:

was a trouble shooter for Dokorder.

 

That would have kept him busy. I had a Dokorder 4 track... for about two weeks.

 

I returned it and got a Teac 3340s. I still have it, almost 50 yrs. later. The Dokorder looked way more professional, but it wasn't reliable.

 

My Teac runs at 7.5/15 ips.

 

The Akai will do 1 7/8, 3 1/2, 7 and 15..

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, Tarheel said:

My 3 Teac's are all 1/4 track

Yes; have a Teac X-1000R. Think it's only 7.5ips (???). GREAT looking machine, but only try it about once a year :) Someone offered me $1500 last year, but decided to keep it for the "looks." :) 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My 1/2" 2-track Denon DH 510 does 15 ips. Any mastering deck will do 15 ips, but it is really expensive to keep copies of more than a few recordings on 1/2" tape -- or even 1/4" tape. You could run the CDs to 2-track, listen to them for awhile, and then transfer back from 2-track to digital, and you would get the beloved analog tape sound on your new digital copy. I would be tempted to go ahead an use EQ and compression before going back to digital, essentially remastering it for optimal sound playback on your Klipsch system. I have heard the exact same studio mix A/B from digital master to analog tape master, and the sound quality difference is pretty dramatic, with a clear preference for the 2-track tape master. Also, don't discount 7 1/2, as some decks might actually sound better at 7 1/2, especially for rock. 15 will be more hiFi in most cases, which is usually, but  not always a good thing.

Edited by Cathedral Guitar
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators
On 7/2/2021 at 10:17 AM, Pondoro said:

I do not have one but I would be interested. Is there good availability of material to play? What year does the music stop being available? ("Stop" as in, they quit making it.)

New material is being put out by the Tape Project and Acoustic Sounds (mentioned above).

 

They typically run about $350 to $400 per lp (2 10" teels, 2 track, 15ips).

 

There is a large market of vintage prerecorded R2R tapes, mostly 4 track at either 3.75 or 7.5ips. The prices range from $2 to in the hundreds, I would say the average is about $20 to $50 for the widely available good stuff. It used to be $10 a tape 20 years ago.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...