How real are reel to reel tape machines in 2018?

[@cars654]

That pioneer rtr was a work horse, I repaired one for a friend of mine and replaced the recording head and a bad VU meter. This was in the late 80s and I was surprised that pioneer still had parts for it. Its also amazing how well built these machines were still working all of these years later with just a little maintenance. I remember in the Navy when we stopped in the Philippines and I bought an Akai reel to reel and had it shipped back home. I wish I still had that reel to reel, when I got back I created at least three audiophiles when I gave some friends a demo.

[@rickbailey7450]

I had a Teac 2300s for decades, bought in the mid-70s. I bought it to do live and studio recording, but found out how difficult it was to bounce tracks on a stereo machine. After that I used it many times for recording my own performances for recitals, quintets, bands. Later I used it to convert the recordings to digital and used them to apply for jobs. Now my son has the machine, and it's still going strong!

[@sometimesreviewsandthinkin5056]

Rick Bailey thats great

[@Kinnup7]

Great content as always. I own a Pioneer RT-71 and a Pioneer RT-707. I listen to streamed music, CD's and LP's and making reel to reel recordings just makes my audio experience that much more tactile. It makes me feel more connected to the process and the outcome is more personalized. Keep up the great work!

[@javagirlma]

I wanted to put together a vintage stereo system with one of the original Pioneer monster receivers as the heart. In the end I have ended up with 3 reel to reel decks, including the RT707 you mentioned. I use the RT707 for playing vintage tapes that I can find, hopefully in the 7 1/2 ips variety. But I also have a deck capable of playing master tape, but in all honesty I don't use it for that. I did buy a few master tapes just so that I could say that I own some. What I really enjoy doing is finding extremely good copies of vintage vinyl that I love listening to and recording it at 15 ips onto tape and then being able to listen to the album many many times without ever having to reach for the record. I strive for the no clicks and pops version appearing on the tape so I feel like I am listening to a new album every time. I also feel that in blind listening a tape at 15 ips is capable of storing 100% of the information on the vinyl. There is something about the older vintage equipment that is very enjoyable. The switches, faceplates, meters. It's built to a quality level that is simply not made anymore. Along the journey to today I had an older gentleman who gave me his vintage Akai deck that he bought when he was young, used it a few times and then stored it away in a closet for over 40 years. It's stunningly beautiful and like new and has an interesting story of how he took it with him when he was in Vietnam during the war and used it a few times to listen to music. It just needed belts. When I bought the RT707 I ran into another older gentleman who didn't know what to do with his reel to reel tape collection, he just wanted it to go to someone who would listen to it and gave me all of it, about 100 reels of tape, including some 7 1/2 originals (George Harrison, Sgt Peppers, Jesus Christ Superstar and Alice's Restaurant were the prime ones). I think it's cool to be able to look back in time and play a 50-60 year piece of magnetic tape that has been lovingly cared for and listen to it and just think, wow I haven't heard quality like that before. I feel like I am preserving a piece of history whether it's the tapes or the vinyls. Nearly all of the vinyl I have duped onto tape is out-of-print and finding pristine copies can be extremely hard but very satisfying once I hold it in my hands. So finding the old pristine vinyl is fun, duping it is fun and being able to listen to it over and over is fun. What's not to love?

[@paulwibb.8944]

javagirlma an interesting journey you are certainly on 😉

[@5thcomm]

javagirlma Thoughtful, well-written, and informative observations - rare sightings these days. Thanks so much for sharing.

[@bones007able]

Everyone has a opinion... I still like and play my R2R all the time

[@TheFRiNgEguitars]

Reel to reel may be impractical in the 21st century, but so is a Jag F type. The fun factor is way up there. A properly refurbed deck, and lined up will produce amazing fidelity.

[@catified2081]

The first real to reel I heard play was about a year ago. I was buying a pioneer ct 900 cassette deck from this Russian guy. His hobby is fixing these classic machines, I noticed a beautiful akia reel to reel in his living room and asked to hear it play. He switched it on and the sound was so incredibly smooth, I was fascinated by the reels turning, it was so mechanical. I will defiantly get one someday if nothing else but to look at and occasionally play. Absolutely not a practical device. Wife even thought it was beautiful!

[@CHICO976]

I have owned 3 r2r tape decks since 1969..a Sony TC-530, and now a Sony TC-558 and a Akai 1730 DSS which I have repaired the record amps on it...love the sound these produced.

[@53pittmanjt]

You nailed something at about 4:08...a lot of this is about watching those reels spin (even inside those tiny cassette housings), watching those meters dance, watching the vinyl turn...a lot of old farts (like moi) love to watch all that motion and all those glittering lights, remembering the day.

[@bevo65]

For me, it’s all about realizing beautiful things that seemed unattainable when I was a boy. And I must say, my tape deck makes everything sound so good!

[@michaelgamble296]

Thanks for airing your views on r-r recording. My first machine had a Wearite deck - 2 speeds and I used it for creating sound recordings for live shows in the Theatre in London. That was in the 1950's. Then I went stereo. In 1980 I bought (and still have) a new AKAI GX-635D NAB machine. This I used - as Sound Archivist to a semi-pro Operatic Group - all their productions. With 9 1/2" reels you get plenty of time to do this - even at 7 1/2 ips. These recordings I have subsequently transferred to my Server. When I found the AKAI had a problem, lately, and the transistors all needed replacing - this I did. My favourite machine was ever the EMI BTR2 and I was fascinated to be in the BBC Studios and watch the engineers use these huge machines. I wonder what happened to them?

[@zacharyo1888]

Happy one year of doing these videos for us all, Steve! Really value your opinions and enjoy your style. Keep up the great work!

[@threeleggedman]

The best use for old reel to reels is to retrieve old recordings. I have crates of reels that I recorded using a TEAC 3440 4-track deck. It's all song demos and band recordings. One day I'll hook it up and transfer all that stuff. 35 years - I hope it still works.

[@charlesludwig9173]

I get the appeal. For me, it’s DAT, my pride and joy coming from a pair of Sony PCM-7010F’s. Although obsolete, they’re still keeping DAT alive in my recording arena.

[@Craig_Spurlock]

Blank RTR tapes are more valuable than Gold these days. I am so damned lucky to have been given a Pioneer RT-707, and several sealed blank reels by the original owner. I also Inherited my Dad's Akai M-8. I LOVED listening to that M-8 as a kid. The same family friend that gave me the 707, also gave me a TEAC 4010GSL. In the mid 1980's, I was given a Sony TC-580, which died a long time ago, and I no longer have. I would not mind getting another one someday, if I could afford it.

[@MrSteamDragon]

Taking me down memory lane there again Steve😎. I loved my old Teac with the 10” reels. I used it lot back in the late 70’s early 80’s to batch up box sets of LP’s on to a tape, or make up party reels, or to preserve new records that i wanted to keep as fresh as possible. At 15ips the sound quality was pretty damn good. I also had an external Nakamichi Dolby module which i sometimes used on it too. Only reason i sold it was that new reels of tape became harder to get and expensive.... yes they were also maintenance heavy..cleaning, demags, alignments, ...but still good fun indeed..😎

[@take5th]

My dad, a musician, had a reel-to-reel (vox?) in early sixties. He used to interview us, as 2-6 yr olds every so often, but all his tapes perished in a fire.

[@robertkeefer7791]

I had an RT 707. Very nice deck. I used 7 1/2 IPS for better sound quality.

[@rollingtroll]

That said, the 707 is probably the best sounding machine at 3 3/4 ips you'll find. I'd still go for 7 1/2, but it's impressive what it can do.

[@TheZooman22]

I think a reel to reel is a cool idea, but probably not very practical in 2018. It might be fun to record records and make a mix tape of your favorite songs, but I could also do that with Deezer. The vison of Uma Thurman, in the movie Pulp Fiction, hitting the play button on a Urge Overkill tape, and moving across the room is etched upon my mind. Steve at the end of the day, " A Man's got to know his limitations " ___ Clint Eastwood.

[@NipperDog]

I also had a Pioneer RT-707 in the late 70's and early 80's and used it to record favorite songs from my LP's so that I could just put on the tape rather than getting up to change records so often.

[@pegasusandharley]

I love RTR’s, I still have a number of them, my first one from about 1965/6 was a National RQ-505.

[@2574mcu]

I own 3 decks a pioneer RT909, pioneer rt707 and a Tascam 32 and I love them. The reason I got started was to record my album on tape. After I record them I store the vinyl record. This way I don't put a lot of wear on my vinyl records. Recording a cd on reel to reel sounds fantastic. Especially if you record at 15 inches per second. I got my first reel to reel tape recorder when I was 9 years old. I'm 57 now and have been using them ever since. I love all formats. I even have a 8 track tape deck (for nostalgic reasons). I like both analog and digital recording.

[@Sonikbytes]

musicians still use as an effect processor while recording to add that certain 'flavor' and warmth to digital signal. Tape delay is still used. Vintage analog synthesizers and live drums cans particularity sound great while recorded to tape.

[@jonesvox1]

I use my Otari MX-50 to record my favorite vinyl. It allows me to replay the tape at volumes my cheap Audio Technica turntable can’t reproduce due to low frequency feedback. The Otari sounds amazing. Glad I’ve kept it

[@JMNTN]

No matter how big and expensive your system is one with a reel to reel is always cooler

[@Noodleude]

I just found a machine at a thrift store, needed a little work, but that’s what I like about it. Yeah mother formats are more reliable and convenient, but that’s not the point. I like he tinkering, and the ritual of threading a tape. It’s fun

[@portwill]

I love vinyl records and I love digital too (although I listen to vinyl mostly). I cannot imagine myself spending that amount of money on a RTR machine and a few tapes. I believe nowdays people mostly buy it look at it, play a tape to friends once or twice and own it. Not my thing either.

[@That_Handle]

Attila Portwill , Agreed. My only curiosity with reel-to-reel was for experiencing the quadraphonic recordings of which there are not enough for me to justify the investment. It was a passing trend all the way through the all too many quadraphonic methods via vinyl.

[@michaelfeliciano5731]

I own two Teac A2300 R2R's that I have scored in my vintage gear collecting adventures. One has been restored and the other is awaiting restoration. As a vintage stereo gearhead, I feel R2R is a must-have as part of my collection - and for the novelty, sure - But for the sheer practice of vintage audiophile-ism...It's a kind of ritual. I primarily make mix-tapes, and it allows for longer listening intervals than the side of an LP for example. That was one of the primary benefits of R2R. Obviously, as soon as we argue that there are more EFFICIENT ways to listen to music, then why not just put the itunes on shuffle and Airplay it through the house? Cuz it sounds like absolute garbage, right? There is nothing quite like the soundstage of my R2R, and yes - As my wife teases, for a gadget-hound like me, the reels turning and the meters bouncing - I'm like a kid with a toy. I mostly spin vinyl, but on late Saturday night listening sessions, I will dim the lights, fire up the old Teac and savor that sweet analog tape.

[@rollingtroll]

Short answer; Still great, but if you want to go 4-track, go cassette. If you want to go 2-track, spend a lot of money.

[@billbones1000]

Hey Steve. I have just been given a reel to reel by my father in law. It's a 80ies tascam. He tells me it was a top shelf machine in its day, his production studio bought it and he took it when the shop closed down. It's cool, looks nice on a shelf over my turntable. Doubt I will ever use it. Kinda like having a mechanical typewriter on a coffee table.......

[@rickg8015]

Matthew Munro best sell it to someone who’s gonna refurb it and enjoy it by using it. IMHO.

[@billbones1000]

Rick G ya I might do just that. It's mint and my father in law refurbed it this past spring.....then he realised it was an R2R and was like " what the hell am I going to do with this thing.....it was a top of the line machine in the 80ies and even then it sucked".....lol.....and he was a sound engineer by profession! I guess somebody has money to burn and this will be an appropriate flame.

[@sometimesreviewsandthinkin5056]

Ill buy it how much?

[@billbones1000]

Andreas Landgren sorry, traded it yesterday for a banjo!

[@HelloKittyFanMan.]

Matthew, what the hell is "80ies" supposed to mean? "Eightyies"? That doesn't make sense.

[@lroy730]

Most masters are digitized in some format . Yeah they usually heat those tapes up before playing because their afraid of braking or delaminating them . Put your Tape in the Toaster Oven ! Maybe a few bands will use the master High Speed Stereo tape . At the studio i worked in the 90's at we had a Studer Revox 1/2 inch 15ips master decks. If you get a dub of something like that you would be styling ! Even more rare would be off a 30ips master. Grail Tone. But the tape could have damage, so a digital master is about as good as most of us could find or need.

[@zydecosam]

I don’t know about 2018, but now in 2022 prices of every thing in RtR are raising significantly,many more people are getting involved.

[@TSC-Detroit]

Getting into RTR sounded like a fun idea but media and maintenance was a big concern, I decided to buy a DAC instead and I am blown away by the quality and choice of media available... I do own a few nice tape decks and I think that will serve well for making mixes and yes Steve I love recording off the radio, here in metro Detroit we are blessed with some great jazz station's...

[@alexeijolkin7851]

Many good points, Steve! The only way one can realize the full potential of a decent R2R deck (in terms of OUTSTANDING sound quality) is to perform a studio recording or a live recording of a concert or a band gig etc., so the options are limited. Even though some FM stations still maintain great broadcasting quality it would be a huge overkill to use a good R2R for FM live recordings. As for the copies of master tapes being sold under different project names, many who actually listened to them say they sound fabulous. But there are many obstacles though: 1) the price for such tape is absolutely prohibitive for any true music lover (~$200 per tape) 2) these tapes are often recorded using very rare IEC equilization as opposed to the standard NAB equilization found on every R2R machine. So one must modify the R2R or buy another studio R2R or buy a reproduction head amp with IEC, all options are in the multi-$10k price level 3) The selection of music and artists is very limited and is not determined acc. to YOUR own taste, but someone's else 8( 4) Last but not least, I am a little uncertain if a 50-year old master tape still sounds as good, compared to a vinyl copy made from it for 50 years ago. Old vinyl records are still PLENTIFUL and are relatively cheap (read above), maybe not all of them are perfect but many of them bring the soul of the music, what else is required? Keep posting!

[@marcb92vjacques26]

yes i agree but what a sound ! with my NAGRA IV-S in recording classical music at 7 1/2 in parisian church

[@rexoliver7780]

The high end Hi-Fi RR tape machines I see are carefully rebuilt Tascam RR decks that were common in radio stations.From a radio station supply like Broadcasters General Store the price on one of those was well under 10K Now its 30K!!!Most radio stations run all digital programming today----Tape decks,cart machines,TTs,even CD machines have largely disappeared.Now radio studios have a touchscreen computer that plays songs,promos,commercials into a 6 channel console with a microphone for the announcer.Thats it!!!!I own an Otari MR10 RR deck that a radio station gave me for fixing their FM transmitter--along with a small truckload of Techincs SL25 TT's.I dealt with these things on the broadcasting end of it.Oh yes now we see carefully machined and assembled NAB style take-up reels for like $500 each!!!Before you could get empty TU reels like 100 bucks for a case of 10 and they did just fine!The prerecorded selections sold on the High End are now like $500 bucks for various music programs taken from "masters" like what Masters are we talking about-I used to run RR and cassette dubbers-and that does put Wear and tear on master recordings.Esp high speed lines.Real time dubbers are EXPENSIVE to run because the dubs are made at the real speed.So it takes a LONG time!!

[@FireFromUpNorth]

Got an mci JH110-c for $150 super steal. Got it all fixed up, and plan to master to tape for that tape sound :). I may also send tracks back and forth if I want to as well.

[@jn3750]

You missed the point of owing a R2R, Steve. Many of us use it to record DSD/ high res music on. The recording often sounds better than the original files (due to tape saturation).

[@tapemaster8252]

All pysical media is just a hobby, it's great if your computer crashes and you're in the process of getting it fixed or buying new one, in which case you'll probably use your tablet or phone so there is no down time really, I wanted a r2r but I have two recording machines already, I call it audio jewelry because it looks so cool

[@rutabagasteu]

Tape Master82 Any device can fail.

[@tapemaster8252]

rutabagasteu yep, I pretty much admitted that

[@jerryjazzbo2845]

This is how i started recording vinyl as the 70s started. Using my dad's Akai RTR, and using blank tapes like Ampex, BASF, and Scotch brands if memory serves right. Enjoyed it immensely when it was the thing, but I doubt I'd go back to it in 2018. At least I went through the experience with all the quirks before the advent of cassettes.

[@woodandwire]

I still have a couple of ReVox A77's and a portable Uher. Back in the day I used to buy Barclay Crocker classical open reel recordings that were pretty decent. Also recorded our local symphony orchestra and a few acoustical groups. My daughter played trumpet and French Horn in her highschool band so I taped her concerts and a few choirs that came to our church. Other than that there was just some fun stuff live stuff like the sounds of fireworks, some attempts at binaural recording and my all time favourite were I took the Uher our to our local airport at the end of the runway and was lucky enough to record a 747 coming in for a landing.

[@alessandrabenz8109]

woodandwire gratulations for the uher

[@michaelgamble296]

Yes - I also have three Uher machines - the latest was a 4200 REPORT MONITOR (stereo) with peak level meters which light up on demand - and a Revox A77 - which is a good alternative to the AKAI GX-635D - both being stereo but the AKAI is four track with auto reverse (if you use the tape which has metallic strip at each end so it can sense to auto-reverse) The Uhers are amazing though - with four speeds down to 15/16ths ips. One thing I make a point in doing is RUNNING them all every so often to ensure they still function. This has the effect of keeping the capacitors charged as well as ensuring the motors and amplifiers are still OK.

[@alessandrabenz8109]

Michael Gamble back in the days i also had a uher cassette-recorder, which i took to some open air concerts all over germany. in the 70s. was nice for sentimental reasons.

[@JHGJTUTUYT8]

As I recall, The Revox was close to a pro machine. Probably the next step up would be a Studer ($$$). I owned an 8-track Otari MX-5050. Paid $4,000 used. Cut my mult -tracking teeth on that machine.

[@alessandrabenz8109]

woodandwire there are so many "show-offs" on yt, do not want to discuss anymoe. if you ever owned a revox tape recorder you understand 4 channels, dolby, better than every other crap. uher, best ever, maybe nakamichi but why to discuss to people, who never owned and worked with these machines like a nissan driver, who is jealous of a morgan-driver.

[@tombesson7293]

I recall Sony reel to reel tape decks being decent, reasonably priced machines back in the late Sixties. You could record whatever was being broadcast and have a good quality playback whenever you wanted to listen to what you had recorded. San Francisco radio stations provided wonderful recording opportunities back in the day.

[@craigmonteforte1478]

I remember my Uncle / Godfather served inVietnam and he sent home a Akai reel to reel that was supposed to be the best at that time his had attached speaker that were hinged to open and close in the 1970s I thought it was cool to watch and listen to it playing

[@cmkilcullen8176]

That would be an investment for me now and a shift. Used to be fascinated. But now...eh? I was at an auction once and master tapes were being auctioned. Wasn't sure about that for reasons you mentioned. But I too can see how owning those can be fun. But again the time and money...and are the machines are really that good? Are current cassette machines really that good, for that matter?

[@TheZooman22]

I bought a used 1980's cassette deck on Ebay. Most of the stuff made back then was built really well, and still works fine.

[@cmkilcullen8176]

Thank you much. I gave mine up (unwittingly) and I have some tapes around that are not otherwise available - ones I've put together and ones purchased. Maybe I should give that a go because yes- decks built then were good.

[@StephaneVorstellung]

In high school (1988 for me) one of my dad's buddies gave me an Akai x1800 from the early 70s. It was cool to mess with and I used it to record some of my friends bands and what-not. The bulk, the heft, the dubious performance (back then I wouldn't have been able to figure out how to fix anything) it took on a vestigial role; I think after a move at some point during college I left it out of my set-up. I did proceed to lug it around, move-to-move for a number of years and eventually geve it to a recording engineer friend of mine sometime in the early 00s. Funny that they're a thing again. Makes sense, I guess. If you're a cultivated contrarian, these are at the extreme opposite end of digital convenience, even more than TTs.

[@wamgoc3637]

Nothing beats a true pro Ampex machine, preferably an AG440.

[@scottbaxendale323]

Reel to reel is great if you are making music but kind of pointless for just listening. Vinyl will always be the best music listening experience because the limitations of the format sort of force you to listen to 22 minutes of music uninterrupted, and something about the RIAA EQ curve for vinyl that makes the low end feel more emotional if it is mastered right.

[@the_psychedelic_lucario]

I would want reel to reel machines for recording my own music. That to me, is the biggest draw of them.

[@redrobbosworkshop]

Hi Steve, still running a Revox B77 here - tape is crazy expensive now though.

[@monetize_this8330]

We had an R2R in the late 1970s for recording off the radio. I was only 10 yrs old at the time, and the penny didn't drop that I could be creative with it. I got a "Ghetto-blaster" for xmas the following year, and spent hours making compilations from chart shows on the radio. I bought a lot of vinyl 7" back then, so was I really killing music by home taping?

[@radiojet1429]

Thanks, Steve. Yes, those Pioneer recorders were the coolest of the bunch.

[@rutabagasteu]

I enjoyed my reel to reel tape machine back in the 1970s. I still have tapes but no machine to play them. No money to buy them.

[@frediebouy]

I used to copy CDs to VCR tape with the line in mode. Excellent quality. But I haven't listened for years. Too cumbersome I guess.

[@markmiddaugh9359]

In the 70's, as a teenager, I had the Revox B-77. It was several thousand dollars back then. Looked so cool! Sorry, I did not find it to be as good as vinyl sound and rarely used it.

[@livinaftermidnight9651]

I go to a lot of garage sales and find a lot of 45's. I don't have a jukebox and playing them on a single play TT just doesn't work. So i play them once and record them on the R2R. Then I play the tapes while watching sports.

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Good idea!

[@adotopp1865]

Why do you watch sports?

[@livinaftermidnight9651]

Ado topp Fair question, I watch sports mainly because i'm to old to play most of them competitively and because it gets real cold in the midwest in winter. But mostly because I'm old.

[@adotopp1865]

A brilliant and fully comprehensive answer Lance . I'm 58 is this old?

[@livinaftermidnight9651]

Ado topp For competitive sports perhaps, but not for rock n roll, coming up on58 myself and I still like it LOUD!

[@Gregor7677]

I just replaced my R to R in the rack with a computer. I still use my Nak Z7 but I needed the space and the R to R was really just used to demonstrate to my guests. Using the computer for Dirac, JRiver and a recording program.

[@organfairy]

I have been using RTR since I was old enough to operate it - probably 1976 or so. I still use them because it would be too much of a task to convert the hundreds of tapes I have to digital. But if my house burned down I don't think I would buy another tape machine.

[@2574mcu]

I own 3 decks now. A Pioneer Rt 909 and a Rt 707. Also a Tascam 32 which has 15ips speed. I use them often.

[@thepatriarchy7934]

A birthday show warrants a special birthday shirt !!! We know you can pull it off Steve !!!! :-) (not literally) :-)

[@grahamamorrisonsr1135]

Pops and ticks. THE reason I started collecting Reel to Reel prerecorded tapes. I am convinced pops and ticks come from the manufacturer pressed into the grooves. I can prove it, and I have many times. I HATE pops and ticks, they are not part of the music. RTR is analog. I have over a dozen RTR decks and over 600 prerecorded tapes, mostly purchased from Ebay. No pops and ticks, just music

[@InfiniteRhombus]

have you ever taken into consideration the fact that the reason people are buying reel to reel now is to process their own music because it offers a saturating effect (among other effects) you cant get through any amount of digital processing? cause i doubt it.

[@AndyBHome]

Recording radio - same here, but with cassettes. I got into cassettes because my dad thought they were best. They were certainly the most convenient in certain ways. As I grew to recognize how poor the sound quality was on cassettes they rapidly began to improve with better tape formulations and improved hardware. I stuck with cassettes until CDs started to actually be challenged by MP3s. I'm a CD and lossless digital fan now, but I miss the one big advantage to tape - the propensity to create your own recordings whether they are original material or just a compilation of commercial stuff. I know it's technically easier than ever to make very high quality recordings, but the general experience of listening in digital format just doesn't lead people to record anymore.

[@paulwibb.8944]

Andy B yes I agree, I used to record my fave. Radio shows in the 80s and early 90s, still got lots of them on compact cadette tape, I reckon everyone did, but tape decks were everywhere and Most had a record button, when CD players took over the record button disappeared, Nowadays we suffer from a compatabiity problem with diff. Files and formats, choise is a good thing but simplicity is too. ?

[@gwatts2745]

Tape was the way to go, there were machines engineered for recording live performances. It's what records were pressed from. So send me your fourth-master albums that have been pressed into vinyl, they surely can't be as accurate of a reproduction of sound. I used tape to record my albums and reduce the chance of damage to my records, and the reproduction at 7.5 IPS is very good, and at 15 IPS you can't tell the difference, except for the sound of the needle dragging. The radio stations I've worked in have all used tape for almost their entire broadcast. Reel to reel CAN be the best media if you're using the right tape and a good machine. Don't base your opinion on an old used machine,, get it fully restored!

[@staticfanatic6361]

I have some oxygen free speaker cables for you. You can use them in your car while listening to the music while driving with the windows down!

[@7karlheinz]

Steve, I'm surprised you didn't mention Nagra portable reel to reels and using them to record live acoustic bands with minimal miking techniques. I totally agree with you about the analogy of R-to-Rs to turntables as pertaining to maintenance.

[@sometimesreviewsandthinkin5056]

Tape is so fucking good. Mt5 Analogue is great and tape is top notch.

[@russredfern167]

Mostly for recording stuff with my acoustic guitar. Overdubing my favourite feature. I have some prerecorded album tapes from the late sixties and early seventies. They still sound pretty good .

[@kensims4086]

I was obsessed with my reel to reel and spent hours making chipmonk songs.

[@johnumek5273]

Maybe that would be a nice video on maintenance on both reel to reel and turntables. I haven’t seen any from you and I think it would be interesting. Your knowledge goes beyond just evaluating equipment.

[@bob7872]

I like digital for the convenience, but I like the old technology. Now I mainly use it for transferring so I can play the CD's and not wear out the originals (my dad's tapes and ones I've made), and be able to take it anywhere. (Imagine rtr's on the bus or train.)My dad got a Wilcox-Gay Recordio 4B-10 in 1955, then a Realistic 3000 in 1981, and I've bought a couple myself in the 2010's- Sony is one- mid 1960's all-wheel drive- only belt is for the tape counter. (I call it the TC-200-F for FrankenCorder. I got it on eBay from a guy that restores them, and he had one made of parts from different machines, like Frankenstein.) It's fun to find old tapes with interesting things on them.

[@nicholascremato]

I still have my tape head demagnetizer in a drawer!

[@brighton_dude]

In the eighties I had a Tascam two track which I used for editing tape. I was working in radio here in the UK. Of course it was possible to make very good recordings with it but the digital recording machines available today are much better imho.

[@Not-Only-Reaper-Tutorials]

They digitized all the old masters. Just they copy the digitized version to the tapes ... that's it ...

[@normanbott]

Always coveted a TEAC RTR but never got around to buying one. If ever I had , I must admit it would probably have been because they looked cool. It would only have been to record FM radio anyway.

[@darryllindberg3087]

A number of contemporary audio reviewers are clearly enamored of R2R. And, based on what I've heard at audio shows and the systems of a couple of friends, tape is a wonderful medium for music reproduction. However, at least for me, there's simply not enough of the music that I'm interested in to justify the investment. I'm not just taking about the hardware . . . Have you checked out the prices of the software? Jeeze! Some rare LPs are certainly pricey, but when I peruse the Acoustic Sounds website and find that the R2R reissue of a vintage recording goes for more than ten times the price of the LP reissue of the same recording, any desire I may have harbored for an R2R setup is quenched. And it makes me wonder if the audio reviewers who are currently extolling the virtues of R2R are shelling out their own spondulicks for the tapes they're listening to. In any event, I guess I'll have to stick with vinyl and suffer!

[@shaun9107]

Its the matrx that they keep running yes ?

[@spotsill]

Tanberg such great European esthetics .

[@colindaugherty5867]

I don't think tape is entirely practical or worth it unless you actually record your own masters, and want the best fidelity possible. That's what I use it for, as even 7.5 inches per second can flawlessly reproduce a FLAC to my ears.

[@bobjerome5390]

hi i have a 1 inch 8 track myself like the mini 8 i got a soundcraft 381 to run at 7 1/2 and 15 ips i doe's sound so good the price of 1/4 inch reel to reel are silly prices now 3300 feet reels new old stock they get a old tape and make a digi one copy yes reel to reel is all ways playing up i and allways fixing them all the time reel to reel can be a money pit KEEP AWAY IF YOU CAN'T FIX THEM YOUR SELF i am a tec the line up of a 24 track can take alot of time if it's the kind you can use many makes of tapes

[@cosmicsurfer4963]

After watching this video I'm glad all tapes machines went away. RTR, cassette and VCR may have been good in their day and so was a Model T but you don't see anyone still driving them today because they're absolete and really serve no purpose other than a history lesson. It sounds like you had to be a tech person more than a audiophile to even own one at the time when they were relivent.

[@bobsbits5357]

hi there a new man doing hi -fi gear in the uk

[@pepe7drum]

Reel tape is more likely to go for hi fi audiophiles, also is very useful for home recording studios or pro studios, is not going to go mainstream i think.

[@jeffjames4064]

I record pristine albums on R-R and save the albums.

[@JMNTN]

If records aren’t inconvenient and expensive enough for you get reel to reel

[@xray111xxx]

I had Otari Teac Technics Tascam etc. They were loads of fun. Allot more fun than vinyl. Actually they copy the Master to make more masters and keep the faith alive. That is how it works. Where do you think vinyl came from? B.S. Steve on maintenance. It is way easier than vinyl could be and allot more robust than a fragile vinyl process. I had my share of turntables and hated everyone of them. I would record from my friends turntables. Otherwise I built my collection up from live and radio broadcasts too. Yes digital is way easier. But my memories of tape are deep. Cassette decks I had a plenty too. Nakamichi Tandberg Sony ES and more. United Home Audio is the king of Reel to Reels today. Even better than an ATR. My hero machine.

[@TS84NO]

First of all, great videos! Been binge watching them to catch up since I saw your channel a while ago 🙂 And I like the fact that you’re sharing your thoughts on affordable equipment, and not only the stuff costing more than, at least me personally, could only dream about buying. But, on the topic of affordable audio - I’ve owned quite a few different amps and speakers during the last 21 years, after I got my first proper system at 13. However, my favorite combo have been amplifiers from NAD, paired with speakers from Dali. In the two "main-systems" I own today (I also collect a bit of vintage stuff), I use a NAD C315BEE with Dali 710, and in a NAD C356BEE with Dali Lektor 6.. I’ve heard you’ve talked a few times about NAD, but what about Dali? Are those speakers know in USA (I live in Norway, and Dali is a Danish brand), and if so, do you have any opinions about them?

[@nicholascremato]

A reel to reel is the only piece of audio gear that I have never owned. Mostly because of having to find storage space for the prerecorded tapes and the risk of dropping them and chasing them as they roll across the floor unwinding as they go.

[@alessandrabenz8109]

thanks revox/tommy, the who, and braun top

[@gotham61]

alessandra Benz Is that a secret spy message?

[@alessandrabenz8109]

gotham61 no it means, that i think sir steve did not mention the, maybe, two best tape-recorders worldwide. revox a78, the who recorded their album "tommy" with the revox. and for audiophiles in these times, was considered the best recorded album ever. in the 70's on the best machine (swiss) braun, made in germany, was a very sophisticated, high quality tape recorder. akai was their closest concurrence. nakamichi, another legend. no offense meant just adding some information

[@gotham61]

alessandra Benz Okay. I’ll add some more. Revox was the domestic brand name of Studer, which made professional recorders. Tommy would not have been recorded on a Revox, but possibly on a Studer. The Revox A78 was an integrated amp, not a tape recorder, perhaps you meant A77, a very popular domestic reel to reel of the time. Braun never made professional reel to reel recorders, only domestic.

[@alessandrabenz8109]

gotham61 ok i hope you can forgive me: i had the complete revox equipment, amp, 2 tapes, tuner with la scala and trans-scriptor, sme long and decca london handselected and imported british/us lps in some guy's store in london, called richard branson. so the nrs on my pad might slip or my memory of numbers. but i definetly know, that, when i bought my tommy-lp, it was written on the cover, that they produced it on a revox. found it interesting, because i had the same, with dolby. and in germany, revox was sold as revox. the name studer, appeared on none of their, what you call "domestic" and the braun was used in many studios, it had some finer mesurements, at that time, i was a rock-musician had 4 record-stores hi-fi sections included. i admire your sense of details and professionnel knowledge even if i'm not d'accord in everything. thanks for your answer

[@7karlheinz]

Townsend recorded the demos by bouncing takes between two G38 tubed Revox's, but the Who's Tommy lp was recorded at IBC which I doubt used semi-pro 2-track tape recorders for their masters.

[@alanhardy3400]

All tape recorders are "reel to reel," by definition.

[@andrewrae50]

Hey Steve, do you have a review or opinion on KEF Q150’s?

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Sorry no.

[@rb89509]

The sound of my Pioneer RT-909 and the DBX 224 playing back FLAC's that I usually listen to from an ESS 9018-K2M equipped DAC, just sound better. I'm sure that it's just in my head, or wishful thinking, but that analog sound is richer and seems more lifelike and reel. Get it?, "reel".

[@ecamormex]

That shirt is cool as balls!!

Reel to Reel was a great format who's time has passed a few decades ago, they are impressive to look at but digital recording systems have far surpassed analog tape by a significant margin. My Tascam decks with DBX came close to digital but are not worth the trouble to maintain. The so called "analog master tapes" are just a scam, the closest you can get to master tapes are the better HD Tracks digital files.

[@ralex3697]

Carl Ryan A very cumbersome format, sonically beautiful, but not convenient

[@marcb92vjacques26]

buy second hand tapes machines the best live recordings for me is with my NAGRA IV-S ( schoeps or neumann mic. ) in parisian church at 7 1/2 is just enough for 1 hour of recording but woo , what a sound ! i recorded my first jazz concert in 1987 on the french public radio , france musique on AKAI GX 4000 D ( now gx 630) and also REVOX pr 99 mk III 2 track , 7 1/2 and the tapes after 30 years are still perfect i have also dat french radio masters from a producer of france musique and two track prof. of classical music from the same station . best regards from PARIS

[@samuellinowski1608]

I like that shirt Steve! What brand is it/where'd you find it?

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Thanks, I've had a long, I have no idea where it came from. Many of my shirts are African, and some are made by my wife.

[@brianmoore581]

I keep reading how reel to reel is the ultimate format, but I think you are right about it. I think the guys that are into reel to reel haven't thought it through. No big record company is going to let their priceless masters be abused to record a few tapes for the few people who buy that stuff. At best, you might have a third generation copy of a second generation tape. At best. Then check out the specs on your reel to reel. The best of them might play 20 Hz to 20 kHz + or - 3 dB. That's the top machines. So the copy of the master isn't exactly like the master. And your copy of the copy isn't exactly like that copy. Compound this over several generations and possibly different recorders/players and you quickly have something far less than high fidelity. They look cool, though, and those tapes cost a lot, so it must sound good.

[@brianmoore581]

Jake Dowell I never had reel to reel, but I had a few nice cassette decks that I did that with. Actually I still have them. Ultimately I bought a DAT deck with Super Bit Mapping that I thought sounded better. I used the DAT to do the analog to digital recording, careful to get the record levels right, then transferred it to CD. I'm happy with the results. I probably could have used a better record player, but we have to work with what we have.

[@MrRom92DAW]

I think you’re overestimating the “abuse” taken on these original master tapes, or perhaps underestimating exactly how resilient they are. It requires not more than one pass to make a bank of running masters. And truth be told, as long as these tapes were cared for, stored properly, not abused, etc.. they’re really fine and can stand up to playback on a well maintained deck without issue. It’s no different than them doing another pass of the tape for yet another re-release or whatever. It’s actually a good thing if you think about it. Now good reference copies are made that can be used in the future in case something DOES end up happening to the master.

[@brianmoore581]

MrRom92DAW let's say some audiophile company gets its hands on some fine quality master tape. Like I said and you repeated, they make an analog copy, or multiple copies simultaneously on multiple machines. You called that running masters, aka production masters. Then they make the copy they sell to you from the production master. You have a third generation tape. I read an interview with Bob Ludwig where he was saying about 80% of the time record companies will not release their master tapes to be shipped to his studio so he can remaster them, in which case he is working from an analog production master (second generation) or a digital file. He's one of the most famous names in the business, so if they won't give him their masters, there's little chance some reel to reel duplicating company actually had the master tape of anything even moderately popular. They still need to make their own production copies of the second generation tape they started with, in which case, you now have a fourth generation tape, or worse. That was my point, as well as the point of the video. You aren't getting a direct copy from the master tape. Analog master tapes degrade ever so slightly with each playing as the oxide layer wears off. Some tapes have to be baked in a special oven before they can be played at all because the binding has become sticky. Splicing tape falls off over the decades. Many old tapes are fine, but many aren't. Many have sat in temperature and humidity controlled rooms since the day they were made. Many others have changed hands multiple times and been stored in less than optimal conditions. The condition just depends on how well the tape has been treated over the years, as well as the initial quality of the physical tape itself. There are lots of potential problems with decades old master tapes.

[@MrRom92DAW]

Brian Moore you aren’t wrong on most points. In Bob’s case, I think the limited access to tapes has to do with the fact that he’s gone “solo” so to speak - he’s working in a small, independent studio, far away from the labels archives. Most labels will not let their tapes even leave the east or west coast, depending on where they’re stored. It does severely limit the amount of titles they’re successfully able to license. In Analogue Production’s case, I know that Sony had their RCA living stereo titles worked on at Sterling Sound in NYC… which is now closed, so it remains to be seen who they’ll be sending tapes to from now on, if anyone at all. On the point of those RCA Living Stereo re-releases... I am aware this is the exception and not the case, but for these titles, the running masters they created were actually fresh mixes directly off the original 3 track multis. So in this case, their running master essentially IS the 1st generation mixdown master, and the tape dub you can buy is only 2nd gen! Of course that isn’t the case for most titles that will be licensed as they’ll have to work from the original master, when they can get it, so like you said, 3rd generation copy is about what you can expect. But remember. Plenty of CDs and LPs over the years have been produced using 3rd generation copies. Given modern tape formulations, high end electronics and people who care putting their efforts into getting these tapes to sound as good as they are… you’d really be surprised just how minimal that generational loss is. I strongly urge you to take the opportunity to listen to one of these tapes if the opportunity ever arises. Nothing will ever sound better than the original master tape. Which sucks, because unless you hit the lottery and buy a label or two, you’ll probably never get to even hear the original master tapes. But for about $400 you can get pretty freakin close. As audiophiles, there’s always at least one album we love that we’ve spent at least that much on in the pursuit of better sound. How many copies of Dark Side do you think can be accounted for just in the comments section on this video?

[@brianmoore581]

MrRom92DAW I was just saying that whatever trouble Bob Ludwig has getting master tapes is probably much worse for some relatively small audiophile label. I agree that Analogue Productions has done some great work on many titles. I have some of their SACD releases that sound fantastic. I know they take all the time they need and they are careful to put out a good product, so I'm sure their reel to reel offerings are top notch.

[@stuartbedford6344]

Great if you got room i got a analog and ar turntable valve amp carnt beat analog sound simple as that

[@sidecarcn]

I never really liked the Japanese decks as I always felt they were limited to reel sizes. Lyrec, Studer/Revox and Telefunken made far better decks and could play reels larger than 10.5.

[@peterclifford8305]

Tandburg, Sony and Teac (Ther poor mans Tascam) are all just domestic machines. Studer, Ampex or MCI are worth having! Ampex 456 Grand Master tape, now ya talking!!

[@Splenda257]

Watching the reels go round and round--that the only benefit I see in one of those machines.

[@sometimesreviewsandthinkin5056]

I think the maintenance def sucks though. I own an adat its great i payed 3000 euros for it in the 90s 8 trk sure its digital but super vhs us way cheaper Than tape.

[@saint6563]

Did "Horders" get a new host?!?! hahaha