Recent R2R player/recorder review

RE: Recent R2R player/recorder review, posted on December 6, 2015 at 03:48:30
vinnie2 Audiophile Posts: 4481 Location: North Carolina Joined: September 28, 2013	Too bad it is such an expensive path to go down. Anyone got any suggestions for great R to R on a budget? I have a teac 4010 and a nak cassette deck I would like to get more use out of than i do.

Recent R2R player/recorder review, posted on December 6, 2015 at 15:03:52
Steelhead Audiophile Posts: 863 Location: AK Joined: December 11, 2003	Thanks for posting the review. I really enjoyed the writer's humor and whimsy on reporting on the deck. Fun review to read. Would love one but will just have to slum it with my Teac X2000.

RE: Recent R2R player/recorder review, Elitist version , posted on December 6, 2015 at 18:17:48

A.Wayne
Audiophile

Posts: 2527
Location: Front row center
Joined: November 30, 2011

Tells you all you need to know ....

"The big selling point is that not everyone can afford one. "It's a pride of ownership thing," says Myles Astor, R2Rs are expensive, need to be regularly maintained, and there's not that many of them around. It's like buying a Ferrari. Once you have one, you're part of an exclusive club."

What a bunch .... :)

RE: Recent R2R player/recorder review and old decks , posted on December 6, 2015 at 18:23:21

A.Wayne
Audiophile

Posts: 2527
Location: Front row center
Joined: November 30, 2011

The key to good sound from your R2R is the tapes , if you can get good copies you will be 90% there, basic maintenance and the obvious re-cap will have your deck singing ...

Regards

I hear you., posted on December 6, 2015 at 18:59:22
vinyl survivor Audiophile Posts: 1471 Location: Southeastern US Joined: November 28, 2007	I was just surprised someone is even talking about a Reel to Reel player/recorder in this day and age of digital downloads.

RE: Recent R2R player/recorder review and old decks , posted on December 6, 2015 at 19:27:11

Steelhead
Audiophile

Posts: 863
Location: AK
Joined: December 11, 2003

Hey A. Wayne,

Yeah I am an old dog and had a Revox A77 for decades.

Could not pass up the Teac X2000 as I got it for free and it was in pristine looking condition. I did send it to Teac to be refurbished and it was not too expensive. I bought a blank sealed Ampex 10 in off the bay and tried to get it to record but it just is not happening. Looks like it has to go back to California again as I am positive the tape monitor is working correctly. I have a bunch of recordings but the reels just have not held up. My cassettes have held up amazingly well but the reel to reels have just gone to hell.

I appreciate the tips though and thank you for posting it. Happy Spinning

So now we're elitists. Come on., posted on December 7, 2015 at 05:29:55

Dave Pogue
Audiophile

Posts: 11689
Location: DC Area
Joined: October 9, 2001

Those of us who never gave up on the open reel format to begin with have a somewhat amused view of the current mini "renaissance." Speaking for what I guess is a small circle of what, Luddites?, I can only ask what you're doing here on Tape Trails :-)

It's a demanding medium that's not for the impatient, but the rewards are incredible if you have been committed to it for any length of time, long enough to know what it's about and become a player. Elitist? Maybe for rich newbies.

oooh, at least I am a 1%er in this case!, posted on December 7, 2015 at 07:58:50
mhardy6647 Audiophile Posts: 16010 Location: New England Joined: October 12, 1999 Contributor Since: October 23, 2016	all the best, mrh

That's an early A77, posted on December 7, 2015 at 10:43:25
Inmate51	1970-1972 or so vintage. That's the model I first used back in 73-74. Clear plastic outer knobs, dark "Revox" badge, red meter and power buttons... Mine is the MK IV - the last version they made. Built like a tank, and could hit high output tape. Now that I think about it, didn't I post the Revox brochure for your model? :)

probably -- you're asking an old guy to remember stuff?!? ;-) (nt), posted on December 7, 2015 at 14:06:58
mhardy6647 Audiophile Posts: 16010 Location: New England Joined: October 12, 1999 Contributor Since: October 23, 2016	no text, just another piccie... all the best, mrh

Now THAT'S a proper tape deck :-), posted on December 8, 2015 at 05:52:00
Dave Pogue Audiophile Posts: 11689 Location: DC Area Joined: October 9, 2001	Old faithful. Great sounding.

Review, infomercial, or creative writing exercise?, posted on December 8, 2015 at 11:22:58

Jim Treanor
Audiophile

Posts: 2167
Location: Pacific Northwest
Joined: June 1, 2003

Having just returned a little over a month ago to the R2R fold (after a 40-year absence) with the acquisition of a tech-restored Crown at a remarkably reasonable cost, I had to shake my head at the assertion that the price of admission is stratospheric-steep. Maybe so if I wanted my unit dolled up in a hue that nods to Ferrari rosso corsa, but, like others here, I found the implication that R2R is an elitist's pursuit laughable.

Jim

RE: probably -- you're asking an old guy to remember stuff?!? ;-) (nt), posted on December 9, 2015 at 08:26:32

Inmate51

LOL!

But hey, I sure hope that Otari isn't fast winding, 'cause I see signal on the meters, which will blow your tweeters, which would be, like, such as, a total bummer. Unless, of course, you had the amp turned down.

Did you remember to do that?

Should someone come to look in on you every day or so?

Now that I'm thinking about it, I knew a guy who died in his apartment. He played trumpet in the Maynard Ferguson band. People hadn't heard from him in a week. A week. Someone called the police, and they found him dead from a heart attack.

Let this be a lesson: Do NOT fast wind your tape deck unless you're sure that you'll survive and have the presence of mind to hit "stop".

:)

RE: Recent R2R player/recorder review and old decks , posted on December 10, 2015 at 14:05:41

A.Wayne
Audiophile

Posts: 2527
Location: Front row center
Joined: November 30, 2011

I have lost very few of my tapes over the years, key is cool and dry storage and away from anything magnetic...

Tape Storage

long exposure time -- normal speed :-), posted on December 29, 2015 at 07:28:57
mhardy6647 Audiophile Posts: 16010 Location: New England Joined: October 12, 1999 Contributor Since: October 23, 2016	Yes, what a mess that could be -- a rotting corpse AND 2/3 of a mile of Mylar tape all over the place. ;-) Happy New Year! all the best, mrh