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RE: Why in the name of god would I be interested in proving you wrong?

Posted by Inmate51 on June 5, 2017 at 11:11:41

In Reply to: Why in the name of god would I be interested in proving you wrong? posted by EdAInWestOC on June 5, 2017 at 06:28:32:

Oh, shush. ;)

Just to clarify, I've been a proponent and user of RTR for decades. My first RTR was a Roberts (Akai) 1719, quarter-track 3-3/4 and 7-1/2. Next was a Concord with auto-reverse (that deck was a mistake). Next was a half-track Tandberg. In about '78, I finally got a Revox A77 Mk IV, 7-1/2 and 15 ips, half track, which I still use.

I didn't buy any of these decks to record/copy LP albums or radio, they were all for doing live concert recording. 'Course, since I had them, I'd also record LPs, which could be convenient for long dinners. I actually have a 3600 foot reel, recorded at 7-1/2 ips, with six Vivaldi flute concertos on it. I figured if any girl could tolerate an hour and a half of flute concertos, she might be worthy of consideration. Ha!

Anyway, a 2400 foot (1.5 mil) reel, which is the "right" way to go, at 15 ips, only gives you about 32 minutes of time, which isn't even a typical LP album length. Ok, so record at 7-1/2 ips... now you've got 64 minutes. So, for a $60 reel of tape and the cost of the deck, you can record the entire album that you bought for $1 to $20. Why would a person do that?

Let's talk about studios. Yes, there are some retro musicians who want to record to tape, and studios which are happy to accommodate them. But the studios I've been in, in L.A. and SF, the Studers and the Ampexs are sitting in the corner, unused, while the recording is being done digitally.

In my view, the only reason for an audiophile to buy a good used deck is just for the fun of it - not for any real practical purpose - and only if they've got the money to support the habit.

You, personally, might perceive that RTR is making a "comeback", but where do you get that statistic? There are about 320 million (that's million, with an "m") people in the U.S., but I don't see or hear about RTR decks being produced and bought by the thousands. My perspective is that maybe a few more aging audiophiles are buying RTR decks to relive their more youthful past, but that doesn't make it a consumer trend.

Lastly, AA inmate mikel has promised to give me a Studer A80 when he's finished tweaking it. (Oh, wait, I might have dreamt that.)

:)

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