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In Reply to: RE: Here's an idea... posted by Inmate51 on June 04, 2017 at 08:30:30
This is not a forum based on adversaries and if it were I would not bother returning.
Reel to reel is starting its comeback and manufacturers are just starting to make new RTR decks. New model decks are expensive but you can buy a fully refurbed Otari 5050 MkII for less than $2000.
The only source of good blank tape was ATR but that is about to change. RTR will never be as convenient as vinyl but once you mount a tape you have a very high quality source of analog music available. RTR was all but gone, like vinyl, but its managed to creep back where RTR decks are making a
showing at audiophile shows.
There was a time where audiophiles would copy their vinyl to RTR tape and the vinyl would collect dust. This was very popular in Japan and used vinyl in Japan is very high quality partly due to this habit.
The highest quality analog music was always from a RTR deck with vinyl coming in a very close second. In spite of high resolution digital, professional analog tape machines are starting to make a comeback in recording studios with analog masters being the source for high resolution backups. Digital sources can suffer from dropouts where analog backups have a very long shelf. They are very reliable and that is not lost on the recording industry.
The availability of extremely high quality pre-recorded tapes is the beginning of something that should drive down costs and drive up selection. It is not unlike vinyl around the turn of the millennium where pressing plants could be counted on your fingers. Now pressing plants are springing up around the globe and the production of new vinyl presses has begun. Vinyl is everywhere and RTR will follow suit.
RTR tape production is another matter but Chad Kassem created his production facility and his pre-recorded tapes are reported to be nothing short of fantastic. They are being used to show off very high end systems at high end shows like Munich. There were several vendors showing off their wears using RTR decks at that show. Yes they are very expensive but they are the single source for the highest quality audio available (short of the original studio masters themselves).
Interest in RTR decks continues to grow. Check out tapeheads.net or the RTR section over on audionirvana.org for a couple of places where RTR fans hang out. There is more going on than meets the eye and RTR should be more visible in the coming year.
I suggested this to Henry because I thought it may appeal to his audiophile interests. I did not think you had to have a RTR deck to suggest one. Where did this prerequisite come from?
I used to own one and would love to do it again. I plan to at the end of this year. Until then I will keep an eye on the market and make my buying decision based on budget and availability.
Ed
We don't shush around here!
Life is analog...digital is just samples thereof
Follow Ups:
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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