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In Reply to: RE: You all saw this,yes? -- a "new" reel to reel deck coming from Switzerland posted by mhardy6647 on May 20, 2014 at 05:34:26
From recent posts on the "whats best forum", I wouldn't hold my breath for this. I can't believe anyone would undertake the expense of a new development effort - the product would have to be priced around $50K and sell what - 10 pieces Maybe if Studer / Nagra / Otari had enough parts to "re-introduce" one of their classic decks it might be worth it. And there was nothing wrong with the "last generation" of tape mechanisms, or the heads. Need to rethink the reproduce/record electronics tho.
Charles
Follow Ups:
"Need to rethink the reproduce/record electronics tho."I've heard that before. Someone recently said to me, regarding the Studer pro decks, "keep the transport and throw out the electronics". I thought that was a bit harsh, but still, a valid observation. Record electronics in tape decks haven't gotten the attention they deserve and NEED. They are, after all, amplifier circuits, and are where the signal is prepped for storage to tape. Everything downline is dependent upon the quality of that originally stored signal. They're the forgotten stepchild of amplifier circuit design.
:)
Edits: 05/30/14
Hi Inmate,
A problem for the tape electronics designer regarding reproduction circuitry is that, because the machine had to be used for different speeds and formats (NAB, IEC, AES), this required a lot of EQ switching - which required switching devices. Most of the solutions involved FET switches which added their "own sound". And getting 60dB of clean, low noise gain isn't easy.
We've found that while the repro sound may suffer, a lot of decks actually make very nice recordings. Could be because there is less total amplifier gain required.
Cheers
Charles
Hey Stellavox, thanks for the reply and info.
Just fyi, I like your moniker! Back in '74 (forty years ago!), I daily used a Stellavox SP7 which had been modified by Georges Quellet. Butterfly heads, some electronics mods. I wish I knew where that machine is now!
:)
This is my concern. I'd seriously consider getting into R2R if it were more affordable. As it is, the cost of content is off-putting. Perhaps if I could buy lots of tape stock cheaply, I'd think again.
But I'll be keeping an eye out and will probably pick up those AAA lps too.
big j.
"... only a very few individuals understand as yet that personal salvation is a contradiction in terms."
"As it is, the cost of content is off-putting."
Yes, that is a bugger. At $60 for a 10.5" reel of 1/4" blank tape, it ain't cheap - especially if it's 2500 feet and you're burning it at 15 ips 2-track!
For live stuff, I record at 15 ips; for albums, it's 7.5.
I have three, count 'em - three - reels of blank Quantegy 499 still left, and when it's used, that's it. I'm not buying any more just to play with. I'll start digitizing and re-using. Fortunately, I haven't used a tape in over a year. Everything I do these days is direct to hard drive at 24/88. Still, it's cool and fun to "roll tape"!
:)
I would love to buy newly made reels of tape. Really. I love audio and the analogue hobby as a whole. But without that circumstance, R2R is really a rich man's folly!
That said, am always happy to be proved wrong - especially in this instance.
big j.
"... only a very few individuals understand as yet that personal salvation is a contradiction in terms."
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