Reel-to-reel tape is the new vinyl (The Verge)

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Reel-to-reel tape is the new vinyl (The Verge)

Postby pmaligaya » Tue Oct 06, 2015 7:49 am

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"Like string theory, audiophile subculture is complex and defined by unresolved questions. Is an insanely expensive cable really better than an outrageously expensive cable? Do tube amps trump solid-state amps? Horn, electrostatic, or ribbon hybrid speakers? What about Kind of Blue — mono or stereo? Each position can be defended or attacked with various specs, waveform graphs, and double blind listening tests.

"One question, however, has been resolved: tape or vinyl? Even the most dubious critics find no ambiguity here. The verdict: tape sounds better than vinyl. Period. Not the cassette tapes of Walkman era, of course. Not those 8-track bricks from the land of shag carpet supervans either. That crude tech is an insult to tape, the same way Velveeta is an insult to cheddar. The real vinyl killer turns out to be reel-to-reel tape."

http://www.theverge.com/2015/10/5/94095 ... udio-trend
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Re: Reel-to-reel tape is the new vinyl (The Verge)

Postby jonas » Tue Oct 06, 2015 4:46 pm

"When the shootout was over, and all the sonic dust had settled, the six-figure turntable — a linear-tracking, air bearing (yes, like an electron microscope) precision instrument with more industry awards than the Honda Accord — had been vanquished. To say this caused a stir within the vinyl-centric hi-fi community is putting it mildly. If your prized possession — a $120,000 turntable rig that TAS recently praised as "the highest-fidelity phonograph on the market" — had just been kicked to the curb by a tape deck, sedatives and grief counseling would be in order."

I hope the coming audio fair will have a reel to reel for display or demo. I'd be interested to listen
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Re: Reel-to-reel tape is the new vinyl (The Verge)

Postby makinao » Wed Oct 07, 2015 6:25 pm

1/4" half-track at 30ips has always been my stereo analog format of choice. My only problem is that the renewed interest will surely drive the prices of both machine and tape to the next parallel universe, and buying them will be prohibitive. But if you still have an AG-series, a77/b77, mx5050, etc. at home, rejoice. The value is about to blast off.
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Re: Reel-to-reel tape is the new vinyl (The Verge)

Postby JackD201 » Wed Oct 07, 2015 11:09 pm

Prices are already through the roof. An album goes from anywhere from $150 to over $500. Definitely not for the faint of heart.

Does R2R sound best? I would say on the whole, yes. Most LPs are made from Tapes after all. D2D acetate however has been shown to better the tape safety dubs. Not that that matters much in the real world since you can only play these a couple of times before they go south.....permanently.

Luckily I get to hear tape for free pretty much anytime I like (or ask to be invited over) both quarter and half inch on Studer 820s, an A80 and an Ampex ATR. That surely saves me from getting too tempted. Besides, my room being in the basement, worrying about keeping such expensive software dry is a clear no go. I do miss working with tape as I did when I studied recording engineering abroad recording on 2" tape no less. Oh, those were the days.
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Re: Reel-to-reel tape is the new vinyl (The Verge)

Postby makinao » Wed Oct 07, 2015 11:46 pm

Yes Jack, dem were the days. While I don't miss the less than gentle transports of consumer units, hardcore pro units were a joy to use.

The last time I used a r2r was nine years ago. I wanted to warm up an all in-the-box digital project, so my engineer suggested we insert the studios Studer a80 in post production. It sounded nice and warm at 30ips. We also tried 60ips, but it sounded "ipit". We never figured out why.
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Re: Reel-to-reel tape is the new vinyl (The Verge)

Postby JackD201 » Thu Oct 08, 2015 9:43 am

I'm sure we also don't miss editing with razor blades :D :D :D Oh but the sound!
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Re: Reel-to-reel tape is the new vinyl (The Verge)

Postby qguy » Fri Oct 09, 2015 12:41 pm

Where can I buy tapes with content here in Manila ?
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Re: Reel-to-reel tape is the new vinyl (The Verge)

Postby makinao » Sat Oct 10, 2015 7:37 am

qguy wrote:Where can I buy tapes with content here in Manila ?


Hmmm. Come to think of it, I don't think I owned a commercial pre-recorded reel tape. I had/have mostly masters and edits of projects (studio, concert, field, and home recordings) I was involved in, and castaway surplus programs from Voice of America/US Information Service/Deutche Welle/FEBC.
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Re: Reel-to-reel tape is the new vinyl (The Verge)

Postby JackD201 » Sat Oct 10, 2015 9:04 am

This got me thinking. Where are Vicor (Vic and Orly's) master tapes now? Basil, Kuh, Zsa Zsa, Martin, Gary V ..............
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Re: Reel-to-reel tape is the new vinyl (The Verge)

Postby makinao » Sun Oct 11, 2015 9:34 am

I know of one company which handled their multitrack masters VERY POORLY :-(
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Re: Reel-to-reel tape is the new vinyl (The Verge)

Postby JackD201 » Sun Oct 11, 2015 4:11 pm

That brings tears to these eyes :(
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