cubastreet
Espresso Fiend
I've had several Sony TC-377 and 378 machine over the years and found them to be very reliable. I'd say they are a great first R2R.
paging @topoxforddoc :=)
Strangely one rarely on audio forums hears of what I consider the main use of a R2R.... recording live music!
Some of the better pre-recorded stuff is way, way better than the vinyl equivalent, I assume because it's closer to the original masters, without the middle men of cutting engineer and various degrading mothers.Strangely one rarely on audio forums hears of what I consider the main use of a R2R.... recording live music! I see little other use for them beyond nice objet d'art...
Strangely one rarely on audio forums hears of what I consider the main use of a R2R.... recording live music! I see little other use for them beyond nice objet d'art...
The consumer machines were designed primarily for replay of pre-recorded tapes, although some people used them for recording.
That surprised me, Charlie, as everybody I knew in the sixties and seventies, including me, used them for recording off air or transposing from records, often taking selected tracks to create composite tapes of music. Surely their main purpose was equally for recording and playback. I don't think I came across anyone who went out and bought expensive pre-recorded tapes even if they could find what they wanted. This media was always a retail sideline, to the best of my knowledge, along with 8 track and indeed pre-recorded cassette tapes, which were more prolific (but crap)
Jez,
You are quite correct in some ways. Some studios have started to go back to analogue tape for recording sessions, as some artists have asked for this. Recording sessions to tape is a much more demanding test of the musicians than using DAW (digital audio workstation) such as ProTools or Logic Pro.
I think, however, one has to separate the professional studio machines (2 tr 15 IPS or 15/30 IPS or multitrack 30 IPS) from the consumer machines, such as the Akais, Sonys, Technics & TEACs mentioned within this budget. The consumer machines were designed primarily for replay of pre-recorded tapes, although some people used them for recording, in the same way as compact cassettes were used.
In the Big 3 record companies, remastering of new releases involves using a professional 2 tr or multitrack studio machine to replay or reproduce the master tape, which is then transferred to a DAW for the process of remastering. Getting this bit right is crucial to a decent remastering, but the Big 3 companies don't always do the tape transfer in the optimum manner.
Charlie
Just to illustrate the point about the ridiculous money asked by some sellers
USD 594 (£475) for a "sealed NOS" copy of Sgt Pepper's 7.5 Its 4tr tape (on Ampex tape stock - I would steer clear of this!!!)
OR
This - a 15 IPS 2 track copy of a production master for less money
I agree with you up to a point jez. I would never record a CD but I have recorded some of my vinyl onto R2R , simply because some of the vinyl I have is unobtainable now. And no matter how much you look after your records they do wear out depending how much you play them. Nice to alternate between both sources.Where good quality pre recorded tapes are available (at huge cost often) then that is obviously a fine use for a R2R but I fail to see the point of buying one to make recordings of vinyl and CD's etc that one already owns...
Cracking bargain!A ReVox A77 here is often cheap. I got mine for 80 euros, absolutely mint with reel Perspex cover.
For 250 euros I got a nice mint G36.
ReVox machines are nice because they were produced in vast quantities and parts are readily available, NOS, used, or new fabrications.
Be (tell your mate to be) patient, and go local.
EBay prices are just silly.
Friends and family are always surprised about the sound of these babies.