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Topics - xcortes

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32
Reel to Reel Tape Machines / A mono recorder for a mono system
« on: January 28, 2009, 02:49:06 PM »
Act 1. In the past 18 months since we moved to our new house I've been struggling with setting up a decent system at our bedroom without success. The layout sucks for setting a system and with those speakers I've tried I just can't get stereo right.

Act 2. Since I found out one tape from Series One and one from Series Two are going to be mono I started experimenting with the few mono lps I have. And I'm loving it.

So I am putting together a mono system. I have already sourced a mono nagra 4.2 from a reputable source:

http://www.bottlehead.com/loosep/docsstash/docsstash.html

My plans are to buy more mono lp's, maybe even a mono cartridge (Denon DL-102 or even better an EMT TMD25) and start recording them.

At this stage I'm planning on going Solid State (let?s see for how long). My research, as well as Doc's experience with his T tells me that I can use external electronics without major mods: "Undo two captive screws and the whole machine opens up into two halves. Disconnect a multiway connector and you can seperate tape deck and electronics completely. Indeed years ago one could buy a Nagra tape deck on its own and fit your own electronics".

Of course I'll try the stock electronics first but I also want to try the Hagerman Bugle:

http://www.tapeproject.com/smf/index.php/topic,795.0.html

I won't go for 15 ips but for 7.5 instead. I'm thinking that the full track should compensate for less speed somehow.

I'm still undecided what tape to use. I'd like to go with LPR35 to be able to fit one lp on each 7" reel but Nagra users tend to favor 468. As a matter of fact US Recording Media recommends 468 for Nagras. So I may have to live with two reels per album. I'd appreciate any comments here.

And of course I plan to get into live recording at some point in time. Pure mono!

33
Reel to Reel Tape Machines / Hagerman Bugle
« on: January 27, 2009, 11:49:54 AM »
The Hagerman Bugle is a little battery operated phono stage kit (SS) with good press. A "half kit" (a PCB with a parts list with Digikey parts numbers) costs $39.

http://www.hagtech.com/bugle.html

The interesting point for us is that the passive RIAA network can be modified to other EQs. It looks like a very good solid state option to substitute internal electronics and add IEC eq to any machine. There's even a java calculator that tells what resistor values to substitute. Of course one needs to know the desired frequency breakpoints (turnovers) for NAB or IEC which I don't:

http://www.hagtech.com/equalization.html

I'd love to hear opinions and/or help on calculating the values for tape.

34
Tape Project Machines / "TP to move away from Technics decks"
« on: January 18, 2009, 08:31:52 AM »
From Joel report of CES at the Tape Trail forum:

Quote
DocB and the gang are moving away from the Technics decks, they will be selling off the few they have left shortly. I got to spend some quality time in their TAD suite this year which was one of the best at the show. The Tape project have adopted as a new r2r platform, my favorite deck, the Otari 5050 series

Is the TP really moving away from the Technics or is the Otari an addition to the family?

35
General Discussion / I'm really pissed off
« on: January 10, 2009, 09:57:31 PM »
50% of the posts on this forum are complaints from people that has not received x, y or z tape. Even in threads not related to that. You wan't to get your music fast? Why don't you download something from itunes?

Sorry about the rant but this project is supposed to be something above those things.

36
Tape Project Albums - general / 2nd series titles
« on: January 08, 2009, 12:54:38 PM »
Anyone else here hiting refresh every 30 secs to know the 2nd series titles?

37
Tape Tech / Reference Fluxivity
« on: December 01, 2008, 12:10:31 PM »
What's the reference fluxivity of the TP tapes? Th only reference I've found in the archives is that  on the alignment tape "the tones are going onto the tape at 250 nanoWebers/meter calibrated to 0dB on the VU meter". Can I assume that 250nW/m then?

I ask because I'm ordering some tapes and I have the option of 320nW/m or 514nW/m: "the RS1500 was originally aligned to a reference flux level of 180 nWb/m only. This level may have been upgraded to a higher level in course of a restoration/realignment. Our tapes are be made to a reference level of 320 nWb/m. They may be made to the german broadcast standard of 514 nWb/m as well which will yield an output about 3 dB higher. In the latter case the amplifier electronics should be able to sustain voltages higher than 3 Volts without noticeable distortion"

Should I want all my tapes to be similar in eq, bias and output or should I go for higher a figure for less nosie? Playback will be through an RS-1500 with flux magnetics head and Bottlehead Seduction amp, I think I have headroom for more output?

Thanks!

38
Reel to Reel Tape Machines / How about machines for recording
« on: November 15, 2008, 07:13:58 AM »
99% of this forum's machine related discussion has to do with plaback (in the end this is the TP's forum!) but for a change let me try to open a discussion abut machines for recording so here's many questions to foster a discussion in case anyone is interested.

What would be a good machine for recording? The tape transport issues that apply to playback apply also to recording -I guess-. However most machines'l, internal electronics are not considered good around here and most of us use external repro amps with our decks. Are we stuck with internal electronics when recording?

Assuming one has a good enough source what would be a nice recording machine? I guess 15ips and 1/2 track would be requirements and IEEC would be nice but NAB would probably do. Which of the pro machines have nicer recording electronics? What about the prosumer or consumer machines? And what about the portable Stellavoxes and Nagras?

Finally, what recording electronics do Tape Project Ampex ATR 100s recorders have?



39
Reel to Reel Tape Machines / Which Technics is this?
« on: November 10, 2008, 04:56:04 PM »

40
Reel to Reel Tape Machines / Tascam BR-20
« on: June 13, 2008, 02:37:27 PM »
For sale in our Region 4 ebay. Supposedly in very good shape but as Doc says the most recurrent lie on ebay is that all rts decks are mint. Anyway it's cheap, around $300, and local. Should I take a look at it?

It's 1/4" two track, 15ips and 7.5 ips, IEC and NAB eq so it's TP compatible.

Yes, I know, I should save the money to send my RS1500 to Doc but anyway.

http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.mx/MLM-21422904-grabadora-de-carrete-abierto-marca-tascam-_JM

41
Tape Project Machines / How about a kit?
« on: March 13, 2008, 05:19:27 PM »
I maybe out of my mind but it occurred to me that you could put together a "kit" for the RS-1500 mods that you perform. How basic/advanced it would be? I don't know. Probably supply the parts that you replace with a set of instructions ala Bottlehead? Instead of making UPS rich I'd rather give my money to BH. In the end many here are DIYers and whilst a RtR deck has many complications that amps and speakers don't, namely mechanics, we could learn.

Am I crazy?

42
Tape Project Albums - general / TP-02, 03, 05 and 08
« on: March 12, 2008, 05:33:09 PM »
Last week I had a chance to listen to 02 and 03. This is becoming a religious experience: put the kids to sleep, had dinner, disconnect the phones, serve scotch, rewind tapes, light out: boom!

I loved 03: fantastic music and great sound. There's a track where some drums are hit with a hand: you can feel the texture of the drum!

04: you guys will have trouble improving this. One would have trouble listening to brass like this, even if going to listen to the LSO live you would have trouble finding this strength and liveliness. This is what the TP is about! Kudos, kudos, kudos to Paul, Mike and Dan: you are the best.

05: When do you expet to ship this one?

08: What does 2008's catalog will have for us? I have my check ready!

43
Raw Tape / To those of you who actually use your RTR decks to record.
« on: January 30, 2008, 05:23:49 PM »

44
General Discussion / When I started into the audio subworld...
« on: December 28, 2007, 12:34:50 AM »
a few years back I never suspected that it would bring me many positive side effects. One of those has been getting to know some fantastic people. Tonight I met one of the best. At 6:00 pm Ale (my wife) and I were received by Paul Stubblebine at 1340 Mission where we spent some time touring the facility and listening to some music at the camelia room. Much has been written on the studio, its mastering rooms and systems and on the quality of the tape project tapes and I can only confirm everything nice you've read about them.

But the hit of the night was Paul. He is not only a very, very, nice guy but he is so passionate about his work and the about tape project that we will remember more about his personality and conversation than about the studio or the music!

It takes great people to achieve great things and only people like you could make something like the tape project to become reality. Thanks!

45
Joplin: The Red Back Book, Elite Syncopations / Schuller, Grierson, New England Ragtime Conservatory, Southland Stingers

I like this album very much. Very joyful music and very good sonics. I have an Angel LP that has some surface noise but sounds fantastic. Ragtime music played by a band.

According to Klaus Pehl at http://ragtime-society.de/Englisch/redback.htm: The real title of this collection of band arrangemments is "Standard High-Class Rags", published by the Stark Music Company of St. Louis around 1912. The among musicians popular name came from the red color of the front and back page. There existed folios for flute/piccolo, clarinet, cornet, trombone, 1st and 2nd violin, cello, bass, piano and drums. John S. Stark had chosen rags for this collection which he had already successfully published as piano rags, especially from his composer star Scott Joplin and James Scott. The orchestrations follow strictly the piano compositions. In a few cases keys were chosen which are more convenient for the wind instruments than the original keys.

No one can not like this album!

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