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Reel to Reel Tape Machines / Re: Denon Reel
« on: November 28, 2007, 04:44:04 PM »
Denon open reel decks are virtually unknown in the US.There's lots of info in Japanese but I've rarely seen anything in English regarding them.
TP-027, Jerry Garcia / David Grisman wins a Writer's Choice Award from Myles Astor of Positive Feedback Online
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Blackjack David / Re: TP-002 is getting ready to launch
« on: November 28, 2007, 04:28:03 PM »Wouldn't that be heads up all y'all?
As what may be the only Texan on the board qualified to answer... tha'd be a yes, y'all. ;)
And Ye Iron-assed one... I'm back up and running. :) Never had an Otari before, I'm pretty impressed! Thank his royal Craigness who giveth us the list.
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Reel to Reel Tape Machines / Re: Otari MX-5050 BII
« on: November 27, 2007, 04:53:21 PM »Well, I've done my first live recording: The recital for a summer voice master class program which my wife took, taught by a friend who is the director of the college and community choirs we sing in. I used the Microtech Gefell mics, Audio Note Vx cable into the Pendulum mic pre, with Telefunken and Siemens tubes in place of the Chinese dreck it came with, into the Otari. 7" reels of BASF 456 running at 7.5ips in-line. Mics on one stand using AER spacer bar at ORTF distance.
It was a small group, small audience, so everyone was on stage, facing the rear of the stage where the audience sat with its back to the rear curtain facing out toward the main seating. The mics were about 6' high in the center of the row of seats. Each singer was accompanied by a 7' grand piano, lid closed.
The sound is very real, very immediate. Listening is a lot more fun when you're not clenching the arms of your chair approaching peaks waiting for the digits to bite or the stylus to mis-track. When I played it back over headphones I kept jumping when a truck drove by the stage doors which were open since it was a hot August day.
The real revelation came when I transfered the recording to my MacBook Pro via FireBox. Some of the fine detail and more of the life than I care to think about fell out of the recording. I told the director, who always complains about how the recordings the college makes of the concerts don't sound like the concerts to him, that he has to come over and hear the reel-to-reel original.
Long live tape! Now if only the dam* deck didn't weigh about 50 lbs. Wrenched my back hauling it around, which has never happened with my MacBook Pro! ;-)
Those were the results without cleaning, aligning and/or tweaking anything since I bought the deck on eBay. Time to do all of the above and build the NAB/IEC modded Seduction. I also need to sell off a piece of spare audio gear so I can buy a selective sub to the Tape Project! I'll want to be properly equipped for VSAC '08.
(Doc - when do you think the site will be up for registration? I'm leaving for Milan today and would love to get formal commitments from Peter QAudio Note/UK to exhibit.)
Stellavox SP7T. Tubes AND portable. Just seriously expensive...
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Reel to Reel Tape Machines / Re: A weekend of tweaking
« on: November 27, 2007, 04:48:05 PM »
I'd love to do this to a 'donor deck'. What a killer way to clean a tape! I realize they're using it for playing LoL squealing tapes but it'd work great for cleaning off dirt and dust and other liquids could be used.
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Reel to Reel Tape Machines / Re: Studer 810s for sale
« on: November 27, 2007, 04:42:49 PM »Hello John,
Congratulations on the Revox PR-99, it can be a fine sounding unit. Keep in mind there is only one resistor change, per channel, to convert an NAB to an IEC playback circuit. If you are at all handy at de-soldering a part I'd be happy to give you further information on how to make the swap. Also, you would want to make the audio connections from the "monitor" out connections on the top of the unit. This bypasses a great deal of circuitry that "clouds" the sound and can result in quite satisfactory performance. While I'm sure the Bottlehead playback amplifier is excellent, with a little work the PR-99 can hold its own.
Regards, Ken Swauger
Not John but I also have a PR99 on the way. Please do pass this along. I'd love the info!
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Reel to Reel Tape Machines / Re: Tascam BR-20?
« on: November 27, 2007, 04:25:18 PM »
Those decks were sold up until '03(?) or so? Never seen one but I'd absolutely pick one up at $450... great buy!
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Reel to Reel Tape Machines / Re: Technics RS 1800 on Ebay
« on: November 27, 2007, 04:21:26 PM »
My biggest problem with the Technics is the tape handling. It's not exactly the last word in delicacy. Also, when it rains it pours! I went on Ebay to see if I could pick up a get-me-by deck and ran across this PR99 that I hope isn't total junk. I figure if it is I can hopefully part the thing out. Then, naturally AFTER I pull that trigger I find a Craigslist ad that was run back in October for two Otari MX5050BIIs in decent shape. The guy still had 'em! $450 for both + a RB Annis Han-D-Mag, the MRL tape, blank RMGI tapes, whatever those chemicals are... heck I figure I can sell ONE deck for $300. Bonus: A buddy is driving down from Austin tonight. So I'll have the decks at about 8 PM. :D
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Reel to Reel Tape Machines / Re: Technics RS 1800 on Ebay
« on: November 26, 2007, 04:25:09 PM »
That's crazy money for that deck though!!! If you're a Technics collector, I can see the value. Otherwise??? The transport is fundamentally the same, the electronics are still going to be bested by DocB, Tim de Paravicini, Manley, ATR and the like, and anything it provides above the 1500 is easily replicated by the upper end pro machines.
Not that it'd be easy to repeat but an acquaintance in Australia just picked up a 1/4" Studer A820 from a Sony Studios auction with a full Cello Audio electronics suite that was perfectly maintained and pristine. For $6k. I don't care how great this Technics is... it absolutely positively can't get anywhere near the tape handling finesse and electronics quality. Even if the Studer were double the price it'd be worth it... but for less? If one is going to spend that much... heck, hand the $$$ over to Paul and DocB and tell 'em you want the deck of all decks. You'll end up with better.
Incidentally the decks didn't sell. A friend is talking to them but they're firm on the price. I told him for that much I'd have one of the 820s I have refurbed, sell it to him and still make $3k.
Not that it'd be easy to repeat but an acquaintance in Australia just picked up a 1/4" Studer A820 from a Sony Studios auction with a full Cello Audio electronics suite that was perfectly maintained and pristine. For $6k. I don't care how great this Technics is... it absolutely positively can't get anywhere near the tape handling finesse and electronics quality. Even if the Studer were double the price it'd be worth it... but for less? If one is going to spend that much... heck, hand the $$$ over to Paul and DocB and tell 'em you want the deck of all decks. You'll end up with better.
Incidentally the decks didn't sell. A friend is talking to them but they're firm on the price. I told him for that much I'd have one of the 820s I have refurbed, sell it to him and still make $3k.
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Blackjack David / Re: TP-002 is getting ready to launch
« on: November 26, 2007, 04:16:35 PM »
...and me without a deck that's worth a damn. My 1506 finally packed it in after four long years... my 807 is in storage since the room was demo'ed to make way for an addition (and a much MUCH nicer room :D) and I have two A820s STILL out on the East Coast due to be finished sometime this decade I hope. On the water are a ton of Japanese decks that'll be here in a few weeks. In the meantime? NADA! At least I got to listen to TP-001 first. *sigh*
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Reel to Reel Tape Machines / Re: Dolby Labs 422?
« on: August 27, 2007, 11:20:46 PM »
I bought one off Ebay quite some time ago. The 422 isn't bad but I prefer the older 330 unit. It seems less... 'hazy'. IMO I'd rather have NO Dolby at all. I simply don't like what it does to the sound. It's not transparent by any means.
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Tape Project Albums - general / Re: piece by piece it comes together
« on: August 27, 2007, 10:48:03 PM »
Oy... here we go. "Hey, honey?? Can you watch the kids for an hour or so? No no, nothing's wrong. I just need to polish my reels and gotta get the tape spooled off before I can..."
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General Discussion / Re: Time for a progress report
« on: June 15, 2007, 09:54:35 AM »
San Francisco??? Name the day! An excuse to go to SFO, oh the pain, the horror!
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Reel to Reel Tape Machines / Re: Machines with tape head outputs
« on: June 15, 2007, 09:47:39 AM »
I'm on the Yahoo group... some useful info but almost entirely centered around more common machines (primarily Teacs and Pioneers) and repairing/refurbishing them. Again, while the RS1500 is a great deck, don't overlook the other good options out there. The Otari MX5050 is a rock solid machine and they're EVERYWHERE. Being a pro machine you'll see 'em in bad condition but IMO hard use is better than 'been sitting in the garage with rust/etc'.
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Tape Project Machines / Re: program on hold for a bit
« on: June 15, 2007, 09:39:00 AM »
Nothing like real world usage to shake out all the things you never would've even considered as 'could happen'.... what issues cropped up?
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Tape Project Albums - general / Re: Charter Subscriber serial numbers have been assigned
« on: June 15, 2007, 09:34:50 AM »
VERY nice. Just got mine today... #21. Cool!