Messages

46

Suggestion Box / Re: Suggestion for Series 3

« on: September 30, 2009, 08:47:42 PM »

I am an ardent Blue Note fan, so almost any of the recent vinyl reissue titles we're seeing now would be fabulous to see on the Tape Project.

What about some classic, well recorded rock? Are these too difficult or expensive to obtain? I'm thinking along the lines of some old Pink Floyd (pre DSOTM, but that would be cool, too); Fleetwood Mac, James Taylor (wow does his catalog have some great sounding stuff), Dire Straights and others of that era. Suggestions welcome!

I also have a personal favorite artist I'd love to see on the TP: Pat Metheny. His performance on MoFi's new "Pilgrimage" LP of Michael Brecker is wonderful, and his material from 1976-1986 in analog is luscious.

Just some thoughts!

47

General Discussion / Re: Get together at the Chateau

« on: September 28, 2009, 11:22:02 PM »

All--

What a great afternoon, and thanks so much to Dan and Eileen for their wonderful hospitality. Everything I hoped I would accomplish in coming up from San Diego came true--meeting great and insightful music fans, learning more about this timeless technology and appreciating even more the labor of love called The Tape Project.

Dan--you'll be happy to hear the trip made me a believer and soon I will be ordering at least a selective subscription to Series 2. I thought Jimmy Smith - The Sermon was simply sublime, with an ambience and natural decay of instruments that beat my beloved vinyl system and sealed the deal for me.

Ki, your knowledge and willingness to help me understand more about R2R machines and help me in my choice of a machine have been invaluable; thank you so much. I will write you off-line about my current thinking.

Thanks also to all the kind and interesting people I met, including Mike, John and Bob. It was a blast! The fresh air this extremely civil Forum exudes was evident throughout the day. I'm already looking forward to the next meeting--

Kip Peterson

48

General Discussion / Re: Next Bay Area Get Together?

« on: September 27, 2009, 09:36:53 AM »

I would like to attend as well and will make every effort to coem up to San Francisco from San Diego. Thanks!

49

Tape Tech / On the fly EQ change questions

« on: September 07, 2009, 02:22:14 PM »

This is my first post, and I'm excited to be here! I'm getting very close to taking the plunge back into R2R. I can't remember when I've ciphered as much as I have recently, especially looking at all the subscription permutations to the Tape Project. Of course, the other huge variable in this equation is choosing a R2R machine that floats my boat and is TPP compatible, though I think I'm close (thanks to all the members who have been patient with me in private e-mails!).

There are some questions about machines, though, that I've been trying to figure out:  If aligning the audio section to a particular EQ curve is so important (and complicated, it appears, on some machines), why is a simple switch between CCIR and NAB even provided on some models? Does one really have to sit down with an alignment tape, do the test tones and maybe fiddle with azimuth of the heads after simply flipping a switch from NAB to CCIR? I'm really wondering if it is more likely people with machines that have this facility just flip this switch and listen to their respective tapes recorded in either NAB or CCIR and don't worry about realigning the audio section each time--in fact, I wonder if the manufacturers of machines with this feature assumed that's what their customers would do? I'm guessing recording studios, when faced with doing this, methodically went through an audio realignment each time (and probably did so each session whether EQ was ever changed or not!). I just wonder how important this work is to hobbyists and what members with machines that have this feature actually do when they use this switch.

Thanks!