Tape Project Forum
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Asamel on January 31, 2012, 09:42:21 PM
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First of all the new Shins album is available on reel tape.
Check out reflections on recording from the band Marah:
http://www.marah-usa.com/index.php
Bruce in PA
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Here it is on their music store. Not inexpensive !
http://www.myplaydirect.com/the-shins/port-of-morrow-reel-to-reel-digital-album/details/26644502
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Thanks for the heads up on this!
I haven't decided if I'll order the tape but I did have fun playing with the reel to reel graphic on their homepage (the VU's respond to changes in the output volume, it will play in reverse and you get the chimpmonks on fast wind!).
Here's the link
http://simplesong.theshins.com/
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Not up to Tape Project standards but I felt I had to support the effort!
Bruce
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Pondering what they might be doing for limited run duplication. Can't find any info on that yet.
It occurs to me that a couple (few) 4 channel / 4 track slave decks running at 15ips (2X both sides at once) would be fairly efficient for the smaller quantities needed and could have reasonable quality.
If it takes off somebody might have to set up a dupe line of some sort again.
One could only hope.
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.... but I did have fun playing with the reel to reel graphic on their homepage (the VU's respond to changes in the output volume, it will play in reverse and you get the chimpmonks on fast wind!).
yeah, but i accidentally pushed the record button on the reel to reel graphic and erased about 30 seconds of music 2 minutes in from leader.
sorry.
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Relatedly, the record company/studio I'm affiliated with will be recording an analog album and releasing it on reel to reel sometime likely this year. Being a smaller company, we do have some gear limitations, and being largely of the aforementioned "younger generation" our experience with analog recording is still being fine tuned. We may not hit Tape Project quality, in other words, but will do our best. We will certainly aim to include a 10.5 15ips 1/4" 2 track release (maybe we'll even see if we can get it on 468), and can promise as compelling a musical performance as we can muster. I can't wait to get started... More details to follow...
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just took a listen to the clip on your studio's home page. nice stuff. i could see that being a late evening favourite.
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Hi Nick,
Looking forward to hearing all about it.
Be sure and keep us posted (start a new thread and post pictures and text about the journey if you have time).
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FWIW, the Shins are receiving a huge amount of air time and positive feedback from KFOG here in the Bay Area. DJs love 'em.
Tom
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Found this on my doorstep this morning already... It sounds pretty good through my basic system (MX-5050 BII > Bottlehead S.E.X amp > Voigt Pipes) clearly superior to cd sound quality. Not having heard Tape Project tapes (yet) I'm not sure I have the language for comparison. Just thought you'd all enjoy getting a look at it...
-Interestingly, in the packaging there is no mention of where or how the record was made - whether it is simply a digital bounce or not. All I've found online after a brief search is that it was recorded "over the course of 2011" in L.A. and Portland.
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Got my "Port of Morrow" tape today too. Nice packaging and the tape seems very nicely made (RMGI 911?)
Sounds like it might be a combo of analog and digital (tough to tell since so much could be sent through some kind of processor before it before it got to the mixer).I'm sure better ears than mine can make a more educated guess than me.
I believe that analog/digital is the story with the studio they usually use too.
http://supernaturalsound.com/
I do like the picture of the guy kowtowing to the Studer 800! (oops, guess that's a JH24)
I'm enjoying it so far, but it's hard for me to be objective since I have such high hopes for future tape releases from other current performers.
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BTW, do you other guys who got the Shins tape have the number 120 on the back next to the bar code?
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Mine says 134 next to the bar code.
Many of the sonic elements on the album certainly sound digitally produced or manipulated to my ears. Not a critique - just trying to understand the source.
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BTW, do you other guys who got the Shins tape have the number 120 on the back next to the bar code?
Mine is due to arrive Friday. Will look and let you know.
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Must be the serial number. I'm sure that there are quite a few tapes that are sold as part of whole collector's package and a number of them went to folks who are friends/associates of the band/producer. Still, it would seem that enough have been sold to make other bands/producers take some notice.
I agree that some of the sound is probably digitally manipulated at some stage. For anyone who's seen much live music lately, it's rare these days to not see at least a few computer monitors sprinkled around a stage. Of course that's nothing new for stuff like keyboards but I would guess that live vocals with stuff like Exciters is pretty common.
I asked some questions on their Facebook page so we'll see what they say.
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BTW, do you other guys who got the Shins tape have the number 120 on the back next to the bar code?
Hi Steve, mine says 92 on the back, so it looks like it is indeed the serial number. BTW, I cut up the download slip (the paper with the download code on it) and glued it to the reel as a label. It looks spiffy! Myself, I don't like the idea of "unlabelled" reels of pre-recorded tapes...it's like asking for a recording "acccident" or what!
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That's an excellent idea Grant and a great point about having an unlabeled RMGI reel!
I do sometimes have a few 7" reels out of their boxes. I think I'll run over to Office Depot and get some labels and print the track names on it and stick it to the reel somewhere.
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BTW, do you other guys who got the Shins tape have the number 120 on the back next to the bar code?
Mine is due to arrive Friday. Will look and let you know.
It's hear ! (to quote an old Electrovice speaker spoof)
finally, at about 5:10 PM
My s# is 048
How did you make the download paper art fit the reel? Would be nice to have a label with the tracks on it.
Same style reel and back-coated tape as the "Magic Hero vs. Rock People" indie release of a couple of years ago. Theirs was @ 3 3/4 ips. for some "lo-fi" reason.
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My s# is 048 How did you make the download paper art fit on the reel?[/quote]
It's called cutting it up to fit! Am I technologically advanced or what? Seriously, though, Steve's idea of a track listing is great. If you don't want to cut up the download paper to fit the reel why not scan the graphics from the front cover and cut that up?
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Steve,
Those are the 7" reels that RMGI uses. I did a visual comparison with some 911 and 468 and it looks like 911 to me (a totally unscientific and casual look so I could be wrong).
I'm planning to just copy and paste something from their web site and print it on self adhesive labels (I'm sure there will be plenty of trial and error so I'll do tests with plain paper).
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It's called cutting it up to fit! Am I technologically advanced or what? Seriously, though, Steve's idea of a track listing is great. If you don't want to cut up the download paper to fit the reel why not scan the graphics from the front cover and cut that up?
Ha! :-) I just meant I could not figure out how to position it on the reel without covering up something important on the reel or cutting out a lot of their nice graphic. Closest I could come was positioning it over the blank plastic area where there is a slight indentation for a smaller label. Still, you would have to notch it pretty severely for the reel windage holes. I thought perhaps you plopped it right over the center and made a hole for the spindle. Bit it is kind of big for that space too. Perhaps I am over-thinking this.