What are you listening to on your reel to reel right now?

[Skylab]

So you splurge and get the master copies?

In this case I didn’t have to splurge. Jonathan at IPI offered a phenomenal deal on his email list - two tapes that were both direct copies of the master for $250 total. If you have ever even considered buying one of his tapes, it’s good to be on his mailing list to take dvantage of his special limited time offers.

 

[stoutblock]

I am on that list and I got those emails but restrained myself. Do you know what bulk tape he uses? I assume it is 1 mil tape so maybe ATR MDS-36?

 

[Skylab]

No, his tapes are 1.5 mil ATR.

 

[echron]

 

[MannyE]

I have yet to experience a true R2R listening session. Something tells me I should never ever do it because I will spend all my money.

 

[echron]

I have yet to experience a true R2R listening session. Something tells me I should never ever do it because I will spend all my money.

Just happens all of mine is hand me down from parents. My 18 yr old loves to listen to it and all his friends wonder what the hell it is. Lol

 

[MannyE]

Just happens all of mine is hand me down from parents. My 18 yr old loves to listen to it and all his friends wonder what the hell it is. Lol

I have had a few chances to buy some very nice professional 1/4 inch OTARI decks like this one:

But I hold back because I know I'll just go crazy.

 

[echron]

I have had a few chances to buy some very nice professional 1/4 inch OTARI decks like this one:

But I hold back because I know I'll just go crazy.

Mines an old cheapie

 

[MannyE]

Mines an old cheapieView attachment 1076735

About 15 years ago, when digital hit the pro scene hard, those Otari players were being sold for scrap. Not so much anymore. Even Sony 1-inch video tape machines could be had for a fistful of dollars, but the problem is that they are kind of like a cheap Ferrari. When it breaks, and it will, almost immediately, you are looking at a very expensive repair bill. The audio from a Sony 1-inch reel to reel video tape machine is ridiculously good.

 

[echron]

About 15 years ago, when digital hit the pro scene hard, those Otari players were being sold for scrap. Not so much anymore. Even Sony 1-inch video tape machines could be had for a fistful of dollars, but the problem is that they are kind of like a cheap Ferrari. When it breaks, and it will, almost immediately, you are looking at a very expensive repair bill. The audio from a Sony 1-inch reel to reel video tape machine is ridiculously good.

Well my old Sony has never been opened or failed and it has been in 22 countries and on many different systems. Will never move again once sound room is done. But plays perfect everytime

 

[MannyE]

Well my old Sony has never been opened or failed and it has been in 22 countries and on many different systems. Will never move again once sound room is done. But plays perfect everytime

That's the beauty of consumer stuff and vintage consumer stuff especially. Bullet-proof and lasts forever!

That setup looks SWEET!

 

[echron]

That's the beauty of consumer stuff and vintage consumer stuff especially. Bullet-proof and lasts forever!

That setup looks SWEET!

It's running through 3 pairs of Norman labs which are kinda unknown outside of mid u.s. But have always sounded better to me than anything I've heard for the price range

 

[MannyE]

Nice! It will now be harder to walk past the Otari R2R sitting in the studio the next time I go to do a voice over.

 

[MaxxVolume]

Toto IV

 

[echron]

Nice! It will now be harder to walk past the Otari R2R sitting in the studio the next time I go to do a voice over.

It may be my wore out ears but it sounds as good as my digital source.

 

[MannyE]

It may be my wore out ears but it sounds as good as my digital source.

I have to admit that I have always talked shit about tape because the only exposure I ever had was 8-track and cassettes in cars. I recently brought a Nakamichi cassette player home from a thrift and hooked it up to the main system and was frankly very surprised at how good it sounded even with a crappy 50 cent copy of Combat Rock. Considering it's 20+ years old and probably never had any maintenance done to it. It got me thinking about those Nak "Dragon" tape decks and how some folks just love them.

 

[echron]

I have to admit that I have always talked shit about tape because the only exposure I ever had was 8-track and cassettes in cars. I recently brought a Nakamichi cassette player home from a thrift and hooked it up to the main system and was frankly very surprised at how good it sounded even with a crappy 50 cent copy of Combat Rock. Considering it's 20+ years old and probably never had any maintenance done to it. It got me thinking about those Nak "Dragon" tape decks and how some folks just love them.

Don't own any cassettes anymore. And no cds. About 200 reels and about 150 lps and probly 300 8tracks. And listen to digital from my phone.

 

[MannyE]

Don't own any cassettes anymore. And no cds. About 200 reels and about 150 lps and probly 300 8tracks. And listen to digital from my phone.

Interesting! R2R is THAT good eh? I'm mostly LPs and also listen to digital when just listening as background or like yesterday, rocking out at full volume and trying out a lot of different music. Youtube's quality is just getting better and better. But maybe that was the whiskey

Don't be surprised if my wife finds you and kicks you in the nuts in a few months because I went and bought that OTARI and started spending all my beer money on R2R tapes!

 

[Old Ears too]

We had a house guest over for Christmas who had never seen a R2R much less heard one play. She was young, but I certainly would have thought she'd at least heard of R2R.

 

[MannyE]

We had a house guest over for Christmas who had never seen a R2R much less heard one play. She was young, but I certainly would have thought she'd at least heard of R2R.

Dude... some kids don't even know what a cassette is.