I Thought I'd Heard Open Reel Until........

RTR addiction

Collecting RTR machines can be addicting!

I currently have 8 active and in-service machines, 2 more that need refurbishing, 2 antique machines and one retired deck.

I play them often and use different machines for different reasons. I have both 1/2 track and 1/4 track.

To me, they are the most enjoyable format to play.
 
indeed! I love R2R Machines. The Sound, the Magic and the Spinning of the reels reminds me of my father who passed away this year.We allways made fun of him why he still uses tape when he could use cd or mp3s. He allways smiled and never argued with us. Now, after all these years i know why;-((( He knewed, that it is the best sounding format......
 
I love this thread.

Its all about dreams. As a young boy I used to dream about high end audio - reading the magazines cover to cover, reading the specs, checking out the ads in the back that sold the equipment mail order. Now, with r2r I can afford afford a deck I could only dream about before. The great thing is that the newer technology is not better so much as more convenient or cheaper.

Obsolescence does mean a bit more work on decks that can be unreliable. But what makes it worth it is AudioKarma, and the people here. And as we look at Revox, Tandberg, and others, I think we are beginning to see more of the professional decks coming down to prices that should be considered by the 'novice', with the people here to help. I found an older modified Otari MX-5050 II2 from a studio for 300.00. We the help of others I was able to restore it and replace some components. Total cost of about 450.00. The sound of a 1/2 master at 15 ips is better than anything on any format I have heard before.

The point is that these 'Professional' machines seem to be coming down the food chain more and more. And with it opportunity. If we can keep the knowledge base going these machines are built to last decades. For those of us with many decks in our collection (11 in mine), it brings a new horizon of fidelity. I have a Revox, Akai, Sony, Pioneer, Tandberg. But nothing matches the Otari. I will concede there may be something out there better - most probably out of my pocket book range. What I can afford in cash may not change, but the technology I can afford does become better, again with the help of the experts.

There are a lot of aspects of 'fun' in this hobby - the audio, tinkering, restoring, aesthetics, etc. I do like the 'treasure hunt' aspect - looking for the machine that was once gold and could be made great, sitting on a curb or in a thrift or at a ridiculously low price on CL.

Greg
 

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Agree with sentiments here Greg. While they were coming down not sure I agree they are still doing that. Audio and vintage in particular is seeing a resurgence and prices are moving up over the last 5+ years. I expect that will continue for some time. Keep looking for bargains though... they are out there.
 
Yes, prices are going up. Problem is: Prices for absolute GARBAGE are also sky high.
 
And my HS B-77 MK ii never came close to my Ancient Ampex Ag 500, AG 350 or older 300- 4 or 300-2. Yeah it may have a few more cycles on the high end and almost as good wow and flutter, but its electronics just don't have the dynamic range capabilities of the Ampexs. You just can't believe the difference until you have heard it for your self. Ampex tape machines can put more signal on a tape without distortion than you can believe. You look at the output signal from master tapes recorded with no limiting or compression and the peak levels will curl your hair. And you better have big JBL, UREI or Altec monitors, because home speakers don't have a chance. Listening to Urei monitors at 6 ft playing back 4 channel and 3 channel tapes is like sitting right in front of Ray Charles, Basie or Stan Kenton bands playing at full bore with no sign of strain. Something a poor little Revox can't do. Now its big brothers from Studer are just as capable as the big Ampex and more. Find your self a nice middle of the Road model 80 Studer, and you will be in for a big surprise. As always the issue is tape and the source and the playback system. Most SACD and CD consumer pop disc are limited and compressed to get that intensity pop listeners prefer. Take that compression away and your Revox would not have a chance. Yes it the best pro consumer cross over machine with out noise reduction, but it is not its big brothers from Studer or distant cousins from Ampex. I under stand there is a new playback only machine from Studer Revox to dream about.

Its like going back and thinking and dreaming about a 6 cylinder XKE. But would I rather have that or the new reissue to be placed on the market soon. I can't answer that. I got to ride in the early model a few times in college. I know the new one will be superior, but it would be so fun to have the original to bring back the memories. Of course I would have to fly in a friend of mine who use to repair the things while he was going to college to pay tuition to keep it running properly. Something I wouldn't have to do with the new model. Thats the way 300 series, in fact all early Ampexs were. from what I know about Studers, not so much.
 
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i currently run 5 decks in my main listening area. i have an Sony tc-650 Akai GX 280D, Akai gx 4000d, Akai gx 260 d & a Pioneer 1011L. I mostly use the sony for recording it has a echo feature. And i have remote also...
 
i currently run 5 decks in my main listening area. i have an Sony tc-650 Akai GX 280D, Akai gx 4000d, Akai gx 260 d & a Pioneer 1011L. I mostly use the sony for recording it has a echo feature. And i have remote also...
Well donna, you rock!
 
I love this thread.

Its all about dreams. As a young boy I used to dream about high end audio - reading the magazines cover to cover, reading the specs, checking out the ads in the back that sold the equipment mail order. Now, with r2r I can afford afford a deck I could only dream about before. The great thing is that the newer technology is not better so much as more convenient or cheaper.

Obsolescence does mean a bit more work on decks that can be unreliable. But what makes it worth it is AudioKarma, and the people here. And as we look at Revox, Tandberg, and others, I think we are beginning to see more of the professional decks coming down to prices that should be considered by the 'novice', with the people here to help. I found an older modified Otari MX-5050 II2 from a studio for 300.00. We the help of others I was able to restore it and replace some components. Total cost of about 450.00. The sound of a 1/2 master at 15 ips is better than anything on any format I have heard before.

The point is that these 'Professional' machines seem to be coming down the food chain more and more. And with it opportunity. If we can keep the knowledge base going these machines are built to last decades. For those of us with many decks in our collection (11 in mine), it brings a new horizon of fidelity. I have a Revox, Akai, Sony, Pioneer, Tandberg. But nothing matches the Otari. I will concede there may be something out there better - most probably out of my pocket book range. What I can afford in cash may not change, but the technology I can afford does become better, again with the help of the experts.

There are a lot of aspects of 'fun' in this hobby - the audio, tinkering, restoring, aesthetics, etc. I do like the 'treasure hunt' aspect - looking for the machine that was once gold and could be made great, sitting on a curb or in a thrift or at a ridiculously low price on CL.

Greg
your 5050 looks like it has been touched by Gustavo
 
Yes. I am definitely a fan of his art. He was very good at the mechanics and electronics, but I loved the aesthetic touch.

Greg
 
I just delivered my Revox A77 to a renowned repair guy in Ottawa, for refurbishment. (cleaning, lubing, capacitors, and adjustment) He did a quick look (including inside) and said it was a 4 track machine modified for high speed. I found it for sale in a small music store in Orangeville, Ontario for $50. There was no power cord, so untested, but I took a gamble. The tech guy said it looked to be in good shape and not heavily used. It will be my first working R2R. I'm stoked! :)
 

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Wish you a lot of luck with the A-77. Be careful with the rotary switches. The housing the contains the wiper and contacts will crack and eventually fail giving you nothing but grief. So handle any of the rotary controls with extra care. Keep the tape path clean. You have a roller bearing tape guide on the left. I always installed another roller bearing in the right guide. Rotate the guide flanges periodically so the back coated tape won't cut grooves in the stainless steel. Keep the heads clean. But don't use any caustic cleaners. or acidic cleaners. There is too much plastic that can be damaged. You should lube the capstan once a year with a synthetic product. I use to remove the capstans once a year and use pre warmed drops of STP. Maybe a drop or two of mobile one for the bearings and the same for the take up and rewind motors and the capstan roller bushing.
 
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