General Reel to Reel Question

[MB149]

Yesterday I got a call from my cousin who knows I am into 2 channel audio. He asked me if I wanted his fathers Teac Reel to Reel. Back in the 70's my uncle had a pretty killer stereo system, in which the Teac was part of, so just for his memory, I would cherish this, but I am not sure how I will use it.

I have a couple of questions about Reel to Reel players.

First is, what is the sound quality like? If I am used to playing LP's and CD's, is the reel to reel going to sound like the old cassette players did with the hiss and other sonic imperfections?

Second, were these mainly used by folks to build a play list and sort of use it like a music server for playback? Or were you able to buy actual albums that were already recorded to tape, like 8 tracks and cassettes were?

Last question, how much play do some of you do on tape? The reason I ask, is I am going to have to buy or add to my systems shelf or rack to be able to have this added?

Out of nostalgia, it will be cool to add my uncles tape player, but I never had any experience using this or any reel to reel player. Plus as a kid, we would of been killed if we had touched his system, which I can now appreciate.

Thanks for any input.

 

[Matt Fisher]

First is, what is the sound quality like? If I am used to playing LP's and CD's, is the reel to reel going to sound like the old cassette players did with the hiss and other sonic imperfections?

IMHO, the sound of a good RtR prerecorded tape is unsurpassed, despite the occasional hiss, which does not bother me once the music starts. That said, you can also get Dolby and some dBx tapes (i.e., Barclay Crocker), which greatly cut down on the hiss. If you are making your own tapes, you can find Dolby and dBx units for encoding and decoding.

Second, were these mainly used by folks to build a play list and sort of use it like a music server for playback? Or were you able to buy actual albums that were already recorded to tape, like 8 tracks and cassettes were?

I think it depends. I only use my decks for playback of prerecorded commercial tapes now, but might do some archiving of some of my rare vinyl someday. If your uncle's Teac is a 10" model, you could make party tapes that go on literally for hours. Keep in mind that some of the prerecorded tapes are going to be a little spendy, especially if you take a liking to 2-tracks, Barclay Crockers, or (someday) quads.

 

[slow_jazz]

If you recorded at the faster speed it would also cut down on the hiss...

Very good sound. I owned a Sony rtr for years....

 

[fortycoats]

I don't know, this hiss problem must have been with older tapes. I'm using newish (this decade anyway) Emtec tape on my Teac A-3440 and I can't hear any appreciable hiss at 7.5ips. Then again, maybe 7.5ips is the faster speed on the deck in question. I hear a small bit of hiss if I listen through headphones but it doesn't take very much signal at all to overcome it. I have a dbx unit to go with the deck and haven't seen the need to use it.

 

[similost]

Mine sound fantastic.. as good and sometimes better than an LP.. or, a bad recording can sound crappy.. just like any other media..

Yes they sell factory pre-recorded tapes. I got some off ebay. I have Innagoddadivida on a factory tape, Steppenwolf 7 and Beatles 65, Paul Revere.. and a bunch others..

 

[MB149]

Thanks for the info.
So if I decide to record some of my vinyl and cds to reel to reel, will I loose some origianl quality? Also are the reels easy to find, and can they be recorded over. Sorry for so many questions. I am new to this end of audio.

 

[similost]

With proper setup of all your gear, you can get very close to the original recording. you will always get some kind of loss though, or you can push the levels too much, and distort them..

yes, you can record over old tapes... Just so many variables as to the quality recording you will get. Best thing is just experiment and enjoy..

 

[icenine]

The sound is outstanding....buying factory pre-recorded tapes by well known artists(Stones,Zeppelin,Beatles,etc) can get expensive...so your wallet will get hit unless you start recording to blank tape

 

[fortycoats]

Blank tape isn't cheap either. Not as much as some of the pre-recorded tapes are going for but it certainly wouldn't be an economical way to archive an LP collection.

 

[Cactus Bob]

I picked up a Teac A3300SX recently. The last R2R I owned was in 1970. I found an old junky prerecorded 7" tape from 1962 at a GW to test it. I recording a CD and couldn't believe how great it sounded. Even my wife was shocked at how good it was. I think it sounded better then the CD! Soon I will be recording with quality tape. It will take a lot of time up, but it'll be fun. Bob

But it's expensive!!

 

[shimniok]

I'm glad I got mine (also a Teac) as, all told, I like the format.

Yes, you can buy (used) pre-recorded tapes... but... good luck ever finding them in a thrift store. Cost is comparable to used record store LPs. The desirable titles I watch seem to go for a lot. I think the best/cheapest way to build your collection is to somehow find someone selling a whole batch at once. Good luck with that. I got my deck and tapes from the same person, and am adding a tape here and there off of that auction place.

Almost all my 7.5 IPS tapes sound great -- what I immediately notice is the soundstage is so *wide* and it has an unusual lively quality to it (I have no idea how to explain/describe what I mean by that). I have a few 3-3/4 IPS tapes that also sound good, some sound like crap, most are mediocre. Depends on the care with which the tape was duplicated apparently.

I mostly wanted mine to be able to play factory tapes, but I think most R2R owners like to put together mix tapes or save wear and tear on their LPs. With the cost of new tape, I'm not sure I can justify doing either but maybe I am a cheapskate. I gave up on archiving albums to tape and now just focus on record care and TT setup and hope for the best.

I personally think they are a giant PITA to thread (compared to the easy of cassette or CD, or even LP). The deck needs to be in good shape and in proper adjustment to sound good. Reel tension and pinch roller condition are really important to HF response and eliminating wow/flutter.

Despite the drawbacks, I really enjoy throwing a few of my favorite tapes on and like how they sound so much that I have no desire to get the music on LP.

Michael

 

[fortycoats]

Some of the reels have a slot in the hub into which you put the end of the tape and wrap it around a pin. That makes threading *much* easier. Some of them have the slot but no pin. At least you can hold the tape there with your finger. Some reels have neither and those are indeed a PITA.

I archive my LPs to cassette. Sounds great with a good deck and is way cheaper. It would be nice to have them on reels but the slight improvement doesn't justify the huge extra expense, IMO.

 

[rollei35guy]

I have several reel to reel decks and have had a R2R for many years. IMO even basic units sound great.

You would likely enjoy the Teac. With age however rubber drive wheels and belts (not sure what the Teac has) can get hard and need replacing. I have an Ampex that needs new rubber.

 

[MB149]

Wow,
This is a lot of great information. I look forward to getting this in a couple of weeks. My cousin said he tried it out and it still plays well. I am sure it may need some tune up. My uncle passed away over 20 years ago, and the Teac has been sitting on the audio shelf in his den still hooked up to the rest of his rig, but no one has really used it since his passing. I am sure it is a pretty good one though, he had pretty good taste in equipment. His amp was a big Pioneer from around 1974, with a pioneer Eq,Pioneer Cassette and 8 track, and the speakers I remember very well, his Pioneer HPM 100's which my cousin says still sounds outstanding. I can still remember him cranking up his Gino Vannelli albums.

Another cool thing is my cousin said I can pick through his vinyl collection and take what ever I want.