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How do you use your Reel to Reel?

C

cassette

AK Subscriber
Subscriber
Hi all,

I recently scored an excellent AKAI reel to reel deck locally with the idea of using it for recording my vinyl on something that could be replaced as it degraded (basically vinyl preservation). For those that have the reel to reel decks, what do you do with it and any advice you can offer on its best use is appreciated! Whats the best source for blank tape? Thanks!

A
 
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After going to the trouble of locating and reviving several R2R's a few years ago, those I kept don't get used much at all. I went gung ho with other tape formats as well and same story. My intention was making mixed artist tapes, just as I did in the old days with cassettes but on older and even obsolete tape media. The tapes I did make are few and were time consuming to record - that's where my problem lay - no time.

Tapes are found where they're found but read up on them. If you go the vintage route, some brands or series within brands are N.F.G. Some are OK for the most part but still no guaranties they wont be or become problematic. Certain formulations just did not age well at all. Freshly made tapes are available but at a cost.

Considering you have an Akai deck, also read about the "bad Akai transistor" aka 2SC458. The one and only Akai I bought was a GX4000 and it had 14 of them. One channel would not record which prompted some research which was when I learned about that transistor issue. Since those transistors had such a bad rap, I replaced all of them. Took a while but the deck worked perfectly afterwards.

Happy recording!
 
I am in the same boat. I got a Pioneer RT-707 and played with it for a couple of months and then looked at it for about 2 years. I decided it was better in someone else's hands. I did double my investment tho.
 
Mix tapes or albums recorded. Since 1/3 of my music is on tape, I have a great sounding recapped machine that I enjoy using. Since I stumbled on a number of reels a few years back I gave plenty of tape to feed the habit for a year or three.

Tape can be found at ATRtape, Recording the Masters or Splicit for new high quality tapes. Be sure to get ones that work well with your machine. The bay, cl and all the other sources can provide used, prerecorded and NOS tapes.

Knowing that there are a few tape failure modes, sticky shed syndrome (SSS) being the primary one and the tapes involved can let you avoid those prone to the problem. The problem tapes can supply empty reels and boxes to allow cheaper new pancakes to be loaded for the larger reels though.
 
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Boonaroo said:
I am in the same boat. I got a Pioneer RT-707 and played with it for a couple of months and then looked at it for about 2 years. I decided it was better in someone else's hands. I did double my investment tho.
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I also had a 707 and it was fun watching those reels spin while playing recorded music. The fun didn't extend to the recording of said music and maintaining the deck. Open reel is a pain.
 
Back in the late 70’s thru early 80’s I made “party” tapes from my LP’s much easier to spin a tape instead of flipping/changing vinyl every 20 minutes. That was really it’s only use. Now I stream for the parties. As for my current vinyl I figure why have it if I am not going to sit back and enjoy it :dunno:
 
Open reel is awesome IMO, I use mine more than any other source. I’ve been using them since the late 60’s / early 70’s though so their use is kind of ingrained in me (dad let me use his and I immediately understood why it was so great). Never got into cassettes except for a while when cars had cassette decks, never bothered with them at home though. I’ve got some great jazz albums that friends have recorded onto tape for me that I probably wouldn’t otherwise have, but I mostly use it to record rare music from specific radio programs that I like. I’ve been compiling tapes for years and I play them about every day (just finished one last Sunday).

If you don’t really have a specific job for an open reel deck to do then I can totally understand why you would ask what one uses it for. In my case I couldn’t imagine any of my rigs without one, I love working on them and using them frequently.
 
I have a Sony TC-755, I like to record higher quality, more modern, and more popular recordings on it, stuff that would not have been available on the format in it's hey day. The unit is kept mostly as decoration, and a conversation piece, but it is hooked up and fully functional. Everyone that comes over wonders if it actually works, when I demonstrate it does, they get a real kick out of hearing something modern play.
 
I use my open reel decks primarily for playback. If recording, I mostly do digital nowadays. I'm actually about half way through making digital copies of all my tapes. Like turntables, it sure is fun to spin music every so often. I also like playing long mix tapes from decades back, not having to flip a record every 20-30 min. and not having needles jump during a party. That said, I'll likely unload all my tapes and decks once my digital library is complete.

I recently saw an interesting video of a young musician exploring analog tape in a studio for the first time. It's cool to see him learn about tape recording, how things were done, and the link to the digital effects he grew up with. He clearly has a lot of fun with it.

Here it is (and there is another video before it where he actually records a whole song):
 
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I don't use mine often, but when I do - always with old, mass-produced commercially available tapes - it stuns me how good it can sound. I would use it more if I had more good tapes. I recently picked up a minty triple album on reel of Nat King Cole that is amazing. I have some original reels of Hendrix, Pearl, etc. and my reel of the debut album from BS&T was one of my best demo sources until it started to stretch and sound drunk near then end (RIP). Frankly, to me it's worth the risk of buying old reel tapes of unknown condition (other than a visual inspection). They're usually cheap at garage sales because demand is so low, and the occasional diamond in the rough is worth the price of admission. New tapes, on the other hand, are crazy expensive.
 
I have three open reel decks. I have a very low hour Akai GX-635D that I use to play my 7.5 ips prerecorded 4 track tape collection in my office. I have a Sony APR 5003 pro deck in my main system that I use to record and play back about 50 10.5" reels of needle drop recordings with 2 track at 15 ips and a few double albums at 7.5 ips. I have a Sony TC-880-2 just because it is a really cool machine and use if to play 4 track tapes in my main system.

The main use I have for the Akai and the Sony TC-880-2 is so I can listen to my collection of prerecorded 4 track tapes. Music is music. I also have a couple of Nakamichi cassette decks to play my collection of pre-recorded cassettes for the same reason. I have about 60 4 track and 200 cassette prerecorded tapes. I typically don't record with these decks and if I did not have such a large collection of prerecorded music on tape they would not get much use.

I use the Sony APR 5003 to record needle drops of albums I really like. Saves hours on the album and I don't have to flip them. Double albums typically fit on a 10.5" reel at 7.5 ips and not having to flip two albums offsets the small sound quality knockdown from 15 ips. The APR records very, very well!

I use the APR almost daily and the other decks a few times a month.
 
My TEAC is a doorstop at this point. It works well, but I have no room to use it, and really have no need to use it other than to occasionally make a tape and play it back. I don't buy pre-recorded reels except under duress. ;) (Or more importantly, if I can't find a recording in any other format. Mass-produced reels are too lacking otherwise.) I do have a handful of blanks, though, including some 10" reels. I did have a couple of reels of Ampex 456 that had the sticky-shed syndrome, but I've since dumped the tape into the trash and kept the metal reels. (How bad was it? I tried playing back one of the tapes and after 10 minutes the head was completely clogged and was only playing back muffled bass!)
 
Thanks for all the responses! I remember my dad's old reel to reel as being magical and awesome, but when I got mine recently I forgot the part about WHY it was magical and awesome. :)

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restorer-john said:
You partied through the 70s, 80s and you still are? You are such a Party Animal!

One late night for me (after midnight) and I'm wiped out for the next day. :)
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Just good genes, at 78 my pops is always one of the last few standing when he does hang out. I am sure my Navy training helped some.;) But I feel ya, was celebrating GF’s b-day with about 20 people lastnight until about 4am, just got up, f-ing missed Lewis Hamilton’s win this morning :(
 
I don't anymore, though sometimes I think it might be fun. I have 3 two track machines with 1/4 try play back. Two are High speed one standard. One has tube electronics. One was a true professional unit, the other two semi professional. I don't have any tapes anymore, so why bother. The professional DBX encoders, decoders are long gone. I would want them If I started using tape again. Once you get used to over 90 db of signal to noise and less .30 % distortion you will never go back. I have two cassette machines, one is packed away. The 582 Z is used once in a while to make a tape for the Dodge Ram Diesel. People don't ask very often anymore for me to dub their tapes to CD.
 
I have a 1969 Akai 360D. I do not use it because in 1984 a shop in Minneapolis told me “Use it one more time and that is it.” They said the heads were worn out. So from 1970 to about 1976, I wore this unit out playing rock pre-recorded tapes. I am envious of you all that find little used decks. I still have the pre-recorded tapes. Nothing sounds better than r2r. If I ever find a low mileage deck, I will play it till the house falls down.
 
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