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Mastering Reel To Reel

randyrhoads1

randyrhoads1

RandyRhoads1981
Does anybody know of some good Reel To Reels that would be very reliable, not very expensive but not cheap, and has nice warm and smooth analog sound?


I was planning on getting the TEAC A-3300SX 2-Track Mastering Deck.

Anybody have opinions on this decision and/or has used the A-3300SX 2T in a Mastering situation?

Thnx:thmbsp:
 
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That teac is a decent home machine, but I would not use it for mastering work.

You'd be much better off with an Otari MX-5050 BII. Other options that you might consider would include a Tascam 42, or an OB-20.
 
+1 on the Otari. They sound great and are pretty much indestructible. Mine sat in the rain with the covers off and still works fine.
 
Teac A-7300-2T would be better, if you like Teac. I had one in 4 track which would be model A7300-4T. You should be able to get them cheap now since they are over 20years old. Look at the tape heads, make sure it does not have a tape grove worn right into it, that would mean a lot of hours on the machine. I have no idea what new heads will cost.
 
randyrhoads1 said:
Does anybody know of some good Reel To Reels that would be very reliable, not very expensive but not cheap, and has nice warm and smooth analog sound?


I was planning on getting the TEAC A-3300SX 2-Track Mastering Deck.

Anybody have opinions on this decision and/or has used the A-3300SX 2T in a Mastering situation?

Thnx:thmbsp:
Click to expand...

it would be a great choice ! i owned one, sold it when it was not quite 3 yrs old to a studio for just that use. in fact i did tote it down to the studio i worked at plugged it into the soundcraft 2400 and it made a recording every bit as good as our tandberg and ampex decks .
go for it !

rob
 
I'd go with Otari regardless. The tapes that were used with the Teac are no longer around, so biasing is more of a problem. Unless you don't mind opening the deck up everytime you want to re-tune it for a new tape, like LPR-35.

The Otari is as robust as they come. It has ALL the bias/eq and level controls on the front panel. It includes a built in oscillator, so setting up a tape is a snap.
The bonus is that the BII can also play back 1/4 track tapes. Otari decks are plentiful, so parts are easy to find IF you need any.

Nothing wrong with other decks, but for sheer versatility I'd take the Otari.

In fact, I am restoring a BIII and just made myself a 1/4 track Record/PB head stack for it. I can now record and play BOTH formats at will.

The Otari is actually a very well thought-out machine.
 
The Teac is a good home machine but no mastering deck. Most of those are 200-300 pounds, live in roll around consoles, are used mainly at 15 IPS and sometimes 30 IPS and bear names like Ampex, Scully, MCI, Studer, Lyrec, 3M, and Otari at the low end. They are also very expensive on parts. Your Teac is actually semi-pro and the forerunner of what is now known as the Tascam line.
 
A very good 2-track master is Tascam 42NB or 42B, 7-1/2 and 15 speed.
Smooth transport, both XLR and RCA for connecting to your mixer :)
 
Vintage TX said:
A very good 2-track master is Tascam 42NB or 42B, 7-1/2 and 15 speed.
Smooth transport, both XLR and RCA for connecting to your mixer :)
Click to expand...

I love my 42! :music:

Given the limited budget, a Tascam 42 or 52 are very nice as is the Otari 5050.
 
Vintage TX said:
A very good 2-track master is Tascam 42NB or 42B, 7-1/2 and 15 speed.
Smooth transport, both XLR and RCA for connecting to your mixer :)
Click to expand...




What about an AMPEX?
Maybe an ATR 800 or something of the like?
How much do those go for?



General Overall Question:
What would be a great 2-Track Mastering Deck for a Home-Studio.
I am 18 going on 19 years old but I am trying to make it as "Professional Quality" as possible.
This is the first time I've done something like this.
With this in mind, what would be a good professional but not a million dollars Mastering Deck?



I checked out the Otari and the Tascam 42.

I don't dig them too much.

I'm sure they sound great, but I like there to be really nice artistic workmanship in a piece of equipment.
The Otari, looks like something out of Robo-Cop.



Anyways, thnx for the Input everybody:thmbsp::thmbsp::thmbsp:
Tons of help you all were.


Thank you!
 
Well, a Ampex ATR 800 with a rolling rack would be something I would look for locally that not include shipping.
Price just depends what condition, now about $ 350.00 for a project and nice about $ 500-800.00
Maybe check CL or that auction site :)
 
Don't count out the Otari line. They're still made (though on special order). They're reliable as can be. Sound excellent, handle NAB and CCIR EQ easily, and are superb decks for home studio use as well as recording studio use. Nothing wrong with that Teac, it's just not in the Otari class. The Tascam BR 30 (made until recently) is a legitimate competitor to the Otari and a superb machine. Looks are nice, but reliability and sound quality is even nicer and being able to use the current super output tapes if desired. Just some things to consider. I love better Teacs and Tascams. The Ampex ATR 700 and ATR 800 are actually built by Teac (for Ampex to their specifications) and were the inspiration for the TASCAM lineup. That series are nice machines.
 
I have to agree with most are telling you here!!! I have a highly modded Otari 5050 BII and use it for just about everything, except playing my TP tapes. For playing those tapes I use my Studer A810 just a better overall machine, but the Otari sure sounds good and is very reliable!!!

jay
 
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If I remember correctly, you will be feeding the mastering deck from an A3340S....so the 3300 would work OK. I believe that they were sometimes sold together for that purpose...

Don't discount the Tascam 40 series so quickly...they are incredible machines, and sound very accurate. A friend has a 44OB and 48, and they are both wonderful performers.
 
randyrhoads1 said:
I'm sure they sound great, but I like there to be really nice artistic workmanship in a piece of equipment.



Thank you!
Click to expand...


Yyyyyeeahh.............. If looks are a factor for you, take a look at a Studer A810. Good looking AND a great machine. I love mine, it's the apple of my eye.
But I also keep a Revox A700 and an Otari MX-5050BIII2.

I like the machines for what they are, but the most PRACTICAL is still the Otari.

Good luck finding an affordable Studer...
 
even though I collect crown, ampex, and otari r to r's, I would think your money would be better spent buying a high quality ad/da board for your pc.

for about the same money, you could build a better solution than most any r to r out there. serious mastering no longer involves r to r much at all.
 
vinyldavid said:
If I remember correctly, you will be feeding the mastering deck from an A3340S....so the 3300 would work OK. I believe that they were sometimes sold together for that purpose...

Don't discount the Tascam 40 series so quickly...they are incredible machines, and sound very accurate. A friend has a 44OB and 48, and they are both wonderful performers.
Click to expand...




Yeah, I always see those 2 Decks paired together and heard they work descently together.


EVERYBODY told me that the TEAC AN-300 Dolby NR Unit would totally suck because it was Dolby-B Type, but I had already bought it at that point.

So, I was worried as to whether it was a waste of money and then I plugged my A-3340S into it(Because I realized I hadn't even tested it yet), played my own recording of "Mother" by Pink Floyd,
And it cleaned it up beautifully!



So, I just wonder why a "Pretty" nice quality Tape Deck company would sell things like the A-3300SX and the AN-300 NR if they sounded like crap?


O.k. I wont write them off the list like I typically do most things.



They say many time in brochures and stuff that the A-3300SX 2T is specifically a "Mastering Deck"

They could easily be not that good, though


Thnx :thmbsp:
 
Tinman said:
Yyyyyeeahh.............. If looks are a factor for you, take a look at a Studer A810. Good looking AND a great machine. I love mine, it's the apple of my eye.
But I also keep a Revox A700 and an Otari MX-5050BIII2.

I like the machines for what they are, but the most PRACTICAL is still the Otari.

Good luck finding an affordable Studer...
Click to expand...





WOW! That's a beautiful Deck!

If I could afford one, I'd really like to have one of those.


I haven't completely written the Otari off.

The Master Decks with the VU Meters that rise above the Deck when it's is horizontal are Super-Cool.

That is what I am shooting for right now since the A-3300SX might not be as great a choice as I thought.




Anyone know of other Mastering Decks like the one I descirbed above?



THNX:thmbsp:
 
bharper said:
even though I collect crown, ampex, and otari r to r's, I would think your money would be better spent buying a high quality ad/da board for your pc.

for about the same money, you could build a better solution than most any r to r out there. serious mastering no longer involves r to r much at all.
Click to expand...





I don't use computers.


My Studio is ALL-Analog.


I feel, that all the great recordings of the 60's,70's, and early 80's, sound WAY better than any recordings I hear that were done in the last 20-25 years on Digital Recording Systems.

I feel that Digital recordings eliminate a crucial inaudible essence or ambience that is able to be "captured" on Analog Recorders.

I believe that the reason a song or sound is appealing to the ear, is because there is this Resonance that "Physically" feels good even though we can't see it, feel it, taste it, and even hear it.




I have a question, why is it that an AMAZING Album sounds great on the original pressings when it was recorded in Analog, but loses some very special something when it is re-released after being "Digitally Re-Mastered"?
This is the SAME-EXACT song, from the same album, same notes played, same everything, but sounds absolutely lifeless.

To me it does anyway...


Anybody have an answer?


My answer is the elimation of the inaudible resonance in Digital Recordings.


:sigh:Yikes, that was intense.
Hope I didn't bore anyone.
 
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