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New member, help me pick 1st TRT

C

Charliewards

Member
I'm a new member and want to re-visit my past. In the early 80s, I was a DJ at my university's FM radio station. I have 10-20 reels of my show and commercial productions recordings.

They've been boxed for almost 30 years, and I want to listen to them. They were recorded at different speeds, although I don't know which. Some reels are small, some large.

I'd like a machine that is multi-speed and isn't very expensive. Thoughts?

I also have a general and totally ignorant question: what else can I use it for?

Thanks,
Charlie
 
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multi seed, not exensive .. well, that could be a TEAC A2300 or 3300 if some of the reels are 10.5" Now there is a dark horse - are they 2track taes or quartertracks ?

You can't see it unless you have remembered physics in school, and can dip a piece of tape in cup filled with ferro fluid, so you can see the track layout :)

you'r last question is quite common , same is the answer - what everyone else use it for :)
 
To play almost anything, go for the Technics RS-1500. Unfortunately somewhat expensive, but good.
 
Charliewards said:
I'm a new member and want to re-visit my past. In the early 80s, I was a DJ at my university's FM radio station. I have 10-20 reels of my show and commercial productions recordings.

They've been boxed for almost 30 years, and I want to listen to them. They were recorded at different speeds, although I don't know which. Some reels are small, some large.

I'd like a machine that is multi-speed and isn't very expensive. Thoughts?

I also have a general and totally ignorant question: what else can I use it for?

Thanks,
Charlie
Click to expand...

I have bad news for you, Charlie. RtR tape recorders = vintage. Vintage = expensive. Working RtRs that will accept 10" reels = very expensive!

Another thing to consider. Depending on the tape, and how they were stored...listening to, and/or transferring them could be a problem. I'm sure there are guys on here that would do that for you. I would, if the tapes are good. I live in central Arkansas.
 
Somehow i have to disagree on the price :) But agree on it seem's that we can't compare prices in the US versus the prices we see here in Scandinavia ...

A nicely restored A3300 would cost around $500 - is that expensive ? In contrast to what :)
 
Well, Jan...that certainly sounds reasonable. I am no expert on prices of individual tape recorders...but going by what I see as examples here, I assumed any 10" reel capable deck would be considerable more than that. For instance, just re-capping my Pioneer 707 (7" reel) would apparently run over five hundred dollars. Supposedly, my Technics 1506 would cost near one thousand dollars, working but not 'nicely restored'.

As far as being relative to what....one would have to decide if the purchase price, whatever it is, would be practical for someone just wanting to listen to, and possibly copy, some 30 year old tapes. He did ask what other use he could have for it. In that situation, even two or three hundred dollars might be exorbitant.

Of course, one could luck out and find a nice used working model reasonably priced.
 
I would agree on the "just listen or copy" wouldn't justify a huge bill - i that case it would be a matter of getting the material transferred to another media
( I do a lot of that here........... )

Then again - the r2r dissease could strike again :)
 
Finding a cheap fully worlking deck for transfer those tapes is not easy.
I would use a transfer service instead for saving those memories at the best possible result instead.
 
jan_stevns said:
I would agree on the "just listen or copy" wouldn't justify a huge bill - i that case it would be a matter of getting the material transferred to another media
( I do a lot of that here........... )

Then again - the r2r dissease could strike again :)
Click to expand...

Yes, Jan...there is that possibility! :D It certainly happened to me, but I had luckily kept my two RtRs in storage.
 
I use a Teac TC 377 to play any old tapes I come across they are not very expensive to buy and play at 3 different speeds, not suitable for 10" reels though.
 
If/once you find a suitable deck, make sure you look over the tapes for sticky shed syndrome. If they are Ampex tapes, they are 99.999999999% guaranteed to shed. If the recordings are dear to you, I'd follow Vintage TX's advice and have them transfered by a pro at a studio.

A_L
 
I have an Otari MX 5050 B II, can play 1/2 track tapes at 7 1/2 or 15 IPS. I have a Tascam CD Recorder, if I can help you, PM me and I'll assist you. 10 1/2" reels no problem.
 
jan_stevns said:
I would agree on the "just listen or copy" wouldn't justify a huge bill - i that case it would be a matter of getting the material transferred to another media
( I do a lot of that here........... )

Then again - the r2r dissease could strike again :)
Click to expand...

What are the symptoms?
 
Charliewards said:
What are the symptoms?
Click to expand...

:D Well, Charlie...I must have a really serious case of it. I fully believe a well recorded CD sounds better than any analogue, and yet....here I am, back to playing with TTs and RtRs! There is just something about the huge, heavy well-built recorders. :banana:

But, some of the symptoms are:

Willing to carry an old back-breaking chunk of (possibly no longer even working!) steel and aluminum out of storage and spending hours cleaning it up.

Willing to pay exorbitant prices for tape to play on the thing.

Spending several minutes setting the VU meters juuuussst right, for every song. And THAT is after spending several minutes setting up the TT, making sure the cartridge is still aligned, needle is clean, and cleaning and recleaning the surface of a (sometimes scratchy) record.

Recording a whole tape, and then realizing you forgot to document the counter number of each song, so you have to : fastforward, fastrewind, slowforward, slowrewind.....till you find the beginning of the song you happen to want to hear right then.

Hmmmmmmmm...the cure is just getting out the CD player again! :scratch2:
 
Zygmo said:
:D Well, Charlie...I must have a really serious case of it. I fully believe a well recorded CD sounds better than any analogue, and yet....here I am, back to playing with TTs and RtRs! There is just something about the huge, heavy well-built recorders. :banana:

But, some of the symptoms are:

Willing to carry an old back-breaking chunk of (possibly no longer even working!) steel and aluminum out of storage and spending hours cleaning it up.

Willing to pay exorbitant prices for tape to play on the thing.

Spending several minutes setting the VU meters juuuussst right, for every song. And THAT is after spending several minutes setting up the TT, making sure the cartridge is still aligned, needle is clean, and cleaning and recleaning the surface of a (sometimes scratchy) record.

Recording a whole tape, and then realizing you forgot to document the counter number of each song, so you have to : fastforward, fastrewind, slowforward, slowrewind.....till you find the beginning of the song you happen to want to hear right then.

Hmmmmmmmm...the cure is just getting out the CD player again! :scratch2:
Click to expand...

I agree, as what you have posted has happened to me.:yes: Started out with one used 7" Akai to play late Dad's old 7" reels of music he recorded in the 1960's when I was a kid. I am hooked on "Revox" R2R for all my 10.5" reels
of music.

I would send your tapes out and have them transfered to CD's. Several members here have adds on that auction site. Save some money:thmbsp: or "Get Hooked":music: there is no cure until you go deaf:D
R2R and TT are cool old school formats.
Louis
 
I know the easy solution is to send the tapes to someone. But...

I'd miss the fun of watching the reels turn and the VU meters bounce back and forth. I also wouldn't have an excuse for checking CL throughout the day for rtr deals.

Does that mean I'm getting the disease? *cough* *cough*
 
It's in the DNA............ :music: Revox made some cool alloy reels for their 10.5" machines in different colors. Right now I have the Blue colored Revox logo reels installed with a fresh reel of AGFA 528 tape. Watching the VU meters and the cool looking reels go around and around :scratch2:. I am in "Advanced Stage" of the disease.:banana:
 
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