KentTeffeteller
Gimpus Stereophilus!
Usually on 2 tracks they were duplicated at an RCA facility and made from a good flat copy tape from which a 1/2" running master was made. And duplication was still at 4X on Ampex 3200 duplicators.
RCA Victor Tapes Amazing!
- Thread starter ShaneR2R
- Start date
nitrous
96 dB freak!
Pre recorded tape prices in the 60s
Notice the $8.95 price tag on that R2R box you posted? Pre-recorded tapes were quite expensive in the 60s. I was only able to purchase tapes when they were discounted as close outs at stores like Sam Goody's, and those tapes offered were of extremely limited number of titles!
Notice the $8.95 price tag on that R2R box you posted? Pre-recorded tapes were quite expensive in the 60s. I was only able to purchase tapes when they were discounted as close outs at stores like Sam Goody's, and those tapes offered were of extremely limited number of titles!
Lance Lawson
New Member
I have a half dozen never played RCA Red Label recordings. I played one just to see what they were like and kinda nice they are. I also scored a mangled RCA Red Label that I use now for my short play takeup reel. Very cool yellow reels some of these RCA tapes used. Wasn't it great when there were real record companies making cool stuff.
Romak
Active Member
No where on that sticker does it say not to swallow the stick or ingest the tape. I see a Ferrari or your own record company in the future. :scratch2:
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smurfer77
Super Member
Am listening to an RCA Victor Red Seal now. FTC-2090. Reiner/Chicago - Shubert's 8ths and 5th. I find the quality of the taps and duplication to be very good. However, the recordings are sometimes not that well done, with clipping on loud passages built into the recording sometimes. My box I am looking at right now says "Living Stereo" and also says "A Stereophonic tape recording". 4-track, 7.5IPS. The entire package seems really classy (with an almost faux leather texture to the cardboard box covering), and like a piece of history.
I agree with @KentTeffeteller that the reels were usually duplicated from copies of the master; someone earlier asked if it was the same tape as used to make the LP mothers.... I'm sure it happened, but in principle the tape used to make the LPs has some mastering (filtering mostly) to make sure the record played nicely with the needles anticipated (for classical they would often filter less, expecting more people to have high end good tracking gear, and for other genres they would filter heavier, expecting people to have poorly tracking needles etc).
On the point of Columbia tapes, I've not had a good experiences with Columbia and now avoid all of them, not only those with the club serial numbers. No other brand have I experienced more dropouts with than Columbia. On the other hand, almost any of the tapes I have that say "Duplicated by Ampex" on them are almost always flawless.
I agree with @KentTeffeteller that the reels were usually duplicated from copies of the master; someone earlier asked if it was the same tape as used to make the LP mothers.... I'm sure it happened, but in principle the tape used to make the LPs has some mastering (filtering mostly) to make sure the record played nicely with the needles anticipated (for classical they would often filter less, expecting more people to have high end good tracking gear, and for other genres they would filter heavier, expecting people to have poorly tracking needles etc).
On the point of Columbia tapes, I've not had a good experiences with Columbia and now avoid all of them, not only those with the club serial numbers. No other brand have I experienced more dropouts with than Columbia. On the other hand, almost any of the tapes I have that say "Duplicated by Ampex" on them are almost always flawless.
clydeactor
Member
I totally agree. My Chet Atkins, Duane Eddy, and Henry Mancini RCA tapes from the early 1960s sound great!
Beveridgeman
New Member
Get a Tandberg TD20SE. I was Factory Service for many tape machine companies. I gave up a Concertone for a Revox A-77 until a Tandberg came along, sold that and bought the Tandberg. For bass mine goes down to 10 Hz. For top end up to 30 KHz. I have never been sorry I got it, and I know where the replacement parts are, if needed but after decades I have not needed them.I have a half dozen never played RCA Red Label recordings. I played one just to see what they were like and kinda nice they are. I also scored a mangled RCA Red Label that I use now for my short play takeup reel. Very cool yellow reels some of these RCA tapes used. Wasn't it great when there were real record companies making cool stuff.