Sources for pre recorded 7 inch tapes

[gmfgmfgmf1]

The sound is so good seems someone could step in and make a profit at less than $100 a pop

My search yielded $250 to $450 for new tapes and most were 15 ips which i can't do

Acoustic sounds for instance has the $450 ones

 

[phantomrebel]

The sound is so good seems someone could step in and make a profit at less than $100 a pop. My search yielded $250 to $450 for new tapes and most were 15 ips which i can't do
Acoustic sounds for instance has the $450 ones

You may want to read these posts: http://audiokarma.org/forums/index....let-your-voice-be-heard.742332/#post-10062214
http://audiokarma.org/forums/index....pe-at-rocky-mountain-audio-fest.737091/page-2

where user Soundmig was proactive about this and tried to get Acoustic Sounds/Analog Productions to produce 7"/7.5IPS releases. It was DOA. Again, the reproduction equipment no longer exists so it just doesn't pencil out. There is a guy from Russia on Ebay that makes a living doing this. I have no first hand experience with his stuff, but reviews are positive.

 

[MaxxVolume]

You may want to read these posts: http://audiokarma.org/forums/index....let-your-voice-be-heard.742332/#post-10062214
http://audiokarma.org/forums/index....pe-at-rocky-mountain-audio-fest.737091/page-2

where user Soundmig was proactive about this and tried to get Acoustic Sounds/Analog Productions to produce 7"/7.5IPS releases. It was DOA. Again, the reproduction equipment no longer exists so it just doesn't pencil out. There is a guy from Russia on Ebay that makes a living doing this. I have no first hand experience with his stuff, but reviews are positive.

Yes, there actually ARE some carefully-crafted (not mass-produced) R2R tapes of exceptional quality which surface from time to time. A couple of years back, I purchased one of these, a Pink Floyd DSOM copy, supposedly made by a former sound engineer who had access to low-generation 2-track 15 ips safety copies, using studio-quality gear for the transfer.
It was recorded in 2-track fashion (one side only), and was received in proper tails-out storage condition, with perfectly smooth wind-on, leader and tail as well. Great care was taken with this effort, with the nicely recreated box reflecting the overall quality of the effort.
Sonically, it destroys all 4 of my vinyl copies, MFSL included. It`s a real joy to listen to. Not cheap (I think I paid $100 for it), but IMHO, worth it.

 

[dhnash]

I'm a little confused by the insert that indicates the tape is "4 track stereo" and your description that indicates the recording is "2-track". I assume that since you are playing the tape on a Pioneer RT-707, the tape is a 1/4-track stereo tape recorded in only one direction that was wound tail out to minimize print through pre-echo.

 

[KentTeffeteller]

The sound is so good seems someone could step in and make a profit at less than $100 a pop

My search yielded $250 to $450 for new tapes and most were 15 ips which i can't do

Acoustic sounds for instance has the $450 ones

The blank tape itself costs around $30-$40 a reel. Licensing of masters costs money, tape duplication or dubbing costs money. These expenses add up. I figure $150 for a 7 1/2 IPS, 4 track tape as cheapest viable in today's field.

 

[Ricktptman]

There's a ton of 7", 7.5ips tapes out there in every idiom, but the ones audiophiles were more likely to buy were the ones recorded at 7.5ips. In the case of Popular Music, sometimes at more than one speed.
Everybody I knew back in the day stayed away from 3.75ips, but recording at 7.5ips was not a cheap way to do things, so you had to either transfer your off the air tapes to another format (Cassette, for some)
or be willing to part with $$$ and dedicate shelf space to tapes.

By the time I could afford my own machine, the pre-recorded boom was thinning a bit. I found the vast majority of my tapes in thrifts before that became "a thing". Same thing with my collectible (Shaded Dog and Merc) LP's.
By that time, I could afford the subscription to TAS, but not a whole lot of what I read about, so I scrounged before the auction site exploded the hobby into what it is now.
But there are yard sales every weekend. Grab 'em and growl!

 

[MaxxVolume]

I'm a little confused by the insert that indicates the tape is "4 track stereo" and your description that indicates the recording is "2-track". I assume that since you are playing the tape on a Pioneer RT-707, the tape is a 1/4-track stereo tape recorded in only one direction that was wound tail out to minimize print through pre-echo.

If your reading comprehension is up to snuff, there`s nothing to be confused about....nobody said ANYTHING about it "being a 2-track" recording....here, read it again : "It was recorded in 2-track fashion (one side only), and was received in proper tails-out storage condition".

Seems to be pretty self-explanatory, I don`t know how to make it any more clear or simple than that.

 

[dhnash]

The confusion arose from the wording on the insert, not your explanation of the way in which the recording was made. Since the recording was 1/4-track and recorded in one direction only, wouldn't it be a 2 track rather than a 4 track stereo recording?

 

[Skylab]

The problem is that over the years "1/4 Track" became synonymous with "4-Track" and "1/2-Track" with "2-Track". As such, it's not really right, or at best confusing, to say that any 1/4-Track tape is "2-Track", as that indicated that its "1/2-Track", which a 1/4-Track tape cannot be.

 

[phantomrebel]

The problem is that over the years "1/4 Track" became synonymous with "4-Track" and "1/2-Track" with "2-Track". As such, it's not really right, or at best confusing, to say that any 1/4-Track tape is "2-Track", as that indicated that its "1/2-Track", which a 1/4-Track tape cannot be.

Correct. This is always a source for confusion. Reminds me of an old Monty Python tune (track = Eric the half a bee):

But 1/2 a track, philosophically,
Must, ipso facto, half not be.
But 1/2 the track has got to be
Vis a vis, its entity. D'you see?

But can a track be said to be
Or not to be an entire track
When half the track is not a track
Due to some ancient injury?

...sorry....carry on!

 

[dhnash]

It's interesting that the past misuse and/or misunderstanding of terminology makes it incorrect to refer to a 1/4-track tape that has only 2 recorded tracks as being 2 track and makes it acceptable for it to be called 4 track. I guess if it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, it must be a chicken!

 

[Skylab]

Yeah, I understand your point, but it is what it is. Look at all the eBay listings for tape decks. No one refers to them as "1/4-Track" decks. They are all referred to as "4-Track" decks. But it's not that unreasonable in a way - a 1/4-track deck *can* record 4 tracks on a tape, and a tape that had only one "side" (direction) recorded yes would only have 2 of the 4 possible tracks recorded but if would have the capacity to have the other 2 recorded at any time. Whether someone actually records all 4 tracks or not, it's capable of holding them. A 1/2-track deck cannot have 4 tracks under any circumstance. Of course, a stereo recording made on a 1/2-track deck will sound better than one made on a 1/4-track deck, all other things being equal.

So in the end I don't think it's ever helpful or beneficial to talk about a tape made on a 1/4-track deck as being "2-track". Just in the "FWIW" department

 

[Ricktptman]

That's the reason track and channel became the standard descriptor, but for newbies, it's still confusing. None of us fall into that particular demographic, at least from what I'm reading. If you remember "Eric the Half-a-bee" we're all from the same carbon date.

 

[Beveridgeman]

Yes they do. I have a couple dozen 10" 2 track 15 ips recordings.

Anybody know of any tape swap clubs for 2 track 15 tapes?

 

[twiiii]

Clean Lp's are better. Have better highs and much less tape hiss. Yes you have to invest in good sleeve for the Lp's and a good method of cleaning the records. And don't put your greasy fingers on the grooves. Another thing is you need store your tapes after the play mode and never rewind or or Fast forward after playing. De-magnetize your heads each time before playing a tape and keep everything the tape touches meticulously clean. Both can be panes in the neck when it comes to maintenance. No wonder everyone jumped on the digital wagon early on. Well almost everyone. Some of us didn't. My CD player is in the shop getting a new transport mechanism. I'm lucky as Sony still has a few for repair purposes.