Does any mfg. make reel to reel recorders?

[Len Amaral]

Tried doing a search on anyone making real to reel recorders. I use to have a Teac 3340 four track that used 1/4 inch tape. Pretty nifty for the time around 1975.

[Tony Prior]

http://www.unitedhomeproducts.com/reel_ ... _decks.htm


Bring a lot of pennies, I think they start at $6500 !


search REEL to REEL Tape recorder

[Jack Stoner]

There is a current thread on the gearslutz forum about new tape machines. Seems a good refurb is mostly what is available according to that thread.

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-much ... ction.html

[Len Amaral]

Some interesting info on refurbished reel to real recorders. Seems like the technicians capable of working on these recorders are scarce and a dying breed in this digital age. The resurgence of tape interest may bring a new market for reel to reel recorders.

[Ken Lang]

I purchased one about 8 months ago, used, AND thru Paypal.
Turns out it was never delivered, the guy was sure he had it in his truck. After several weeks I finally got my money back from Paypal.

[Godfrey Arthur]

I used to have one of those Simul-synch jobby Teacs.

Tape is still being used for mastering houses and record companies still submitting masters on tape.

There are some serious tape techs out there and tape is still available.


Jeff Jacobs from J-Corder hops up Technics recorders.




This is about $1400.


I like Revox for a two track.




But the Ampex Atr series are the more pro.

I think they're still using Ampex Atr's and the like over at Ludwig's mastering facility for masters refurbed by Mike Spitz (dec) of Atr services.





Ampex Atr-102 mastering mixdown 2-track 1/4 inch tape.

Some producers have used the recorder's electronics to run a mix through just to get that vintage sound without running tape through the transports.

Neve makes a device that is supposed to mimmick tape sound.

[Bill Fortenberry]

These folks do good work:
https://maramachines.com/

Same building as Welcome to 1979 in Nashville.

[Brian Christiano]

I finally sold my TEAC 10" with some tapes to a guy who worked on them. I couldn't find a reasonable or reliable repair shop. I still have about 11 unopened 7" reels if anyone is interested.

[Jim Fogle]

http://www.ballfinger.de/tape-recorder-m-063

[David Mitchell]

I made my living bright and early every morning using the world's finest tape machines in the day like Ampex, Scully, MCI, Studer and Otari and I would trade all of them in a heartbeat for a copy of Cubase, Nuendo or Protools and a good PC or Mac if I was forced to use only one. I do not miss wow and flutter, head azimuth misalignment, harmonic distortion, print through, tape flanging and running at a different speed at the end of the reel. Recorders required noise reduction units and a Martin Varispeed that were costly. Every morning started by cleaning the heads, demagnetizing the heads and then running alignment tones to set the record, play and erase bias. After an hour worth of work I was ready to record a band. Even more I do not miss the incredible heat they omit in a small already overcrowded room. The studio owners and producers had to pay incredible amounts of money for analog tape. Once every 3 months or so inevitably something always went wrong that required loading a 500 lb. machine up and taking it to the tech's shop building. My message to everyone is save your money and pay fifty dollars for some DAW software and be done with it. Record and edit in world class in your cool bedroom! The only thing I miss is the smell of analog tape. Studios smelled like studios back then. But no thanks, I can do without the smell.

[mtulbert]

David,

Total thumbs up on your comments. Had same issues in Nashville when I was there in the early 70's. Dolby, PITA to calibrate and then pray that if you were working on someone else's project that they had tones on it as well. DBX, could hear it pumping on quiet passages.

Calibrating every day royal PITA. I am with you 100%. I find it funny that the "purists" miss the warm sound of tape when they are listening to MP3's on their ebuds.

regards,

[David Mitchell]

That's right Mark. Back when recording by brute force was the only option. I can still hear the clutches and brakes still clanging in my Ampex MM1000.

[John Macy]

I still do about 10% of my projects on tape. I started on tape in 1972 and have many of the feelings above, specially regarding alignment etc, and am glad I don't have to do it everyday anymore..

I do enjoy the challenges it presents to recording-a finite number of tracks makes commitment an instrumental word in recording. Having to play everything right each time it occurs (I recently finished an all tape project where they brought in a young hotshot group of killer young horn players. After they played and doubled the first chorus, the arranger said "you can just cut and paste that to the other chorus'".
There were some pretty priceless looks when I pointed to the tape machine through the glass and said "cut and paste is what you do in kindergarten"...).

I also love the little mental reset you get while the machines rewinds and locates, and I also love the way cymbals sound s litlle sweeter the next day and vocal sibilants softer as the magnetic particles relax a bit.

That said, I truly love working in ProTools, and like I said, I'd hate to be doing alignments everyday (Wait, my assistant engineers hates doing those alignments every morning ). But I do really enjoy using it and my tape machines will never be for sale...

By the way, $375 bucks for a reel of 2" tape that gives you 16 minutes of 24 track recording generally ends the discussion about tape vs Pro Tools in most conversations....

[David Mitchell]

It's kinda like the song Charley Pride recorded in 1970.
It's nice to think about it, maybe even visit
But I wonder could I live there anymore?

[Richard Teston]

I have one for sale if you will email me or call me at 843-556-9544 I will give you all the info, asking $250.00 plus shipping, its a nice one

pedalsteelman123@gmail.com