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Gear / Technical Help => Playback Forum => Topic started by: gormenghast on March 10, 2019, 06:37:07 PM

Title: Reel To Reel Anyone?
Post by: gormenghast on March 10, 2019, 06:37:07 PM
I came across a Teac A-4300SX reel to reel a few days ago.  Since I was a kid way back when I got my first stereo I always wanted a reel to reel deck.  Just curious if anyone here still plays around with one.  And if so, what deck do you have ( or maybe decks? )?  This one I purchased works pretty well and looks very nice.  Heads look pretty clean to my eyes and nothing seems to be tight or seized by gummy old lubricant.  Next thing I need to do is acquire some tapes and see how this thing does.  Then I'll proceed to service with a new belt, lube, and de-oxit as needed.  Fingers crossed.

Title: Re: Reel To Reel Anyone?
Post by: Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B) on March 11, 2019, 12:38:26 AM
My Dad just offered up his. Not sure of the model. I think it is some sort of Sony, but I could be wrong.

He has a lot of reels to go with it too. Pretty psyched about that. I know one of them is Let It Be.

We're meeting at our cabin this summer and he's going to bring it with him, so I'll have it at the end of the summer. Looking forward to some analog goodness.

I was hoping that tapes were cheap since not a lot of people want them...but looks like a lot of stuff is pretty pricey (Let It Be is going for $75).
Title: Re: Reel To Reel Anyone?
Post by: mfrench on March 11, 2019, 09:00:01 AM
there are a whole lot of dedicated r2r heads at www.audiokarma.org  well worth a look.
https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?forums/tape.157/
Title: Re: Reel To Reel Anyone?
Post by: anodyne33 on March 11, 2019, 10:04:31 AM
My Ampex 440 is for sale. Four modules, 1/4" two track head stack with playback head.

(http://museumofmagneticsoundrecording.org/images/R2R/AmpexAG440cb.jpg)
Title: Re: Reel To Reel Anyone?
Post by: EmRR on March 11, 2019, 12:41:31 PM
Nice 440's! 

I started with a Teac A-3340S 1/4" 4 track machine, made a lot of early band demos on it.  It does well for transfers of many pre-recorded tapes too.  I still have it and a 1/4" 2 track Studer A807 that doesn't see much action anymore, considering parting with it.  Nothing quite like the smell of analog tape and coffee brewing. 
Title: Re: Reel To Reel Anyone?
Post by: anodyne33 on March 11, 2019, 02:10:18 PM
To get a bit farther off topic, I worked in a room with a Studer A827. That thing was a fucking horse. I spent way more time with an Otari MX80 and it seemed like a kid's toy by comparison.

OBVIOUSLY you need to convert that 807 to a half track. Duh.  :wink2: >:D :guitarist:
Title: Re: Reel To Reel Anyone?
Post by: tim in jersey on March 11, 2019, 02:53:33 PM
I came across a Teac A-4300SX reel to reel a few days ago.  Since I was a kid way back when I got my first stereo I always wanted a reel to reel deck.  Just curious if anyone here still plays around with one.  And if so, what deck do you have ( or maybe decks? )?  This one I purchased works pretty well and looks very nice.  Heads look pretty clean to my eyes and nothing seems to be tight or seized by gummy old lubricant.  Next thing I need to do is acquire some tapes and see how this thing does.  Then I'll proceed to service with a new belt, lube, and de-oxit as needed.  Fingers crossed.

Got a taper buddy that still runs AKG CE-1's>mic splitter>2X Uher R2R, interleaved for seamless splits. And he STILL runs FOB. Watching him work his magic is like seeing a Jedi in action....
Title: Re: Reel To Reel Anyone?
Post by: pohaku on March 12, 2019, 10:43:56 PM
I have local musician friends that are still recording their music full analog to tape.  Sounds great!  I thought about getting a R2R deck at one time for studio recording, but didn’t want to deal with the maintenance and service.
Title: Re: Reel To Reel Anyone?
Post by: gormenghast on March 26, 2019, 12:44:14 PM
I received some old recordings recently off of eBay.  Seems this person had the motherlode of R2R tapes of older 70's jazz music.  First listen the deck works and sounds great!  I cleaned the heads and all transport rollers.  The pinch roller needs to be cleaned and some pots need de-oxit.  I'll do the rest myself.  I'd love to buy more of the mentioned tapes but the buyer decided to pull their auctions and wants to sell all as a lot--500 tapes.
Title: Re: Reel To Reel Anyone?
Post by: anodyne33 on March 27, 2019, 09:43:31 AM
Awesome.

I can't begin to imagine the amount of garbage in that lot of 500. I bet there are at least 7 or 8 Seals and Crofts tapes in there.
Title: Re: Reel To Reel Anyone?
Post by: lsd2525 on March 27, 2019, 12:50:37 PM
Awesome.

I can't begin to imagine the amount of garbage in that lot of 500. I bet there are at least 7 or 8 Seals and Crofts tapes in there.

And a couple of Helen Reddy
Title: Re: Reel To Reel Anyone?
Post by: gormenghast on March 27, 2019, 02:27:48 PM
Awesome.

I can't begin to imagine the amount of garbage in that lot of 500. I bet there are at least 7 or 8 Seals and Crofts tapes in there.

And a couple of Helen Reddy

The two I did receive for the person were live jazz recordings from the 70's with setlist and recording notes.  Nice sounding too.

To add to the list:

Al Hirt  :yack:
Ann Murray

Whenever we see records at the Goodwill there are always plenty of Al Hirt and Ann Murray.  I wonder why.
Title: Re: Reel To Reel Anyone?
Post by: Chilly Brioschi on March 27, 2019, 10:46:06 PM
^^^^^   Do not yack at Jumbo     He blew a mean horn.....   saaaaaaay   willing to rip that live recording to glorious FLACness ?      :waggles_eyebrows:
                        (if there in a Taxicab breakthrough over the PA talkin' "Burg-gundy", I already have it)
Title: Re: Reel To Reel Anyone?
Post by: gormenghast on March 28, 2019, 10:24:20 AM
Heads and the rest of the tape path are clean.  Next to deoxit the pots--they do affect the output at occasions.  I plan on doing that Saturday.  But, sure, I can digitize those reels and offer them up. 
Title: Re: Reel To Reel Anyone?
Post by: lsd2525 on March 28, 2019, 11:39:28 AM
Heads and the rest of the tape path are clean.  Next to deoxit the pots--they do affect the output at occasions.  I plan on doing that Saturday.  But, sure, I can digitize those reels and offer them up.

I'll take any Herb Alpert or Mitch Miller :guitarist:
Title: Re: Reel To Reel Anyone?
Post by: Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B) on August 16, 2019, 06:59:19 PM
Just hooked this up. My Dad gifted it to me along with an assortment of reel to reel tapes. Mostly records he recorded from the library and a ton of classical reels...but this one was the one that made me really want to take it.

Sounds like it needs a little cleaning up. Pots are a little dirty. Heads don't sound that bad, but will probably look into getting them cleaned as well.

Any tips for getting this thing working in tip top shape?



(https://i.imgur.com/RVulGW4.jpg)
Title: Re: Reel To Reel Anyone?
Post by: seethreepo on August 17, 2019, 04:25:35 PM
https://www.facebook.com/ReelToReelTapeRecorders/  My buddy is an electronic wizard and super technical. Feel free to ask him questions. He sells and services from consumer 2track decks to pro studio 24 track machines.
Title: Re: Reel To Reel Anyone?
Post by: Chilly Brioschi on August 17, 2019, 11:26:56 PM
Awesome.

I can't begin to imagine the amount of garbage in that lot of 500. I bet there are at least 7 or 8 Seals and Crofts tapes in there.

And a couple of Helen Reddy

The two I did receive for the person were live jazz recordings from the 70's with setlist and recording notes.  Nice sounding too.

To add to the list:

Al Hirt  :yack:
Ann Murray

Whenever we see records at the Goodwill there are always plenty of Al Hirt and Ann Murray.  I wonder why.

If you transfer that Jumbo tape, I'd love to hear about the drop.
Hirt is legend, I understand where it doesn't fit someone's schema, but he did expand the pages of the American songbook.
He penetrated the industry, and his influence can be lost by his late career commercial success.
See also Pete Fountain and the pantheon of sidemen from that era...


Batman, anyone?
https://www.discogs.com/The-Marketts-The-Batman-Theme-Played-By-The-Marketts/release/11894181
Title: Re: Reel To Reel Anyone?
Post by: gormenghast on August 19, 2019, 11:33:13 AM
I would look into deoxit for the pots and read up on what folks are using to clean the heads.  My deck is working great now.  I didn’t need new bands.  Nothing was so dirty it seized up.  Pretty easy project to get it back to working condition. 

I also scored 10 tapes locally with a bunch of recorded stuff.  The person was basically giving it away.