May sound like a silly question, but is it possible to link these up to an amplifier? Most of the ones I have come across appear to be stand alone. If so, makes and models would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks
Reel to Reel
- Thread starter amarocknrollstar
- Start date
fatboyslimfast
Well-known member
Sony, Teac, Revox and Akai all made "Seperate" reel-to-reel recorders. The daddy of them all is the Revox B77 which is a beautifully made bit of kit, although not cheap.
I believe the editor-in-chief, Clare, has one...
I believe the editor-in-chief, Clare, has one...
chebby
Well-known member
Akai 4000D if you can find a nice one that's been serviced.
Revox A77 or B77 if you have a lot of money.
Sony TC-377
Revox A77 or B77 if you have a lot of money.
Sony TC-377
Thanks guys, much appreciated.
Do you know how easy/ difficult it is to record onto these from say CD or hard-drives?
Thanks again
Do you know how easy/ difficult it is to record onto these from say CD or hard-drives?
Thanks again
chebby
Well-known member
amarocknrollstar:Thanks guys, much appreciated.
Do you know how easy/ difficult it is to record onto these from say CD or hard-drives?
No more diificult than recording to a cassette (except a little more faff and care required when loading/unloading plus you have to wait until it's completely wound onto a reel before changing/removing a tape.)
However, I wouldn't use it for what you propose. (Bit of a waste for recording CDs or from hard-drives.)
I would suggest using it to record entire live Radio 3 Proms concerts (or similar) from a top notch FM tuner (with a good rooftop aerial of course) or recording your own track selections from LPs and/or 12" singles playing on a really good turntable/arm/cartridge combo.
The richness and sheer dynamism of a decent reel-to-reel recording is out of this world when it's right. Back when I owned my Akai 4000D (many years ago) I once did all the music for a colleague's house-warming party.
We spent a whole weekend recording all his favourite 12" singles and most of mine too. (Mainstream early - mid 1980s stuff.) When I got the music playing at the party, the guests spent about 10 minutes - slack jawed - trying to work out how pop could sound like that (!) and the rest of the night either dancing or asking how much I wanted for for the system (People were offering me cash). Even in the 1980s, a reel-to-reel machine was - by then - a bit 'exotic' and hardly anyone had ever heard one.
Owning a reel-to-reel is a bit of a 'labour of love' (especially nowadays) so only do it if you are really keen on the idea. I am sure there are still sources for blank tapes (but they probably won't be cheap) and some care is required in their use and storage.
Do you know how easy/ difficult it is to record onto these from say CD or hard-drives?
No more diificult than recording to a cassette (except a little more faff and care required when loading/unloading plus you have to wait until it's completely wound onto a reel before changing/removing a tape.)
However, I wouldn't use it for what you propose. (Bit of a waste for recording CDs or from hard-drives.)
I would suggest using it to record entire live Radio 3 Proms concerts (or similar) from a top notch FM tuner (with a good rooftop aerial of course) or recording your own track selections from LPs and/or 12" singles playing on a really good turntable/arm/cartridge combo.
The richness and sheer dynamism of a decent reel-to-reel recording is out of this world when it's right. Back when I owned my Akai 4000D (many years ago) I once did all the music for a colleague's house-warming party.
We spent a whole weekend recording all his favourite 12" singles and most of mine too. (Mainstream early - mid 1980s stuff.) When I got the music playing at the party, the guests spent about 10 minutes - slack jawed - trying to work out how pop could sound like that (!) and the rest of the night either dancing or asking how much I wanted for for the system (People were offering me cash). Even in the 1980s, a reel-to-reel machine was - by then - a bit 'exotic' and hardly anyone had ever heard one.
Owning a reel-to-reel is a bit of a 'labour of love' (especially nowadays) so only do it if you are really keen on the idea. I am sure there are still sources for blank tapes (but they probably won't be cheap) and some care is required in their use and storage.
Thanks Chebby.
I appreciate the advice.
I have yearned for one of these since I inherited my granda's non working grundig when he passed away 10 years ago, however, when I took it in to get fixed I was told it was completely dead.
Still got the reels though. Thanks
I appreciate the advice.
I have yearned for one of these since I inherited my granda's non working grundig when he passed away 10 years ago, however, when I took it in to get fixed I was told it was completely dead.
Still got the reels though. Thanks
We do indeed have a Revox B77 - a beautiful piece of kit. We buy studio-grade blank tapes from a website in the Netherlands.
And yes, recording takes a little patience (setting recording levels etc), but reaps huge rewards. We actually do make compilations from CD/vinyl/digital files - recorded well from a superb source you get a unique-sounding playlist
And yes, recording takes a little patience (setting recording levels etc), but reaps huge rewards. We actually do make compilations from CD/vinyl/digital files - recorded well from a superb source you get a unique-sounding playlist
If I may intervene, I also have an AKAI 400ds mk II, bought in 1978. It served me well for 15 years, I kept recording tracks I liked from rare LPs friends of mine were able to discover. I still have around 20 tapes, 3hrs each, that sound amazingly well not to mention that they represent memories from various periods of my life since 1978.
chebby
Well-known member
Clare Newsome:We actually do make compilations from CD/vinyl/digital files...
Yes you are right Clare.
I should qualify my remarks, about recording from CD, by saying that I was remembering the appalling CD players that I had - and promptly sold - in the 1980s (when I last regularly used a reel-to-reel) compared to the sound of the turntables I owned at the time. (The star being a Manticore Mantra with RB300 arm and an Audio Technica moving coil cartridge.)
The first CD player I ever really liked was purchased as late as April 2009 (the one I have now) and is the only - stand-alone - one in 27 years that I didn't take back or sell within weeks or a few months of buying it!
I guess I just didn't have as good a time with CD as the rest of you had for all those years
Yes you are right Clare.
I should qualify my remarks, about recording from CD, by saying that I was remembering the appalling CD players that I had - and promptly sold - in the 1980s (when I last regularly used a reel-to-reel) compared to the sound of the turntables I owned at the time. (The star being a Manticore Mantra with RB300 arm and an Audio Technica moving coil cartridge.)
The first CD player I ever really liked was purchased as late as April 2009 (the one I have now) and is the only - stand-alone - one in 27 years that I didn't take back or sell within weeks or a few months of buying it!
I guess I just didn't have as good a time with CD as the rest of you had for all those years
Not any more amarocknrollstar. Some day I would like to export the tracks to digital formats but it is a heck of a lot of job. And it needs some servicing after so long.
Clare Newsome:
We do indeed have a Revox B77 - a beautiful piece of kit. We buy studio-grade blank tapes from a website in the Netherlands.
And yes, recording takes a little patience (setting recording levels etc), but reaps huge rewards. We actually do make compilations from CD/vinyl/digital files - recorded well from a superb source you get a unique-sounding playlist
That B77 looks brilliant, just seen one one fleabay..
So they could be great really if you want to record all your vinyl and make the tapes your new masters!
We do indeed have a Revox B77 - a beautiful piece of kit. We buy studio-grade blank tapes from a website in the Netherlands.
And yes, recording takes a little patience (setting recording levels etc), but reaps huge rewards. We actually do make compilations from CD/vinyl/digital files - recorded well from a superb source you get a unique-sounding playlist
That B77 looks brilliant, just seen one one fleabay..
So they could be great really if you want to record all your vinyl and make the tapes your new masters!
Heard the Revox in the early 80`s and they were considered state of the art. Like the previous commenter said, they are expensive, laborious and hard to find. Why not look for a top notch cassette player, like Nakamichi - my mate still has a Dragon and plays recorded music from the 80`s recorded from a Naim tuner using metal tapes. The sound is better than any CD!
amarocknrollstar:That's great Clare, thanks.
And if they aren't too expensive, what's the website please?
It's actually a German site - Thomann. UK version here
The Netherlands connection is RMG, manufacturers of the studio tapes.
And if they aren't too expensive, what's the website please?
It's actually a German site - Thomann. UK version here
The Netherlands connection is RMG, manufacturers of the studio tapes.
Thanks Clare, I'll check it out.
Runforfree - never been a fan of casettes but willing to listen to the daddy before writing them off completely. Thanks
Runforfree - never been a fan of casettes but willing to listen to the daddy before writing them off completely. Thanks
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram