Tape Trail Reel to reel, cassette and other analogue tape formats.

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Re: Thinking About Getting a Reel-to-Reel

Posted by Barry Rogoff (A) on October 23, 2005 at 09:29:40

In Reply to: Thinking About Getting a Reel-to-Reel posted by jcmjrt on October 21, 2005 at 17:07:59:

For about $500 (or so), you can get a really nice deck. You should start by asking yourself two questions:

1. Are you willing to consider a professional half-track aka two-track deck (stereo in one direction) instead of a consumer quarter-track aka four-track* deck (stereo in both directions)? The tradeoff is sound quality vs. cost and storage of tape.

2. Do you intend to maintain the deck over a long period of time? Some brands are easy to get parts for. Others are virtually impossible.

If you search for "reel" in Musical Instruments > Pro Audio, you'll see a variety of pro brands like Tascam, Fostex, Otari, Ampex, etc. However, be aware that:

a. Most of these have balanced XLR jacks, not the usual unbalanced RCA used in all but the ultra high-end home audio components.

b. Many of them have been restored after a lifetime of hard work in a recording studio or radio station.

If you search for "reel" in Consumer Audio, you'll see dozens of Teac, Akai, Sony, Revox, Pioneer, etc.. Be aware that:

a. Companies like Teac and Akai made dozens of different models. Some are much better than others so research is required.

b. Many of these have been sitting in closets for decades and need service. Recent service seems to add roughly $50-$100 to the price.

I recommend looking for a Revox or late-model Pioneer deck because they're built like tanks and parts are readily available for them. You should be able to find an excellent Revox A-77 or a Pioneer RT-707. You might even find a Revox B-77 or a Pioneer RT-909.

Lastly, check the sellers feedback rating. Use http://www.toolhaus.org/ to read the negatives. The way a seller responds to negatives can be very revealing.

Good luck!

* Caution. This term is also used to describe multi-track decks that record four channels in one direction.

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

Sonic Craft

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