I am from BANGALORE, INDIA. I have Tascam 32 reel to reel player, AKAI 630 D END AKAI 630 D SS, all working perfect, I enjoy listening to these machines.
I own a 1968 AKAI X-150D. Use to be my father's throughout all of my growing up. I've kept it running and gotten interchangeable parts for years off Ebay. Use to record vinyl on to it. Still purrs like a kitten.
If I started making my own music, I'd record on analog tape because the audio quality is absolutely unbeatable (it even beats digital recording,) it's nostalgic, and I get to mix and master my own CDs. There are companies out there that make tape for this sort of purpose, for example ATR. But I'll have fun and enjoy recording on analog tape.
Nice shop. I use an Ampex atr-104. Because I am older and retired from broadcast, I now volunteer in restoring professional broadcast Ampex 2" quad video tape machines. Very few people know how to correctly operate these machine no less repair them! Each machine weighs 1 ton, requires an air compressor to run since the video heads are spinning at 14,400 rpm on air bearings. Tape moves at 15 ips with mono audio. Straight tape path too! Unlike the later 1" helical, mechanical nightmares. U mention your machines bandwidth of roughly 30khz. Can you imagine the technology to record a 6Mhz bandwidth on magnetic tape???
We love our Akai machine refurbished with a McIntosh font and blue meters. One other thing we especially like 👍is Auto Reverse. Wouldn’t own a tape deck without it.
Note that you can get very good sound even with a cassette recorder. if it has HX PRO and Dolby C and cassette tape that type 2 From TDK So chrome tape. I had a Denon if I ripped a CD I couldn't hear any difference from what I remember Or it was very minimal difference
I believe the Sync option is to let you monitor one track while you record on the other so that you’re synced in time and don’t have that .5 second delay like you would if you were just monitoring from the playback head. It would let you have a music track on the L track that you could listen to and record vocals on the R track and they would be in sync. I think….
@@SkyFiAudio extra info: the user manual of this Tandberg TD 20A says the following (cfr: hifiengine.com) 'Sel.Sync. : With the sel sync facility you can record a program on the right channel synchronised with a program that was earlier recorded on the left channel (basis program). the combined two channel program can be played back in stereo. The recording on the right channel can be repeated without disturbing the basic program. ' 'Sel sync switch 'on': this connects the left channel of the record head for playback' comments: This principle is used on on all multitrack taperecorders in a more elaborate way. Congratulations with your YT channel !
Warning!: Do not follow the indicated heads order. What you see on the left left is actually the Erase head. The middle one is the Record head, in close proximity to the third, which is the Playback head.
You forgot to mention OTARI. i know it's more on the pro level my favorite next to STUDER Do you guys service machines if customer pays for your labor and parts?
Hi I’m new to reel to reel tape recorders and looking to buy one but I’m worried about the tape itself, if i’m mainly going to use it for recording something and dumping it back into my DAW, how many times can I reuse the tape? Will I start hearing a degrade in the audio being recorded? Thanks for the awesome instructional video, this was really helpful!
IMHO, the only real practical use for a R2R today is for analog home studios. Ive got a TEAC A-7300 deck that needs minor restoration & major cleaning. Theres a stack of reels i have retrieved from an old radio station and want to digitally archive. More than likely will sell it after that.
why are you calling it "Your First Reel to Reel Player?" they almost all record too. I had a few, decades ago, last one was a Revox A77 - glad to be rid of them all, never liked tape drop outs and hiss - no thanks ;-)
I have owned 20 reel to reels and my suggestions are 1. Get a 10" reel to reel and 2. dont bother getting an auto reverse unit at a premium when it rarely will be used .
You are missing info and pointing to the wrong heads. As far as a tutorial is concerned this is confusing. I'm not confused your info is. For instance the 2 track HALF track has more space for the program which is great for mastering. Better yet 1" tape is pro.
I once compared my Tandberg TD20A to a Studer machine I was restoring and the Tandberg sounded much better. This may be a consumer machine but it has very good sound quality.
I have a TD20A (with the remote!) and it does sound great. But, my machine's tape drive electronics needs some attention (a small cap blew a while ago), so using it now is not possible..
I have the 2- track 7.5/15 IPS version of this model, that has had a good service/recapping. It's probably as good as any home prosumer unit made. It sounds fantastic. Have listened to the new "master tape" recordings (expensive). The late 50's/early 60's 2-track (7.5 IPS) pre-recorded 7" tapes sound remarkably great too.
I am just in the throws of buying a AKAI 4000 real to real I would love more info about the use of them I am just learning guitar and need recording equipment to record mself to help improve my playing I am looking forward to experimenting with recording and playback
I want to get into R2R but is there any advantage to do dubs (via digital) of my favorite albums? I have a good record player with a high end cart already which sounds great. I think they look very cool too, but I’m just trying to figure out the purpose and something where I would consistently use it. I love the sound of tape as well. Not sure if that transfers over nicely if I were to record from a digital source or if at that point it’s just moot. I could do transfers from vinyl as well, but not really sure what the point would be my vinyl sounds very, very good.
HI i have had alot of reel to reel decks over the years i would not buy this model because i used tape deck heavy and would get marked up when using it and getting parts is hard the best decks to buy used is the tascam 30 line lot's of parts out there love the tascam 44 it's very heavy bob
Ah yes Tandberg. ..... I bought their top dog cassette deck back in the 80's I think it was,... Well, it did not take long for it to start screwing up. ... The tape kept slowing down and dragging. I sent it back twice altogether and each time they said they could not find anything wrong! .... I resold it for half the price I paid for it, just to get rid of it! ..... No more Tandberg for me ,thank you.
11:52 the Sync button is very clearly discussed in the user manual. I don't know if you have access to Google where you are located, but I can send you a link or email you a copy of the user manual if you'd like.
Don't forget Otari 5050BII and MTR 10 ...amazing machines built like tanks. Nice video and total operation you have here. 30 IPS half track (2 track one direction only) is the highest standard for RTR in the studio. No one needs 3&3/4 IPS unless they want to play background music or poor sounding old commercial tapes. Once you step up to machines that run at 71/2 and 15 ips, even using standerd commercial heads ( 4 track heads tape plays in both directions), you move up to ten inch reels that allow more tape to make up for the higher speed.
how can one tell the difference between a 4 track machine and a two track machine? in other words, a machine that either record 2 stereo tracks, or 4 mono tracks.... I think they are referred to as either 1/2 or 1/4 machines?
When signal monitoring during recording, you can check many things: head alignment/azimuth, heads and tape condition, stereo perspective, signal levels... A lot!
Is it a recorder or a player? ;) Well, when a deck features a record function it always used to be called a 'recorder'. Nowadays I see more often people call recorders 'players' because of the generation that is no longer used to (or aware of) the benefits recording used to have. Thanks for sharing this video and showing such a nice deck!
Strange you didn't discuss refurbishing the machine. There are essentially no machines newer than 40 years old. They need all recapping. It's a big job.
common misconception that anything old needs new caps. For example the Akai the common issues is the Transistors fail not the caps. Teacs are bad for thier DC reel motors failing especially if someone runs sticky tape through them. My 1974 Sony TC-755 has no issues with caps, its issues were grease dried and froze the lifters due to non-use. Once freed and clean plays and records great. Every machine is different. Gross generalization that everything needs caps.
Can I ask the dumb question? Are you recording from vinyl etc and why. Does it improve anything or everything. Dad gave me a real to real when I was 8 to tape the radio charts show. Fidelity or Phillips I think from memory
it does improve, but it all depends on the era your machine was made and the tape formulation you are using and of course record speed. There are many factors. I use Maxell UD and newly made ATR and ATR is better than the source including CD as it sounds brighter and more depth @ 7.5 isp on my Sony TC-755 . ATR has a 6DB floor and high Low noise high output and newly manufactured .
My Pioneer RT-1011L, still runs great 45+ years and counting! the only thing I had to replace (other than belts) is the AC power cord shorted out. I ended up wiring in a newer cord and back in business. Btw, the "L" and "H" designation on the RT-1000 series R2Rs tell whether the deck is low-speed (3-3/4 & 7-1/2 ips) or high speed (7-1/2 & 15 ips). I didn't know that until it was pointed out to me years ago.
Pioneer units seem in my humble opinion (50+ years playing with these) seem to last. They also made one this is so pro I wonder if it was really considered for home use. the transport ( Rt-11) was bought then you decided how to build. 2 track 4 track speed etc. Each variation had different electronics. I will not part with mine. They pop up for sale once in a while, make absolutory sure they come with the interconnect cables.
@@robertliskey420 Yes, these series of Pioneer R2Rs are awesome! One other thing I found out: Most of the parts are interchangeable between models. So, if you have a tough time finding replacement parts for a 1011, use one off of a 1020 or 1030 or 1050! Maybe some slight modification, but they will work! The only thing I'm finding to be a unicorn is the original NAB hubs. They want over $100 for a pair of PLASTIC hubs. Even the metal 3rd party replacements are expensive!
@@minty_Joe Hubs? yes! Have you noticed many sellers do not include hubs even though pictured? To me that is a non-functional item. As to the Pioneer I have it is more like a studio Ampex. You start with a transport and go from there. Even headblock had to be specified. A cable with many connectors and if I remember right ( not going to try move it) 8 rca to rca to the electronics. As for hubs look what revox ones go for. Not to mention Otari One thing this video did not mention was a true pro model will not use standard cables generally xlr that should have been mentioned lots of money getting those
@@robertliskey420 BTW, Revox brand turns out it is actually a consumer grade Studer R2R. Tascam is the consumer to professional grade side of Teac R2Rs.
@@minty_Joe Great conversation Joe. I have a B-77 yes there is a deck! I am working on a pair of old monsters ever seen a Sony 777? Even have the boxes and a boxed remote. I am lucky to have many factory r t r tapes made before lube changed wow nothing beats them 2 track 7 1/2.. Of course no Beatles then. Lol did I give my age away?
Do pre-recorded albums, say, something from Led Zeppelin, sound better on the reel-to-reel format than vinyl and CD? You can buy LPs on vintage, pre-recorded reel-to-reel tapes on ebay, but some are pretty expensive. I'm still curious about the sound quality, though.
No, is the short answer. The elephant in the room no one talks about is generation-loss caused by mass-duplication. CDs and vinyl records are stamped, causing no generative quality loss.. Sure if you plugged your own R2R into a studio desk and made a real-time copy of a studio master tape, it would sound better than the vinyl LP. But that's not what most pre-recorded R2R or cassette tapes are/were. They are/were were duplicated on low-quality high-speed duplicators and the sound quality was poor compared to a vinyl record.
@@jonvincentmusic Wow, so it sounds like there's really no reason to go with R2R if you want to listen to pre-recorded LPs, at least in terms of audio quality. I had always thought R2R was a bit better than vinyl. I did know that vinyl usually sounded a lot better than pre-recorded cassettes, though. Heck, a consumer dub to cassette of a vinyl LP usually sounded a lot better than the pre-recorded cassette.
16:13 There is no Akai model 2000 reel-to-reel as far as I know. Do you mean the GX-4000D/DB or its older siblings, the 4000D/DB/DS etc.? These were more budget type but the better budget type decks of Akai. But there were many successful models from Akai, e.g. GX-630 onwards for the '70s or the the GX-620 onwards in the '80s. Their top model is probably the Pro-1000 - very rare - and of course, if you're looking for auto-reverse, the GX-635/636/646/747 series, depending on which decade and what specs you are after. By the way, for those who might want to know, the compact cassette runs at a speed of 1.875 (1 7/8) inch/sec which is exactly half of the 3.75 (3 3/4) inch/sec and is usually the lower speed of good quality home decks (although there are some that include the lowest speed of 1.875 inch/sec for long-play recordings. What I wonder is who will come up with a device or tape formulation (or both) that will enable recording a record on a tape at half-speed or even slower, at a quarter of its original playback speed, and then replay the tape at double or four times the recording speed respectively (e.g. at the full 15 inch/sec speed or 7.5 inch/sec, if you're frugal) without any sound loss. That would be a great way to archive records, particularly shellacs meant for 78 rpm (or thereabouts) playback. Yep, I know you can do that easily with a sound card and a digital file.
All you need to know in one word "don't"...trust me, been there done that...unless you have a unlimited bank account, most machines are a $$$ draining machine waiting too happen...bad heads, old capacitors, sometimes a 100 or more needing replacement. Love them, and they sound awesome..I have a Revox A77 MKII I've dumped $700 into over the years and it still ain't right. Then try to find a reliable honest repair person who knows what they're doing. Most are in retirement or assisted living homes these days. If you've got unlimited funds, go for it, cause they're a money pit waiting to happen.
Hi Fernando! Well, this is a two year old video I’m not sure if you’ll see this comment… What would you have to say about the Fostex E-2? Keep up the good work!
This model is one of the best R2R recorders to buy at the first time. Together with Philips 4520 and Sony 765/R7. Tandberg has a very-very good discrete preamp (in opposite to Revoxes, especially to models with op amps). It's reliable. It's silent. Looks good with 7" reels and can use 10". Has 15ips. Etc..
Hi, SkyFi Audio, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, not sure whether you have heard of a real to reel tape deck made by, Magnétophone A Bandes Brandt TG1000. Have you ever had one in if so what is your opinion on it and what you think is a good price for it if it is in working condition, Look forward to hearing from you thank you for your help. PHIL FROM THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOULIN FRANCE.
A few tips: NEVER hit the stop button when FFW or Rewind! That just prematurely kills the braking system. Tape machines are meant to slow down by reversing the high speed travel in the opposite direction. When almost at the neutral position then hit stop. When recording always lightly peak the Vu meters into the red zone. Analog does not go into hard clip like digital. In fact recording engineers use tape saturation to add richness to the signal. Tape saturates in 3d and 5th harmonic distortion. Anyone with a musical background can see the correlation: 1 (fundamental) 3 and 5 form a musical cord-- 1/3/5 This gives you that rich full 'tape' sound, higher signal to noise ration and more level on tape. As per your inquiry: standard tape length for commercial applications (recommended) is 2,400' or half hour of recording time 15ips. Consumer thickness = 3,600' or 1.5 hours playing time at 7.5ips. The thicker mylar backing helps alleviate print through and adds longevity to your recording as well as an added degree of robustness to the delicate tape. For home use I recommend 2,400' half track @ 7.5ips That will give you 1 hour of high quality playback. This is preferable to 1/4 track 15ips as separation/cross talk verses the tiny bit of high frequency extension higher speeds give you. Also slower speeds create less wear on the heads while providing an advantage in lower end reproduction.
I do not think we need to add saturation - I used different R2Rs since 60 years (and learnedmyself about them a lot) and even those oldest from 1963 always mantained for me as near sounding to that from source as it was possible . I was able to align my simple and rather small in compare mono tube R2R so that it provided me with astonishing realitty and band 30 -19kHz Main upgrade was replacement old germanium transistors in input stage with arriving then silicon and low noise. ( that was tube R2R with only input solid stage). Even last time I purchased the same mochine again on auction and did exactly the same puls aligned head so that tape do not need pressing to head. I think this is possible due to actual modern excellenr tapes in compare to 60ties. What is missing here for me is advice exactly what to think about when choosing not a type of machine but.paritcular model. First "what will be the purpose of that machine"? If it's for collecting and just watching then the bigger and more impressive the better. but must consider also price. If it's for home audio system to use it just think about it's size and weight - nobody should expecet he will not need to look inside from time to time. I resigned from big reels just for that reason - I prefeer to care much for mechanic and electronic inside and carrying such big one plus dismantling and assembling would be discuraging me. Another point is do I need all that fancy controls and options which may be deffective if I want only just to record and listen? So I choosen smaller models with 7"reels and 3 heads.Because after all they are not so rquiring about turning moments and inertia of reels
@@Mikexception As a professional sound engineer growing up in the age of analog, we are taught how to load a signal onto tape depending on the program. For example piano is never recorded in the red-- drums very much so. The machine works best, sound and spec wise when the Vu's gently peak past zero or +4dbm. Harmonic saturation is just an added bonus, the degree of which can be controlled with experience.
@@keithmoriyama5421 I said I don't think - Why you ask me to think what you was tought by someone who thad his personal toughts? Hard for me. What You described alows to minimize for some instuments noise floor. And it is regarding studio recordings of single instruments when we use separate programs It is not about better sounding - all talking about "nice distortions" in home audio is BS . Such better sounding by saturation is prized by metal giutarists. Only .
The question that i have is when you are making a recording do the VU meters supossed to move equally? Or do they go with the highs and lows on each channel moving at different levels for example one needle moving to 0 and the other moving to 7 on the vu dial. Anyone know? Thank you
@@SkyFiAudio Thank. You. I always thoughr that they were supposed to move equally no matter the sound input Wether highs or low's. Now i know. Thank you again.
hi there will i get any feedback, hiss or noise by plug in the ac cable of a reel to reel tape machine which is 240 volts into a transformer in the us to make it work, thank you.
lovely review on the tandeberg. always thought it would be cool to have one (since about 1985 I think) but my dream rig is a PR99 (MK2?) or a B77 MK2. you resell this gear? fix/recondition and resell?
A very unclear presentation. Don't say 4 track for a start, say 1/4 track. Dont say 2 track say 1/2 track. Dont say tape deck when you mean cassette deck. Both cassette and R2R machines are tape decks!
I was also surprised that for someone who was supposed to be showing us everything we needed to know about a R2R deck that he didn't know what the Sync button does, and he pointed to the wrong heads when explaining erase/rec/replay heads..
Thank you for a very informative go-to video, SkyFi. A few quick questions from a newbie: 1. Can the tape be left in, from day-to day? (Not for long term storage, of course.) 2. Do these things require a dust cover? 3. For machines capable of both 7.5 and 15 ips, can they be calibrated for both, to be switched back and forth at a touch, or do you need to pick one speed and calibrate it to that and stick with it? Thank you
Shalom Mr. SkyFi Audio, Thanks, you just cost me a lot of money. Just bought a Tandberg TD 20A from eBay. But seriously thanks for the video! I am a total noob at this so your video helped me feel better about the money I spent on this tape machine. It’s supposed to be in good working condition. But most likely I will need to give it a tuneup, so, do you sell parts for these? Thanks! God bless!! Blue
Excellent video! I have a Teac 330010, I notice sometimes the tape slips off the pinch roll, I stop the deck at start it back up and it works. I was wonder what would make it slip off the pinch roller in-ward toward the deck? I notice it does the same thing on my Pioneer RT 701 deck too once in a while. The pinch rollers don't look that bad. Any advice would be great. Thanks.
Nice video, Fernando....thanks for sharing. I currently have 4 working R2R decks, a Pioneer RT-1020L (3 3/4 & 7 1/2 ips), a RT-1020H (7 1/2 & 15 ips), a Pioneer RT-707 (one of the best 7-inch decks out there), and a TEAC X-1000R. Love to watch those reels goin` round & round....
Hi. Jimmy Joe. No doubt you have solved your problem by now but if not may I suggest you clean the pinch roller with isopropyl alcohol then rough it up with fine sandpaper. If that doesn't work try Rubber Renue. Worked for me with my Sony deck.
yes sir, but you would be surprised how good a high end cassette deck from Nakamichi, Tandberg, Revox, AIWA and Harman Kardon sound. Cassette deck technology also lasted longer, so technology reached its peak much later than reel to reel. I also have the Tandberg reel to reel on this video and it's supreme when it comes to Prosumer decks! This is an audiophile reel to reel deck!
@@manzanaresantonio How is the pioneer 909 or the other one …808? Or maybe it’s 908? One rewinds automatically, the other one does not…. But how does the pioneer rate? I currently have a Tascam 32…. But really want the Pioneer…. Either version.
@@stevefagetaboutit8158 Pioneer RT-707 and Pioneer RT-909 are like tractors, They are much more reliable than the Tandbergs and their sound is just outstanding, but Your Tascam is also one of the top decks ever made. The Tandberg products are just very hard to beat when it comes to Pro-sumer audiophile stereo equipment, even at half speed they make descent recordings, the Pioneers are just a little inch behind, but it will surprise you how good Pioneer Products from the late 1970s to mid 1990s are. My first Reel to reel deck, which I still own was a Pionert RT-1011L, it was pristine when I got it, that I was shocked, thinking it was a new deck, it sounds excellent and it has never ever broken on me. I just bought a Pioneer CT-07 Cassette deck and I am still blown away at how good it sounds, in a couple of weeks it has become one of my favorite cassette decks, next to my Harman/Kardon CD-491, Tandberg TCD-440A, NAD-6300, Nakamichi 680ZX, Nakamichi LX-5, Nakamichi 1000 Tri-Tracer, Nakamichi CR-5A and my Band & OLufsen Beocord 9000. Recording the best decks are the B&O Beocord 9000, Nakamichi 700ZXL, AIWA AD-F770/990, Nakamichi ZX-7/ZX-9, and the venerable Nakamichi 1000ZXL and Nakamichi 700ZXL . High speed cassette decks(double the speed of convetional cassette decks) the BIC T-3, BIC T-4M, Teac C-3x and Dual C-844, will take you to the level of the Tandberg 3014A and Nakamichi Dragon, may be with a little better noise-floor due to a higher speed, for a much cheaper price. Sorry for my long answer, but as you can see I am an analog sound fan! ;))
Awesome video! I'm looking for one myself. I wanted a 2 tracks recorder but those are quite expenssive for me. I was wondering if the recording quality of 2 track machines is really something I will miss or if maybe with an AKAI/PANASONIC 4 tracks home recorder I will still have a lot of fun... Thanks!!!
RUclips channel anadialog has good information about Real to real .such as adapter, setting .What to look for when buying players and so on . He also shows some recordings that he has bought And talked about problems with certain types of tapes. He also gives examples of players he considers good
Sorry for the inconvenient truth, but the professionals who made these machines so desirable changed their minds… oh, about 45 years ago, deciding enough was enough. Specifically, enough intermodulation distortion, harmonic distortion, noise, poor dynamic range, poor frequency response, wow and flutter distortion, storage losses, medium deterioration, etc. What made us so happy to abandon it? Digital recording, of course, and specifically the advent of exceptionally good sounding converters. The converters available today leave those that ‘converted’ us in the shade.
I am from BANGALORE, INDIA. I have Tascam 32 reel to reel player, AKAI 630 D END AKAI 630 D SS, all working perfect, I enjoy listening to these machines.
Thanks for sharing!
I own a 1968 AKAI X-150D. Use to be my father's throughout all of my growing up. I've kept it running and gotten interchangeable parts for years off Ebay. Use to record vinyl on to it. Still purrs like a kitten.
Classic AKAI units are built like absolute tanks.
If it purrs like a kitten you may have some leakage in a filter capacitor.
@@VladimirPutin-p3t you're missing the point. There's no leakage anywhere.
Great video. You referred to the first head (on the left) as the "record" head. Isn't the "erase head first, then "record" head?
You are correct. The heads from left to right are : Erase, Record and Playback.
The title seemed to indicate what a first time buyer should look out for. It seemed like it was more of an advertisement to sell the machine.
Some nice R to R machines there. I only have some mono machines and they need some servicing. Nice to see R to R getting more love these days.
If I started making my own music, I'd record on analog tape because the audio quality is absolutely unbeatable (it even beats digital recording,) it's nostalgic, and I get to mix and master my own CDs. There are companies out there that make tape for this sort of purpose, for example ATR. But I'll have fun and enjoy recording on analog tape.
Nice shop. I use an Ampex atr-104.
Because I am older and retired from broadcast, I now volunteer in restoring professional broadcast Ampex 2" quad video tape machines. Very few people know how to correctly operate these machine no less repair them! Each machine weighs 1 ton, requires an air compressor to run since the video heads are spinning at 14,400 rpm on air bearings. Tape moves at 15 ips with mono audio.
Straight tape path too! Unlike the later 1" helical, mechanical nightmares.
U mention your machines bandwidth of roughly 30khz. Can you imagine the technology to record a 6Mhz bandwidth on magnetic tape???
Why not open a museum...
@@jmsjms296 there already is a museum in Woonsocket, RI. They have every camera, 2" quad machines that where used in broadcast in the USA
We love our Akai machine refurbished with a McIntosh font and blue meters. One other thing we especially like 👍is Auto Reverse. Wouldn’t own a tape deck without it.
Why do you need an auto reverse when you use 2 tracks? -)
@@sc0or we will play reel to reel tapes such as Ray Conniff Christmas or the Oklahoma soundtrack on a continuous loop. No need to flip or start again.
Another important feature is the auto reverse. It allows playback in the reverse direction without having to manually take the tape reels off.
Mine does that too
Note that you can get very good sound even with a cassette recorder. if it has HX PRO and Dolby C and cassette tape that type 2 From TDK So chrome tape. I had a Denon if I ripped a CD I couldn't hear any difference from what I remember Or it was very minimal difference
I believe the Sync option is to let you monitor one track while you record on the other so that you’re synced in time and don’t have that .5 second delay like you would if you were just monitoring from the playback head. It would let you have a music track on the L track that you could listen to and record vocals on the R track and they would be in sync. I think….
Very cool, thanks for your constructive comment!
@@SkyFiAudio extra info: the user manual of this Tandberg TD 20A says the following (cfr: hifiengine.com) 'Sel.Sync. : With the sel sync facility you can record a program on the right channel synchronised with a program that was earlier recorded on the left channel (basis program). the combined two channel program can be played back in stereo. The recording on the right channel can be repeated without disturbing the basic program. ' 'Sel sync switch 'on': this connects the left channel of the record head for playback' comments: This principle is used on on all multitrack taperecorders in a more elaborate way. Congratulations with your YT channel !
Sel-Sync is an Ampex trademark. I guess Tandberg must have paid a royalty to use the name.
Warning!: Do not follow the indicated heads order. What you see on the left left is actually the Erase head. The middle one is the Record head, in close proximity to the third, which is the Playback head.
Nice video... I'm flirting with the idea to get into reel to reel
You forgot to mention OTARI. i know it's more on the pro level my favorite next to STUDER Do you guys service machines if customer pays for your labor and parts?
Nice video. I have machine like this, great norwegian engineering
Hi I’m new to reel to reel tape recorders and looking to buy one but I’m worried about the tape itself, if i’m mainly going to use it for recording something and dumping it back into my DAW, how many times can I reuse the tape? Will I start hearing a degrade in the audio being recorded? Thanks for the awesome instructional video, this was really helpful!
No mention of the giant.....Teac/Tascam?
Thanks for the informative video. Do you sell any of your reel to reels?
IMHO, the only real practical use for a R2R today is for analog home studios. Ive got a TEAC A-7300 deck that needs minor restoration & major cleaning. Theres a stack of reels i have retrieved from an old radio station and want to digitally archive. More than likely will sell it after that.
why are you calling it "Your First Reel to Reel Player?" they almost all record too. I had a few, decades ago, last one was a Revox A77 - glad to be rid of them all, never liked tape drop outs and hiss - no thanks ;-)
good tape formulation and a good machine and you dont have either.
came in to learn something... learned nothing. was babbling about this machine all the time
I have owned 20 reel to reels and my suggestions are 1. Get a 10" reel to reel and 2. dont bother getting an auto reverse unit at a premium when it rarely will be used .
agreed and with auto reverse you got double the heads to maintain.
You are missing info and pointing to the wrong heads. As far as a tutorial is concerned this is confusing. I'm not confused your info is. For instance the 2 track HALF track has more space for the program which is great for mastering. Better yet 1" tape is pro.
1. Machines are $2500 vintage refurbished
2. Original tapes of rock era are $450
Other than that they sound increfible.
I once compared my Tandberg TD20A to a Studer machine I was restoring and the Tandberg sounded much better.
This may be a consumer machine but it has very good sound quality.
I have a TD20A (with the remote!) and it does sound great. But, my machine's tape drive electronics needs some attention (a small cap blew a while ago), so using it now is not possible..
Since I bought my A77 Dolby 35 years ago and I'm not using it anymore, I guess I'm ready to let it go...
I want to buy
First thing you need to learn is the price of blank tapes will break the bank! lol
I have the 2- track 7.5/15 IPS version of this model, that has had a good service/recapping. It's probably as good as any home prosumer unit made.
It sounds fantastic. Have listened to the new "master tape" recordings (expensive). The late 50's/early 60's 2-track (7.5 IPS) pre-recorded 7" tapes sound remarkably great too.
Great video. I recently was gifted my first reel to reel, a Pioneer RT -707
Got this love it best way to hear real musical audiophialic sound. Why? Human ears are made to listhen in this way
Human Ears are not "made" to listhen (sic) to tape.
Human Ears developed listening to natural sounds; not recorded sound.
I am just in the throws of buying a AKAI 4000 real to real I would love more info about the use of them I am just learning guitar and need recording equipment to record mself to help improve my playing I am looking forward to experimenting with recording and playback
I want to get into R2R but is there any advantage to do dubs (via digital) of my favorite albums? I have a good record player with a high end cart already which sounds great. I think they look very cool too, but I’m just trying to figure out the purpose and something where I would consistently use it. I love the sound of tape as well. Not sure if that transfers over nicely if I were to record from a digital source or if at that point it’s just moot. I could do transfers from vinyl as well, but not really sure what the point would be my vinyl sounds very, very good.
HI i have had alot of reel to reel decks over the years i would not buy this model because i used tape deck heavy and would get marked up when using it
and getting parts is hard the best decks to buy used is the tascam 30 line lot's of parts out there love the tascam 44 it's very heavy bob
Ah yes Tandberg. ..... I bought their top dog cassette deck back in the 80's I think it was,... Well, it did not take long for it to start screwing up. ... The tape kept slowing down and dragging. I sent it back twice altogether and each time they said they could not find anything wrong! .... I resold it for half the price I paid for it, just to get rid of it! ..... No more Tandberg for me ,thank you.
11:52 the Sync button is very clearly discussed in the user manual. I don't know if you have access to Google where you are located, but I can send you a link or email you a copy of the user manual if you'd like.
Don't forget Otari 5050BII and MTR 10 ...amazing machines built like tanks. Nice video and total operation you have here. 30 IPS half track (2 track one direction only) is the highest standard for RTR in the studio. No one needs 3&3/4 IPS unless they want to play background music or poor sounding old commercial tapes. Once you step up to machines that run at 71/2 and 15 ips, even using standerd commercial heads ( 4 track heads tape plays in both directions), you move up to ten inch reels that allow more tape to make up for the higher speed.
the otaru mx5050 b2hd have same sound as bII ?
@@zoiudopeixe no, older model. i have 3 otaris
Where is your shop-?
how can one tell the difference between a 4 track machine and a two track machine? in other words, a machine that either record 2 stereo tracks, or 4 mono tracks.... I think they are referred to as either 1/2 or 1/4 machines?
When monitoring, I get you can hear what you actually recorded but aside from the level what would you adjust?
When signal monitoring during recording, you can check many things: head alignment/azimuth, heads and tape condition, stereo perspective, signal levels... A lot!
Informative video, thanks
Thanks Tim!
Is it a recorder or a player? ;) Well, when a deck features a record function it always used to be called a 'recorder'. Nowadays I see more often people call recorders 'players' because of the generation that is no longer used to (or aware of) the benefits recording used to have. Thanks for sharing this video and showing such a nice deck!
Strange you didn't discuss refurbishing the machine. There are essentially no machines newer than 40 years old. They need all recapping. It's a big job.
My Tandberg for sure needs this.. I might want tot do it myself but I know it is a hell of a job.
common misconception that anything old needs new caps. For example the Akai the common issues is the Transistors fail not the caps. Teacs are bad for thier DC reel motors failing especially if someone runs sticky tape through them. My 1974 Sony TC-755 has no issues with caps, its issues were grease dried and froze the lifters due to non-use. Once freed and clean plays and records great. Every machine is different. Gross generalization that everything needs caps.
Can we record, erase, and record again an unlimited number of times?
Can I ask the dumb question? Are you recording from vinyl etc and why. Does it improve anything or everything. Dad gave me a real to real when I was 8 to tape the radio charts show. Fidelity or Phillips I think from memory
it does improve, but it all depends on the era your machine was made and the tape formulation you are using and of course record speed. There are many factors. I use Maxell UD and newly made ATR and ATR is better than the source including CD as it sounds brighter and more depth @ 7.5 isp on my Sony TC-755 . ATR has a 6DB floor and high Low noise high output and newly manufactured .
I have 4 4 channel TEAC units
I'd really like to know what that 'sync' switch is all about.
Been trying to Sell Mine for Years .
My Pioneer RT-1011L, still runs great 45+ years and counting! the only thing I had to replace (other than belts) is the AC power cord shorted out. I ended up wiring in a newer cord and back in business. Btw, the "L" and "H" designation on the RT-1000 series R2Rs tell whether the deck is low-speed (3-3/4 & 7-1/2 ips) or high speed (7-1/2 & 15 ips). I didn't know that until it was pointed out to me years ago.
Pioneer units seem in my humble opinion (50+ years playing with these) seem to last. They also made one this is so pro I wonder if it was really considered for home use. the transport ( Rt-11) was bought then you decided how to build. 2 track 4 track speed etc. Each variation had different electronics. I will not part with mine. They pop up for sale once in a while, make absolutory sure they come with the interconnect cables.
@@robertliskey420 Yes, these series of Pioneer R2Rs are awesome! One other thing I found out: Most of the parts are interchangeable between models. So, if you have a tough time finding replacement parts for a 1011, use one off of a 1020 or 1030 or 1050! Maybe some slight modification, but they will work! The only thing I'm finding to be a unicorn is the original NAB hubs. They want over $100 for a pair of PLASTIC hubs. Even the metal 3rd party replacements are expensive!
@@minty_Joe Hubs? yes! Have you noticed many sellers do not include hubs even though pictured? To me that is a non-functional item. As to the Pioneer I have it is more like a studio Ampex. You start with a transport and go from there. Even headblock had to be specified. A cable with many connectors and if I remember right ( not going to try move it) 8 rca to rca to the electronics. As for hubs look what revox ones go for. Not to mention Otari One thing this video did not mention was a true pro model will not use standard cables generally xlr that should have been mentioned lots of money getting those
@@robertliskey420 BTW, Revox brand turns out it is actually a consumer grade Studer R2R. Tascam is the consumer to professional grade side of Teac R2Rs.
@@minty_Joe Great conversation Joe. I have a B-77 yes there is a deck! I am working on a pair of old monsters ever seen a Sony 777? Even have the boxes and a boxed remote. I am lucky to have many factory r t r tapes made before lube changed wow nothing beats them 2 track 7 1/2.. Of course no Beatles then. Lol did I give my age away?
I really enjoy the Tandberg gear.
Some of our favorites and not as well known as others. Thanks for watching and commenting.
this was really informative ,. glad i found this channel,
Welcome aboard and thank you!
Do pre-recorded albums, say, something from Led Zeppelin, sound better on the reel-to-reel format than vinyl and CD? You can buy LPs on vintage, pre-recorded reel-to-reel tapes on ebay, but some are pretty expensive. I'm still curious about the sound quality, though.
No, is the short answer. The elephant in the room no one talks about is generation-loss caused by mass-duplication. CDs and vinyl records are stamped, causing no generative quality loss.. Sure if you plugged your own R2R into a studio desk and made a real-time copy of a studio master tape, it would sound better than the vinyl LP. But that's not what most pre-recorded R2R or cassette tapes are/were. They are/were were duplicated on low-quality high-speed duplicators and the sound quality was poor compared to a vinyl record.
@@jonvincentmusic Wow, so it sounds like there's really no reason to go with R2R if you want to listen to pre-recorded LPs, at least in terms of audio quality. I had always thought R2R was a bit better than vinyl. I did know that vinyl usually sounded a lot better than pre-recorded cassettes, though. Heck, a consumer dub to cassette of a vinyl LP usually sounded a lot better than the pre-recorded cassette.
16:13 There is no Akai model 2000 reel-to-reel as far as I know. Do you mean the GX-4000D/DB or its older siblings, the 4000D/DB/DS etc.? These were more budget type but the better budget type decks of Akai. But there were many successful models from Akai, e.g. GX-630 onwards for the '70s or the the GX-620 onwards in the '80s. Their top model is probably the Pro-1000 - very rare - and of course, if you're looking for auto-reverse, the GX-635/636/646/747 series, depending on which decade and what specs you are after.
By the way, for those who might want to know, the compact cassette runs at a speed of 1.875 (1 7/8) inch/sec which is exactly half of the 3.75 (3 3/4) inch/sec and is usually the lower speed of good quality home decks (although there are some that include the lowest speed of 1.875 inch/sec for long-play recordings.
What I wonder is who will come up with a device or tape formulation (or both) that will enable recording a record on a tape at half-speed or even slower, at a quarter of its original playback speed, and then replay the tape at double or four times the recording speed respectively (e.g. at the full 15 inch/sec speed or 7.5 inch/sec, if you're frugal) without any sound loss. That would be a great way to archive records, particularly shellacs meant for 78 rpm (or thereabouts) playback. Yep, I know you can do that easily with a sound card and a digital file.
All you need to know in one word "don't"...trust me, been there done that...unless you have a unlimited bank account, most machines are a $$$ draining machine waiting too happen...bad heads, old capacitors, sometimes a 100 or more needing replacement.
Love them, and they sound awesome..I have a Revox A77 MKII I've dumped $700 into over the years and it still ain't right. Then try to find a reliable honest repair person who knows what they're doing. Most are in retirement or assisted living homes these days.
If you've got unlimited funds, go for it, cause they're a money pit waiting to happen.
Hi Fernando! Well, this is a two year old video I’m not sure if you’ll see this comment…
What would you have to say about the Fostex E-2?
Keep up the good work!
This model is one of the best R2R recorders to buy at the first time. Together with Philips 4520 and Sony 765/R7. Tandberg has a very-very good discrete preamp (in opposite to Revoxes, especially to models with op amps). It's reliable. It's silent. Looks good with 7" reels and can use 10". Has 15ips. Etc..
Hi, SkyFi Audio, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, not sure whether you have heard of a real to reel tape deck made by, Magnétophone A Bandes Brandt TG1000. Have you ever had one in if so what is your opinion on it and what you think is a good price for it if it is in working condition, Look forward to hearing from you thank you for your help.
PHIL FROM THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOULIN FRANCE.
A few tips:
NEVER hit the stop button when FFW or Rewind! That just prematurely kills the braking system. Tape machines are meant to slow down by reversing the high speed travel in the opposite direction. When almost at the neutral position then hit stop.
When recording always lightly peak the Vu meters into the red zone. Analog does not go into hard clip like digital. In fact recording engineers use tape saturation to add richness to the signal. Tape saturates in 3d and 5th harmonic distortion. Anyone with a musical background can see the correlation: 1 (fundamental) 3 and 5 form a musical cord-- 1/3/5 This gives you that rich full 'tape' sound, higher signal to noise ration and more level on tape.
As per your inquiry: standard tape length for commercial applications (recommended) is 2,400' or half hour of recording time 15ips. Consumer thickness = 3,600' or 1.5 hours playing time at 7.5ips. The thicker mylar backing helps alleviate print through and adds longevity to your recording as well as an added degree of robustness to the delicate tape.
For home use I recommend 2,400' half track @ 7.5ips That will give you 1 hour of high quality playback. This is preferable to 1/4 track 15ips as separation/cross talk verses the tiny bit of high frequency extension higher speeds give you. Also slower speeds create less wear on the heads while providing an advantage in lower end reproduction.
I do not think we need to add saturation - I used different R2Rs since 60 years (and learnedmyself about them a lot) and even those oldest from 1963 always mantained for me as near sounding to that from source as it was possible
. I was able to align my simple and rather small in compare mono tube R2R so that it provided me with astonishing realitty and band 30 -19kHz Main upgrade was replacement old germanium transistors in input stage with arriving then silicon and low noise. ( that was tube R2R with only input solid stage). Even last time I purchased the same mochine again on auction and did exactly the same puls aligned head so that tape do not need pressing to head. I think this is possible due to actual modern excellenr tapes in compare to 60ties.
What is missing here for me is advice exactly what to think about when choosing not a type of machine but.paritcular model. First "what will be the purpose of that machine"? If it's for collecting and just watching then the bigger and more impressive the better. but must consider also price.
If it's for home audio system to use it just think about it's size and weight - nobody should expecet he will not need to look inside from time to time. I resigned from big reels just for that reason - I prefeer to care much for mechanic and electronic inside and carrying such big one plus dismantling and assembling would be discuraging me. Another point is do I need all that fancy controls and options which may be deffective if I want only just to record and listen? So I choosen smaller models with 7"reels and 3 heads.Because after all they are not so rquiring about turning moments and inertia of reels
@@Mikexception As a professional sound engineer growing up in the age of analog, we are taught how to load a signal onto tape depending on the program. For example piano is never recorded in the red-- drums very much so. The machine works best, sound and spec wise when the Vu's gently peak past zero or +4dbm. Harmonic saturation is just an added bonus, the degree of which can be controlled with experience.
@@keithmoriyama5421 I said I don't think - Why you ask me to think what you was tought by someone who thad his personal toughts? Hard for me.
What You described alows to minimize for some instuments noise floor. And it is regarding studio recordings of single instruments when we use separate programs It is not about better sounding - all talking about "nice distortions" in home audio is BS . Such better sounding by saturation is prized by metal giutarists. Only .
@@Mikexception So tube amps are BS?
@@keithmoriyama5421 Just follow your knowledge , and do not ask questions because you will not be able to understand answer.
The head has 4 tracks, not the tape. Tape tracks are generated by the head.
exactly
The question that i have is when you are making a recording do the VU meters supossed to move equally? Or do they go with the highs and lows on each channel moving at different levels for example one needle moving to 0 and the other moving to 7 on the vu dial. Anyone know?
Thank you
Each VU meter will move in response to the sound input or output - individual, per channel (Left or Right).
@@SkyFiAudio Thank. You. I always thoughr that they were supposed to move equally no matter the sound input
Wether highs or low's.
Now i know.
Thank you again.
hi there will i get any feedback, hiss or noise by plug in the ac cable of a reel to reel tape machine which is 240 volts into a transformer in the us to make it work, thank you.
I want to buy
lovely review on the tandeberg. always thought it would be cool to have one (since about 1985 I think) but my dream rig is a PR99 (MK2?) or a B77 MK2. you resell this gear? fix/recondition and resell?
Stay away from 4 channels? I'm looking for a RtR machine that can do quad.
Excellent video, what cable can you recommend (RCA) for a reasonable price? Thanks
Hoping you would not skip TEAC i have a x1000r and x2000r
I'm looking into reel to reel playback and may reach out to you. There are things I still don't understand about this format.
One low speed 1/4 track Tandberg TD20A for sale. Has a dented head cover.
Fantastic machine!
Are there any hissing noise in the reel to reel as audio cassettes that manufactures tryed to eliminate by using Dolby b c s ?
😊😊😊😊
Im agre
The SE is a 2 track. I have both.
A very unclear presentation. Don't say 4 track for a start, say 1/4 track. Dont say 2 track say 1/2 track. Dont say tape deck when you mean cassette deck. Both cassette and R2R machines are tape decks!
I was also surprised that for someone who was supposed to be showing us everything we needed to know about a R2R deck that he didn't know what the Sync button does, and he pointed to the wrong heads when explaining erase/rec/replay heads..
reel to reel warehouse has a good break down
Dude, plan on getting robbed
For a small fortune I bet huh.
Thank you for a very informative go-to video, SkyFi. A few quick questions from a newbie: 1. Can the tape be left in, from day-to day? (Not for long term storage, of course.) 2. Do these things require a dust cover? 3. For machines capable of both 7.5 and 15 ips, can they be calibrated for both, to be switched back and forth at a touch, or do you need to pick one speed and calibrate it to that and stick with it? Thank you
Shalom Mr. SkyFi Audio,
Thanks, you just cost me a lot of money. Just bought a Tandberg TD 20A from eBay.
But seriously thanks for the video! I am a total noob at this so your video helped me feel better about the money I spent on this tape machine.
It’s supposed to be in good working condition. But most likely I will need to give it a tuneup, so, do you sell parts for these?
Thanks!
God bless!!
Blue
LOL. Sorry no we don't offer repairs or sell parts. Good luck!
It depends on what parts you need but as for new replacment parts very few and far between mostly i look for doner machines for my parts
Excellent video! I have a Teac 330010, I notice sometimes the tape slips off the pinch roll, I stop the deck at start it back up and it works. I was wonder what would make it slip off the pinch roller in-ward toward the deck? I notice it does the same thing on my Pioneer RT 701 deck too once in a while. The pinch rollers don't look that bad. Any advice would be great. Thanks.
Nice video, Fernando....thanks for sharing. I currently have 4 working R2R decks, a Pioneer RT-1020L (3 3/4 & 7 1/2 ips), a RT-1020H (7 1/2 & 15 ips), a Pioneer RT-707 (one of the best 7-inch decks out there), and a TEAC X-1000R. Love to watch those reels goin` round & round....
Hi. Jimmy Joe. No doubt you have solved your problem by now but if not may I suggest you clean the pinch roller with isopropyl alcohol then rough it up with fine sandpaper. If that doesn't work try Rubber Renue. Worked for me with my Sony deck.
Next time put some music
Big and beautiful
endless machine.
Do you service Tandberg 10x and TD20A Se models?
Sorry we only restore or repair what we own. On our website there's a page dedicated to places that might be able to help you out.
@ 17:00 EIGHT Sequerra tuners???
Rack wipe-tape sticks.
Tandberg
Correct, the Tandberg TD 20A-SE is featured in this video.
SO WHICH IS THE BEST AND WHY?? 3-3/4 or 7-1/2 ips 7-1/2 or 15 ips
The faster the better. More resolution and thus more information on the tape.
7.5 for most machines will be better in my experience than CD especially if you got good tape stock. 15 ips is over kill unless you are mastering
Could u plz explain how to digitize the reel to mp3 in professional way to not loose any kind of data
That would be impossible, as MP3 is a lossy format. You will always lose some of the information by converting to MP3.
audio out from amp to a computer use audacity for lossless capture - save in a lossless format
It is double the width of a cassette, plus 4x the speed, at 7.5 ips. That makes it 8x the amount of tape, right?
yes sir, but you would be surprised how good a high end cassette deck from Nakamichi, Tandberg, Revox, AIWA and Harman Kardon sound. Cassette deck technology also lasted longer, so technology reached its peak much later than reel to reel. I also have the Tandberg reel to reel on this video and it's supreme when it comes to Prosumer decks!
This is an audiophile reel to reel deck!
@@manzanaresantonio How is the pioneer 909 or the other one …808? Or maybe it’s 908? One rewinds automatically, the other one does not…. But how does the pioneer rate? I currently have a Tascam 32…. But really want the Pioneer…. Either version.
@@stevefagetaboutit8158 Pioneer RT-707 and Pioneer RT-909 are like tractors, They are much more reliable than the Tandbergs and their sound is just outstanding, but Your Tascam is also one of the top decks ever made.
The Tandberg products are just very hard to beat when it comes to Pro-sumer audiophile stereo equipment, even at half speed they make descent recordings, the Pioneers are just a little inch behind, but it will surprise you how good Pioneer Products from the late 1970s to mid 1990s are.
My first Reel to reel deck, which I still own was a Pionert RT-1011L, it was pristine when I got it, that I was shocked, thinking it was a new deck, it sounds excellent and it has never ever broken on me.
I just bought a Pioneer CT-07 Cassette deck and I am still blown away at how good it sounds, in a couple of weeks it has become one of my favorite cassette decks, next to my Harman/Kardon CD-491, Tandberg TCD-440A, NAD-6300, Nakamichi 680ZX, Nakamichi LX-5, Nakamichi 1000 Tri-Tracer, Nakamichi CR-5A and my Band & OLufsen Beocord 9000.
Recording the best decks are the B&O Beocord 9000, Nakamichi 700ZXL, AIWA AD-F770/990, Nakamichi ZX-7/ZX-9, and the venerable Nakamichi 1000ZXL and Nakamichi 700ZXL .
High speed cassette decks(double the speed of convetional cassette decks) the BIC T-3, BIC T-4M, Teac C-3x and Dual C-844, will take you to the level of the Tandberg 3014A and Nakamichi Dragon, may be with a little better noise-floor due to a higher speed, for a much cheaper price.
Sorry for my long answer, but as you can see I am an analog sound fan! ;))
Awesome video! I'm looking for one myself. I wanted a 2 tracks recorder but those are quite expenssive for me. I was wondering if the recording quality of 2 track machines is really something I will miss or if maybe with an AKAI/PANASONIC 4 tracks home recorder I will still have a lot of fun... Thanks!!!
RUclips channel anadialog has good information about Real to real .such as adapter, setting .What to look for when buying players and so on . He also shows some recordings that he has bought And talked about problems with certain types of tapes. He also gives examples of players he considers good
Wrong. In Tarantino movie there was Tascam 3030.
NOPE....In Pulp Fiction, that was a TEAC X2000R
SMOOTH SLOW AND GREAT
awesome
Sorry for the inconvenient truth, but the professionals who made these machines so desirable changed their minds… oh, about 45 years ago, deciding enough was enough. Specifically, enough intermodulation distortion, harmonic distortion, noise, poor dynamic range, poor frequency response, wow and flutter distortion, storage losses, medium deterioration, etc. What made us so happy to abandon it? Digital recording, of course, and specifically the advent of exceptionally good sounding converters. The converters available today leave those that ‘converted’ us in the shade.