The return to production of these machines is a ray of sunshine for the world of r2r, I hope that these products will do well on the market because this could mean the creation of quality machines at a lower price and a return in general of the media, which by the way is already partially back... And finally with more "human" prices maybe in the near future I will be able to afford it!
@@saricubra2867 Two consumer grade analog sound recorders that I have and can vouch for really good quality (Both are Sony) is the SLV-679 HF and the TC-WE475...if you are more into nostalgia and don't need something that is still made today...I like my Akai GX-4000D with high-coercivity tape (like Maxell UD-35-90 or TDK Audua) at 3-3/4 IPS 4 track stereo...an 1800 foot reel can hold over 3 hours of music...which is enough to immortalize a few years of songs of a time period...The Sony TC-WE475 cassette deck can extract more sound out from a pre-recorded cassette album if you have the azimuth set so the head gap line is at a perfect 90 degree angle to tape travel...I even spent 49 cents to get the album Enigma MCMXC AD and digitize it to a diamond true-silver CD-R. The Dolby NR....i mean...whoah! It ACTUALLY WORKS! Kind of like the heat actually working in the new VW Bug...
@@brentfisher902 I can't go below 15ips or 30ips for tape. The difference is night&day for the sound quality. 7.5ips is starting to get a little rough and the rest is all over the place. Increasing the bias or the drive level on 15ips and 30ips can sound amazing with the correct source.
I have a Teac 2300S I bought in 1973 and it is still working and is in great shape. It still sounds like the day I purchased it. Great machined and priced realistically for the day.
Thank you! I just subscribed. All of this update is like music to my ears. There is something about a tape recorder that is visually appealing like no other music reproduction machine. I am having a second look at my few old school cassette and reel-to-reel machines (dusting and giving them a workout). As it was in the heyday of these machines, I am hoping that manufacturers from other parts of the world will join the band wagon so that the price of new machines will be within the reach of the ordinary enthusiasts like me.
Becuase of your 3 part series on reel to reel machines, I was able to make an inform decision. As of May 2020. I'm a proud owner of an Otari MX 5050 BR II. Thank you.
OK, so if you're really set on absolute sound quality, you can get older professional units for vastly less than these, quite frankly. The only reason these will be bought is simply to pose in the livingrooms of rich idiots who don't care one bit about what they even do. I guarantee that very few of the units sold will find any serious use, and those that do will only play the one demo tape that comes with them. Note that both of the first two manufacturers have time piece connections - watches are the same, only worn on the wrist. You'll also note that both of the first two offer playback-only machines. *No* serious audiophile would *ever* buy a playback-only deck.
Many (semi)pro machines have worn out heads, especially Revox and also corroded potentiometers from spraying contact cleaners for years. It's not just buying an old machine that's better, it will need a ton of work to be better than a seemingly worse specced brand new deck.
@@puciohenzap891 What, maybe $1000 spent, to get a Revox functioning like new? Sounds like a good deal to me. Or recondition an Ampex AG440, for the most impressive tape machine anyone could own!
I've got 2 8 tracks, 1/4 and 1/2", a 1/4 mixdown deck and an 8 track cassette recorder and they're all still super useful tools in sooooo many ways, key word: maintenance!
I have a Tandberg TD20A including the remote. Unfortunately some small caps have burned on the tape drive board, which affects the button action. Not that easy to replace as I have yet to find the part list of this board..
I remember the reel to reel sound in the 1960's was way above everything else when it came to sound. Awesome. My friend brought one when he served in Vietnam and it had a really great sound.
I must say that reel to reels look bad ass cool . I should have bought a broken one and just put it on a shelf because they look so good .Reel to Reels have more dynamic range than records ,streaming and cds but they are so mechanical that they wear out . Old tape from Basf and other manufacturers can get brittle . The heads have to be cleaned regularly probably demagnetized . It's a lot of work .
I have an Otari MX-50, which I purchased used in 1997 for broadcast work. I’m so glad I kept it even after it no longer was required for radio dubs. I record all my heavy weight vinyl to it, which reproduces huge dynamics that I can enjoy at volumes higher than a turntable will allow. The specs of my Otari are very much on par with the models you covered in your video. It’s a great machine! I wish I could find more affordable 2 track recordings. They go for big bucks on eBay but I do love to transfer prized vinyl to tape, as I mentioned. Love your videos👍🏼🍻
@@anadialog They need to come out with a better digital playback dongle that's cheap...similar to an RTL-SDR run in reverse so you can play back 2.4 million sample per second linear PCM recordings in stereo through a supertweeter...and possibly get a good nights sleep for once and not have to listen to the neighbor's dog's rendition of 1940s crooner vocal songs....
I was fortunate to find a beautiful Teac at a resale shop, with factory shipping box. It's a six head machine and works perfect. I also still have my old Akai portable that served me well for many years, but is more primitive, no longer works and I can't find anyone who wants to fix it. I'm playing audio tapes I inherited that were recorded back in the 50's and they sound amazingly good.
If I got the money, I might choose between the Ballfinger M063 H5 (Pb/Rec) or Analogue Audio Design TR-1000 (Pb/Rec). However, i am more curious which oone of these two I named would sound better and would give me the best results when i try to record my own music with it.
I have Studer A810, Akai GX636, Teac X1000R and Teac X2000R...plus 128 10" tapes on 10" metal reels. I bought all my empty reels from a Russian guy on Ebay years ago (all of them like new) and purchased the tape new as unmounted "pancakes". The Studer has not one, but FOUR fast forward and reverse spooling speeds. Used the decks to record my collection of 400 LPs. The LPs were first de-noised using "Waves" pro software, saved to FLAC files and then recorded to tape, using my Sota Star Sapphire TT and SME V tonearm. Lotsa fun!
I bought a completely refurbished Pioneer RT707 for $1400 for recording purposes. Upon release in the 70s, it was $575, but adjusting for inflation, it's $2500 approx now. The thing about old school technology is that the parts were designed to be replaced if broken. Easier to be serviced if you wanted to do it yourself. Replace the caps in a broken machine, replace the belts, clean the pots and pans with some Deoxit, then you'd probably have a machine that would last another 40 years before you have to replace the caps again (or teach your children to do it lol). I do not trust new tech to be able to do this. Part of new tech is to replace the thing once a part stops working. Not worth it. Buy refurbished. It's cheaper and will probably last you longer.
I did several videos on master tape copies. Start from this one to recognize true master tapes and copies: ruclips.net/video/gyHZc0Zm_Gk/видео.htmlsi=YQGt9VHPNRrhgHTt
Hi mate from lockdown. Looks great from where you are! hope you have a good one! Must get my Akai GX -230d out of retirement. the only thing that needs replacing is the pinch roller which has hardened like a rock. Do you know of hand where I can get a replacement?
Not cheap but this company is making brand new pinch rollers in a much better material: www.athan.com I think other companies are providing new pinch rollers as well. Use your google-fu Also, have you consider using a cleaning-restoring solution? sometimes it brings them back to life. I have been using this one with great results on my decks: www.amazon.com/Audio-456-PRC-2-Rejuvenator-formerly/dp/B075SQ34RN/ Good luck.
That's what we're looking for! I'd settle for a7 inch R2R deck with new circuitry and new (thinner/better) quality tape formulations. This is the 2020's surely we've improved on tech since the 60's.
We have to be very careful with the numbers, the SNR depends on the tape used to mesure and also the method of mesure. If you analyse only the floor of noise during play with empty tape, the noise are below -90dB where the signal can be more than 10dB, so, in this case, the difference between the top of signal and floor of noise are 100dB (mesured with TP-1000). But with the tape recorder, the SNR is measured in reference of THD, because the tape generate naturaly harmonic, the difference between top of signal and top of harmonic are low than floor of noise, than explain why the values of SNR of tape recorders seam to be goodless than numerical system.
Thank you, as always. I suspect recording the ocean surf on various machines simultaneously would be an insightful exercise. Enjoy your well deserved vacation!
@@johnnytoobad7785 Also if you don't mind starting with a digital source you can encode the sound in software Dolby B NR and play the sound at half of the sampling rate and record that to a cassette tape, then put a car cassette adapter in the record deck and put the tape you made in the playback deck and do a high speed dub to record onto the cassette adapter and listen through the line out jacks of the cassette deck (don't listen to the amplified magnetic signal being induced into the cassette adapter). At least with the cassette deck I have the Sony TC-WE475 the Dolby B processes at normal speed while the tape is playing back at 3-3/4 inches per second. However a 90 minute tape now only holds 45 minutes.
Superb video, thank you. Magnificent models indeed. For my part, considering the prices of these superb machines, I am satisfied with my Pioneer RT707 with which I have excellent results.
The reality is that these new machines had to be developed, prototypes had to be built, tools to make the components had to be built, all this done for a very small number of sold units, of course they are gong to be very dear. New tape heads are hand-made, at 800+ euros a piece, two per machine.
Nice to see the new models ... good looking. The prices are extraordinary . I love to record on my Otari ... not so good looking, but good working after 26 years. Will the new machines do it so well in 2040? we will see.
Someone gave me a gx 4000D that needs repair. Both reel tables need replacement due to one having the shaft bent and the other one the shaft is broken and the flywheel is missing the shaft and sleeve for 7 1/4" speed. But it turns on. Good luck with yours. The guy also gave me a broken technics rs 1500 i am working on that one now.
I remember as a young teenager when the 1/4" reel to reel format peaked in the late 70's only to seemingly disappear around 1982 or so just as rumors of an exiting new digital Compact Disc format were starting to take off. It is so cool to see some actual new reel2reel machines, although the exotic engineering, precision, practicality and prices are way up in the stratosphere, even compared to slightly more modest features and prices of the average 1970's machines which (then) were around $700 to $2000 new as I remember. I would love to see a few more 1/4" players in the under $5000 range. or even a new high end cassette player/recorder too.
Thanks for uploading the video I am from India and have passion for the old world analog technologies hope the resurgence of the reel to reel will bring the audiophiles of the current generation a taste of the old world charm as the resurgence of the LP discs but the price of the machines must have to brought down so that large number of interested persons can afford to buy . I still poses two reel to reel one made by the famous German company TELEFUNKEN which used vaccum tubes ( Magnetophon 96 manufactured in 1963 / 64 ) & the other one was from the Japanese company SONY ( model TC 366 a solid state machine of 1970/71) both the machine are still very much in playworthy condition though some replacement of a few parts will surely rejuvenate the performance all were the beautiful machines of the bygone era again thank you & please take care of yourself during the ongoing pandemic.
SOOOO happy to have sold all our tape gear years ago! The two Fostex Pro CD recorders still work just fine, with much cleaner sound than any reel of tape.
Sir you are the man🏆 wheel to wheel is the way to go! Do you have a video how to isolate vintage loudspeakers and change components for better sound (upgrading) just wondering. Have a good day from Norway.
I have an AIWA portable r2r from 1969(ish) it still works, came in it's box with it's instruction manual. I got it from a car bootsale and it cost me £3 ! The only other one (of this model) I have seen was in the 'National Technology Museum' in Prague, Czechia
I bought a few reels of new tape a few years ago when they were under $30 per reel. I anticipated that the prices of tape decks and tape would only keep going up. Using pre-used vintage Maxell tape is perfectly acceptable. It doesn't "sticky shed" like some other old tapes.
....You should support the tape manufacturers by buying new tape, vintage Maxell tape is sometimes even dearer than new tape now, go figure... and the new tape formulations perform even better than any vintage tape. I buy "pancakes", these are tapes without flanges, i get rid of the old used tape and replace it.
I love my two vintage reel to reels, I only paid less $600 for the both of them in excellent shape and both came with the metal reels! My Pioneer RT 701 was $180.00 shipping was $80.00 excellent condition, Teac 3300-10 with 2 large Teac metal reels, & owners manual in near mint condition $190.00 plus $90.00 shipping, both off E-bay about three years ago! You do need to learn how to do the preventive maintenance on them! Even if I won the lottery I would never buy any new stereo equipment, it just looks cheap for the high price your paying!
In the last 6 or seven years i got a Teac A-3300S for free, a Teac A-3300SX for five euros+35 for the missing head cover, a Akai GX-630D with ten maxell metal reels for 35 euros, a Revox A77 for 45 euros, another A77 with new heads for 120 euros, a Teac X-2000R with 15 TDK metal reels for 200 euros, a Sony TC-766-2 for eighty euros. Sounds improbable? No, just had to be there at the right time... But i will not calculate the time needed to restore them, luckily i have acquired the know-how.
@@sudhirsumongkol8972 If you mean playback, yes if the speed and track format is the same. For recording it depends which tape, some might need a re-calibration of the level, bias and record equalisation
The pioneer RT-909 has similar or better specs than these machines. You can get it totally restored for around $2,500. Plus you can get a remote added.
@@puciohenzap891 these machines are pretty well completely rebuild able. They have such a following that a lot of people are making replacement parts. Not sure about bearings (although I have not heard bearings are a problem) but clutches, rollers, etc are available. Heads can be relapped, transistors and caps replaced. There is even a company that has added memory for the counter and a remote to the RT-909. These decks were well built to start with. Even a complete rebuild is less than the new machines.
zugegeben, sieht gut aus, wenn man das Gerät aber auch benutzen will und das auch noch oft , dann sieht die Sache anders aus. Ich bin dann bei Revox gelandet und habe das nie bereut. Ob B77 oder A77, die Geräte funktionieren ohne Probleme, und wenn mal eines streikt dann gibt es heute noch die Möglichkeit das Gerät bei Revox reparieren zu lassen, Ersatzteile gibt es immer noch, auch wenn die Geräte teilweise schon über 50 Jahre alt sind.
Its amazing. We have the year 2021 and some companys start developing and producing reel to reel tape machines. That shows clearly, that tape was never something bad, it is simply the best! Im so lucky, to see this. On the other hand, the prices are intense, so these machines will allways be a wish and it will never come true for me. The metaxas Ufos are pure insanity!!! What a beauty babe these models are,omg!!! I ll keep my Philips 4520 and enjoy my own recordings, thats what remains for me:-))
I think the TR -1000 is gonna be the real deal here as long as the price doesn't go over 15k max, for a modern r2r machine that's a very good price and the specs look really nice
hi i been looking in to betacam sp liner audio this has got missed big time 30-40min on a betacam sp and there's alot of new old stock tapes out there for silly low prices now better than vhs audio
I didn't know reel-to-reel machines were currently made. Nice to know. Horrible value for money compared to vintage gear that can be serviced, kept alive and used for the remainder of the century and beyond for us more budget-minded musicians and music listeners, but still. As expensive as they are, there are so many people for whom these prices wouldn't even elicit a shrug as they hand over their platinum credit cards, so there is naturally a market for them. I'd much rather have one of these than a Ferrari if I had silly money like that. Will this top-end market resurgence of new R2R machines gradually inspire others to do the same in other market segments, I wonder? 🤔 Great video as always.
Bought a reconditioned vintage AKAI machine a few months back for a few hundred Euros. Very happy with it but not sure I would consider splashing out 25K on a new one. I suggest anyone who has not owned a reel to reel in the past, buying a reconditioned one first and living with it for a few months before deciding to go for an expensive new version.
Surprising. After new Turntable and New Decks Tape, now new Reel-To-Reel Machines. All that remains is now to appear new video cassettes S-VHS. WOW!!! *I'm waiting for new video cassete S-VHS.
I have had direct experience with the metaxas tape recorder, it was the mk1 and did not meet spec or perform well at all, it had to be returned...a bit of a horror story that ended ok thanks to Mr Gore at analog rules. As a studio tech with decades of experience servicing tape machines I continue to advise my clients to purchase properly overhauled used machines, Ampex, Studer etc. Parts are readily available for Ampex machines and service is straight forward...that said bring on the new machines and we'll put them thru the paces!
I have an MM 1000 & 440, which one day ( when I am finished with my regular work) I want to get restored & functioning ....nothing like relays , tape and VU's to stir a passion for real music being recorded live to tape ......
You can never have the numbers again on a niche market item unless you have two things;reasonable prices and service techs everywhere. It's the same for us US collectors....you become your own tech or give up even more money to a competent tech.
Interesting that so many of these are playback only machines! You'd think that in this day and age recording machines would be in greater demand for analog music production. These must be marketed towards archival institutions working with legacy recordings for digitization. I used to work in the State Library which has thousands of reel to reel tapes.
@James Doolittle Also a section of the original waveform to Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon was erased at MFSL by mistake because of being put on a machine that was capable of recording...And don't even get started about the visited side of the moon..NASA taped over the moon landing footage too...Magnetic recording lasts such a long time the biggest thing that shortens its life is human error...Also don't forget that time you stuck the floppy disk of the spreadsheet you needed for work in the morning onto the refrigerator with a magnet or put a cassette tape next to the 15 inch subwoofer in the car...
Because people want to play master tape copies like then ones I presented in a recent video or new releases. There are several labels that release high quality tapes, check the link at the end of the video for more details
Grazie mille Guido! Enjoy your holiday and ferragosto. (PS - I spent a lot of time in Tuscany in and around Greve). However, watching your mini-review of the 5 new reel to reel tape machines leads me to believe that it is “ ... God’s Way Of Telling You That You Have Way Too Much Money ...” if you can afford one of these beauties! And ... they are beautiful ... and no doubt worthy of being exhibited in a museum of contemporary design. Don’t get me wrong ... I love reel to reel (I have an Otari MX5050BIII2 and a Revox A77 MkIII - that I have owned since new). And, like you, I have a fairly decent collection of master tapes. But, as you know, tape is fragile (especially old tape) and the sources for “real” master tapes is getting scarcer by the day, while the prices are going through the roof! Even a commercial copy of a “master” can cost in the hundreds of dollars. One has to wonder what the long-term future viability and prognosis will be for reel to reel? An interesting business decision for these 5 manufacturers. Time will tell. Because I know that my master tapes do not have an unlimited life span ... AND ... because there are fewer and fewer competent technicians to keep reel to reel machines running in top shape (I just had to recap my Revox) I am now in the process of archiving my masters to DSD 128 via a Tascam DA-3000. The sound from the analog tape to DSD 128 is absolutely phenomenal. And ... I find myself more and more simply inserting that small compact flash card in the Tascam instead of threading a tape on one of my reel to reels.
Direct Sampling RTL-SDR dongle...Entire AM broadcast band frequency response covered in a single recording event....$30. One 25 GB BD-R will hold 1 hour and 25 minutes of everything AM.
Except for the Ballfinger, none of these HIGH DOLLAR manufacturers show ANY circuitry whatsoever. The best published statement about the $75,000 Tourbillon was that they "include some FOAM PADS so your bench won't amplify the MACHINE VIBRATION"....you gotta be kidding. (Unpacking/Item 1 @ 8:38). Was surprised too how proud they were to have merged 60's electronics with 2020 mechanicals. Has there been no advancements in electronics over the decades? The outputs appear to be wired unbalanced only, despite having Canon XLR connectors. Very odd. Guess RCA phono plugs didn't look cool enough.
*NONE of the previous* "Made in Japan" *consumer level electronic GIANTS like: Technics, Akai, Sanyo, Tascam, Sony, Aiwa, Toshiba, etc. were thinking of coming back with their own fantastic products of their own famous Reel-to-Reel recording machines ?? That's too bad ... I have to say !!! Just because their prices could be much more affordable to the normal people - not just to the extremely rich guys only !!!! :o(*
@@dasboot5903 Yes, sorry, I just spotted it, I wasn't having a go. Shamefully, I only speak one language so that puts me in my place. I see you've corrected it, I didn't know you could do that. Good comment too.
I have two Pioneer RT 909s they are both excellent machines. it would be a cold day when I forked over 24k for one of these new machines. Like someone else said they are for the rich people who don't play them, who don't know how to operate them and have then sitting there just for show.
I like my TC-WE475 so much that when I go to burn a CD with songs on it..I make a 'taping master' CD-R and then record it onto a Type 1 tape with HX-Pro on and Dolby NR off at normal speed...then digitize the tape and put that result on the final CD to listen to....I did the 16 Bit Wave synthwave RUclips video onto a tape that way and the sound is sizzlingly bright and can record quieter than any vinyl record that was played in my own residence.
The "signal to noise" is low , because they don't measure beneath the "noise floor"! If you measure below the "noise floor" , it rivals any digital! And , yes, you can and do ( it is possible) hear below the "noise floor"
It's impossible for any Reel-to-reel to match the 96DB of dynamic range that a CD has. 24 bit audio has 144DB, even beyond the treshold of pain of the human ear (130DB). The dynamic range of Reel-to-Reel tape is around 80DB (correct me if i'm wrong).
@@saricubra2867 A noise reduction circuit can make the dynamic range quite good...however in terms of a QAM digital modem constellation it does not increase the number of amplitude levels than can be recorded...it just makes better use of the limited amplitude levels that are already there...similar to Mu-law or A-law does for an 8 bit digital recording....
Amazing machines as another poster wrote, only if manufacturers could/would through that kind of precision at some cassette machines and including the Dolby flavors too, don't know if Dolby would reconsider granting licenses again or not, but we can dream anyways LOL. I'm sure there are already some machines that will give some Naks a run for the Cadillac of cassette decks. Modern electronics would give a boost to the abilities for sure.
Short Answer: You can't, you would have to replace the capstan motor with one that has a capstan with double the circumference, if you are willing to buy a Akai GX-650D and take it's motor. Might be possible to re-design the electronics by a specialist though. Not so simple as you might think.
I'm HIGHLY DISSAPOINTED with specs of Tourbillon and Papillon machines! Although machines look amaizing, just compare the specs of Ballfinger (4:27) and Metaxas (9:56) machines (data for 15 ips): W&F: 0,04% vs 0,25% (!) ; FR: 30 - 22000 Hz vs 30 - 20000; THD: 55% (!) ; SNR: 68 dB vs 67 dB. So much money for so poor quality playback! W&F 0,25%, hellou! Two percent THD, c'mon! I must say there are compact cassette decks with BETTER specs than Metaxas!
Thanks for the video. I just compared the specs of the Ballfinger to a couple of high end Japanese decks from the 70's and 80's, pretty close. I'll bet you won't hear any significant difference!
![ANA[DIA]LOG](http://yt3.ggpht.com/K0qr1ndqDdGUyxbMUYesdA0KM3wZ-_upZ4bvQR8Vi_Ie1773eXoIXY2VblfzWYRJnwxd5pVrbXw=s48-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj)
The return to production of these machines is a ray of sunshine for the world of r2r, I hope that these products will do well on the market because this could mean the creation of quality machines at a lower price and a return in general of the media, which by the way is already partially back... And finally with more "human" prices maybe in the near future I will be able to afford it!
It would be possible that we could have consumer machines like these that are better than popular and old Studer and AMPEX for studios.
What an absolute load of bollocks if they are real.
Hopefully. I also would apreciate when the original master tapes are offered for a more human price. Who can effort 400€for a tape??
@@saricubra2867 Two consumer grade analog sound recorders that I have and can vouch for really good quality (Both are Sony) is the SLV-679 HF and the TC-WE475...if you are more into nostalgia and don't need something that is still made today...I like my Akai GX-4000D with high-coercivity tape (like Maxell UD-35-90 or TDK Audua) at 3-3/4 IPS 4 track stereo...an 1800 foot reel can hold over 3 hours of music...which is enough to immortalize a few years of songs of a time period...The Sony TC-WE475 cassette deck can extract more sound out from a pre-recorded cassette album if you have the azimuth set so the head gap line is at a perfect 90 degree angle to tape travel...I even spent 49 cents to get the album Enigma MCMXC AD and digitize it to a diamond true-silver CD-R. The Dolby NR....i mean...whoah! It ACTUALLY WORKS! Kind of like the heat actually working in the new VW Bug...
@@brentfisher902 I can't go below 15ips or 30ips for tape. The difference is night&day for the sound quality.
7.5ips is starting to get a little rough and the rest is all over the place. Increasing the bias or the drive level on 15ips and 30ips can sound amazing with the correct source.
I have a Teac 2300S I bought in 1973 and it is still working and is in great shape. It still sounds like the day I purchased it. Great machined and priced realistically for the day.
The Teacs from that time period are built like tanks, apart from re-greasing the pinch roller arm mechanism never had any issues.
Thank you! I just subscribed. All of this update is like music to my ears. There is something about a tape recorder that is visually appealing like no other music reproduction machine. I am having a second look at my few old school cassette and reel-to-reel machines (dusting and giving them a workout). As it was in the heyday of these machines, I am hoping that manufacturers from other parts of the world will join the band wagon so that the price of new machines will be within the reach of the ordinary enthusiasts like me.
Becuase of your 3 part series on reel to reel machines, I was able to make an inform decision. As of May 2020. I'm a proud owner of an Otari MX 5050 BR II. Thank you.
Excellent choice!!
Nice to see analogue being appreciated as more of an alternative option to digital!
I still have dad’s old Sony reel to reel from the late 60’s. Still works great.
WOW ! ...Due to those asking prices i think i will keep my Revox A77 MK 4 and my Tandberg TD 20A reel to reel decks for now .
Wise choice! 😉
Ill keep my Revox B77 MkII. I wonder what specific models other people will also keep.
And I will keep my TEAC X-1000RBL because of those new Machines, Auto-Reverse is absent.
Yup -- I am keeping my Tandberg 9241XD and 3041.
When your A77 was new it nearly the price of a small car. 24k Euros will now buy you whole small car. It's not so very different
Thank you for this interesting item you've posted. ❤ Just love it! 😊
OK, so if you're really set on absolute sound quality, you can get older professional units for vastly less than these, quite frankly. The only reason these will be bought is simply to pose in the livingrooms of rich idiots who don't care one bit about what they even do. I guarantee that very few of the units sold will find any serious use, and those that do will only play the one demo tape that comes with them. Note that both of the first two manufacturers have time piece connections - watches are the same, only worn on the wrist.
You'll also note that both of the first two offer playback-only machines. *No* serious audiophile would *ever* buy a playback-only deck.
You are absolutely right;
these are fashion "boy-toys" for rich guys who already have their yacht.
Hey guys, No worries, there's a mouse trap for everyone...rich or poor.🪤🐀🐁...premium parmesano reggiano or not so premium. 🧀
Many (semi)pro machines have worn out heads, especially Revox and also corroded potentiometers from spraying contact cleaners for years.
It's not just buying an old machine that's better, it will need a ton of work to be better than a seemingly worse specced brand new deck.
@@puciohenzap891 What, maybe $1000 spent, to get a Revox functioning like new? Sounds like a good deal to me.
Or recondition an Ampex AG440, for the most impressive tape machine anyone could own!
The blame for this lies firmly at the feet of Vincent Vega and Mia Wallace
I've got 2 8 tracks, 1/4 and 1/2", a 1/4 mixdown deck and an 8 track cassette recorder and they're all still super useful tools in sooooo many ways, key word: maintenance!
Cool!
Rock on brother, enjoy the music you like however, you like. Democracy 👍🍻
I have a Tandberg TD20A including the remote. Unfortunately some small caps have burned on the tape drive board, which affects the button action. Not that easy to replace as I have yet to find the part list of this board..
I didn't know about this. Very interesting actually.
I remember the reel to reel sound in the 1960's was way above everything else when it came to sound. Awesome. My friend brought one when he served in Vietnam and it had a really great sound.
I must say that reel to reels look bad ass cool . I should have bought a broken one and just put it on a shelf because they look so good .Reel to Reels have more dynamic range than records ,streaming and cds but they are so mechanical that they wear out . Old tape from Basf and other manufacturers can get brittle . The heads have to be cleaned regularly probably demagnetized . It's a lot of work .
I have an Otari MX-50, which I purchased used in 1997 for broadcast work. I’m so glad I kept it even after it no longer was required for radio dubs. I record all my heavy weight vinyl to it, which reproduces huge dynamics that I can enjoy at volumes higher than a turntable will allow. The specs of my Otari are very much on par with the models you covered in your video. It’s a great machine! I wish I could find more affordable 2 track recordings. They go for big bucks on eBay but I do love to transfer prized vinyl to tape, as I mentioned. Love your videos👍🏼🍻
Good job!
@@anadialog They need to come out with a better digital playback dongle that's cheap...similar to an RTL-SDR run in reverse so you can play back 2.4 million sample per second linear PCM recordings in stereo through a supertweeter...and possibly get a good nights sleep for once and not have to listen to the neighbor's dog's rendition of 1940s crooner vocal songs....
enjoy your holidays Guido and thanks again for all the great info about reel to reel!
Brilliant video. Is there a video discussing new manufactured blank reel to reel tapes in production? Regards
No but it's a good idea for the future!
I was fortunate to find a beautiful Teac at a resale shop, with factory shipping box. It's a six head machine and works perfect. I also still have my old Akai portable that served me well for many years, but is more primitive, no longer works and I can't find anyone who wants to fix it. I'm playing audio tapes I inherited that were recorded back in the 50's and they sound amazingly good.
Nice!
Thank you Ill stay with my $400 score of an Akai GX630D.
Yeah, same. Got my Akai GX600DB for €300,- :D
When Crosley and Victrola come out with their open reel decks, the world will end. LOL
😆
Already happened, look at Techmoans latest video
Thanks for the 3rd leg. When I come into much $ one of those Ballfinger recorders will be mine.
Is the playback azimuth adjustable?
If I got the money, I might choose between the Ballfinger M063 H5 (Pb/Rec) or Analogue Audio Design TR-1000 (Pb/Rec).
However, i am more curious which oone of these two I named would sound better and would give me the best results when i try to record my own music with it.
I have Studer A810, Akai GX636, Teac X1000R and Teac X2000R...plus 128 10" tapes on 10" metal reels. I bought all my empty reels from a Russian guy on Ebay years ago (all of them like new) and purchased the tape new as unmounted "pancakes". The Studer has not one, but FOUR fast forward and reverse spooling speeds. Used the decks to record my collection of 400 LPs. The LPs were first de-noised using "Waves" pro software, saved to FLAC files and then recorded to tape, using my Sota Star Sapphire TT and SME V tonearm. Lotsa fun!
For reference, my Sony TC-580 sold for $899 in 1972. Adjusted for inflation, that’s about $6000 in today money.
I bought a completely refurbished Pioneer RT707 for $1400 for recording purposes. Upon release in the 70s, it was $575, but adjusting for inflation, it's $2500 approx now.
The thing about old school technology is that the parts were designed to be replaced if broken. Easier to be serviced if you wanted to do it yourself. Replace the caps in a broken machine, replace the belts, clean the pots and pans with some Deoxit, then you'd probably have a machine that would last another 40 years before you have to replace the caps again (or teach your children to do it lol).
I do not trust new tech to be able to do this. Part of new tech is to replace the thing once a part stops working. Not worth it.
Buy refurbished. It's cheaper and will probably last you longer.
Even the beautiful Technics machines are a bargain compared to these INSANE prices.
This will be nice to get new ones, but these must be better than my vintage STUDER A62. The Ballfinger looks awesome 👍
Easy to get a machine but where do you get quality pre recorded tape.😮
I did several videos on master tape copies. Start from this one to recognize true master tapes and copies: ruclips.net/video/gyHZc0Zm_Gk/видео.htmlsi=YQGt9VHPNRrhgHTt
That is cool stuff, vintage reel to reel recorders are skyrocketing so is understandable these companies try their luck. I which them all the best.
Hi mate from lockdown. Looks great from where you are! hope you have a good one! Must get my Akai GX -230d out of retirement. the only thing that needs replacing is the pinch roller which has hardened like a rock. Do you know of hand where I can get a replacement?
I don't but usually the best place is to start from eBay, the sell these single components for decent prices...
Not cheap but this company is making brand new pinch rollers in a much better material:
www.athan.com
I think other companies are providing new pinch rollers as well. Use your google-fu
Also, have you consider using a cleaning-restoring solution? sometimes it brings them back to life.
I have been using this one with great results on my decks:
www.amazon.com/Audio-456-PRC-2-Rejuvenator-formerly/dp/B075SQ34RN/
Good luck.
@@brunohebert1351 Hi Bruno yeah but this deck/roller is 43 years old. Will have a look at E Bay.
Good to see the reel to.reels back on the market again.
Although a little pricey for the average person.
Any reel to reel from Teac, Mitsubishi
That's what we're looking for! I'd settle for a7 inch R2R deck with new circuitry and new (thinner/better) quality tape formulations. This is the 2020's surely we've improved on tech since the 60's.
My TEAC 2300S works just fine. I’ll stick with it
I'm speechless, what a machines!
Can one of these companies please make a new cassette mechanism that is high quality.
they are there already. saw it on fb. i believe it was teac
eu.teac-audio.com/en-GLOBAL
@@philippejanssens9066
Teac uses bog-standard Tanashin mechanisms.
About s/n: Tandberg TD-20A SE had 80db without any noise reduction system.
Impressive!
We have to be very careful with the numbers, the SNR depends on the tape used to mesure and also the method of mesure. If you analyse only the floor of noise during play with empty tape, the noise are below -90dB where the signal can be more than 10dB, so, in this case, the difference between the top of signal and floor of noise are 100dB (mesured with TP-1000). But with the tape recorder, the SNR is measured in reference of THD, because the tape generate naturaly harmonic, the difference between top of signal and top of harmonic are low than floor of noise, than explain why the values of SNR of tape recorders seam to be goodless than numerical system.
Thank you, as always. I suspect recording the ocean surf on various machines simultaneously would be an insightful exercise. Enjoy your well deserved vacation!
😆
I'd love to see a new cassette deck with the quality of these machines.
Me too!
They had em! They were called "metal bias type IV"!
They would have to run the tape faster than 1 7/8 and use bigger heads to eliminate the compression.
Tascam makes one. I bought one about a year ago through Amazon.
@@johnnytoobad7785 Also if you don't mind starting with a digital source you can encode the sound in software Dolby B NR and play the sound at half of the sampling rate and record that to a cassette tape, then put a car cassette adapter in the record deck and put the tape you made in the playback deck and do a high speed dub to record onto the cassette adapter and listen through the line out jacks of the cassette deck (don't listen to the amplified magnetic signal being induced into the cassette adapter). At least with the cassette deck I have the Sony TC-WE475 the Dolby B processes at normal speed while the tape is playing back at 3-3/4 inches per second. However a 90 minute tape now only holds 45 minutes.
Superb video, thank you. Magnificent models indeed. For my part, considering the prices of these superb machines, I am satisfied with my Pioneer RT707 with which I have excellent results.
All these are great. But, quite expensive. I'm glad to have the classic teac A2340R refurbished. It does the job. And more.
These prices are ridiculous. They are not dealing with reality.
They are! Limited production.
The reality is that these new machines had to be developed, prototypes had to be built, tools to make the components had to be built, all this done for a very small number of sold units, of course they are gong to be very dear. New tape heads are hand-made, at 800+ euros a piece, two per machine.
whn you have company and employees and taxes, bills, R and D… nothing comes cheap.
Learn that before writing bullshit
@@silviosarunic3234 bonehead that is why I keep what I have. You are a real winner.
Reality is they sell.
So you're unrealistic in your limited evaluation.
Nice to see the new models ... good looking. The prices are extraordinary .
I love to record on my Otari ... not so good looking, but good working after 26 years. Will the new machines do it so well in 2040? we will see.
is the Ballfinger M 063 H5 4 track player? cant find any info on their web site. also, is there a us distributor?
thanks.
It says stereo, 1/4 or 1/2 width. Should be only 2 track. I also think you must order directly from them.
I know it's not remotely in the same league but I think I'll get my Akai GX4000D fully serviced, a recap etc and not moan about the cost ever again.
I great choice!
Someone gave me a gx 4000D that needs repair. Both reel tables need replacement due to one having the shaft bent and the other one the shaft is broken and the flywheel is missing the shaft and sleeve for 7 1/4" speed.
But it turns on. Good luck with yours.
The guy also gave me a broken technics rs 1500 i am working on that one now.
The frequency response blows ballfinger and papillon out the window :)
I remember as a young teenager when the 1/4" reel to reel format peaked in the late 70's only to seemingly disappear around 1982 or so just as rumors of an exiting new digital Compact Disc format were starting to take off. It is so cool to see some actual new reel2reel machines, although the exotic engineering, precision, practicality and prices are way up in the stratosphere, even compared to slightly more modest features and prices of the average 1970's machines which (then) were around $700 to $2000 new as I remember. I would love to see a few more 1/4" players in the under $5000 range. or even a new high end cassette player/recorder too.
I love my Akai GX 400D and Teac A7300 from the 70's.
Thanks for uploading the video I am from India and have passion for the old world analog technologies hope the resurgence of the reel to reel will bring the audiophiles of the current generation a taste of the old world charm as the resurgence of the LP discs but the price of the machines must have to brought down so that large number of interested persons can afford to buy .
I still poses two reel to reel one made by the famous German company TELEFUNKEN which used vaccum tubes ( Magnetophon 96 manufactured in 1963 / 64 ) & the other one was from the Japanese company SONY ( model TC 366 a solid state machine of 1970/71) both the machine are still very much in playworthy condition though some replacement of a few parts will surely rejuvenate the performance all were the beautiful machines of the bygone era again thank you & please take care of yourself during the ongoing pandemic.
Cool, thanks!
SOOOO happy to have sold all our tape gear years ago! The two Fostex Pro CD recorders still work just fine, with much cleaner sound than any reel of tape.
Sir you are the man🏆 wheel to wheel is the way to go! Do you have a video how to isolate vintage loudspeakers and change components for better sound (upgrading) just wondering. Have a good day from Norway.
Thanks...I don't, maybe one day...
A graphic equaliser or sound shaper will shape the sound to your specific desires :)
I have an AIWA portable r2r from 1969(ish) it still works, came in it's box with it's instruction manual.
I got it from a car bootsale and it cost me £3 !
The only other one (of this model) I have seen was in the 'National Technology Museum' in Prague, Czechia
Cool!
Very interesting... I didn't know any of that...thank you!
What think about rostov R2R made in ussr
If the price of open reel blank tape was "reasonable" (like it was in the 70's) I'd consider getting one.
A very good point about real blank tapes prices !!!!
If these machines are €10000 plus, tape is the least of my worries..(30 mins of tape at 7.5ips is €59 at thomann)
I bought a few reels of new tape a few years ago when they were under $30 per reel. I anticipated that the prices of tape decks and tape would only keep going up.
Using pre-used vintage Maxell tape is perfectly acceptable. It doesn't "sticky shed" like some other old tapes.
Blank tape is, if you take inflation in consideration, at pretty much the same price point as back in the day.
....You should support the tape manufacturers by buying new tape, vintage Maxell tape is sometimes even dearer than new tape now, go figure... and the new tape formulations perform even better than any vintage tape. I buy "pancakes", these are tapes without flanges, i get rid of the old used tape and replace it.
Is the Analog design available or still a prototype?
I see you can order it here www.analogaudiodesign.com/how-to-order
@@anadialog No sign of the price or of delivery times, though…
@@CapitanHarlockisback That would tell you enough. ;-)
I love my two vintage reel to reels, I only paid less $600 for the both of them in excellent shape and both came with the metal reels! My Pioneer RT 701 was $180.00 shipping was $80.00 excellent condition, Teac 3300-10 with 2 large Teac metal reels, & owners manual in near mint condition $190.00 plus $90.00 shipping, both off E-bay about three years ago! You do need to learn how to do the preventive maintenance on them! Even if I won the lottery I would never buy any new stereo equipment, it just looks cheap for the high price your paying!
I can only settle for TEAC X-2000R and X-1000R.
Do you know if the old reel tapes are compatible with the new machines?
In the last 6 or seven years i got a Teac A-3300S for free, a Teac A-3300SX for five euros+35 for the missing head cover, a Akai GX-630D with ten maxell metal reels for 35 euros, a Revox A77 for 45 euros, another A77 with new heads for 120 euros, a Teac X-2000R with 15 TDK metal reels for 200 euros, a Sony TC-766-2 for eighty euros. Sounds improbable? No, just had to be there at the right time... But i will not calculate the time needed to restore them, luckily i have acquired the know-how.
@@sudhirsumongkol8972 If you mean playback, yes if the speed and track format is the same. For recording it depends which tape, some might need a re-calibration of the level, bias and record equalisation
hi know you are a big reel to reel fan the price of them in the uk is very high now
some one asked where did you get your prices from bob
The pioneer RT-909 has similar or better specs than these machines. You can get it totally restored for around $2,500. Plus you can get a remote added.
Depends on the condition of all buttons, switches and bearings. These are sometimes unrepairable, restored or not.
@@puciohenzap891 these machines are pretty well completely rebuild able. They have such a following that a lot of people are making replacement parts. Not sure about bearings (although I have not heard bearings are a problem) but clutches, rollers, etc are available. Heads can be relapped, transistors and caps replaced. There is even a company that has added memory for the counter and a remote to the RT-909. These decks were well built to start with. Even a complete rebuild is less than the new machines.
zugegeben, sieht gut aus, wenn man das Gerät aber auch benutzen will und das auch noch oft , dann sieht die Sache anders aus.
Ich bin dann bei Revox gelandet und habe das nie bereut.
Ob B77 oder A77, die Geräte funktionieren ohne Probleme, und wenn mal eines streikt dann gibt es heute noch die Möglichkeit das Gerät bei Revox reparieren zu lassen, Ersatzteile
gibt es immer noch, auch wenn die Geräte teilweise schon über 50 Jahre alt sind.
Its amazing. We have the year 2021 and some companys start developing and producing reel to reel tape machines. That shows clearly, that tape was never something bad, it is simply the best! Im so lucky, to see this. On the other hand, the prices are intense, so these machines will allways be a wish and it will never come true for me.
The metaxas Ufos are pure insanity!!! What a beauty babe these models are,omg!!!
I ll keep my Philips 4520 and enjoy my own recordings, thats what remains for me:-))
👏
I think the TR -1000 is gonna be the real deal here as long as the price doesn't go over 15k max, for a modern r2r machine that's a very good price and the specs look really nice
It said on the thorens site
Base for the new machine is the newly designed very compact tape drive from Ballfinger
Cut the prices by 75% and you might be able to compete with mid 70s open reels.
Hi do you have four-way track reel
Yeah, here is the video I made: ruclips.net/video/EnUhGjc_Er8/видео.html
hi i been looking in to betacam sp liner audio this has got missed big time 30-40min on a betacam sp and there's alot of new old
stock tapes out there for silly low prices now better than vhs audio
Have a great holiday G 👍
Thanks!
I didn't know reel-to-reel machines were currently made. Nice to know. Horrible value for money compared to vintage gear that can be serviced, kept alive and used for the remainder of the century and beyond for us more budget-minded musicians and music listeners, but still.
As expensive as they are, there are so many people for whom these prices wouldn't even elicit a shrug as they hand over their platinum credit cards, so there is naturally a market for them. I'd much rather have one of these than a Ferrari if I had silly money like that.
Will this top-end market resurgence of new R2R machines gradually inspire others to do the same in other market segments, I wonder? 🤔
Great video as always.
It is very interested information!
I have, UHER Royal De Luxe for sell in working condition for sell. Where can I find a potential customer? I'm from Mumbai, India.
Best is ebay or Facebook groups..or maybe here!
@@anadialog thanks dear
Bought a reconditioned vintage AKAI machine a few months back for a few hundred Euros. Very happy with it but not sure I would consider splashing out 25K on a new one. I suggest anyone who has not owned a reel to reel in the past, buying a reconditioned one first and living with it for a few months before deciding to go for an expensive new version.
Seems like last time I looked , Analog Production has a Led Zep album for 450 dollars ( new) on R2R tape.
How much it cost
What is needed for archivists is a player-only with both 2 and 4 track heads.
Surprising. After new Turntable and New Decks Tape, now new Reel-To-Reel Machines. All that remains is now to appear new video cassettes S-VHS. WOW!!! *I'm waiting for new video cassete S-VHS.
I have had direct experience with the metaxas tape recorder, it was the mk1 and did not meet spec or perform well at all, it had to be returned...a bit of a horror story that ended ok thanks to Mr Gore at analog rules. As a studio tech with decades of experience servicing tape machines I continue to advise my clients to purchase properly overhauled used machines, Ampex, Studer etc. Parts are readily available for Ampex machines and service is straight forward...that said bring on the new machines and we'll put them thru the paces!
I have an MM 1000 & 440, which one day ( when I am finished with my regular work) I want to get restored & functioning ....nothing like relays , tape and VU's to stir a passion for real music being recorded live to tape ......
Sadly...expected, thanks for sharing That!
My Studer A807 II is still going strong.
You can never have the numbers again on a niche market item unless you have two things;reasonable prices and service techs everywhere. It's the same for us US collectors....you become your own tech or give up even more money to a competent tech.
Happy vacations dear Guido me next Friday for 2 weeks :-)
Interesting that so many of these are playback only machines!
You'd think that in this day and age recording machines would be in greater demand for analog music production.
These must be marketed towards archival institutions working with legacy recordings for digitization.
I used to work in the State Library which has thousands of reel to reel tapes.
Yes, but also end private users that just want a cool looking player to play their master tape copies...
@James Doolittle Also a section of the original waveform to Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon was erased at MFSL by mistake because of being put on a machine that was capable of recording...And don't even get started about the visited side of the moon..NASA taped over the moon landing footage too...Magnetic recording lasts such a long time the biggest thing that shortens its life is human error...Also don't forget that time you stuck the floppy disk of the spreadsheet you needed for work in the morning onto the refrigerator with a magnet or put a cassette tape next to the 15 inch subwoofer in the car...
what's the purpose of having a play only unit in nowadays?
Because people want to play master tape copies like then ones I presented in a recent video or new releases. There are several labels that release high quality tapes, check the link at the end of the video for more details
Are there any being produced that are available/affordable for the 99%?
Nope, gotta go vintage...and they are even better sounding...
@@anadialog I have a Sony TC-540. It doesn’t work. I’m thinking about following video of a clean and repair in RUclips.
Not enough. If you like it, invest in a lab: belts, caps and calibration are paramount and you will be good for decades.
Thanks Bro!
You can also buy a SonoruS ATR 10 Tape Reproducer with Vacuum tube playback electronics !
Nice, still pricey and no recording capabilities...but nice
@@anadialog I love your Revox A810, but you need butterfly heads !
You mean Studer...I used to think so but butterfly are better for crosstalk but not overall incredibly better...
As an owner of a Ferrari… even these reel to reels are expensive for me 😉 Love the Thorens.
😱
Grazie mille Guido! Enjoy your holiday and ferragosto. (PS - I spent a lot of time in Tuscany in and around Greve).
However, watching your mini-review of the 5 new reel to reel tape machines leads me to believe that it is “ ... God’s Way Of Telling You That You Have Way Too Much Money ...” if you can afford one of these beauties!
And ... they are beautiful ... and no doubt worthy of being exhibited in a museum of contemporary design.
Don’t get me wrong ... I love reel to reel (I have an Otari MX5050BIII2 and a Revox A77 MkIII - that I have owned since new). And, like you, I have a fairly decent collection of master tapes. But, as you know, tape is fragile (especially old tape) and the sources for “real” master tapes is getting scarcer by the day, while the prices are going through the roof! Even a commercial copy of a “master” can cost in the hundreds of dollars. One has to wonder what the long-term future viability and prognosis will be for reel to reel? An interesting business decision for these 5 manufacturers. Time will tell.
Because I know that my master tapes do not have an unlimited life span ... AND ... because there are fewer and fewer competent technicians to keep reel to reel machines running in top shape (I just had to recap my Revox) I am now in the process of archiving my masters to DSD 128 via a Tascam DA-3000. The sound from the analog tape to DSD 128 is absolutely phenomenal. And ... I find myself more and more simply inserting that small compact flash card in the Tascam instead of threading a tape on one of my reel to reels.
Greve is beautiful!! Yes, obviously these are machines for the crazy-rich elite...I understand why you are digitalizing but I just can't...
Get a used DA-3000. Got mine in mint condition for less than $600.00. Try it ... You’ll like it!
Direct Sampling RTL-SDR dongle...Entire AM broadcast band frequency response covered in a single recording event....$30. One 25 GB BD-R will hold 1 hour and 25 minutes of everything AM.
Are Tapes still available to buy?
Yes! Mainly from Recording the Masters and ATR magnetics...very high quality...
Man! My inner audiophile is drooling.
this is awesome!!!!
Except for the Ballfinger, none of these HIGH DOLLAR manufacturers show ANY circuitry whatsoever. The best published statement about the $75,000 Tourbillon was that they "include some FOAM PADS so your bench won't amplify the MACHINE VIBRATION"....you gotta be kidding.
(Unpacking/Item 1 @ 8:38). Was surprised too how proud they were to have merged 60's electronics with 2020 mechanicals. Has there been no advancements in electronics over the decades? The outputs appear to be wired unbalanced only, despite having Canon XLR connectors. Very odd. Guess RCA phono plugs didn't look cool enough.
there is a relationship between a fool and his money.....
*NONE of the previous* "Made in Japan" *consumer level electronic GIANTS like: Technics, Akai, Sanyo, Tascam, Sony, Aiwa, Toshiba, etc. were thinking of coming back with their own fantastic products of their own famous Reel-to-Reel recording machines ?? That's too bad ... I have to say !!! Just because their prices could be much more affordable to the normal people - not just to the extremely rich guys only !!!! :o(*
Reel
Prices will only come down with mass production. There will be no mass production.
@@shippy555 Thank you for correcting my spelling mistake. Appreciate it !! English is my 4th language :o)
@@garethonthetube > DAMN !! :o(
@@dasboot5903 Yes, sorry, I just spotted it, I wasn't having a go. Shamefully, I only speak one language so that puts me in my place. I see you've corrected it, I didn't know you could do that. Good comment too.
I have two Pioneer RT 909s they are both excellent machines. it would be a cold day when I forked over 24k for one of these new machines. Like someone else said they are for the rich people who don't play them, who don't know how to operate them and have then sitting there just for show.
I picked up a Sony TC-580 for free and restored it and it is better than every deck listed in the video based on their specifications.
Nice!
I like my TC-WE475 so much that when I go to burn a CD with songs on it..I make a 'taping master' CD-R and then record it onto a Type 1 tape with HX-Pro on and Dolby NR off at normal speed...then digitize the tape and put that result on the final CD to listen to....I did the 16 Bit Wave synthwave RUclips video onto a tape that way and the sound is sizzlingly bright and can record quieter than any vinyl record that was played in my own residence.
@@brentfisher902 I like to listen to the original CD.
why is dolby not a thing?
Because Dolby does not license nor produce its noise reduction systems anymore unfortunately
The "signal to noise" is low , because they don't measure beneath the "noise floor"! If you measure below the "noise floor" , it rivals any digital! And , yes, you can and do ( it is possible) hear below the "noise floor"
It's impossible for any Reel-to-reel to match the 96DB of dynamic range that a CD has. 24 bit audio has 144DB, even beyond the treshold of pain of the human ear (130DB). The dynamic range of Reel-to-Reel tape is around 80DB (correct me if i'm wrong).
Yes, you are right, but in any case I haven't check S/N for s while on R2R and forgot how low they are in respect to cassette decks for example...
@@saricubra2867 A noise reduction circuit can make the dynamic range quite good...however in terms of a QAM digital modem constellation it does not increase the number of amplitude levels than can be recorded...it just makes better use of the limited amplitude levels that are already there...similar to Mu-law or A-law does for an 8 bit digital recording....
@@saricubra2867 ...until you add a noise reduction system, in studios they used Dolby A, later Dolby SR or DBX I and were at 100 db dynamic range.
Amazing machines as another poster wrote, only if manufacturers could/would through that kind of precision at some cassette machines and including the Dolby flavors too, don't know if Dolby would reconsider granting licenses again or not, but we can dream anyways LOL. I'm sure there are already some machines that will give some Naks a run for the Cadillac of cassette decks. Modern electronics would give a boost to the abilities for sure.
2N2222 is your friend.
There are plenty of dbx rackmount units on the used market. These were more commonly used with reel-to-reel than Dolby.
So appreciative of my dad's Akai 747dbx. Anyone know how to hotwire it to play 15ips?
Short Answer: You can't, you would have to replace the capstan motor with one that has a capstan with double the circumference, if you are willing to buy a Akai GX-650D and take it's motor. Might be possible to re-design the electronics by a specialist though. Not so simple as you might think.
@@florianm3170 could I sleeve the capstan thereby making it thicker?
I'll keep my Akai GX4000D for now.
I'm HIGHLY DISSAPOINTED with specs of Tourbillon and Papillon machines! Although machines look amaizing, just compare the specs of Ballfinger (4:27) and Metaxas (9:56) machines (data for 15 ips): W&F: 0,04% vs 0,25% (!) ; FR: 30 - 22000 Hz vs 30 - 20000; THD: 55% (!) ; SNR: 68 dB vs 67 dB. So much money for so poor quality playback! W&F 0,25%, hellou! Two percent THD, c'mon! I must say there are compact cassette decks with BETTER specs than Metaxas!
It may be a bad assumption but it seems like one of these companies could produce a high quality tape deck.
Thanks for the video.
I just compared the specs of the Ballfinger to a couple of high end Japanese decks from the 70's and 80's, pretty close. I'll bet you won't hear any significant difference!
Thank you.