Genesis Sponsors Reel-to-Reel tape release

garylkoh

WBF Technical Expert (Speakers & Audio Equipment)
Sep 6, 2010
5,599
225
1,190
Seattle, WA
www.genesisloudspeakers.com
As part of our effort to make sure that Genesis owners continue to have great music to play on their loudspeakers and electronics, we have sponsored a number of music releases. The latest that we've done is to sponsor the Reel-to-Reel release of Anne Bisson's superb album Blue Mind.

A "reference album" is something that we use as a frame of reference when setting up a system, assessing a new component, or during the design. Thus, when we change something in our playback systems, by listening again and again to our reference music, it becomes easy to hear minute differences in sound that can sometimes be impossible to measure.

Beyond the reference, there is what I call the "absolute reference". This has to depict the actual sound, and I also have to be familiar with the real sound of the voice or instrument or performance in order for it to be a point of reference. This is most important during design as I don't want to be developing towards a "golden midrange" that doesn't actually sound real.

One of my favorite "absolute reference" albums is Blue Mind by Anne Bisson. Besides enjoying the music, it is an absolute reference as I know her voice live and un-mic'ed, and on LP, CD and high-rez download, it sounds spot-on. There are sonic cues in the human voice that make it instantly recognizable. Just as you can easily recognize the voice of a friend even in an extremely noisy environment, our ear/brain has evolved to instantly identify familiar voices. Having Anne Bisson the singer, and Anne Bisson recorded makes it easy to design to what I call "Absolute Fidelity" for Genesis Advanced Technologies, Inc.

Hence, I am extremely honored that Anne Bisson allowed us to sponsor the reel-to-reel release of Blue mind. And we did our best to make sure that quality is top notch.

First, we commissioned Bernie Grundman to re-master the music.

Mastering by Bernie Grundman.jpg

For reproduction, Bernie produced the 1/2-inch masters at 30ips.

Blue Mind Masters.jpg

Which were given to Ki Choi, and he sacrificed his Black Friday and weekend shopping to run the 1/4-inch 15ips commercial releases in his State-of-the-Art production line of Studer A820's.

Bank of A820's.jpg
 

Bruce B

WBF Founding Member, Pro Audio Production Member
Apr 25, 2010
7,006
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1,740
Snohomish, WA
www.pugetsoundstudios.com
Wow... 50k and 100k tones. Bernie must have some special machines!
 

amirm

Banned
Apr 2, 2010
15,813
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0
Seattle, WA
I am averaging $1000/month on tape purchases. I appreciate no more threads like this be posted :).
 

garylkoh

WBF Technical Expert (Speakers & Audio Equipment)
Sep 6, 2010
5,599
225
1,190
Seattle, WA
www.genesisloudspeakers.com

garylkoh

WBF Technical Expert (Speakers & Audio Equipment)
Sep 6, 2010
5,599
225
1,190
Seattle, WA
www.genesisloudspeakers.com
More information - the production copies are made on SM468.

We start off with pancakes....

SM468.jpg

After which metal reels are meticulously assembled....

Metal Reels.jpg

and then leader tapes attached, and repro done two to three copies at a time.

Repro.jpg
 

Bruce B

WBF Founding Member, Pro Audio Production Member
Apr 25, 2010
7,006
512
1,740
Snohomish, WA
www.pugetsoundstudios.com
Thanks Bruce. So is that the bottom of the spool and then you screw on the top?

That is the center spool and the flanges go on each side. You carefully lay a flange on top of the pancake, flip it over and place another flange on top, creating a flange/tape spool/flange, held together by 3 screws.


How To Load A Pancake On A Reel
 

garylkoh

WBF Technical Expert (Speakers & Audio Equipment)
Sep 6, 2010
5,599
225
1,190
Seattle, WA
www.genesisloudspeakers.com
Here's a great review of the Anne Bisson Blue Mind tape issue sponsored by Genesis on Positive Feedback Online:

http://positive-feedback.com/review...­-an-audiophile-favorite-is-given-a-makeover/

That said, the sound of the tape is, using any and all criteria known to audiophiles, head and shoulders above the original LP. Transparency. Dynamic freedom. Frequency extension at both ends of the spectrum. A far cleaner mid- and upper-bass region revealing far more of the drums than on the LP.
 

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