Source of tape other than tape project

amirm

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Apr 2, 2010
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The heading says it all. Where do you folks get their content if it is not the expensive tape project ones?
 

tony ky ma

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Aug 21, 2010
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Now for highest quality, tape your own master and for different than vinyl ,get 2 tracks pre recorded from Ebay, maybe not too soon in future, 2 tracks in 7" come up like the reissue vinyl did
tony ma
 

tony ky ma

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Aug 21, 2010
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Of cause not, if from vinyl I rather take vinyl, it has be from live with high end microphone, mini concert in home or jazz bar with a high end potable recorder (Studer A810)
tony ma
 

fas42

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Amir, one possible way is as I just quoted in another post, sourced from Peter McGarth from Wilson Audio: "ripping those CDs onto a Mac, then playing them via the Firewire output through a Weiss DAC, results in sound quality as good as the original (feed source)". If someone with as extensive recording experience as he believes that the quality of the source signal can be derived by these means, it may be worthwhile pursuing ...

Frank
 

amirm

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I am not following you Frank. What does have to do with tapes? Hope you are not debating merits of digital vs tape. If so, that should be elsewhere.
 

fas42

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I am not following you Frank. What does have to do with tapes? Hope you are not debating merits of digital vs tape. If so, that should be elsewhere.
The quote was in the context that the output from the Weiss DAC in this situation would be roughly equivalent to the quality of the tape feed to the ADC in the studio. Thus, provided your R2R had decent recording capability, from the audio outs of the Weiss you would be able to do the equivalent of a reasonable copy from the master tape.

Frank
 

amirm

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At the risk of stating the obvious, the DAC doesn't make music by itself Frank. If I have digital content, I will pay it directly and not tape it first. I am looking for analog end to end recordings.
 

JackD201

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Apr 20, 2010
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Here's a long shot. Public Libraries.

A few months ago I was sent some 50 or so rare LPs of classical music from by my Mother-in-Law's sister in California. They were selling off their collection and she got them for about 2 bucks a piece. There are quite a few libraries in the US and Europe that had/have 1/4" tape libraries. If you do a search you'll get quite a few hits on libraries that are undergoing digital archiving of their collections. If they intend to let go of these tapes afterwards, that would make them very good candidates.
 

fas42

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At the risk of stating the obvious, the DAC doesn't make music by itself Frank. If I have digital content, I will pay it directly and not tape it first. I am looking for analog end to end recordings.
If you were to believe, as some apparently do, that passing a signal through a high quality tape deck via record, then replay "improves" the sound, as do some believe that passing digital through tubes and transformers "improves" the sound, then that may be good enough reason to do it ...

Frank
 

tony ky ma

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Aug 21, 2010
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Frank - In my experience at the same time same source in live recording tape and CD, after , use same CD recorder copy from that tape, compare those two CD with friends, all of them like the later one, but in compare original CD vs tape from CD, I have no idea, but I do believe that the copy thing must quality down a bit from the original no matter how good the machine is, maybe you can't detect which is better in this action because the sound from the speaker is belong two different kind of sound. analog and digital just up to your favor
tony ma
 

RogerD

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May 23, 2010
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Amir,

The best source for pre-recorded tapes is Ebay. Most of the 2 track have risen sharply since the Tape Project took hold. There are about 4K to 5K tapes listed daily and many are 4 tracks that can be bought for anywhere from .99 cents to $50+. Like Jack said there are tapes sold from public libraries,also the Goodwill and others might have some,but most are sold on Ebay,there are also master tapes and copies sold.

Some European websites list tapes similar to the tape project ones. I have not heard any of these.

I use to tape live broadcasts off XM radio,but the Jazz live at Lincoln Center are no longer broadcast in real time,so that finished that option for me.

I would hope that "new" pre recorded tapes would be produced again,but that would really surprise me,as there are no commercial dubbing machines being made now that I know of.
 

tony ky ma

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Aug 21, 2010
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Whitby Ontario Canada
Roger - My friend bought a live recording master dud from Europe but too noise don't sound good, China make 5 albums like tape project but they can dud in big and small reel or high and low in speed, even 2 or 4 track by request, price similar to tape project too, using Studer A 820 in process , all in Chinese music only, I will check the quality because I ordered one already. Is it possible to form a club, buy a master dud from music company, I do believe they have a lot old master sleep in warehouse and with no action, if the price is right we can share and make copy to members even we can dud in small reel in 456 tape to save cost by request, or pick pieces from the album in small reel, well known album will charge big money but like my favor Mantovani of London and Nat King Cole of Capital they all sound perfect, I wonder how much will they charge ? maybe Bruce can provide some information
cheers tony ma
 

RogerD

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May 23, 2010
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Roger - My friend bought a live recording master dud from Europe but too noise don't sound good, China make 5 albums like tape project but they can dud in big and small reel or high and low in speed, even 2 or 4 track by request, price similar to tape project too, using Studer A 820 in process , all in Chinese music only, I will check the quality because I ordered one already. Is it possible to form a club, buy a master dud from music company, I do believe they have a lot old master sleep in warehouse and with no action, if the price is right we can share and make copy to members even we can dud in small reel in 456 tape to save cost by request, or pick pieces from the album in small reel, well known album will charge big money but like my favor Mantovani of London and Nat King Cole of Capital they all sound perfect, I wonder how much will they charge ? maybe Bruce can provide some information
cheers tony ma

Hi Tony,

I like Montavani,I also like "A Bing", can you identify this piece of music,title??

Thx

 

tony ky ma

Industry Expert
Aug 21, 2010
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Roger
Most my Montavani collection is LPs, I have 28 of them included an old mono press, but not too many in tape only have couple, but I don't know what you mean " A Bing", the DECCA and LONDON all sound good, but unfortunately rare in 2 track tape only in 4 track most, COLUMBIA had more 2 track tape than others company, like they have PERCY FAITH and RAY CONNIFF in 2 track, also lot in classical music like BERSTEIN with New York Philharmonic but in 4 track 7.5 speed, still sound OK compare to vinyl
tony ma
 

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