What's Everybody Using at Home to Playback Their Reel to Reel Tapes?

What's Everybody Using at Home to Playback Their Reel to Reel Tapes?


  • Total voters
    45

jdza

Well-Known Member
May 3, 2010
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Pah!!! 'They are like beggars ,lame dogs or drug dealers. They hover,sense your weakness and wham ! You'll have a houseful soon with all those puppy dog reels staring at you.

You watch it Myles-Any day now you are going to think " Ï must get a small Studer-just to see and it really is not much larger than a Technics ."In 2 seconds there will be A 810s knocking at your door and in 2 weeks your house looks like a Reel to Reel shelter.

I have 13 now cluttering up what used to be a garage. "Get rid of the A 80s-no,I may use it for spares,the A67-no hell its such a nice transport and I'll use it with an Eros one day,the Telefunken-you're mad ,look at the construction,the little Sony-no it's so cute -hardly takes up any space. OK the ReVoxs then- No the one is mint the other is nice and the A77s heads I used somewhere else.

Oh someone just called,he has an Ampex 351-it needs a little work but it is such a beautiful thing " Move that lawnmower !"
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
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I don't know you start with one and like it, what could be better??? Hmmm I know get another one!!! LOL!!!

Jay

The Ki Choi school of collecting R2Rs :)
 

RogerD

VIP/Donor
May 23, 2010
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BiggestLittleCity
Hello I'm new here and thanks Myles for the invite.

Currently I'm using my Ampex AG440 1/4 2T 4TPB 7.5/15/30 deck. I just upgraged the electronics with a set of RTZ PCB cards. So far it is a big improvement,although the original sound wasn't bad at all.

Roger



 
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RogerD

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May 23, 2010
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BiggestLittleCity
Everybodys on here, thanks guys. Though I love my big Studer,the AG440 is a very neat deck and with those RTZ cards it really sounds great. I think some Ampex buffs would say I "studerised" my Ampex,but with the plug and play cards I'm only 5 minutes from having 2 different sounding decks.:)

You can never have enough rtr's or tape.

Roger
 

RogerD

VIP/Donor
May 23, 2010
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BiggestLittleCity
I know there are several members that have A820 Studers, most are 1/4" models which make a lot of sense. I am always on watch to acquire one. This deck is a 1/2 inch mastering deck and I couldn't pass on it for the price and it sounds great.

I like posting pics of it.

Roger



and while I'm posting the decks I use most of the time I'll add this picture. It is a Crown CX844 which was originally purchased by a Lockheed exec back in 1974. The gentleman purchased two identical decks and put them in a warehouse for 34 years. The decks were never even plugged in and still had the wooden shipping dowels in place so the transport wouldn't move. The deck was ordered with LOZ electronics and a varispeed option. In 1974 this deck sold for 5K and in this configuration is rare. I went down to LA to pick it up, brought it home and it works perfectly. The deck has a nice sound and is impressive looking,it is one of my favorites.

 
Last edited:

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,238
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1,725
New York City
I know there are several members that have A820 Studers, most are 1/4" models which make a lot of sense. I am always on watch to acquire one. This deck is a 1/2 inch mastering deck and I couldn't pass on it for the price and it sounds great.

I like posting pics of it.

Roger



and while I'm posting the decks I use most of the time I'll add this picture. It is a Crown CX844 which was originally purchased by a Lockheed exec back in 1974. The gentleman purchased two identical decks and put them in a warehouse for 34 years. The decks were never even plugged in and still had the wooden shipping dowels in place so the transport wouldn't move. The deck was ordered with LOZ electronics and a varispeed option. In 1974 this deck sold for 5K and in this configuration is rare. I went down to LA to pick it up, brought it home and it works perfectly. The deck has a nice sound and is impressive looking,it is one of my favorites.


I've always thought the Crown decks were really sexy looking. Must have been all the dials and switches :)
 

c1ferrari

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
May 15, 2010
2,162
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1,770
Hello, Roger,

Fine decks, indeed...your Studer appears to be in wonderful cosmetic repair as well :) I acquired my Studer with both 1/4" and 1/2" assemblies. Just now, I'm exploring what's necessary to convert from my current 1/4" set-up to 1/2"...I'm contemplating swithching to the corresponding 1/2" head assembly, rollers, etc. and trying the "auto-alignment" feature. I'm very excited to listen to some 1/2" tape :D
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,238
81
1,725
New York City
Hello, Roger,

Fine decks, indeed...your Studer appears to be in wonderful cosmetic repair as well :) I acquired my Studer with both 1/4" and 1/2" assemblies. Just now, I'm exploring what's necessary to convert from my current 1/4" set-up to 1/2"...I'm contemplating swithching to the corresponding 1/2" head assembly, rollers, etc. and trying the "auto-alignment" feature. I'm very excited to listen to some 1/2" tape :D

Jay:

Do you have 1/2" tapes around or going to record your own?
 

c1ferrari

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
May 15, 2010
2,162
51
1,770
Jay:

Do you have 1/2" tapes around or going to record your own?

Hey, Myles...it's Sam -- were you asking me? A few 1/2" tapes have recently migrated this way :cool: I do want to roll my own - lol - but most likely in 1/4" for location recording.

Vbr,
Sam
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
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1,725
New York City
Hey, Myles...it's Sam -- were you asking me? A few 1/2" tapes have recently migrated this way :cool: I do want to roll my own - lol - but most likely in 1/4" for location recording.

Vbr,
Sam

Yep, got lost in the thread :(
 

RogerD

VIP/Donor
May 23, 2010
3,734
319
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BiggestLittleCity
Hello, Roger,

Fine decks, indeed...your Studer appears to be in wonderful cosmetic repair as well :) I acquired my Studer with both 1/4" and 1/2" assemblies. Just now, I'm exploring what's necessary to convert from my current 1/4" set-up to 1/2"...I'm contemplating swithching to the corresponding 1/2" head assembly, rollers, etc. and trying the "auto-alignment" feature. I'm very excited to listen to some 1/2" tape :D

Hi Sam,

You should ask Ki Choi about the conversion. I think Ki just found a 820 1/2" so seems that were not the only ones that have the 1/2" bug.

If you need further info, I have the e-mail for the #1 Studer tech.

Drop me a pm

Yea the Crowns are real sexy looking. I walked into a store in Redwood City back in 1970 and they had a brand new CX822, talk about lust, but a kid with a paper route,couldn't afford the 1400 bucks.
About two weeks later I read in the local paper that it was a fencing operation and the police closed them down. It took me another 25 years to fufill that dream.

Roger
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,238
81
1,725
New York City
Hi Sam,

You should ask Ki Choi about the conversion. I think Ki just found a 820 1/2" so seems that were not the only ones that have the 1/2" bug.

If you need further info, I have the e-mail for the #1 Studer tech.

Drop me a pm

Yea the Crowns are real sexy looking. I walked into a store in Redwood City back in 1970 and they had a brand new CX822, talk about lust, but a kid with a paper route,couldn't afford the 1400 bucks.
About two weeks later I read in the local paper that it was a fencing operation and the police closed them down. It took me another 25 years to fufill that dream.

Roger

That's hysterical!
 

RogerD

VIP/Donor
May 23, 2010
3,734
319
565
BiggestLittleCity
That's hysterical!

Not for a young kid it wasn't, lol.

Just to update my RTZ card break-in, the sound has really blossomed. I asked Rick Chinn about the cards and he replied....

"The concept in the design was to simply do what Ampex had done, but take it to the next level in terms of parts used. The later version of the card used a different line amp circuit.

I don't place much stock in the concept of "breakin."

YMMV, of course."

--rick chinn


Rick used Lundahl transformers that are really quiet.

http://www.lundahl.se/catframe.html

The RTZ noise level is -88db vs the Ampex -75db down

I can really hear the difference too.

Those of us who thrive on this stuff might find the manual interesting.

http://www.rtzaudio.com/content/archive/documents/ReproOwnersManual-Rev-D.pdf

Myles how do those figures compare with the Cello or seduction preamp, just wondering.


 

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