"TapeZilla" Has arrived

RogerD

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May 23, 2010
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BiggestLittleCity
Fred Thompson called today and the 350's are finally done. Wayne Gunn already had the transport done and shipped last week. Fred has done a marvelous job on the 350 electronics and Wayne's 440C transport is the same caliber. I can't thank them enough and Fred's effort was beyond what anybody can ask.

I named this deck "TapeZilla" because of the sound and it has been such a pain to get up to speed,but it's all worth it.

The sound is "BIG" with tons of tube magic and only a few hours logged....oh my!




 
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cjfrbw

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
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Pleasanton, CA
Makes my heart go pitter patter. Great photos, congrats!
 

RogerD

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May 23, 2010
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Say goodbye to CD Roger, master dubbing tapes are the things you looking for !
tony ma

Hi Tony,

I am expecting my first master dub in the mail today! I can't explain it,but when I play my CD source through the tape side on my C200,the CD sounds better then the main preamp. That's good for my ears,but tape much,much better.
 

Gary D

New Member
Jun 26, 2011
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This deck has so much to offer over the standard Ampex 350 transport and electronics.We now have
2 & 4 track playback capability @ 3 3/4,7 1/2,15,& 30ips .The electronics are all octal tubes with nos pieces in the GT (glass) envelope.The stock electronics were offered in the military type metal cans.It took me a long time to source these tubes all were mfg in the 1940's.In stock form the sound was very good with a rich midrange warm and inviting but now you have a drive and pace .The highs sparkle as they float with a holographic quality.The Bass was flabby now taught .
The ambient retrieval from the recording venue is really astounding I can't ever remember this much before.
The power of the instruments and there realism is changing by the hour.
Jaw dropping.....tone,power and pace.

You can see why the 300-3 recorded so many memorable performances for labels RCA,Mercury,Everest, ect

A piece of RCA recording history excerpt here:

"At the time that RCA initiated multi-track sessions, disc mastering and consumer playback technology were monaural. RCA Victor proceeded to use two- and three-track equipment to record the world's greatest artists--Heifetz, Piatigorsky, Reiner, Munch, Rubinstein, Fiedler--in anticipation that home technology would catch up to stereo sound. Finally, in 1955, 1/4" 7 1/2ips stereophonic tape players arrived on the consumer market, and RCA released its first Stereo Orthophonic tapes.

Stereo Orthophonic tapes redefined high fidelity. In 1958, the Western Electric Company produced the breakthrough Westrex Stereo disc cutter, thereby revolutionizing master disc production. Stereo playback equipment was developed to coincide with the new disc cutting technology. The same year, Living Stereo LP records were launched, ushering in the golden age of stereo high fidelity.

RCA Victor's first two-track sessions in late 1953 and early 1954 were captured on proprietary RCA RT-21 1/4" 30 ips tape machines, wired to a pair of mono mixers, each dedicated to one tape track. Neumann U-47 cardioid and M-49/50 omnidirectional microphones were favored, as were RCA-designed LC-1A 15" duo-cone speakers in the control room. Three track recordings were realized on tube amplifier Ampex 300-3 1/2" machines running at 15ips and in later years at 30ips, and were mixed down to 1/4" two-track masters. No equalization was used in the original tracking process; the microphone signals were summed through passive electronics and printed straight to tape. In addition, no equalization was used to alter playback takes for artist approval."

Image below from the early 1960's of an Ampex mobile recording station shown is the 300-3
 
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mep

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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This is starting to sound like how all good home audio systems should and can sound like ...:D:D:D

Frank

If you have a great tape deck and a pair of Ampex 350s.
 

tony ky ma

Industry Expert
Aug 21, 2010
630
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Whitby Ontario Canada
Hi Tony,

I am expecting my first master dub in the mail today! I can't explain it,but when I play my CD source through the tape side on my C200,the CD sounds better then the main preamp. That's good for my ears,but tape much,much better.
Roger
From now on, you will sort out which tape sound better even all from master dub but in different source or different kind of tape made, before you maybe only know tape sound is better than CD but now with that tube machine you will catch the different between tape vs tape, enjoy ! till you get use to the new sound and will start looking for another step to go, and go on , and go on
tony ma
 

RogerD

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May 23, 2010
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Roger,

I hope that you enjoy the "new" Ampex 350 electronics with the Ampex 440C transport. You are going to have quite an assortment of Ampex (and for that matter other makers) R2Rs which will all have their own signature sound and characteristics for operation.

Rich

Thanks Rich and you are so right.
 

c1ferrari

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
May 15, 2010
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Congrats, Roger...

I know you're going to enjoy it :p
 

RogerD

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mep

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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It IS possible using other means, it just means that you have to put other sorts of effort, focus and energies into it ...

Frank

No it's not. You can wire your ears into your power supply Frank, wrap your head with tin foil and ferrite beads, and move your microwave and teapot to another country and whatever you have will never sound like 15 ips 2 track tape.
 

fas42

Addicted To Best
Jan 8, 2011
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NSW Australia
No it's not. You can wire your ears into your power supply Frank, wrap your head with tin foil and ferrite beads, and move your microwave and teapot to another country and whatever you have will never sound like 15 ips 2 track tape.
Always busting for a fight, Mark? Don't worry, it's not a-coming ...

Powerfully exhilarating sound reproduction can be achieved by various means, it's just that at the moment it is easier for most people to make such happen using tape machines, by virtue of their way of extracting the audio signal from the storage medium, and how they're constructed ...

Frank
 

RogerD

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May 23, 2010
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Gary D

New Member
Jun 26, 2011
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Did some work today on the tube compliment of of the 350's cleaned all the sockets scrubbed those little holes a PITA to be sure. Re seated the tubes cleaned there pins with solvent, cleaned all the Cinch Jones
contacts and anything else we could find.Powered the Zilla up and a marked change in every parameter known to man;)

My god this sound is big. Listening to Nancy Griffith's live concert "One Fair Summer Evening" if I was into near field listening......... well use your imagination:D.
 

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