Last Tape Project Series 2 Title

[MylesBAstor]

Yahoo!

Just got the notice that Jimmy Smith The Sermon is being shipped today. Can't wait to hear the last tape in Series 2 as The Sermon sounded amazing at the shows!

Anxiously waiting to hear when TTP will start duping Series 3 as well as announce the last two titles in Series 3. Series 3 might cost me the price of ten tapes this time around

 

[Steve Williams]

Yahoo!

Just got the notice that Jimmy Smith The Sermon is being shipped today. Can't wait to hear the last tape in Series 2 as The Sermon sounded amazing at the shows!

Anxiously waiting to hear when TTP will start duping Series 3 as well as announce the last two titles in Series 3. Series 3 might cost me the price of ten tapes this time around

My Jimmy Smith shipped yesterday as well.

Season 3 seems like a must

 

[MylesBAstor]

My Jimmy Smith shipped yesterday as well.

Season 3 seems like a must

But aren't you a low number Steve? I'm usually 100-120.

 

[Steve Williams]

I'm 088

 

[MylesBAstor]

I'm 088

Oh OK, we're not that far apart But you'll get your tape sooner being on the left coast!

 

[mep]

Yahoo! Just got the notice that Jimmy Smith The Sermon is being shipped today. Can't wait to hear the last tape in Series 2 as The Sermon sounded amazing at the shows!

Yeah, but doesn’t the TP generally *cheat* at the shows by bringing 1/2" or 1” tapes which aren’t what you are buying and they are dubbed with the maximum love and care while the 1/4" copies you buy will have been loved just a little bit less during the dupe process?

 

[microstrip]

And mine will take a long time before it goes across all the USA , the Ocean and our customs

 

[MylesBAstor]

Yeah, but doesn’t the TP generally *cheat* at the shows by bringing 1/2" or 1” tapes which aren’t what you are buying and they are dubbed with the maximum love and care while the 1/4" copies you buy will have been loved just a little bit less during the dupe process?

I think that's looking at the 1/2 empty glass of water Mark That's like looking at a fitness magazine and seeing this ripped guy pushing the latest supplement or shake weight and touting how it got him shredded. Yeah that and a juice cocktail. So, anyone into tape knows the 1/2 inch will sound better; OTOH, they won't make any bones or apologies about it since TTP, like the manufacturer, wants to show off their wares to the max. You might also criticize the manufacturer then too for showing off their gear and building unrealistic or unattainable sonics since who's going to have a 1/2 inch, much less a 1/4 inch machine around? You, me and a few hundred other nutjobs!

TTP brings either 1/2 or 1/4 inch to the shows; lately Paul has been in love with and brought his Otari 1/2 machine to the last couple of shows. As far as the duping goes, I'd say the TTP does its untmost to produce the best real time duped tapes around. I'm also sure that **** happens and they do their best at Q/C. That said, remember those tapes Paul and Dan play are also a gen closer to the master tape.

 

[MylesBAstor]

And mine will take a long time before it goes across all the USA , the Ocean and our customs

Someday I'll share my experiences with mailing magazines to Singapore and/or Malaysia

 

[mep]

I think that's looking at the 1/2 empty glass of water Mark That's like looking at a fitness magazine and seeing this ripped guy pushing the latest supplement or shake weight and touting how it got him shredded. Yeah that and a juice cocktail. So, anyone into tape knows the 1/2 inch will sound better; OTOH, they won't make any bones or apologies about it since TTP, like the manufacturer, wants to show off their wares to the max. You might also criticize the manufacturer then too for showing off their gear and building unrealistic or unattainable sonics since who's going to have a 1/2 inch, much less a 1/4 inch machine around? You, me and a few hundred other nutjobs!

TTP brings either 1/2 or 1/4 inch to the shows; lately Paul has been in love with and brought his Otari 1/2 machine to the last couple of shows. As far as the duping goes, I'd say the TTP does its untmost to produce the best real time duped tapes around. I'm also sure that **** happens and they do their best at Q/C. That said, remember those tapes Paul and Dan play are also a gen closer to the master tape.

I don’t think I’m looking at the glass being half-empty and I don’t quite think the analogy of the guy in the magazine quite captures the essence of what I’m saying. My point is that your ¼” tape is not going to sound as good as their ½” tape and some people might get the impression that it will. This is not quite the same as being dumb enough to look at a picture of a ripped guy in a magazine drinking carrot juice and you think if you drink his brand of carrot juice you will get ripped too. But now let’s say it really was possible to drink a certain type of magic carrot juice that would get you ripped. However, the ripped guy is keeping the *special* carrot juice for himself and he is selling you regular carrot juice that won’t get you ripped. Now we’re getting closer.

My point was and is that if the ¼” TP tapes are the bomb, why shouldn’t they demo with the tapes they want customers to buy? There could be a huge difference in sound quality with a custom made dupe on ½” tape vice the ¼” dub that was made on a deck that was part of a chain of tape decks. I don’t see this as being much different than if manufacturers showed up at shows with special preamps and power amps that were made with custom parts and were tweaked to perfection on the bench before they were brought to the show and sound much better than their regular production units.

 

[MylesBAstor]

I don’t think I’m looking at the glass being half-empty and I don’t quite think the analogy of the guy in the magazine quite captures the essence of what I’m saying. My point is that your ¼” tape is not going to sound as good as their ½” tape and some people might get the impression that it will. This is not quite the same as being dumb enough to look at a picture of a ripped guy in a magazine drinking carrot juice and you think if you drink his brand of carrot juice you will get ripped too. But now let’s say it really was possible to drink a certain type of magic carrot juice that would get you ripped. However, the ripped guy is keeping the *special* carrot juice for himself and he is selling you regular carrot juice that won’t get you ripped. Now we’re getting closer.

My point was and is that if the ¼” TP tapes are the bomb, why shouldn’t they demo with the tapes they want customers to buy? There could be a huge difference in sound quality with a custom made dupe on ½” tape vice the ¼” dub that was made on a deck that was part of a chain of tape decks. I don’t see this as being much different than if manufacturers showed up at shows with special preamps and power amps that were made with custom parts and were tweaked to perfection on the bench before they were brought to the show and sound much better than their regular production units.

The bottom line is that 1/4 is probably not, given equal generations, as good as 1/2 inch tape. And from what I understand, TTP has made 1/2 inch copies for some subscribers--that is if you're willing to pay a significantly heftier price. But the bottom line is that the majority of tapeheadz will have 1/4 inch machines and that's TTP bread and butter. The 1/2 inch tapes are a product in search of a market.

 

[mep]

Myles-I think that ½” tape is always going to sound better than ¼” because the tape is twice is wide, the heads are bigger, and they are laying down a bigger signal path than ¼” heads and tape. That information density thing…

And I think you are right; TPs bread and butter is selling ¼’ tapes which is why I think they should demo with what people are going to buy. The ¼” 2 track market is very, very small. The ½” tape market is a fraction of the ¼” market. Some people balk at paying $35 for a high-rez digital file or XRCDs which is kind of funny when you think about how much we have to pay for an albums worth of ¼” tape.

 

[c1ferrari]

Half-inch stock

Yeah, but doesn’t the TP generally *cheat* at the shows by bringing 1/2" or 1” tapes which aren’t what you are buying and they are dubbed with the maximum love and care while the 1/4" copies you buy will have been loved just a little bit less during the dupe process?

is my preference...rather pricey, though
I have charter 046.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Myles-I think that ½” tape is always going to sound better than ¼” because the tape is twice is wide, the heads are bigger, and they are laying down a bigger signal path than ¼” heads and tape. That information density thing…

I totally agree. I couldn't think of any situation where 1/4 inch might be better than 1/2 inch but there are people here with far more experience than I!

 

[Bruce B]

I totally agree. I couldn't think of any situation where 1/4 inch might be better than 1/2 inch but there are people here with far more experience than I!

On a level stock playing field, 1/2" is sonically superior to 1/4". But if you start modifying the 1/4" machine with ER heads and such, then it's another story!

 

[Mike Lavigne]

last summer Dan did bring a 1/2" dub and a 1/4" dub of a Series 3 title of Nat King Cole to my room for a local club meeting. we played them both, the 1/4" both thru the stock electronics on my 1/4" A820 and the King-Cello. i was not sitting in the sweet spot, but it was clear that the 1/2" was quite a bit better in terms of robustness of the music. the King-Cello did show that the 1/2" could benefit with better output electronics too. perfect 1/4" has advantages over good 1/2" in some areas. but once the field is leveled then 1/2" is better.

after hearing about 30 seconds of the 1/2" i whispered to Dan to change my Series three titles to 1/2". he smiled and said....."you should hear 1 inch". bastard!

i've played around a bit dubbing onto 1/2" from 1/4" and onto 1/4" from 1/4". it's somewhat like 33rpm verses 45rpm with vinyl. there is just more there.

as far as what is fair to bring to an audio show......my perspective is 'don't hold back'.

there is no generational advantage to the 1/2" or whatever they might bring to a show unless they specifically dub those demo reels before they dub the Tape Project tapes for the members. that still would not be a generational advantage but the 1" working master would be fresher.

the source is always the 1" working master.

 

[c1ferrari]

On a level stock playing field, 1/2" is sonically superior to 1/4". But if you start modifying the 1/4" machine with ER heads and such, then it's another story!

Bruce,

Are you running Flux Magnetics on your Studer(s)?
Thanks.

 

[Bruce B]

Bruce,

Are you running Flux Magnetics on your Studer(s)?
Thanks.

Yes, record and repro

 

[c1ferrari]

Yes, record and repro

Thanks, Bruce...I sent you an e-mail with attachment.

 

[kipdent]

And I think you are right; TPs bread and butter is selling ¼’ tapes which is why I think they should demo with what people are going to buy.

When I have heard TTP tapes being demonstrated at shows, it is almost always 1/4" tape, so I don't know where this perception is coming from that they only play 1/2" tape at shows, or that doing so is misleading. It's by far the most prevalent format being played at these shows.

I did hear the 1/2" size played once at a show and did think it sounded incredibly impressive, but most of the 1/4" tape I heard sounded better than most analog and digital in any room, in my opinion. This is certainly true in my own system where some of the TP tapes are just jaw-droppingly beautiful.

Kip