More reel to reel tapes

[audioblazer]

I just got started using reel to reel recorder. To me its the ultimate source of audio orgasm. I acquired a studer A810 modified to accept Tube Repro. The stock electronic is good but didnt float my boat but with Tube Repro, even though it still need some burn in time, it really rock. Dynamic, life like and fantastic bass slam. Unfortunately playing 2-3 tapes per day of the limited nos of tapes can be stale even though the sound is awesome.
So far I have purchased 29 tapes , 20 from tapeproject ( received 12 only - wish it could be faster) and 9 from aaanalog.de. After reading the twogoodears.blogspot.com, best audio blog as far as I m concern, I discover another source of mastertape by kostasmetaxas ( ebay) and purchased 8 tapes. Understand hardly any left but you can try to email him. Was told that myles and greg of UHA purchased some tapes from him. In fact he put up a rare stellavox TD9 recorder for sales. So tempted to buy something so rare but the thought of it falling "sick" and nobody to repair it discourage me from thinking further.
I wonder whether there is any other source of original tapes. Would want to buy up at least 100 tapes We wouldnt want to discuss pirated dub tape

 

[c1ferrari]

I just got started using reel to reel recorder. To me its the ultimate source of audio orgasm. I acquired a studer A810 modified to accept Tube Repro. The stock electronic is good but didnt float my boat but with Tube Repro, even though it still need some burn in time, it really rock. Dynamic, life like and fantastic bass slam. Unfortunately playing 2-3 tapes per day of the limited nos of tapes can be stale even though the sound is awesome.
So far I have purchased 29 tapes , 20 from tapeproject ( received 12 only - wish it could be faster) and 9 from aaanalog.de. After reading the twogoodears.blogspot.com, best audio blog as far as I m concern, I discover another source of mastertape by kostasmetaxas ( ebay) and purchased 8 tapes. Understand hardly any left but you can try to email him. Was told that myles and greg of UHA purchased some tapes from him. In fact he put up a rare stellavox TD9 recorder for sales. So tempted to buy something so rare but the thought of it falling "sick" and nobody to repair it discourage me from thinking further.
I wonder whether there is any other source of original tapes. Would want to buy up at least 100 tapes We wouldnt want to discuss pirated dub tape

Hi Audioblazer,

I'm a Tape Project subscriber. I'd be interested in your observations of the aaanalog offerings I'll check out the twogoodears website...thanks!

Vbr,
Sam

 

[audioblazer]

Refer to the review by Albert Porter ,

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue46/awards.htm.

The cost per album of 2 tapes has increased since the review. USD221 for member and USD252 for non member. Its more worth it to join as a member if you intend to buy multiple tapes
My favourite album is Nouvelle Cuisine - Mozart revisited. The last song will definitely test the ability of your speaker to produce ultra low bass. Exciting . You can feel the low bass. It comes in at low volume and it builds up loudly towards the end of the song. Really make my heart pound.
Enjoy the nice vocal by Sabina Hank and Linda sharrock. Off course the albums by puschnig/sharrock- late night show where its start with a conversation by Puschnig- sounded so real and live let. The rest of the album is basically musical with out vocal. I love the quality of the recordings. Personally I think its more dynamic. I play it at lower volume compare to TapeProject tapes and I thk sonically its more consistent. Off course I prefer some of the tapeproject titles like Hindemith, Bill evans, Malcolm arnold , suite espanola, exotic dance, robert cray but my favourable is Staple singers - Respect yourself
With the scarcity of 15ips original tape, I buy whatever I come across. Thats why I posted this thread so that we can inform each other of the sources of 15ips tape. Not encouraging to buy exotic transport but hardly any album to listen to

Happy Listening

 

[audioblazer]

Well I received 8 tapes from Kostas and I am amazed that he even sell some of his tapes. Its clearly amateurish, which surprise me with his reputation. I can clearly hear echo of the hall in some tapes, some practise songs and the transition from 1 song to another is atrocious and abrupt. 1 tape has 10 min of pure gibberish. The sticker at the end of tape cant be removed and I have to cut the tapes. Except for 2 tapes , more of it are inferior in quality. I suspose when he threw a few well known name, I sort of fall for it and decided to purchase. Highly recommended to stay away from it

 

[Steve Williams]

Wow

How much was each tape

 

[audioblazer]

USD130 - abt 30min on plastic reel

 

[Steve Williams]

as they say caveat emptor.

That's too bad

 

[audioblazer]

Yes, I agree. Buyer's beware. Well I suppose in search of more reel to reel tapes and in my eagerness to buy more software, I may and will fall into such trap. Anyway I wasted more money buying LPs. Now I have few hundreds of LP which I dont play. When I 1st started collecting LPs I was buying titles rather than the sonic quality of the LPs. As the saying goes, sometimes we need to pay to learn.
Anyway, live is short, enjoy it while we can
Happy listening

 

[c1ferrari]

Well I received 8 tapes from Kostas and I am amazed that he even sell some of his tapes. Its clearly amateurish, which surprise me with his reputation. I can clearly hear echo of the hall in some tapes, some practise songs and the transition from 1 song to another is atrocious and abrupt. 1 tape has 10 min of pure gibberish. The sticker at the end of tape cant be removed and I have to cut the tapes. Except for 2 tapes , more of it are inferior in quality. I suspose when he threw a few well known name, I sort of fall for it and decided to purchase. Highly recommended to stay away from it

Hello Audioblazer,

I'm curious...were the tapes represented to be of commercial/professional quality I recently contacted Kostas inquiring of 15/30 ips, 1/2-track tape availability. He replied no tapes were available.

Vbr,
Sam

 

[Fred]

Greetings all,

If you are looking for new open reel tape the only reputable place that I have been able to find is here: http://www.quantegy-online.com/audio.html

I purhased a few reels of the 1800' Quantegy Grand Master 457. I believe it is also available in 2500' reels for you big reel guys. The tape is very good. Low noise, but for my tastes seems to lack some of the dynamics and openess of older stock Maxell and TDK tape. Quantegy is essentially the old Ampex Grand Master tape. Decent stuff, but has a history of shedding as the years go by. My personal preference is to lurk around ebay for cheap offerings of used Maxell and TDK's and then just bulk erase them once they arrive. I actually scored a lot of 9 sealed UD XL's not long ago. I still have 2 of them unopened. I just could not help myself on the other 7 though.

 

[audioblazer]

Probably I have bought off his last few tapes. Fr my correspondence with him when I enquired abt the quality of his 15ips tapes he claimed that is a master tape unlike tapeproject tapes and UHA bought 20 and Myles 10 tapes and claimed to be better. Well it's certainly amateurish. How can it be superior to tapeproject tapes which are really good when it contain gibberish passages and transition fr song to song is really bad. Obviously it's not properly edited.

 

[Fast/Forward]

It must have fate! I somehow stumbled onto this site during a non music or audio related google search. I have not yet purchased any of these recordings but they do look promising.
http://www.mastertapesoundlab.com/MasterTapeSoundLab/Welcome.html
Leslie

 

[MylesBAstor]

It must have fate! I somehow stumbled onto this site during a non music or audio related google search. I have not yet purchased any of these recordings but they do look promising.
http://www.mastertapesoundlab.com/MasterTapeSoundLab/Welcome.html
Leslie

These are Kostas Metaxas's tapes.

 

[Fast/Forward]

Myles
Thanks for the correction. I scanned this thread looking for "Master Tapes Sound Labs". I had my "eyes on the prize" meaning the tapes on the site and did associate any names from the site. My error.
Leslie

 

[MylesBAstor]

Myles
Thanks for the correction. I scanned this thread looking for "Master Tapes Sound Labs". I had my "eyes on the prize" meaning the tapes on the site and did associate any names from the site. My error.
Leslie

NP was just trying to give the source

 

[mastertapesoundlab]

As the owner of mastertapesoundlab.com I wish to provide the following clarification on the master tapes offered:

1) They are licensed first generation dubs made one by one from the original masters, produced under a license agreement in limited numbers;
2) The original masters, which I own, were made by Kostas Metaxas directly on 2 track tape at 15 IPS, without using any processing such as compressors, limiters, overdubbing, NR, etc. via his own highly modified Stellavox tape recorder;
3) Further to the above, the tapes were not edited and do contain false starts, chatter and clicks. These however are not signs of "amateurish"ness as all original session tapes contain such artefacts. During the dubbing, I can issue the tapes in both edited or unedited form. Most custommers prefer them unedited.
4) The process of original recording and the gear used is described under the link "The Art of Recording" at the end of third paragraph here: http://www.mastertapesoundlab.com/MasterTapeSoundLab/Products_and_Services.html Its goal was to produse a purist audiophile recording on 2 track 15 ips tape with minimum processing/coloration.

Happy taping,
Todor
MTSL
www.mastertapesoundlab.com

 

[microstrip]

AFAIK, the Tapeproject recordings use RMGI Studio Master 468 tape from Holland, they must be any good :

http://www.rmgi.eu/rmgi.asp?Id=3

 

[naturephoto1]

AFAIK, the Tapeproject recordings use RMGI Studio master 486 tape from Holland, they must be any good :

http://www.rmgi.eu/rmgi.asp?Id=3

I think that you meant RMG 468 tape.

Rich

 

[microstrip]

I think that you meant RMG 468 tape.

Rich

Just corrected - thanks!

 

[mastertapesoundlab]

RMG 468 (BASF SM468) is a great tape. It gives a slight boost/coloration in the 1-4KHz zone that many find very pleasing. I prefer the RMG SM911 tape for its neutrality but use 468 when clients ask for its effects.

Tod
www.mastertapesoundlab.com