Hi guys, as some of you know, I've been knocking about for some time now, attempting to get into 2 track 15ips on a limited budget, and DIY ethos.
The DIY thing was fine and dandy with TT's, and after ending up with a very capable, high performing Turntable (slate Lenco) and building a couple of Bottlehead kits, guitar amps, etc; as I started hearing more about tape, I decided to jump in.
I really do believe, in retrospect, that the sensible way to go with tape is to buy a refurbished, well serviced machine from a well known seller, or a knowledgeable tech. However, I decided to go the 'other' route... craigslist, garage sales, Broadcast studios, and the like. I had a lot of fun, and a lot of headaches, as these are complex machines, and not something to just "jump into" working on, diagnosing, and servicing. Techs who actually work on these machines are few and far between, and parts are sometimes unobtanium. The Sony 766-2 I was raving about has been knocked off her perch.... after all of that running around, finding techs and such,
I did finally manage to get lucky, and found a Studer a807 for a very reasonable price, that needed a pinch roller. With all of the machines I have around here, I was able to find a replacement for the pinch roller, and after a thorough cleaning, and demag, the Studer is playing perfectly, I can FINALLY listen to those old 7.5 ips 2 tracks.
Now, to the point: Now that I have the deck, I need some tapes!!!! I plan on getting a couple of Doc's Tape Project titles, but more importantly, Let's say I have a source for Master dubs of different artists and titles, I'm finally in a position to start putting together a collection of tapes, so......
What I am wondering about is: Where do you guys get/find your tapes? What is the official status of these tapes? are they 'legal'? I'm not so much worried about the classical titles, as they are mostly so old that licensing rights etc. have expired long ago.... I'm wondering about stuff like, The Beatles, Doors,Crosby Stills Nash, Miles Davis, and the more 'famous' or 'popular' artists and titles? Can I get in trouble for possessing these tapes?
*Just so that there is no confusion, this is simply a theoretical situation of which I speak... I do not at the present time, possess, or plan on acquiring duplicates of any of the above Artists works at this time, or any time in the future**
PS: I am now ready to clean out the shop, sort out all of my decks, and begin selling them off, and finding new homes for the ones I cannot bear to part with... I promise to photograph all of them, as well as my 'new' Studer!
Harv
The DIY thing was fine and dandy with TT's, and after ending up with a very capable, high performing Turntable (slate Lenco) and building a couple of Bottlehead kits, guitar amps, etc; as I started hearing more about tape, I decided to jump in.
I really do believe, in retrospect, that the sensible way to go with tape is to buy a refurbished, well serviced machine from a well known seller, or a knowledgeable tech. However, I decided to go the 'other' route... craigslist, garage sales, Broadcast studios, and the like. I had a lot of fun, and a lot of headaches, as these are complex machines, and not something to just "jump into" working on, diagnosing, and servicing. Techs who actually work on these machines are few and far between, and parts are sometimes unobtanium. The Sony 766-2 I was raving about has been knocked off her perch.... after all of that running around, finding techs and such,
I did finally manage to get lucky, and found a Studer a807 for a very reasonable price, that needed a pinch roller. With all of the machines I have around here, I was able to find a replacement for the pinch roller, and after a thorough cleaning, and demag, the Studer is playing perfectly, I can FINALLY listen to those old 7.5 ips 2 tracks.
Now, to the point: Now that I have the deck, I need some tapes!!!! I plan on getting a couple of Doc's Tape Project titles, but more importantly, Let's say I have a source for Master dubs of different artists and titles, I'm finally in a position to start putting together a collection of tapes, so......
What I am wondering about is: Where do you guys get/find your tapes? What is the official status of these tapes? are they 'legal'? I'm not so much worried about the classical titles, as they are mostly so old that licensing rights etc. have expired long ago.... I'm wondering about stuff like, The Beatles, Doors,Crosby Stills Nash, Miles Davis, and the more 'famous' or 'popular' artists and titles? Can I get in trouble for possessing these tapes?
*Just so that there is no confusion, this is simply a theoretical situation of which I speak... I do not at the present time, possess, or plan on acquiring duplicates of any of the above Artists works at this time, or any time in the future**
PS: I am now ready to clean out the shop, sort out all of my decks, and begin selling them off, and finding new homes for the ones I cannot bear to part with... I promise to photograph all of them, as well as my 'new' Studer!
Harv