I'm not saying there is anything wrong or bad with copying a master digital recording on a tape for sale, only state openly the master recording was digital & not imply they are actually selling an actual master tape", not a copy of a master tape. I guess, the assumption is that a master tape...
My focus was always to offer 15 ips 2 track copies of my recordings, however, during the pandemic I did make 2xDSD recordings of most of the tapes & there are available as downloads, in 2 formats, from my website: Shop Digital Downloads - UltraAnalogue Recordings | Toronto Analogue Recordings of...
I don't want to say too much but I saw 1 instance where the vendor was actually making the point you are not getting a copy of the master tape but the actual master tape... that is misleading...
It's been awhile since I've read this thread and I think really there is no absolute and we are all pulled in different directions. This is the beauty of our "hobby or passion". Many different systems, in their own acoustic environments, can sound wonderful...
I've been firmly in the single...
I'm not sure if this is appropriate, but along these same lines, there are companies copying their digital recordings onto tape and marketing them as actual master tapes not copies of master tapes, to just piggyback on this tape resurgence. Maybe technically they are not wrong, however, the...
Here's David Denyer's synopsis of new tapes released in 2023... lot's of new titles & genres to choose from. I'm sure there are more but just the ones he's heard....
https://thereeltoreelrambler.com/2023/12/08/looking-back-at-2023-a-great-year-for-new-releases-on-tape/
Ed
Dear Joey,
With 3 decades to enjoy this hobbie, I encourage to get into tape... !
If your system is super sensitive, tape will bring you into a world unheard of, even with the best vinyl rigs costing many times more, because those LPs likely started their life as a 2 track 15ips tape. Without a...
As someone making new recordings of classical chamber music, (UltraAnalogue Recordings) I'd like to say, especially for those with incredible audio systems, tape offers a level of reproduction unmatched by any other format. Older famous recordings were made in an era when tape was typically...
Totally agree.
In the golden years of Decca orchestra recordings in the late 50's & early 60's, mainly the Decca tree of 3 mikes, some accent mikes & as Larry states in his Decca book, they mixed down in real time to record on 2 track Studer B62s, 15ips at 396nW/m NAB...
There are no better...
I'm perplexed at the idea of chasing the same old recordings, even famous ones, when there some new recordings that can run circles around these older recordings. Of course, this is only my simple view, and no disrespect intended to those who collect recordings this way!
I have the 1st pressing...
I have some very exciting news, these past 5 days I had star pianist Vadym Kholodenko at our place for a concert and to record the last 3 Beethoven Piano Sonatas for an LP release. These are all studio recordings made with all the latest Mundorf cap upgrades to the microphone pre-amp.
He played...
I agree coping a tape is pretty straight forward, but the amount of loss really depends on the playback & record electronics used to duplicate that tape. With stock to stock machines the results will be the baseline. If there are custom record & playback amps in this chain, the loss will be much...
Mike,
Before the pandemic I was discussing with the New Orford String Quartet to come play a concert with recordings. Schubert's Death & the Maiden, Dvorak Quartet No.12 - American. The virus wrecked everything...
I know Jonathan Crow & Andrew Wan, concertmasters of the Toronto & Montreal...
Steve,
I still have the Hi-Res digital files from before but have not uploaded the concerts from last Nov till now.
I'm going to use this new 300b tape stage to make those transfers... I've been testing it & it's ready now!
It's like getting a phono stage for LPs! Exciting!
Ed
Mike,
I'm so happy your recent tape playback changes have given you a new ear/vision into the sound on my tapes! Bravo to you!
Thank you for your kind words!
Honestly, your comments here have hit the nail, right on the head!
I understand people always want something else or more, however, I know...
Mike,
I totally agree with you that just "tubes" is too general a word, but what tubes & what circuits & power supplies define what level of transparency, dynamics & musicality you will hear.
Ed
Marcus, thanks for your interest! I have thought about it & actually took this Tatsuki Narita tape to a local studio to have a lacquer made to hear it's sound.... unfortunately it didn't go well... will look for other engineers to try this.
I always make a running copy from the master recording & copies are usually made from this 1st copy. We've found, "making a very good copy" is not as simple as connecting 2 stock decks & pushing record. The playback & record electronics have to be extremely sensitive if one wants to have a copy...
Here are videos from our June 11 concert with Alena Baeva & Vadym Kholodenko!
Solo piano 1st half:
Thomas Ades: Traced Overhead
Franz Liszt: Dante Sonata
Franz Liszt: Petrarca's Sonnet No.123 & Tarantella
2nd half
Beethoven Kreutzer Piano & Violin Sonata No.9 "Kreutzer"
Amazing...
Hi Leif,
Nice to hear from you! Glad to hear you're still into tape! Thanks for you suggestions & comments.
I'm sure these Nextgen cards are very good, but we've really developed the bypass caps side as well & with this 300b output stage, it's an unbelievable sound... the speed, focus, density &...
I'm not sure if this is appropriate in this space, but it maybe of interest as it's the "real" sound of violins!
Here's super star violinist James Ehnes with my latest violin, a copy of a G mold 1729 Stradivari violin, just last week while he was playing in Toronto! I always like to test the...
Mike,
I'm very happy to hear you're fully up on and running on your new ATR deck & playback electronics!
We all know any change in a system, as refined as yours, will translate into big changes in what you will hear. As you say, your ears can tell the slightest changes. You've changed not only...
Actually, the reason is, we use the eq section from the Studer for calibration. The other amp is based on the WE437a tube & used for all my tape duplication so output must be calibrated for both NAB & CCIR.
The output amplification stage is the most important for sound. When you take signal...
I've just been listening to the Mendelssohn Piano Trio tape & some gorgeous Schubert solo piano & the Beethoven Andante & Variations... the sound breathes, with unrestrained dynamics... hard to describe!
Here's a picture of the setup with tube power supply, under the Studer for the 300b tape...
We finally finished our WE300b based tape playback amp for Studer A80. This completes the signal path from microphone pre-amp to tape playback using basically all NOS 1956 Western Electric tubes! (WE437a & WE300b) The only non Western tubes are the Red Bank Bendex 6900 in the record amp for the...
Reel to Reel Rambler's Review of Mendelssohn Piano Trio Tape and Video discussion
https://thereeltoreelrambler.com/2023/05/08/new-on-tape-mendelssohns-piano-trio-no-1-in-d-minor-op-49-from-ultraanalogue-recordings/
Enjoy!
Ed