Seeking R2R Recommendations

[MylesBAstor]

Just about every album recorded is available on LP. The percent of albums available on tape is likely under 20%, maybe less. In addition, the average tape is a lot more expensive than the average LP. Tape is my preferred format but it doesn’t have availability and cost in its favor.

Well you know what they say. Rather have one Armani suit than 10 J.A. Banks suits.

 

[Foxbat]

Of course, and this is how most of us do it, but there still are cases when you would like some flexibility, like to use a particular song in your video, or to play it for someone while doing a demo. When someone visits you and you are showing your system you don't just make them sit through the whole album... not typically, anyway.

So when such a session is over I end up with several partly played or hastily rewound tapes - I make sure to carefully store them. I then spend time carefully rewinding them and boxing them as they should be.

 

[adrianywu]

Of course, and this is how most of us do it, but there still are cases when you would like some flexibility, like to use a particular song in your video, or to play it for someone while doing a demo. When someone visits you and you are showing your system you don't just make them sit through the whole album... not typically, anyway.

So when such a session is over I end up with several partly played or hastily rewound tapes - I make sure to carefully store them. I then spend time carefully rewinding them and boxing them as they should be.

I have come up with the same dilemma, since many friends want to hear my tapes. Just for demo purposes, I rewind the tape to the beginning of one of more songs and just play those songs/passages through. The Nagra T has a pretty accurate counter even for non-TC tapes, and a "go to counter" function that automatically slows down and search for the location. I don't like to leave the tapes after fast winding/rewinding.

 

[Foxbat]

I have come up with the same dilemma, since many friends want to hear my tapes. Just for demo purposes, I rewind the tape to the beginning of one of more songs and just play those songs/passages through. The Nagra T has a pretty accurate counter even for non-TC tapes, and a "go to counter" function that automatically slows down and search for the location. I don't like to leave the tapes after fast winding/rewinding.

But how do you know the marker you need to rewind to, without some careful preparation? The tapes don't come with that information, they have track length at best. So you would have to manually measure the time to the start of your desired song - and ideally both from the start, and from the end of the tape.

I never use full speed winding, only slow one, usually called "library".

 

[adrianywu]

But how do you know the marker you need to rewind to, without some careful preparation? The tapes don't come with that information, they have track length at best. So you would have to manually measure the time to the start of your desired song - and ideally both from the start, and from the end of the tape.

I never use full speed winding, only slow one, usually called "library".

I have transferred all my tapes to digital, and therefore have precise timing for the tracks. I printed it out and taped it to the boxes. I have come across a digital counter and remote control board for the Revox B77 that comes with an app. One can download the track info from Discogs or input it manually, and the machine will wind/rewind to the correct spot.

 

[Foxbat]

Discogs has information on track start time?

In a few cases I have created such lists for the tapes I like, but they are usually times from the tape beginning. And if you start with the tape tails out you need the totally different table.

That is what I mean by this being the most inconvenient medium. It is not like loading a CD and selecting the track, it is a LOT of work. Some of us do it out of love for the medium, but that doesn't make it any more convenient.

I also don't stop and then re-start the tape when I listen, it has to play non-stop completely. But not everyone is that particular.

 

[GregoryC]

The fact is that all the material is on CD or audio files today. Despite everything, we put these tapes on and although it is not very convenient and not very practical. Tape recorders excite us and they sound in such a way that we want to listen to them. It is nice to take a physical medium in your hands with the knowledge that there is music recorded there.

 

[Foxbat]

Well, you don't have to convince me - I have tape machines everywhere, at least 50 of them by the latest count, and I am afraid they are still multiplying, judging by their quiet whisper in the far corner...

 

[GregoryC]

I don't have to convince you because you know it better than me. I have quite a few DCs and vinyl records but I listen to tapes most often and I'll tell you that none of the formats gives me as much satisfaction and pleasure from listening to music as a reel-to-reel tape recorder.

 

[Foxbat]

That goes without saying... we would not be on this forum otherwise.