In the late 60's my brother shipped over a whole stereo set-up like most G.I.s did, from Vietnam. I had his Akai reel to reel machine all to myself for quite a while as he finished his tour. This Akai deck would run at 1 7/8 ips as well as 3 3/4 and 7 1/5 ips. Living in So. Calif. I'd record 7" reels at 1 7/8 ips with nothing but Wolfman Jack night time radio and music, then mail those to him. I was quite the hero as they'd play those on the camp P.A. system over and over. Reel to reel is fun stuff!!
A few things to mention. (PLEASE EXPAND THIS COMMENT) 1) I didn't really go into the sound quality sufficiently in the video. Of course it will vary depending on your machine, tape, source etc....but at 7.5 ips, I really can't tell which is a CD and which is tape (but then again I've got 40-odd year old ears). 2) Make sure you click on SHOW MORE in the video description. There's a link to my blog in there and on the blog there are a number of really useful reel-to-reel links that I've bookmarked over the years. 3) I am aware that I spelt the word 'Apparently' wrong in the video - it's a typo.
+Tottoko Hamutarou Lapis and Hamtaro Well it's also how pretty much every album till the mid 90s was recorded... And some still are today (including Stadium Arcadium for example)
Awesome video! I doubt anybody will see this but I’m 16 years old and got a Sony 262 tape recorder, circa 1962, about three years ago and just now got it working. Turns out it needed one of the tubes replaced and after somebody locally did it for me it now works flawlessly. Just got a Silvertown microphone to use with it and I have to say hearing my voice come out of such a big machine with such big spools of tape on it is probably the coolest thing I’ve ever experienced.
I actually have an Akai GX-625 in my living room. Beautiful machine. I have the alloy hub adapters on two mint condition Akai metal reels. I too, like you, have an appreciation of vintage gear and Pioneer is my first favourite. Akai made some very nice stuff too.
Having owned reel to reels since 1966 I have never thought of the 20 seconds it takes to load a tape a major inconvenience. I've spent hours trying to get a CD player to work.
I watched this video like a week ago and saw an Akai GX-620 on Craigslist right here in my city. I went and bought it today. It looks just like yours except it has an analogue time counter. It has the big 10 inch reels that match it and it came with 10 brand new 7" tapes never opened! She only wanted 10 dollars for everything.
Techmoan Did you replace any of the capacitors or resistors? I'm getting a "fuzzy" sound as I adjust the volume and I feel like the recording I'm listening to ought to be a bit better. I read that a lot of people replace the caps and resistors in this model. If everyone else had dried up caps, I bet mine has them too. What sort of maintenance have you done to yours?
natebot321 oxidized pots it turns out. Very common problem on anything with a potentiometer. I have no reference point to adjust the heads. I guess I could just make adjustments while I listen to the tape until it sounds better?
Potentiometers can be cleaned up with contact cleaner. A method that works incredibly well for scratchy pots is spraying them with WD-40. This is usually fine with low impedance solid state equipment, but can be problematic with high impedance tube equipment. When dealing with pots over 500k, bits of carbon get into the WD-40 and cause leakage paths to the case. This will cause him problems in tube radios with a floating chassis, and in tube televisions with high impedance picture controls. Generally, in transistorized equipment, though, it works wonders.
Did you started collecting these and other formats and if so what did you think? Me being an oldie at 56 lol I remember my father recording Top of the Pops in England off BBC Radio here in England in the 1970's on reel to reel machines. I got myself a refurbished 1973 AKIA 4000ds not over the top in price and quite a nice machine, good sound quality too. I also own much original 1st issue 50's and 60's records on 45's 78's and LP'S but this is after over 20 years of digging the stuff out back in the day when it was more available around junk shops etc.
Recently purchased the exact machine you have for around $500 USD. The hard part was getting the 10 inch reels and the caps to hold them..but man oh man does it sound great on some Infinity speakers. Thanks guy for all you do for the audio community!! Love from the USA!!!
I absolutely love reel to reel machines. I'm now 60yo and have had them all my life, along with a powerful amp and big speakers etc. When I noticed that reel to reel machines were starting to be discontinued, I decided to buy three new ones - Akai, OTARI and PIONEER, all with the latest tech. Direct drive, EE tape, dolby, auto reverse, digtal counters etc etc. I also kept my TEAC 3440 (Like the one shown on your video). BTW, you can play 2track/2channel recordings on those, as long as the configuration is 1-3, 2-4. Recording a brand new vinyl or even a CD onto that TEAC using all four channels enables a totally lossless playback - wonderful sound. I keep my machines well maintained and here is a tip.... only use pure alcohol to clean the heads. In Sydney, I get a small bottle of PURE alcohol from my local pharmacy. Don't use methylated spirits - especially on GX glass crystal heads.. Cheers.
Thumbs up for the Six Million Dollar Man reference! That show also had a lot old school computers with reel-to-reel tape drives. Steve Austin was always knocking them down in the bad guys' hideouts.
My Dad Has an AKAI reel to reel from the late 60s. We would play it on his Pioneer Tube Amplifier. (Sons of the Pioners and Oklahoma) Both made with all metal parts and knobs and were heavy and solid. Just turning the knobs or moving th buttons felt like quality. No plastic or clunky stuff that we have out today.
New RMGI Tapes are still manufactured by Pyral in France. The RMG tapes are almost like the old BASF/EMTEC tapes but with a lot of improvements. I'm using RMG LPR 35 on my Philips N4520 Reel-To-Reel recorder. It's of very high quality, high-bias, high-level and low noise. It sounds great. Here in Germany you can get it from a retailer called "spot4". You can get brand-new 26cm Reels with 1100 meters for about 40€.
This is the 1st youtube video I have seen that shows you exactly how to actually use it. I could never figure out where the tape should go. Thanks for a very informative video.
We use to have one of these back in the day. Dad was in the military. It was from Heidelberg, Germany. Late 60’s early 70’s we use to listen to it ALL day. I always talk about that reel to reel. People nowadays look at you like, “Reel to what?”. I was just explaining it to my 12 year old, and pulled up this vid. He thinks it is cool. Glad you posted this. Memories....
Dude, I'm 21 years old, and I would love to be listening to that stuff now. Especially, and the process about hooking things like this up is fun. It's apart of the experience. It's traditional and ritual. Kind of like caroling on Christmas. Walking around in the cold with nothing but candles doesn't seem like a lot of fun any other time of the year, but you do it for the experience. That's just me though.
No, I'm not Hipster. Don't ever fucking lump me with those fucking losers. I don't do it to impress anyone but myself. The difference between me and the Hipsters is I don't shun new stuff, I know how to blend into a crowd, and I'd rather snowshoe naked through a minefield than gauge my fucking ears. Also, I'm little bit racist.
NO hipster ever thinks he/she is a hipster. And your stereotype of hipsters is not accurate. You might be a hipster and not know it. It's ok if you are. You're not all monsters :-P Nothing wrong with loving old tech. I always did, but when I was a kid, the stuff I liked playing with was always being thrown away so I could get stuff for free for the taking.
After watching your channel for a few years now, I finally took the plunge and bought a reel to reel player. It's only the Akai 4000Ds MKII but it's my first one. So far you have cost me quite a bit in getting my sound system to how I want it. I am not complaining, thank you for an excellent and informative channel.
Thanks for doing this video. Bring back old times. I worked in Aerospace and we used a Teac A3440 for running multi-media shows. Two tracks for stereo audio program, one track for narration and one control track for the dissolve controllers (Audio Visual Laboratories (AVL)) to control the Kodak slide and movie projectors. We also used a 1/4" 8 track Fostex Model 80 recorder on some shows when we needed more tracks. That was what multi-media was back in the '70 & 80's. We had 12 slide projectors & 1 16mm movie projector and sometimes a sony video projector. Our programs were recorded and played back at 15 ips. Some of our shows were produced in Hollywood at Image Stream that made shows for Apple Computers and other companies. Wide screen with stereo sound. Nothing like showing the Space Shuttle wide screen. These tape machines could use smpte (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) time code which would sync all the equipment together. You could fast forward or rewind the reel to reel and when you went back in play mode all the equipment would sync to that point. For more on multi-media. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-image
Regards from Spain. We used to have a Pioneer RT909 my father bought it to play music in the PUB. When he closed it he "gave" it to my mother's father who did not care for it much and kept it in a beach house... where its inside and heads sort of... rusted... Then I used the typical "If I fix it, Can I keep it?" my father said yes and I kept it... I managed to fix everything just by undoing some screws, screwing them again, cleaning and lubricating, stuf... no need for new pieces. Loved to listen to Jean Michele Jarre's, "Oxygene", Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells" and that sort of music without interruptions... turning sides, etc... But it seems like this machine was doomed. Some robbers broke into the country house we had it and stole it with some other stuff.
About 5 years I bought 2 Teac 4300's restored them and brought them back to life, I have now 15 miles of recorded music , it's a great hobby love it...
i need help i found some reel to reel ii need help i found some teelQ xx tapes about the first ,,45minof assanation of jfk abc news and another of apollo 1explosion audio i really would like to find out how they r worth
Sir, I really enjoy your videos. I, myself, am a reel to reel enthusiast and analog recording lover. I have three machines, a TEAC A3340S (basically an older version of your A-3440,) an Akai 1720L, and a TEAC A1200U. I really love my TEAC A3340S, my dad bought it brand new in 1976, when he was 17, and kept it in the box for 42 years. On my 14th birthday this year, he gave it to me. The machine was absolutely mint, and it works absolutely amazing. Thankfully, my machine is a direct drive machine, but I did replace the capstan belt, as it was probably old and worn. I lubed the capstan and drive motors, and the machine is quiet as a mouse. I use 10.5" reels, and record @ 15 IPS, your standard professional recording speed. I also do multitracking for my music on it, and mix it down to another deck, then put it into my DAW, Logic Pro X. My Akai 1720L is just a consumer grade 7.5 IPS reel to reel with internal speakers, and my TEAC A1200U is a high quality home stereo 7.5 IPS deck.I also use DBX 224 type II noise reduction, I like it a lot better than Dolby, it doesn't affect the audio quality as much as Dolby does. Anyway, that about sums it up. Very nice video, again! Thanks, Ryan
What do you mean 'playing a... tape on one of these isn't a fun process' Yes it is! The requirement to involve one's self in the process is the coolest part!
I went back looking for this because your machine looks so amazing, but with the effort involved in playing music combined with the price - I’ll just have to keep admiring you machine rather than sourcing one for my own pleasure!
Great video. Did my apprenticeship (Radio & TV Mechanic) in Oz during the 1980's working for Akai P/L. Remember the old reel to reels. Think I only ever saw one GX-625 and it doesn't surprise me they are still running today. Akai made great tech in those days. You were right about the GX heads (glass) they were much less likely to ware and I think they had a lifetime guarantee. The performance of the high end R2R was better than Akia's high end cassettes at the time. It was only CD and then VHS HiFi that could offer better performance at that time (mid - late 80's). Alas Akai is no more (the name is now owned by a Singapore company that re-badge rubbish). I left the industry myself in the early 90's when I could see it was becoming a throw away industry of cheap re-badged rubbish.
I've had reel to reel tape recorders since I was 8 years old. I currently only have 3 at this time. 2 pioneers, a RT 909 and a RT707. Also a Tacam 32 for 2 track tapes and to play 15 ips tapes. I love the sound quality of the tapes I make. I used to be able to find the tapes at a low price. Now they are quite expensive. Reel to reel is my favorite format for recording. I've been using them for 48 years now. So my advice to people looking to purchase one it to find one that's been serviced and checked out by a professional.
Great video. The Teac 3440 is actually a superior reel to reel than Akai. It has the simul sync function which eliminate the play-back delay when recording. It is also a 4-channel player/recorder. It actual has front and rear channel. The 70's year surround sound, you ever heard of that?
I LOVE my A3440!!!!! And it plays factory tapes without a problem!!! I have friends in bands talking to me about recording on it. In 15 ips, of course!
havocproltd I bought my TEAC 3440 around 1980 and recorded my band with it at that time. It is 38 years later and it still works great. Can still record and the playback is just outstanding. They built these to last.
I just set mine up yesterday as an audio effect. I have my Roland JX3p going dry to my boombox and parallel with Roland VT3 (trumpet) dry signal out to amp but also parallel to a digital Lexicon then into the Akai 4000DS which records the signal (just a touch hot) then plays it back a fraction of a second later off the playback head, then onto a small PA speaker/amp. It adds track separation/slap-back like they used in the 50s onward but also doubles all the goodness from the Lexicon. Sounds great with a definite tape sound quality. So much that if I overdrive the tape and use the pitch bender it has a tape scratching type effect but in a live sound/delayed stereo kind of way. All for fifty bucks and a qtip with a drop of whisky on it to clean the tape and heads. It's true you need deep pockets if your picky for these things but realistically nobody is using them to play album collections anymore. Those old tapes are all going to sound the way an old vhs looks (fuzzy and shit). That said, they produce a very characteristic sound that can have warmer and fuller sound than you can get out of a laptop due to the way the magnetics interfere in a harmonic way. Many studios use tape as a natural compressor to bring up the bass and dial back the highs. In practice the average dude won't be able to make use of it though (especially with a halfway affordable machine). Like, really - the guy who spends $10k on a HiFi but can't name all the notes in a C major scale isn't going to magically make a master tape that sounds better than the mix that came from the studio. Most people can barely set the equalizer in their car for godsakes.
Little Girl That's the point that many make. If I ever get to produce some of my designs, modern equipment will look like this. Some manufacturers make new equipment that looks like this even now.
I have the GX -635D which is like this but has both way recording and auto reverse. It’s from 1980 and it looks like a prop for Empire Strikes Back. Love these machines.
no they dont build this kind of quality anymore as the gx-625. we can hope and wish, but now they won't. As they dont have the love for audio in China as they have in Japan.
I love this machine a lot but I have four Pioneer 707 systems that have the auto reverse feature built in. This machine is a home version of the 10 inch reel format because, it plays at just 3 and 3/4ths and 7.5. The professional versions all have a 17 mode as well. Don't get me wrong this is a lovely machine with four channels. I love the lighted switches and nixxi tube numbers as well. The other problem I have with this machine is Techmoan man is right. I have deep pockets but, not only are the parts needed for this reel to reel recorder expensive they are getting harder to find at any price even in the USA. The 5 inch reel tape recorders are easier to find and often are in better shape. IF you want all the fun of collecting old reel to reel format machines at slightly less cost, I suggest collecting reel to reel tape systems with 7 inch reels but no smaller. The best 7 inch reel to reel tape system is the Pioneer RT-707 because it is small well built. The Pioneer RT-707 is NOT the same as the RT-701. The Pioneer RT-701 is the poor step brother of the better Pioneer RT-707. The Pioneer RT-707 has an auto reverse feature that lets the tape go to the end of the media and after it finishes the Pioneer RT-707 senses a metal foil strip and reverses playing the other side of the tape without touching the reels. I'm autistic and lack Techmoans handy fix it ways. I brought 4 Pioneer RT-707 units completely rebuilt, restored and recapped by professional electronics engineers. My guys were electrical engineering perfectionists who got these old systems back spec's they delivered when brand new back in 1977. I paid $1,400 each for four, two black aluminum faced and two silver aluminum faced. I've had and been using them moderately for two years now without a lick of trouble. Techmoan is right if you want to dabble in reel to reel tape system its best if you had deep pockets with more than just lint onboard because, REEL TO REEL COLLECTING OF ANY SORT IS AN EXPENSIVE HOBBY THESE DAYS even in the 7 inch reel format! Good news 7 inch tape reels are a LOT easier to get and less expensive than the 10.5 inch reels. I must admit Techmoan got me started collecting vintage audio gear because, we might be around the same age or I am likely older than he. Either way Techmoan woke me up to collecting electronic stuff from my youth. I'm likely spent $25,000 to $35,000 on old gear now between buying it on EBay and having it professionally restored and all. I've got 8 tracks and 2 working refurbished machines to replay them. I have the 4 Pioneer RT-707 reel to reels. I have a Pioneer SX-1280. I have a Hitachi SR-2004. Soon as the epidemic is over I'll have a fully restored Sansui D-9700. Oh I have a Pioneer 950 that I will be giving away to a good home. I have linear turntables one by Sansui and 2 by Sony. I have four AKAI EA-A7 Equalizers, 3 Pioneer Expanders think of primitive 1970's surround sound. Oh and Techmoan IF you read this I have a few Pioneer PL88-FS turntables if you want one sent to you from the USA. It is yours for free and I will play the post. I saw the show you did where what you had arrived broken. Mine won't arrive broken because, I pack well. If you want it just let me know please and we can get the PO Boxes sorted. Thanks for sharing so much awesome insights with me. It's not any man who can introduce me to a hobby I spend upwards of $25,000 on. $25,000 USD is 20275.38 UK pound sterling yikes.
it will be very much expensive and a very little people will be interested i have a second hand NAGRA IV-S and a revox pr 99 mk III and they are still good working !
I bought my Teac A-3440 here in the Dallas, Texas area for $200.00 at an estate sale. It works like new. I really like recording & messing around with it. It's pretty simple to use. The analog sound on playback is great.
Enjoyed your video very much. Thank you! I purchased a TEAC A2300SR in Japan way back in 1980 and it still works like a charm. Of course, I have had it serviced several times down through the years but the service center I go to in Ghent (Belgium) has really competent technicians and, somehow, always seems to find whatever spare parts might be needed to fix it. Incredible!
How to buy an open-reel tape deck: 1. Find one that someone wants to sell. 2. Go to where it is. 3. Draw your fingernail very gently across the face of each head. If your nail catches on any head, reject the machine because the heads are worn past the point where you can lap the grooves out and you'll need new heads. It is next to impossible to get new heads for most of these machines. 4. Next, inspect the capstans. If there's a tape-width band of brown shit stuck to the capstans it's a moderate concern: it means whoever had the machine last didn't do any maintenance on it. You can get it off with capstan cleaner - NEVER ALCOHOL!!!!! If the capstans have cracks in them it usually means someone cleaned them with alcohol and ruined them. These are almost as hard to get as heads, so reject the machine. 5. Belts aren't a huge problem; you can order them online - and should as soon as you get the deck. NAB hub adapters are sold on Amazon.
I don't understand... how can a capstan crack? A capstan is made out of metal, if you are thinking of the rubber wheels, those are pinch rollers, not capstans. And also, it's a bad idea to order a belt online... I have viewed many forums, and most, if not all, recommend getting belts from the manufacturer, if it is possible.
Your #3 is incorrect. Tape heads can be lapped several times, even with very deep wear that would more than catch a fingernail. I myself have lapped heads for several machines (TEAC, Tascam, and Otari) without problem. JRF Magnetics offers tape head lapping services, as well as new heads for sale. www.jrfmagnetics.com/index.html?JRF_mainframe=/JRF_replacement_heads.html. Proof that even with significant wear, a head can easily be restored with lapping: www.orcapipe.com/AV/head_lapping/before.jpg and www.orcapipe.com/AV/head_lapping/after.jpg
jmowreader Lots of parts for certain decks available, including plenty of head stacks. They're often not an issue, aside from cost. You can often retrofit head stacks from other decks as well. I'd never reject a deck on heads alone, especially if it's a high end Studer, Skully, MCI, etc where you're gonna need a lot of parts anyway.
I was gifted a Pioneer RT-707 that was refurbished 15 years ago, put into a box and stored, with zero play time. Plus fifty plus 7.5 reels of music and ten blank NOS. I am new to vintage HI-FI, very much looking forward to playing it.
Well, if you want to go to a place where they have British sockets, drive on the left, love their tea, and probably speak better English than some parts of the UK, and yet remain within the EU, come to Malta. We've got considerably better weather, too. :)
I have the same machine myself (Akai GX625) bought it from the original owner with NAB adapters, box and instructions for £350 in 2012?. The cost comes in buying Used tapes, i paid around £12 to £15 each but i then fell lucky by finding an ex Radio presenter that had quite a few of them as used in the studio as "Safety Copies" of live broadcasts. I have around 50, 10.5in and about 10, 7in. Quality....amazing, i have owned a number of reel to reel machines since i was a teenager, the first one in 1968. and this Akai is by far the best one to date. Be wary in buying used tape as there can be problems with 'shedding oxide' and 'print through' amongst others. One of the best audio formats by far, but expensive nowadays to feed with Tapes!.
I found mine in a cupboard back at school, well the teacher gave it to me in a clear out. I was super happy. I knew what i needed at the time so just stored it in my gararge, 10 years later I get my first house I pull it out & restore it, just needed some cleaning mostly & lubeing up in places & it works, sure its only a mono one but I still love it. Shame the tapes I got the music is crap, butI can just record the trancy stuff I love on there.
A co-worker gave me one that the university we work at was getting rid of. It's amazing what a new belt and lubrication will do. The one I got was a Sony TC-105, and there's actually a series of four videos by a guy who restores one. I got mine up and running after watching his videos and now I listen to tapes I buy at estate sales.
I'm still enjoying my Teac X-2000R that I purchased in 1983 in England at RAF Lakenheath, Just had it professionally serviced after several years of being properly stored away. I had a pair of Bose 501 Series III speakers reconditioned a few months ago also. Got a Technics TT, Sony receiver, EQ and CD player as well. I even have the same Pioneer 8-Track player(with tapes) that I purchased in 1973 that you have in your video. Although I bought and sold numerous pieces of equipment over the years. I'm so glad I held onto enough of my gear to put together a pretty nice music listening-station. Which I'm thoroughly enjoying and using to go back to my "roots".
@@fdski They also have a rubber belt between the two rings that often needs replacing and three pucks that force the belt into position. Fortunately my Revox B77 came with the NAB adaptors but I still had to replace the belts and pucks which can be purchased relatively cheaply, at least in terms of open reel prices.
Dear Mr. Techmoan, i saw this video in September, now December is over us and I’m now owning a Studer REVOX A77 Mark III , a SONY TC- 640B and the keeper, SONY TC-765 ! Thanks for kicking me in the right direction and keep up your nice and professional Channel work ! P.s my wife hates You 😂 D.s Regards Magnus, Stockholm, Sweden
Over here in Poland used reel-to-reel from low to mid-range are actually rather dirty cheap (like 20$ for functional lower-end machine), used tapes are also pretty cheap tho it's probably a gamble whether you actually get a hold of something that can sound really good, I'm actually thinking about saving a bit of dosh to get a hold of one machine, even a most basic one (tho I want it to have stereo) to get into it and see how it really is. From what I heard reel-to-reel tends to be superb to casettes and lately I've restored a Loewe 3820 boombox and upgraded the speakers in it and even tho it doesn't have Dolby-NR or even metal tapes function I still find the quality of it to be pretty good and I'm 22, Iunno call me low-standard or somethin' but I think it's at very least decent enough to use on daily basis, even without any fancy functions or equalizers or Loudness or Bass Boost, it's alright to me.
For $20 you can get something like M2405S, "Aria"or"Dama Pik"(Wich is just M2405S without poweramp and speakers). But I can't really say any good thing about those machines... I mean all polish "UNITRA" branded tape recorders were driven by just AC motor(!)(Of course we had "Koncert" but it was on REVOX license). And EVERY polish tape that I EVER had (reel-to-reel or casette) after all those years just falls apart... But the real problem is... they dont have any real value.
CRTBeam I did buy Telefunken 430 for 5$ since that comment, tho I'm in poor financial situation right now and I'm putting off buying reels (got none) so I can't tell anything about it other than "it seems to work BUT it's lacking a sprocket that holds left reel in place", I'll have to fix that somehow.
CRTBeam Well, 'cause you didn't say that you speak polish and those comments are for video in english language and vast majority of people who watched it speak english and they might find this information useful in some way, also my initial comment was in english and so was your reply, I see no reason why we shouldn't reply in english and keep it consistent.
I have over a dozen RTR’s and you are so correct. You better have some serious “disposable income. I even have a rare Sansui 7000 series unit. This is a self contained unit with internal preamp and amp units built in. It also have internal speakers on both sides. There are brushed aluminum doors over the speaker covers that can be opened at a 45 degree angle to channel the sound forward. It is also a bi-directional recording and playback unit. It truly a thing of beauty with the oil rubbed wood case.
Something about this - even though this is "old" technology it and other stereo systems from the 1970s is actually more advanced technology wise than any digital stereo system available today. These old systems were made better, had better quality control and good quality material compared to what is made in China today. We actually - it seems to me - went backwards in technology at the same time we advanced in technology.
+MarvelDcImage If you want good quality audio gear, you can purchase it from a number of boutique companies or high end divisions of large mainstream companies. Be prepared to pay more for the higher quality. Remember, two hundred dollars in 1975 was more like a thousand dollars today. So, the two hundred dollar receiver or amplifier from 1975 was really more like a two thousand dollar receiver or amplifier today. One can purchase a very high quality US made component such as an amplifier, preamplifier, speakers, CD player, turntable, etcetera for one or two thousand dollars. If you are willing to pay more, the performance and build quality gets even better. Just remember to give equipment a serious audition before you make any purchases. Trust your own ears. Ask if you can try components at home before making your purchases final. There are a number of online forums and magazines as well as printed material which will help you to find the gear you are looking for.
MarvelDcImage Thanks! Corrected! In audio land, since large manufacturers are not making as much high end gear, one has to rely on smaller boutique companies which are limited by economies of scale. So, your 200 dollar receiver from 1975 would cost about 1000 dollars today, but the technology today is better so you would still get better sound. Also, full function receivers and integrated amps with good phono sections are not very common in the high performance category today. There are a few out there plus there are plenty of vintage components from the 70s and 80s. There were also plenty of components made in the 70s and 80s which were not so good. These did not survive very long so we only see the good ones today. This colors our perception of vintage gear. Generally, the best components from the 70s and 80s were made by small to medium sized specialty companies, just like today.
+Americus Patrioticus Even though the era of the 70s and 80s is before my time - certainly before I was able to have the money for these - I still feel there s a whole universe of audio consumer goods that seem to me to be well made with high quality control - more so than I am seeing now. This was the era of made in Japan or Germany or USA and no made in China.
MarvelDcImage Up until the early 1990s, high end audio was much more popular. a large portion of college students took a fairly substantial audio system with them from home, along with a large record collection. Along with clothing and study materials, a student would pack a receiver or separate electronics, a tape deck, turntable, and speakers which were typically about one or two cubic feet in volume. In the case of US college students, the receiver or separates were made typically by one of the Japanese giants such as Sony, Technics, Aiwa, Toshiba, Mitsubishi, Denon, Sansui, Kenwood, or by US companies Such as Radio Shack (Realistic brand), NAD, Hafler, Adcom, GAS, Heathkit, Dynaco, Harmon Kardon, Fisher, GE, RCA, and more. The Turntable would be made by AR, Thorens, B&O, Garard, Dual, or one of the above brands. The speakers were made by one of literally hundreds if not thousands of brands, including the above plus greats such as ADS, Altec, B&O, Bozack, Celestion, Dalquist, Klipsch, Infinity, KEF, JBL, Warfdale, Thiel, Polk, Shahanian, Vandersteen and many others. Until the early 1990s, there were many audio dealers who sold a wide variety of equipment. One could visit a typical small dealer which would carry a decent variety of equipment and display it in a variety of sound rooms and demo shelves throughout the store. Large chains such as Sam Goody, Tech Hi Fi, assorted department stores and electronics chains carried and displayed a huge variety of audio gear for customer audition. These stores offered a variety of service from excellent to mediocre. The better dealers carried at least ten to twenty models of components in each category, serviced what they sold, and had knowledgeable sales staff who were genuinely interested in seeing the customer purchaser an excellent sound system. The dealers usually had facilities for comparing components in direct comparisons. Towards the end of the 1980s and into the early 1990s, a trend began to take shape which totally altered the audio landscape. A number of companies began to make very expensive, exotic, and sometimes very high performance gear aimed at wealthy audiophiles. Buzz words such as "esoteric" and "reference standard" became common descriptions of gear which commanded very high prices and tended to have low family acceptance factors. The trend became worse right up to the present day. To make matters worse, manufacturers began popping up which made very expensive tweaks such as very pricey cables, power cords, and many other items which did not endear themselves to the normal audio buying public. Dealers sold these tweaks as if they were as important as basic components. By the end of the 1990s, most of the big chains had either gone out of business or morphed into home theater installers. Small dealers either adapted to the change or went under. Home theater became the new fad. The customer base also shifted from music lovers to video lovers. The true music lover was replaced by the wealthy homeowner who wanted a theater room which was usually designed by a combination of an interior designer and a home theater installer. Home automation became more important than the performance of the A/V system. Dealers continued to change and usually for the worse. Dealers discovered that they could sell systems for tens of thousands of dollars to wealthy clients by advertising multi room home theater and home automation as one system. Showrooms became almost non existent. The wealthy clients were more interested in the features and the ability of the system to be hidden than in the audio performance of the system. The war on the middle class has not helped the cause of high performance audio, either. People who once would have thought nothing of purchasing a decent sound system are now lucky if they can even own a smart phone and a pair of cheap headphones. Dealer attitudes don't help much either. A dealer willing to give reasonable time and assistance to a person with less than ten thousand dollars to spend on a system is all too rare today. Internet dealers have also killed the brick and mortar dealers and their extensive showrooms. Why would anyone want to spend top dollar at a store whose staff don't care to help the customer when one can buy the same equipment online for less? This whole set of changes has conspired to turn consumer high end audio into what it is today. There is some hope for a change for the better. The economy has improved a bit. There is a resurgence of the vinyl record. A segment of the population is coming to realize that one cannot get the same sound from tiny cube sized speakers as one can from a nice furniture sized enclosure. There are still some dealers who are genuinely interested in seeing a customer leave their facility with a great sounding, quality built sound system. Music lovers are pushing back at family members and their interior designers for their right to have good music. There are still some of the old companies left who make excellent gear. There are new companies who also make good gear, some of which is affordable. And much of it is made in the USA. There are even some brands from China which offer good quality. For a few thousand dollars, one can buy a very decent audio system indeed.
I enjoyed your video, and love your fact that you are not an expert. Thank you for your candor. So many so called experts on TH-cam. I have about 50 years of audio experience. Started when I was 5 years old. Fell in love with my Dads Akai 3 motor 3 head Reel to Reel with tubed input/output stage. I was hooked. Forget toys, I wanted audio, and music. So in my time to now I have had allot of Reel to Reels and Cassette Decks. Some notable models would be the Tascam 52B Omega Loop 2 track, th-cam.com/video/8AT0zBftztk/w-d-xo.html for the sample. Audio is fine, video quality is okay. I had an Otari MX-5050 mk.2, too many Teacs to count, a Technics Isoloop 1506US, and I must say I miss the Reel to Reel life, just not the cost, no thank you! I noticed you said you couldn't play albums correctly on your Teac A-3340. I believe you can as each Stereo pair is 1,3 and 2,4 tracks respectively. So employing the appropriate monitoring Switches on the front panel, you should be good. As for the Solenoid for your brakes. Check the Solenoid body cylinder where the plunger rides in. It gets gummed up after years of use. Also check the Solenoid plunger for wear of the black coating as burrs could cause intermittent binding causing your brakes, not to operate properly. Also tape lift as you pointed out stick as a result of Teac/Tascam in the day using a Wax Paraffin based lubricant, when the lube goes the gumming up begins. Also non use will cause them to stick too. I used a nice synthetic, problem resolved. I am a huge fan of Akai as their GX heads are amazing. The 747 dbx type 1 unit is to die for in the consumer world. Revox/Studer and Nagra are amazing if you do Reel to Reel only once in your life. Teac still has pretty good support, though everything is moving digital these days. If you are going to stick with one kind of tape. Have your machine aligned or "biased" to that tape for ultimate performance. It costs enough, why not get the most out of it, right? Again, enjoyed your video. Cheers.
I feel for those Technics guys. At some point Panasonic literally threw away millions of dollars of parts including pretty much everything for those gorgeous Isoloop machines.
You say it's not fun to spool one of these things up, but I'm sure that it's a part of the charm to a lot of tape enthusiasts out there. I really enjoy playing vinyl records, lowering and raising the tonearm, switching the platter speed from 33 to 45RPM etc etc... the mechanical ritual is fascinating to me.
I do appreciate the inconvenience of an analogue medium, it makes me listen to a whole recording without skipping any tracks. However when it needs the reels swapping over every 20 mins it can take it a bit too far. I much prefer sticking a big reel on. That's why each-way play/record is an important factor to consider when choosing a machine.
I bought a Realistic TR-3000 (made by TEAC) to playback the recordings I made when I worked in radio as a DJ. The machine works great but it's only a 7" deck but I have two nice metal takeup reels from Radio Shack to mount on it. I have made music compilations with for just listening or parties.
I have to tell you I have been working with both the TEAC 3340 and 3440. The confusion about the tracks is simple. On stereo tapes side 1 is 1 and 3. Flip the tape same tracks. They are is the same place as your normal stereo quarter inch 4 track.
NO SHIT!!!!! i'm a martini drinker and maybe even the occasional bud, and it truly does!!! I just stand there saying, "what the fuck"!!! " This wasn't as hard when the sun was up"! I'm not sure which is harder, my x2000r or my 909 - and both of those have auto reverse!!!
Interesting. I'll try that tonight. It took me a few days of screwing around with my '79 Akai before I figured out how the tape is supposed to be fed through the thing. I have the manual but didn't find that particular info in there; they must have assumed 'everybody' would know, at that time, that the heads come down onto the tape and you don't spool the tape directly across them, to avoid horrific noise during fast-winding.
Don't worry too much because the people who do care will find it. I'm 26 and my entire business is mostly surrounded with classic electronics in mind. You should see the crazy stuff that somehow fits under business expense tax write offs but legitimately is.
Someone may have already mentioned this, but in case it gets lost in the comments here, its worth it to mention that while most semi-pro / consumer machines like this AKAI will play 4 channel stereo for both sides of the tape, some machines are configured different. My Revox A-77 is configured to play and record only 2 track stereo (one half the tape width for left, and the other for the right). This means that I have no side 2 on the tape (unless I want to listen to the whole thing backwards). My machine was primarily for use in radio stations to play pre-recorded broadcast content, but some A-77 models are configured for 4 track stereo, and are labeled as such. My machine would be used to rewind a tape, play it once through and then that tape would be removed and stored as "tails out". Also, playing a 5 or 7 inch reel originally recorded on a mono machine (one half of tape per side), may produce weird playback results on a machine such as this AKAI (half the program forward, the other half backward at the same time), unless the controls are set to play back mono recordings. I love the old RTR decks, and portables, at last count, I had almost 30 machines, everything from mini 2" reel up to the 10.5: Revox. Yes, its a disease, and I need help. Thanks Techmoan for the videos!
I've got to hand it to you, excellent intro to R2R. I'm in my mid-fifties and when I was a kid my dad had a huge, supposedly portable, mono Pentron brand R2R. It hooked me. Later we got a small 5" portable, I believe the brand was ROSS. In 1968 my dad and me went to the local armory where a band called Ross Gaglianno & The Rockin' Rebellions were giving a dance. We recorded it on that little portable and sent it to Switzerland where my sister was on a foreign exchange senior year program. I have fond memories of R2R tape machines. My last one was a AKAI i chunked when it went south in 1983 along with my TEAC outboard AN-60 Dolby B unit and all tapes. I could kick myself...especially after watching your fine video! There's no more audio fun, or sometimes aggravation, that one can have with a R2R machine. Hearing the music while seeing the moving reels is simply something beyond explanation.
You mentioned that this machine wouldn't allow playback of pre-recorded tapes. If they are standard quarter track four track tapes it will play them back. Just make sure you're selecting tracks 1 and 3 and make sure tracks 2 and 4 are off. I have an earlier version of this machine the A 3340s where the meters are lined up in a square rather than a line from left to right, but the functionality is exactly the same. You can't help but love reel-to-reels!
I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoy your video's. I especially enjoy your reviews of retro stereo equipment. I can't tell you how many times I've said " I had one of those ". Keep up the good work.
Hi Techmoan, I've been following you for years, and I'm one of your subscribers. Last Saturday I was given a reel-to-reel tape recorder, a Teac A3440, in perfect working order. It has been completely overhauled by the official Teac assistance center in Rome. The funny thing is that in one of your acronyms, we see this Teac. Reel-to-reel tape recorders are beautiful machines. They are beautiful but very delicate, and it is rare to find one in perfect working order after more than 40 years. Bye, take care.
As a retailer of such recorders in the late 70s you could infact buy the 10.5 inch tape spools with both NAB or standard fixing.Standard were in fact cheaper and did not need the NAB addaptors. The NABs did look the part however!!
At scool when i was 14 , the english lessons where played on reel to reel machines , with Jamo external speakers plugged on them ....good ole time at school !
Good advice from this channel, as always. Also good to check for head wear, and ask the previous owner when the last calibration was done, and to what tape it was set. If they don't know, pass on it or talk them down.
I loved my TEAC A3340S four channel, which I used throughout the 80s to assemble my soundtracks for my Super8 films. Having seen your video I wish I hadn't sold it in mid 1990.
Just went to a local antique store and got a reel to reel today! 19 bucks all said and done! Seems to work fine. I don’t know if it’s nice or anything but it’s cool for sure
i secured myself a gorgeus fully working Teac A-3300 and i load it with 10,5" and it plays and records very nice. I tried recording the same song from vinyl record and from digital and the first recording was outstanding. Not that the digital one is bad per se, but i liked analogic one the most. Reel to reel are beautiful pieces of machinery.
I still have my AKAI GX-630D that I bought back in the late 70's. It still looks as good as new. I just powered it up. No sound ????? The last thing I had done about a year ago was give it a cleaning. When I put the reels back on, I without knowing it, set it up such that the blank unused side of the reel was being used. That's why there was no sound. So I removed the reels and flipped them over to the other side. Bingo, Bruce Springsteen came to life. Holy cow, it sounds the same as I recorded it way back in the late 80's. I can't believe that it's still so good 30 years later. ...... Just got to Rosanne Cash - Seven Year Ache too. Wow, its been a long time.
I have a 12" reel to reel. I loved it and it sounded much better than CD's. Recording new Albums on the tapes was great before they got to snap crackle and pop. I recorder the whole Robin Trower collection on tape and it sound wonderful. Caught a buzz and layed back in the recliner and drifted away. Not everything modern is as good as old tech. Though I love this machine I will never shell out the kind of money they want these days. Now days to achieve great sound is to get a really good DAC.
Seeing those tape specs is just mind blowing. At the studio I work at we have an old Studer 1/2" master tape machine, and I have a few blank reels of Ampex 456 tape. The least I record the master buss to from the console or converters is 15 IPS, and 30 IPS ideally. Couldn't imagine listening or recording at such low tape speeds as 7.5 IPS or 3.25 IPS.
Kyle Conklin you’d be surprised at the frequency response of a calibrated deck at 7.5ips. It’s not that uncommon on a deck with new or relapped heads to go to 20kHz +/-1dB, or even past that. Glass heads will go past 20kHz, and so will amorphous heads. The real improvement going from 1/4t @ 7.5ips to 1/2t @ 15ips is wow and flutter, as well as dynamic range, and noise floor. The frequency response is more linear as well at 15 or 30ips. 1/2t @ 15ips is the studio mastering standard and has been for decades.
Back in the 1960s, I had an Akai X360-D that I loved. It had auto reverse and a bias head (they called it a cross-field head) that allegedly prevented any attenuation of higher frequencies. The quality of sound that thing produced was phenomenal. I'm seeing they're quite reasonable on Ebay now. Thinking . . . thinking . . .
Three heads also allow you to EQ you recording. I did this with my cassette recorder switching back and forth between the source and the tape in order to compensate for the tape's frequency response. When I got things adjusted reasonably close, I would erase the tape and then start recording.
Hi, all good. Nice finding someone like me who likes the older formats. On the other hand you can't beet the ease and simplicity of a cd versus vinyl. I always love your spots no matter the subject. I just finished watching your vid on the Marantz audio/video receiver ( ? ) . Home stereo has certainly come a long way since the 1970's and 80's when I dabbled. Personally I can think of nothing I would like to get my hands on more than a Studer Revox Pro II or III . It had a led digital time, distance display. Now couple that with a optical display / eq like my Audio Control 101 eq, or the display you have, and you were set. I love hearing you talk about the unpopular formats of audio / video that have fallen by the wayside for what ever reason. As always, thanks.
Excellent info! The only comment I have is regarding glass heads. Although they do have a longer life than metal, the disadvantage is that when they do finally wear out, they give no warning. In other words, with metal heads it's easy to monitor the wear, and hence the point at which they'll stop sounding good. Glass heads give little or no visual indication of wear as they age, so it's trickier to tell when they're going bad.
This guy is great! I majored in electronics in the 60's and connected every wire in four 24-track analog recording studios in L.A. so I appreciate someone who clearly knows what he is doing and explains with a patient voice. Of course, I have heard it said many times that us Americans, when hearing an English accent, believe this person is way smarter (this guy really is) than the usual bloated sack of protoplasm. ;~)
I have the Pioneer RT 909, a Sony 4 track (speeds 7.5 ips, and 15 ips), a Sony 2 track mix down deck also same speeds. I use these in conjunction with DBX noise suppression, and the sound quality is superb. Sans SACD or DTS5.1 discs, these beat CDs to bits, even recording mix tapes. For easier transport, I’ll use my Sony 3500 pro DAT machine, and just play or record on it. I purchased the 909 in 1982, never any problem. Purchased the DAT machine new in 1990. SOny 4 track in 1983 for a home demo studio. I even still use my Sony Mobile ES minidisc player in one of the cars, Sony Minidiscman, and Sony pre Minidisc mahine in the home theatre setup. Don’t know why that never caught on on this side of the pond.
In the late 60's my brother shipped over a whole stereo set-up like most G.I.s did, from Vietnam. I had his Akai reel to reel machine all to myself for quite a while as he finished his tour. This Akai deck would run at 1 7/8 ips as well as 3 3/4 and 7 1/5 ips. Living in So. Calif. I'd record 7" reels at 1 7/8 ips with nothing but Wolfman Jack night time radio and music, then mail those to him. I was quite the hero as they'd play those on the camp P.A. system over and over. Reel to reel is fun stuff!!
Wolfman jack tapes sent to your bro in nam?! NICE!!! there's a special place in stereo and brother heaven for you!!! Hope your brother got home safe.
My dad has a TEAC reel-to-reel he picked up during his tour as well.
Cool story
I am on my fourth AKAI. Love playing the hundreds of tapes.
Hello brother !!! We have the same hobby
th-cam.com/video/bNlYws0No0M/w-d-xo.html
A few things to mention. (PLEASE EXPAND THIS COMMENT)
1) I didn't really go into the sound quality sufficiently in the video. Of course it will vary depending on your machine, tape, source etc....but at 7.5 ips, I really can't tell which is a CD and which is tape (but then again I've got 40-odd year old ears).
2) Make sure you click on SHOW MORE in the video description. There's a link to my blog in there and on the blog there are a number of really useful reel-to-reel links that I've bookmarked over the years.
3) I am aware that I spelt the word 'Apparently' wrong in the video - it's a typo.
Double Decker Fridgeman It's one of my numerous medical conditions. I was at the hospital today trying to get it sorted.
***** The doctors keep telling me the air quality is very poor in this area....but it's not like I have a choice of where I breathe.
richandiben Thanks, I'll give it a look. There are some really interesting little documentaries on youtube.
+Tottoko Hamutarou Lapis and Hamtaro Well it's also how pretty much every album till the mid 90s was recorded... And some still are today (including Stadium Arcadium for example)
Awesome video! I doubt anybody will see this but I’m 16 years old and got a Sony 262 tape recorder, circa 1962, about three years ago and just now got it working. Turns out it needed one of the tubes replaced and after somebody locally did it for me it now works flawlessly. Just got a Silvertown microphone to use with it and I have to say hearing my voice come out of such a big machine with such big spools of tape on it is probably the coolest thing I’ve ever experienced.
I actually have an Akai GX-625 in my living room. Beautiful machine. I have the alloy hub adapters on two mint condition Akai metal reels.
I too, like you, have an appreciation of vintage gear and Pioneer is my first favourite.
Akai made some very nice stuff too.
Having owned reel to reels since 1966 I have never thought of the 20 seconds it takes to load a tape a major inconvenience. I've spent hours trying to get a CD player to work.
Because of the perverted pleasures you introduce to impressionable minds...I now own a Teac X-1000R and am enjoying the heck out of it!
youbecha64
same boat, just bought a Tascam 58 1/2" 8-track reel-to-reel
I watched this video like a week ago and saw an Akai GX-620 on Craigslist right here in my city. I went and bought it today. It looks just like yours except it has an analogue time counter. It has the big 10 inch reels that match it and it came with 10 brand new 7" tapes never opened! She only wanted 10 dollars for everything.
digitalblasphemy1100 that's a great deal. You've got something that's great to play with and will also make an excellent talking point. Have fun.
Techmoan Did you replace any of the capacitors or resistors? I'm getting a "fuzzy" sound as I adjust the volume and I feel like the recording I'm listening to ought to be a bit better. I read that a lot of people replace the caps and resistors in this model. If everyone else had dried up caps, I bet mine has them too.
What sort of maintenance have you done to yours?
digitalblasphemy1100 as you adjust the volume? I'm certainly no expert at all in reel to reel, but have you adjusted the azimuth of the heads?
natebot321 oxidized pots it turns out. Very common problem on anything with a potentiometer. I have no reference point to adjust the heads. I guess I could just make adjustments while I listen to the tape until it sounds better?
Potentiometers can be cleaned up with contact cleaner. A method that works incredibly well for scratchy pots is spraying them with WD-40. This is usually fine with low impedance solid state equipment, but can be problematic with high impedance tube equipment. When dealing with pots over 500k, bits of carbon get into the WD-40 and cause leakage paths to the case. This will cause him problems in tube radios with a floating chassis, and in tube televisions with high impedance picture controls. Generally, in transistorized equipment, though, it works wonders.
I may only be 21 years old and never had this in my life but i would love to start collecting for these along with other music formats.
Did you started collecting these and other formats and if so what did you think? Me being an oldie at 56 lol I remember my father recording Top of the Pops in England off BBC Radio here in England in the 1970's on reel to reel machines. I got myself a refurbished 1973 AKIA 4000ds not over the top in price and quite a nice machine, good sound quality too. I also own much original 1st issue 50's and 60's records on 45's 78's and LP'S but this is after over 20 years of digging the stuff out back in the day when it was more available around junk shops etc.
Recently purchased the exact machine you have for around $500 USD. The hard part was getting the 10 inch reels and the caps to hold them..but man oh man does it sound great on some Infinity speakers. Thanks guy for all you do for the audio community!! Love from the USA!!!
I absolutely love reel to reel machines. I'm now 60yo and have had them all my life, along with a powerful amp and big speakers etc. When I noticed that reel to reel machines were starting to be discontinued, I decided to buy three new ones - Akai, OTARI and PIONEER, all with the latest tech. Direct drive, EE tape, dolby, auto reverse, digtal counters etc etc. I also kept my TEAC 3440 (Like the one shown on your video). BTW, you can play 2track/2channel recordings on those, as long as the configuration is 1-3, 2-4. Recording a brand new vinyl or even a CD onto that TEAC using all four channels enables a totally lossless playback - wonderful sound. I keep my machines well maintained and here is a tip.... only use pure alcohol to clean the heads. In Sydney, I get a small bottle of PURE alcohol from my local pharmacy. Don't use methylated spirits - especially on GX glass crystal heads.. Cheers.
Thumbs up for the Six Million Dollar Man reference! That show also had a lot old school computers with reel-to-reel tape drives. Steve Austin was always knocking them down in the bad guys' hideouts.
My Dad Has an AKAI reel to reel from the late 60s. We would play it on his Pioneer Tube Amplifier. (Sons of the Pioners and Oklahoma) Both made with all metal parts and knobs and were heavy and solid. Just turning the knobs or moving th buttons felt like quality. No plastic or clunky stuff that we have out today.
New RMGI Tapes are still manufactured by Pyral in France. The RMG tapes are almost like the old BASF/EMTEC tapes but with a lot of improvements. I'm using RMG LPR 35 on my Philips N4520 Reel-To-Reel recorder. It's of very high quality, high-bias, high-level and low noise. It sounds great. Here in Germany you can get it from a retailer called "spot4". You can get brand-new 26cm Reels with 1100 meters for about 40€.
I have four reels of EMTECH tape and that stuff sounds astonishing.
Thom Osburn good stuff!
40 euro? funny one, double it. and its crap compared to Maxell tape. even the 40 year old ones.
I've got very deep pockets, unfortunately, they're full of lint!
Steve Jundt i feel ya
Mine has moths.
Thats a big LOL from the fostex camp! Great one liner
I have about a half dozen TEAC’S in my collection with the largest being an A6010S.
LOL
3 mins in "man i want one!" 11 mins in "nevermind"
This is the 1st youtube video I have seen that shows you exactly how to actually use it. I could never figure out where the tape should go. Thanks for a very informative video.
Reel-y good advice.
someone had to say it and you were the chosen one
We use to have one of these back in the day. Dad was in the military. It was from Heidelberg, Germany. Late 60’s early 70’s we use to listen to it ALL day. I always talk about that reel to reel. People nowadays look at you like, “Reel to what?”. I was just explaining it to my 12 year old, and pulled up this vid. He thinks it is cool. Glad you posted this. Memories....
Dude, I'm 21 years old, and I would love to be listening to that stuff now. Especially, and the process about hooking things like this up is fun. It's apart of the experience. It's traditional and ritual. Kind of like caroling on Christmas. Walking around in the cold with nothing but candles doesn't seem like a lot of fun any other time of the year, but you do it for the experience. That's just me though.
Hipster...
No, I'm not Hipster. Don't ever fucking lump me with those fucking losers. I don't do it to impress anyone but myself. The difference between me and the Hipsters is I don't shun new stuff, I know how to blend into a crowd, and I'd rather snowshoe naked through a minefield than gauge my fucking ears. Also, I'm little bit racist.
It was just a joke dude pls...
+michaelbianchi22 oh god
NO hipster ever thinks he/she is a hipster. And your stereotype of hipsters is not accurate. You might be a hipster and not know it. It's ok if you are. You're not all monsters :-P
Nothing wrong with loving old tech. I always did, but when I was a kid, the stuff I liked playing with was always being thrown away so I could get stuff for free for the taking.
After watching your channel for a few years now, I finally took the plunge and bought a reel to reel player. It's only the Akai 4000Ds MKII but it's my first one. So far you have cost me quite a bit in getting my sound system to how I want it. I am not complaining, thank you for an excellent and informative channel.
Thanks for doing this video. Bring back old times. I worked in Aerospace and we used a Teac A3440 for running multi-media shows. Two tracks for stereo audio program, one track for narration and one control track for the dissolve controllers (Audio Visual Laboratories (AVL)) to control the Kodak slide and movie projectors. We also used a 1/4" 8 track Fostex Model 80 recorder on some shows when we needed more tracks. That was what multi-media was back in the '70 & 80's. We had 12 slide projectors & 1 16mm movie projector and sometimes a sony video projector. Our programs were recorded and played back at 15 ips. Some of our shows were produced in Hollywood at Image Stream that made shows for Apple Computers and other companies. Wide screen with stereo sound. Nothing like showing the Space Shuttle wide screen. These tape machines could use smpte (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) time code which would sync all the equipment together. You could fast forward or rewind the reel to reel and when you went back in play mode all the equipment would sync to that point. For more on multi-media.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-image
Now THAT'S cool! Far more interesting to me than some geek crouched over a laptop.
Regards from Spain.
We used to have a Pioneer RT909 my father bought it to play music in the PUB. When he closed it he "gave" it to my mother's father who did not care for it much and kept it in a beach house... where its inside and heads sort of... rusted... Then I used the typical "If I fix it, Can I keep it?" my father said yes and I kept it... I managed to fix everything just by undoing some screws, screwing them again, cleaning and lubricating, stuf... no need for new pieces.
Loved to listen to Jean Michele Jarre's, "Oxygene", Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells" and that sort of music without interruptions... turning sides, etc...
But it seems like this machine was doomed. Some robbers broke into the country house we had it and stole it with some other stuff.
"Long Winded Process?" Quality comes at a price & that's part of the beauty of owning a nice Reel or a TT!
.
My dad has like 14 of the 10 inch ones and I can sit there for hours and just watch it go I love the reel to reel
I just pulled my father's Akai GX-210D out of the attic and have begun the resto process....THANKS Techmoan
WOW! That was my previous machine!!!!!!! Loved it.
About 5 years I bought 2 Teac 4300's restored them and brought them back to life, I have now 15 miles of recorded music , it's a great hobby love it...
I have one! Bought it to play old recordings from the 60's of my father and his grandparents. Lovely machines!
i need help i found some reel to reel ii need help i found some teelQ xx tapes about the first ,,45minof assanation of jfk abc news and another of apollo 1explosion audio i really would like to find out how they r worth
Sir, I really enjoy your videos. I, myself, am a reel to reel enthusiast and analog recording lover. I have three machines, a TEAC A3340S (basically an older version of your A-3440,) an Akai 1720L, and a TEAC A1200U. I really love my TEAC A3340S, my dad bought it brand new in 1976, when he was 17, and kept it in the box for 42 years. On my 14th birthday this year, he gave it to me. The machine was absolutely mint, and it works absolutely amazing. Thankfully, my machine is a direct drive machine, but I did replace the capstan belt, as it was probably old and worn. I lubed the capstan and drive motors, and the machine is quiet as a mouse. I use 10.5" reels, and record @ 15 IPS, your standard professional recording speed. I also do multitracking for my music on it, and mix it down to another deck, then put it into my DAW, Logic Pro X. My Akai 1720L is just a consumer grade 7.5 IPS reel to reel with internal speakers, and my TEAC A1200U is a high quality home stereo 7.5 IPS deck.I also use DBX 224 type II noise reduction, I like it a lot better than Dolby, it doesn't affect the audio quality as much as Dolby does. Anyway, that about sums it up. Very nice video, again! Thanks, Ryan
Ryan Downing , , That is a very nice set up , , congratulations , , !
What do you mean 'playing a... tape on one of these isn't a fun process' Yes it is! The requirement to involve one's self in the process is the coolest part!
I went back looking for this because your machine looks so amazing, but with the effort involved in playing music combined with the price - I’ll just have to keep admiring you machine rather than sourcing one for my own pleasure!
Great video.
Did my apprenticeship (Radio & TV Mechanic) in Oz during the 1980's working for Akai P/L.
Remember the old reel to reels. Think I only ever saw one GX-625 and it doesn't surprise me they are still running today. Akai made great tech in those days. You were right about the GX heads (glass) they were much less likely to ware and I think they had a lifetime guarantee. The performance of the high end R2R was better than Akia's high end cassettes at the time. It was only CD and then VHS HiFi that could offer better performance at that time (mid - late 80's).
Alas Akai is no more (the name is now owned by a Singapore company that re-badge rubbish).
I left the industry myself in the early 90's when I could see it was becoming a throw away industry of cheap re-badged rubbish.
I left the electronic repair business in the late 1990s for the same reason.
I've had reel to reel tape recorders since I was 8 years old. I currently only have 3 at this time. 2 pioneers, a RT 909 and a RT707. Also a Tacam 32 for 2 track tapes and to play 15 ips tapes. I love the sound quality of the tapes I make. I used to be able to find the tapes at a low price. Now they are quite expensive. Reel to reel is my favorite format for recording. I've been using them for 48 years now. So my advice to people looking to purchase one it to find one that's been serviced and checked out by a professional.
Great video. The Teac 3440 is actually a superior reel to reel than Akai. It has the simul sync function which eliminate the play-back delay when recording. It is also a 4-channel player/recorder. It actual has front and rear channel. The 70's year surround sound, you ever heard of that?
I LOVE my A3440!!!!! And it plays factory tapes without a problem!!! I have friends in bands talking to me about recording on it. In 15 ips, of course!
havocproltd I bought my TEAC 3440 around 1980 and recorded my band with it at that time. It is 38 years later and it still works great. Can still record and the playback is just outstanding. They built these to last.
I just set mine up yesterday as an audio effect. I have my Roland JX3p going dry to my boombox and parallel with Roland VT3 (trumpet) dry signal out to amp but also parallel to a digital Lexicon then into the Akai 4000DS which records the signal (just a touch hot) then plays it back a fraction of a second later off the playback head, then onto a small PA speaker/amp. It adds track separation/slap-back like they used in the 50s onward but also doubles all the goodness from the Lexicon. Sounds great with a definite tape sound quality. So much that if I overdrive the tape and use the pitch bender it has a tape scratching type effect but in a live sound/delayed stereo kind of way. All for fifty bucks and a qtip with a drop of whisky on it to clean the tape and heads. It's true you need deep pockets if your picky for these things but realistically nobody is using them to play album collections anymore. Those old tapes are all going to sound the way an old vhs looks (fuzzy and shit). That said, they produce a very characteristic sound that can have warmer and fuller sound than you can get out of a laptop due to the way the magnetics interfere in a harmonic way. Many studios use tape as a natural compressor to bring up the bass and dial back the highs. In practice the average dude won't be able to make use of it though (especially with a halfway affordable machine). Like, really - the guy who spends $10k on a HiFi but can't name all the notes in a C major scale isn't going to magically make a master tape that sounds better than the mix that came from the studio. Most people can barely set the equalizer in their car for godsakes.
Wow, that Akai is 70's? Looks far nicer then modern audio stuff imo.
Little Girl That's the point that many make. If I ever get to produce some of my designs, modern equipment will look like this. Some manufacturers make new equipment that looks like this even now.
I have the GX -635D which is like this but has both way recording and auto reverse. It’s from 1980 and it looks like a prop for Empire Strikes Back. Love these machines.
no they dont build this kind of quality anymore as the gx-625. we can hope and wish, but now they won't. As they dont have the love for audio in China as they have in Japan.
Indie
Yes litle girl, the akai is great '' in 1972 speakers jet stream sistem'' :0
I don't agreed with many of your comments, BUT, this is a very well done video. Stop worrying about 'looks' and just enjoy the machines.
oh c'mon!!! it's got to LOOK good, too!
enjoyed the video, I myself am the proud owner of a RT707 :)
I have just purchased an Akai 4000 ds and I’m really impressed with the sound quality it is so much better than a cassette with Dolby S .
I have one I found at school years ago, still need to power it up, don't have any reels for it though. Retro equipment is the best.
I love this machine a lot but I have four Pioneer 707 systems that have the auto reverse feature built in. This machine is a home version of the 10 inch reel format because, it plays at just 3 and 3/4ths and 7.5. The professional versions all have a 17 mode as well. Don't get me wrong this is a lovely machine with four channels. I love the lighted switches and nixxi tube numbers as well. The other problem I have with this machine is Techmoan man is right. I have deep pockets but, not only are the parts needed for this reel to reel recorder expensive they are getting harder to find at any price even in the USA. The 5 inch reel tape recorders are easier to find and often are in better shape.
IF you want all the fun of collecting old reel to reel format machines at slightly less cost, I suggest collecting reel to reel tape systems with 7 inch reels but no smaller. The best 7 inch reel to reel tape system is the Pioneer RT-707 because it is small well built. The Pioneer RT-707 is NOT the same as the RT-701. The Pioneer RT-701 is the poor step brother of the better Pioneer RT-707. The Pioneer RT-707 has an auto reverse feature that lets the tape go to the end of the media and after it finishes the Pioneer RT-707 senses a metal foil strip and reverses playing the other side of the tape without touching the reels.
I'm autistic and lack Techmoans handy fix it ways. I brought 4 Pioneer RT-707 units completely rebuilt, restored and recapped by professional electronics engineers. My guys were electrical engineering perfectionists who got these old systems back spec's they delivered when brand new back in 1977. I paid $1,400 each for four, two black aluminum faced and two silver aluminum faced. I've had and been using them moderately for two years now without a lick of trouble. Techmoan is right if you want to dabble in reel to reel tape system its best if you had deep pockets with more than just lint onboard because, REEL TO REEL COLLECTING OF ANY SORT IS AN EXPENSIVE HOBBY THESE DAYS even in the 7 inch reel format! Good news 7 inch tape reels are a LOT easier to get and less expensive than the 10.5 inch reels.
I must admit Techmoan got me started collecting vintage audio gear because, we might be around the same age or I am likely older than he. Either way Techmoan woke me up to collecting electronic stuff from my youth. I'm likely spent $25,000 to $35,000 on old gear now between buying it on EBay and having it professionally restored and all. I've got 8 tracks and 2 working refurbished machines to replay them. I have the 4 Pioneer RT-707 reel to reels. I have a Pioneer SX-1280. I have a Hitachi SR-2004. Soon as the epidemic is over I'll have a fully restored Sansui D-9700. Oh I have a Pioneer 950 that I will be giving away to a good home.
I have linear turntables one by Sansui and 2 by Sony. I have four AKAI EA-A7 Equalizers, 3 Pioneer Expanders think of primitive 1970's surround sound. Oh and Techmoan IF you read this I have a few Pioneer PL88-FS turntables if you want one sent to you from the USA. It is yours for free and I will play the post. I saw the show you did where what you had arrived broken. Mine won't arrive broken because, I pack well. If you want it just let me know please and we can get the PO Boxes sorted. Thanks for sharing so much awesome insights with me. It's not any man who can introduce me to a hobby I spend upwards of $25,000 on. $25,000 USD is 20275.38 UK pound sterling yikes.
I wish someone would reissue the reel to reel recorders again. There would be so much use for them today.
Chris Garner I hope so.
Chris Garner they certainly wouldn’t be built to the same quality standards as the older ones and they’d be ridiculously expensive too.
They are as of 2018!!, i think one or two manufacturers at the moment.
But it wont be the quality from the day back. Also the tape isn't. They try hard in French, but still not a 35-180B Maxell tape.
it will be very much expensive and a very little people will be interested
i have a second hand NAGRA IV-S and a revox pr 99 mk III and they are still good working !
I bought my Teac A-3440 here in the Dallas, Texas area for $200.00 at an estate sale. It works like new. I really like recording & messing around with it. It's pretty simple to use. The analog sound on playback is great.
10:27 I'd totally imagine doing that with a Reel-to-Reel. That's really cool.
Enjoyed your video very much. Thank you! I purchased a TEAC A2300SR in Japan way back in 1980 and it still works like a charm. Of course, I have had it serviced several times down through the years but the service center I go to in Ghent (Belgium) has really competent technicians and, somehow, always seems to find whatever spare parts might be needed to fix it. Incredible!
How to buy an open-reel tape deck:
1. Find one that someone wants to sell.
2. Go to where it is.
3. Draw your fingernail very gently across the face of each head. If your nail catches on any head, reject the machine because the heads are worn past the point where you can lap the grooves out and you'll need new heads. It is next to impossible to get new heads for most of these machines.
4. Next, inspect the capstans. If there's a tape-width band of brown shit stuck to the capstans it's a moderate concern: it means whoever had the machine last didn't do any maintenance on it. You can get it off with capstan cleaner - NEVER ALCOHOL!!!!! If the capstans have cracks in them it usually means someone cleaned them with alcohol and ruined them. These are almost as hard to get as heads, so reject the machine.
5. Belts aren't a huge problem; you can order them online - and should as soon as you get the deck. NAB hub adapters are sold on Amazon.
I don't understand... how can a capstan crack? A capstan is made out of metal, if you are thinking of the rubber wheels, those are pinch rollers, not capstans. And also, it's a bad idea to order a belt online... I have viewed many forums, and most, if not all, recommend getting belts from the manufacturer, if it is possible.
Good luck getting parts from Akai.
Your #3 is incorrect. Tape heads can be lapped several times, even with very deep wear that would more than catch a fingernail. I myself have lapped heads for several machines (TEAC, Tascam, and Otari) without problem. JRF Magnetics offers tape head lapping services, as well as new heads for sale. www.jrfmagnetics.com/index.html?JRF_mainframe=/JRF_replacement_heads.html. Proof that even with significant wear, a head can easily be restored with lapping: www.orcapipe.com/AV/head_lapping/before.jpg and www.orcapipe.com/AV/head_lapping/after.jpg
jmowreader Lots of parts for certain decks available, including plenty of head stacks. They're often not an issue, aside from cost. You can often retrofit head stacks from other decks as well. I'd never reject a deck on heads alone, especially if it's a high end Studer, Skully, MCI, etc where you're gonna need a lot of parts anyway.
jmowreader James do you know where somewhere in the Southern States can look to get one of these appraised
You can fill your whole channel with endless multi track, reel to reel videos for me! A real thing of beauty.
the Akai X-1800SD has speakers and a super rad integrated 8-track player!
I was gifted a Pioneer RT-707 that was refurbished 15 years ago, put into a box and stored, with zero play time. Plus fifty plus 7.5 reels of music and ten blank NOS. I am new to vintage HI-FI, very much looking forward to playing it.
3:33 "[...] and of course in the UK you don't pay any import you to getting them in the EU [...]" not anymore... :(
Yes still...
We haven't left the EU yet...
I know but sadly it seems to become true in a few years. :(
Oscar
Yeah! Getting a Visa to travel around Europe...Can't wait for that to start. :-/
Well, if you want to go to a place where they have British sockets, drive on the left, love their tea, and probably speak better English than some parts of the UK, and yet remain within the EU, come to Malta. We've got considerably better weather, too. :)
I have the same machine myself (Akai GX625) bought it from the original owner with NAB adapters, box and instructions for £350 in 2012?. The cost comes in buying Used tapes, i paid around £12 to £15 each but i then fell lucky by finding an ex Radio presenter that had quite a few of them as used in the studio as "Safety Copies" of live broadcasts. I have around 50, 10.5in and about 10, 7in. Quality....amazing, i have owned a number of reel to reel machines since i was a teenager, the first one in 1968. and this Akai is by far the best one to date. Be wary in buying used tape as there can be problems with 'shedding oxide' and 'print through' amongst others. One of the best audio formats by far, but expensive nowadays to feed with Tapes!.
Cool stuff Techmoan, Thanks for sharing with us.
I found mine in a cupboard back at school, well the teacher gave it to me in a clear out. I was super happy. I knew what i needed at the time so just stored it in my gararge, 10 years later I get my first house I pull it out & restore it, just needed some cleaning mostly & lubeing up in places & it works, sure its only a mono one but I still love it. Shame the tapes I got the music is crap, butI can just record the trancy stuff I love on there.
A co-worker gave me one that the university we work at was getting rid of. It's amazing what a new belt and lubrication will do. The one I got was a Sony TC-105, and there's actually a series of four videos by a guy who restores one. I got mine up and running after watching his videos and now I listen to tapes I buy at estate sales.
I love Cassettes Tapes for Music Recording Music Reel is very Interesting
I'm still enjoying my Teac X-2000R that I purchased in 1983 in England at RAF Lakenheath, Just had it professionally serviced after several years of being properly stored away. I had a pair of Bose 501 Series III speakers reconditioned a few months ago also. Got a Technics TT, Sony receiver, EQ and CD player as well. I even have the same Pioneer 8-Track player(with tapes) that I purchased in 1973 that you have in your video. Although I bought and sold numerous pieces of equipment over the years. I'm so glad I held onto enough of my gear to put together a pretty nice music listening-station. Which I'm thoroughly enjoying and using to go back to my "roots".
Would it be easy/possible to 3D print one of those 10.5” adaptors?
www.thingiverse.com/thing:3901997
looks like it
Those NAB hubs are not one piece. It’s two. An outer ring rotates to lock the large reels in to place.
@@fdski They also have a rubber belt between the two rings that often needs replacing and three pucks that force the belt into position. Fortunately my Revox B77 came with the NAB adaptors but I still had to replace the belts and pucks which can be purchased relatively cheaply, at least in terms of open reel prices.
*"I am very much an amateur"* - Techmoan, the loudest and leading figure in reel-to-reel machines with over one million subscribers.
I knew it! Size does matter...
There, there. Just remember the old adage, viz, " sometimes, less really is more ". 😁
Dear Mr. Techmoan, i saw this video in September, now December is over us and I’m now owning a Studer REVOX A77 Mark III , a SONY TC- 640B and the keeper, SONY TC-765 !
Thanks for kicking me in the right direction and keep up your nice and professional Channel work !
P.s my wife hates You 😂 D.s
Regards
Magnus, Stockholm, Sweden
Over here in Poland used reel-to-reel from low to mid-range are actually rather dirty cheap (like 20$ for functional lower-end machine), used tapes are also pretty cheap tho it's probably a gamble whether you actually get a hold of something that can sound really good, I'm actually thinking about saving a bit of dosh to get a hold of one machine, even a most basic one (tho I want it to have stereo) to get into it and see how it really is. From what I heard reel-to-reel tends to be superb to casettes and lately I've restored a Loewe 3820 boombox and upgraded the speakers in it and even tho it doesn't have Dolby-NR or even metal tapes function I still find the quality of it to be pretty good and I'm 22, Iunno call me low-standard or somethin' but I think it's at very least decent enough to use on daily basis, even without any fancy functions or equalizers or Loudness or Bass Boost, it's alright to me.
For $20 you can get something like M2405S, "Aria"or"Dama Pik"(Wich is just M2405S without poweramp and speakers). But I can't really say any good thing about those machines... I mean all polish "UNITRA" branded tape recorders were driven by just AC motor(!)(Of course we had "Koncert" but it was on REVOX license). And EVERY polish tape that I EVER had (reel-to-reel or casette) after all those years just falls apart... But the real problem is... they dont have any real value.
CRTBeam I did buy Telefunken 430 for 5$ since that comment, tho I'm in poor financial situation right now and I'm putting off buying reels (got none) so I can't tell anything about it other than "it seems to work BUT it's lacking a sprocket that holds left reel in place", I'll have to fix that somehow.
You know... it's actually stero so it's better than 50% of UNITRA stuff. I hope you'll fix it.
(BTW Why are we talking in English?)
CRTBeam Well, 'cause you didn't say that you speak polish and those comments are for video in english language and vast majority of people who watched it speak english and they might find this information useful in some way, also my initial comment was in english and so was your reply, I see no reason why we shouldn't reply in english and keep it consistent.
Ok, sounds right.
I have over a dozen RTR’s and you are so correct. You better have some serious “disposable income. I even have a rare Sansui 7000 series unit. This is a self contained unit with internal preamp and amp units built in. It also have internal speakers on both sides. There are brushed aluminum doors over the speaker covers that can be opened at a 45 degree angle to channel the sound forward. It is also a bi-directional recording and playback unit. It truly a thing of beauty with the oil rubbed wood case.
Something about this - even though this is "old" technology it and other stereo systems from the 1970s is actually more advanced technology wise than any digital stereo system available today. These old systems were made better, had better quality control and good quality material compared to what is made in China today. We actually - it seems to me - went backwards in technology at the same time we advanced in technology.
+MarvelDcImage If you want good quality audio gear, you can purchase it from a number of boutique companies or high end divisions of large mainstream companies. Be prepared to pay more for the higher quality. Remember, two hundred dollars in 1975 was more like a thousand dollars today. So, the two hundred dollar receiver or amplifier from 1975 was really more like a two thousand dollar receiver or amplifier today. One can purchase a very high quality US made component such as an amplifier, preamplifier, speakers, CD player, turntable, etcetera for one or two thousand dollars. If you are willing to pay more, the performance and build quality gets even better. Just remember to give equipment a serious audition before you make any purchases. Trust your own ears. Ask if you can try components at home before making your purchases final. There are a number of online forums and magazines as well as printed material which will help you to find the gear you are looking for.
+Americus Patrioticus Inflation calculator online says $200 1975 dollars was under $900 in today's money.
MarvelDcImage
Thanks! Corrected! In audio land, since large manufacturers are not making as much high end gear, one has to rely on smaller boutique companies which are limited by economies of scale. So, your 200 dollar receiver from 1975 would cost about 1000 dollars today, but the technology today is better so you would still get better sound. Also, full function receivers and integrated amps with good phono sections are not very common in the high performance category today. There are a few out there plus there are plenty of vintage components from the 70s and 80s. There were also plenty of components made in the 70s and 80s which were not so good. These did not survive very long so we only see the good ones today. This colors our perception of vintage gear. Generally, the best components from the 70s and 80s were made by small to medium sized specialty companies, just like today.
+Americus Patrioticus Even though the era of the 70s and 80s is before my time - certainly before I was able to have the money for these - I still feel there s a whole universe of audio consumer goods that seem to me to be well made with high quality control - more so than I am seeing now. This was the era of made in Japan or Germany or USA and no made in China.
MarvelDcImage
Up until the early 1990s, high end audio was much more popular. a large portion of college students took a fairly substantial audio system with them from home, along with a large record collection. Along with clothing and study materials, a student would pack a receiver or separate electronics, a tape deck, turntable, and speakers which were typically about one or two cubic feet in volume. In the case of US college students, the receiver or separates were made typically by one of the Japanese giants such as Sony, Technics, Aiwa, Toshiba, Mitsubishi, Denon, Sansui, Kenwood, or by US companies Such as Radio Shack (Realistic brand), NAD, Hafler, Adcom, GAS, Heathkit, Dynaco, Harmon Kardon, Fisher, GE, RCA, and more. The Turntable would be made by AR, Thorens, B&O, Garard, Dual, or one of the above brands. The speakers were made by one of literally hundreds if not thousands of brands, including the above plus greats such as ADS, Altec, B&O, Bozack, Celestion, Dalquist, Klipsch, Infinity, KEF, JBL, Warfdale, Thiel, Polk, Shahanian, Vandersteen and many others.
Until the early 1990s, there were many audio dealers who sold a wide variety of equipment. One could visit a typical small dealer which would carry a decent variety of equipment and display it in a variety of sound rooms and demo shelves throughout the store. Large chains such as Sam Goody, Tech Hi Fi, assorted department stores and electronics chains carried and displayed a huge variety of audio gear for customer audition. These stores offered a variety of service from excellent to mediocre. The better dealers carried at least ten to twenty models of components in each category, serviced what they sold, and had knowledgeable sales staff who were genuinely interested in seeing the customer purchaser an excellent sound system. The dealers usually had facilities for comparing components in direct comparisons. Towards the end of the 1980s and into the early 1990s, a trend began to take shape which totally altered the audio landscape. A number of companies began to make very expensive, exotic, and sometimes very high performance gear aimed at wealthy audiophiles. Buzz words such as "esoteric" and "reference standard" became common descriptions of gear which commanded very high prices and tended to have low family acceptance factors. The trend became worse right up to the present day. To make matters worse, manufacturers began popping up which made very expensive tweaks such as very pricey cables, power cords, and many other items which did not endear themselves to the normal audio buying public. Dealers sold these tweaks as if they were as important as basic components. By the end of the 1990s, most of the big chains had either gone out of business or morphed into home theater installers. Small dealers either adapted to the change or went under. Home theater became the new fad. The customer base also shifted from music lovers to video lovers. The true music lover was replaced by the wealthy homeowner who wanted a theater room which was usually designed by a combination of an interior designer and a home theater installer. Home automation became more important than the performance of the A/V system. Dealers continued to change and usually for the worse. Dealers discovered that they could sell systems for tens of thousands of dollars to wealthy clients by advertising multi room home theater and home automation as one system. Showrooms became almost non existent. The wealthy clients were more interested in the features and the ability of the system to be hidden than in the audio performance of the system. The war on the middle class has not helped the cause of high performance audio, either. People who once would have thought nothing of purchasing a decent sound system are now lucky if they can even own a smart phone and a pair of cheap headphones. Dealer attitudes don't help much either. A dealer willing to give reasonable time and assistance to a person with less than ten thousand dollars to spend on a system is all too rare today. Internet dealers have also killed the brick and mortar dealers and their extensive showrooms. Why would anyone want to spend top dollar at a store whose staff don't care to help the customer when one can buy the same equipment online for less? This whole set of changes has conspired to turn consumer high end audio into what it is today.
There is some hope for a change for the better. The economy has improved a bit. There is a resurgence of the vinyl record. A segment of the population is coming to realize that one cannot get the same sound from tiny cube sized speakers as one can from a nice furniture sized enclosure. There are still some dealers who are genuinely interested in seeing a customer leave their facility with a great sounding, quality built sound system. Music lovers are pushing back at family members and their interior designers for their right to have good music. There are still some of the old companies left who make excellent gear. There are new companies who also make good gear, some of which is affordable. And much of it is made in the USA. There are even some brands from China which offer good quality. For a few thousand dollars, one can buy a very decent audio system indeed.
I got myself an Akai GX-210D yesterday for 50€. I love it, it just needs a new pinch roller.
I enjoyed your video, and love your fact that you are not an expert. Thank you for your candor. So many so called experts on TH-cam. I have about 50 years of audio experience.
Started when I was 5 years old. Fell in love with my Dads Akai 3 motor 3 head Reel to Reel with tubed input/output stage. I was hooked. Forget toys, I wanted audio, and music. So in my time to now I have had allot of Reel to Reels and Cassette Decks.
Some notable models would be the Tascam 52B Omega Loop 2 track, th-cam.com/video/8AT0zBftztk/w-d-xo.html for the sample. Audio is fine, video quality is okay. I had an Otari MX-5050 mk.2, too many Teacs to count, a Technics Isoloop 1506US, and I must say I miss the Reel to Reel life, just not the cost, no thank you!
I noticed you said you couldn't play albums correctly on your Teac A-3340. I believe you can as each Stereo pair is 1,3 and 2,4 tracks respectively. So employing the appropriate monitoring Switches on the front panel, you should be good. As for the Solenoid for your brakes. Check the Solenoid body cylinder where the plunger rides in. It gets gummed up after years of use. Also check the Solenoid plunger for wear of the black coating as burrs could cause intermittent binding causing your brakes, not to operate properly. Also tape lift as you pointed out stick as a result of Teac/Tascam in the day using a Wax Paraffin based lubricant, when the lube goes the gumming up begins. Also non use will cause them to stick too. I used a nice synthetic, problem resolved.
I am a huge fan of Akai as their GX heads are amazing. The 747 dbx type 1 unit is to die for in the consumer world. Revox/Studer and Nagra are amazing if you do Reel to Reel only once in your life. Teac still has pretty good support, though everything is moving digital these days. If you are going to stick with one kind of tape. Have your machine aligned or "biased" to that tape for ultimate performance. It costs enough, why not get the most out of it, right? Again, enjoyed your video. Cheers.
I feel for those Technics guys. At some point Panasonic literally threw away millions of dollars of parts including pretty much everything for those gorgeous Isoloop machines.
You say it's not fun to spool one of these things up, but I'm sure that it's a part of the charm to a lot of tape enthusiasts out there. I really enjoy playing vinyl records, lowering and raising the tonearm, switching the platter speed from 33 to 45RPM etc etc... the mechanical ritual is fascinating to me.
I do appreciate the inconvenience of an analogue medium, it makes me listen to a whole recording without skipping any tracks. However when it needs the reels swapping over every 20 mins it can take it a bit too far. I much prefer sticking a big reel on. That's why each-way play/record is an important factor to consider when choosing a machine.
This video aged... Brexit
Yep, I caught that too.
I had a dream about a 10.5 inch reel to reel tape player, and now I kinda want one
are you secretly james may?
Valon Selimaj stop, please. So stupid, so many of you keep asking that. He's obviously not James may!!
Valon Selimaj I don't get it. The only resemblance is that he's a white, middle aged man
its a joke he sounds like May you twats Filming In Portland Simon Thompson
I bought a Realistic TR-3000 (made by TEAC) to playback the recordings I made when I worked in radio as a DJ. The machine works great but it's only a 7" deck but I have two nice metal takeup reels from Radio Shack to mount on it. I have made music compilations with for just listening or parties.
He said "TEAC a-340" originally didn't he lol
1:21
I have to tell you I have been working with both the TEAC 3340 and 3440. The confusion about the tracks is simple. On stereo tapes side 1 is 1 and 3. Flip the tape same tracks. They are is the same place as your normal stereo quarter inch 4 track.
Very interesting
I have the RT 909 Reel to Reel which I got passed down to me i never really used it much but seeing how they work I'm tempted to start using it
By the way noobies, spooling up is even trickier after a few beers.
NO SHIT!!!!! i'm a martini drinker and maybe even the occasional bud, and it truly does!!! I just stand there saying, "what the fuck"!!! " This wasn't as hard when the sun was up"! I'm not sure which is harder, my x2000r or my 909 - and both of those have auto reverse!!!
Interesting. I'll try that tonight. It took me a few days of screwing around with my '79 Akai before I figured out how the tape is supposed to be fed through the thing. I have the manual but didn't find that particular info in there; they must have assumed 'everybody' would know, at that time, that the heads come down onto the tape and you don't spool the tape directly across them, to avoid horrific noise during fast-winding.
I'm a proud owner of a Technics RS-1700 . it was my 1st and my last reel recorder i ever bought. Never regret it.
Unfortunately the younger generation will never experience the craftsmanship and beauty of vintage electronics
Sure we do - I'm 22 and own a huge collection of vintage audio, video, and computer equipment. I maintain and service it all.
I salute you young man!
Don't worry too much because the people who do care will find it. I'm 26 and my entire business is mostly surrounded with classic electronics in mind. You should see the crazy stuff that somehow fits under business expense tax write offs but legitimately is.
16 here - I want one of these so badly
Iam 17 and i own 3 cassette decks and 3 mono boomboxes from 80s. All of them are made in soviet union.
Those switches and knobs on that Akai bring back memories.
You sound like James May from Top Gear.
I have an Akai 10 and a half inch reels. I love it because it is a classic.
Someone may have already mentioned this, but in case it gets lost in the comments here, its worth it to mention that while most semi-pro / consumer machines like this AKAI will play 4 channel stereo for both sides of the tape, some machines are configured different. My Revox A-77 is configured to play and record only 2 track stereo (one half the tape width for left, and the other for the right). This means that I have no side 2 on the tape (unless I want to listen to the whole thing backwards). My machine was primarily for use in radio stations to play pre-recorded broadcast content, but some A-77 models are configured for 4 track stereo, and are labeled as such. My machine would be used to rewind a tape, play it once through and then that tape would be removed and stored as "tails out".
Also, playing a 5 or 7 inch reel originally recorded on a mono machine (one half of tape per side), may produce weird playback results on a machine such as this AKAI (half the program forward, the other half backward at the same time), unless the controls are set to play back mono recordings.
I love the old RTR decks, and portables, at last count, I had almost 30 machines, everything from mini 2" reel up to the 10.5: Revox. Yes, its a disease, and I need help. Thanks Techmoan for the videos!
I've got to hand it to you, excellent intro to R2R. I'm in my mid-fifties and when I was a kid my dad had a huge, supposedly portable, mono Pentron brand R2R. It hooked me. Later we got a small 5" portable, I believe the brand was ROSS. In 1968 my dad and me went to the local armory where a band called Ross Gaglianno & The Rockin' Rebellions were giving a dance. We recorded it on that little portable and sent it to Switzerland where my sister was on a foreign exchange senior year program. I have fond memories of R2R tape machines. My last one was a AKAI i chunked when it went south in 1983 along with my TEAC outboard AN-60 Dolby B unit and all tapes. I could kick myself...especially after watching your fine video! There's no more audio fun, or sometimes aggravation, that one can have with a R2R machine. Hearing the music while seeing the moving reels is simply something beyond explanation.
You mentioned that this machine wouldn't allow playback of pre-recorded tapes. If they are standard quarter track four track tapes it will play them back. Just make sure you're selecting tracks 1 and 3 and make sure tracks 2 and 4 are off. I have an earlier version of this machine the A 3340s where the meters are lined up in a square rather than a line from left to right, but the functionality is exactly the same. You can't help but love reel-to-reels!
I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoy your video's. I especially enjoy your reviews of retro stereo equipment. I can't tell you how many times I've said " I had one of those ". Keep up the good work.
Hi Techmoan, I've been following you for years, and I'm one of your subscribers. Last Saturday I was given a reel-to-reel tape recorder, a Teac A3440, in perfect working order. It has been completely overhauled by the official Teac assistance center in Rome. The funny thing is that in one of your acronyms, we see this Teac. Reel-to-reel tape recorders are beautiful machines. They are beautiful but very delicate, and it is rare to find one in perfect working order after more than 40 years. Bye, take care.
As a retailer of such recorders in the late 70s you could infact buy the 10.5 inch tape spools with both NAB or standard fixing.Standard were in fact cheaper and did not need the NAB addaptors. The NABs did look the part however!!
That is one seriously good machine. Analogue open reel is the ultimate source for audio quality.
At scool when i was 14 , the english lessons where played on reel to reel machines , with Jamo external speakers plugged on them ....good ole time at school !
Good advice from this channel, as always. Also good to check for head wear, and ask the previous owner when the last calibration was done, and to what tape it was set. If they don't know, pass on it or talk them down.
I loved my TEAC A3340S four channel, which I used throughout the 80s to assemble my soundtracks for my Super8 films. Having seen your video I wish I hadn't sold it in mid 1990.
Just went to a local antique store and got a reel to reel today! 19 bucks all said and done! Seems to work fine. I don’t know if it’s nice or anything but it’s cool for sure
i secured myself a gorgeus fully working Teac A-3300 and i load it with 10,5" and it plays and records very nice. I tried recording the same song from vinyl record and from digital and the first recording was outstanding. Not that the digital one is bad per se, but i liked analogic one the most. Reel to reel are beautiful pieces of machinery.
Love your program on YouTUBE, via my Smart TV. I have learned a lot from you. Many thanks. SHANE
I still have my AKAI GX-630D that I bought back in the late 70's. It still looks as good as new. I just powered it up. No sound ????? The last thing I had done about a year ago was give it a cleaning. When I put the reels back on, I without knowing it, set it up such that the blank unused side of the reel was being used. That's why there was no sound. So I removed the reels and flipped them over to the other side. Bingo, Bruce Springsteen came to life. Holy cow, it sounds the same as I recorded it way back in the late 80's. I can't believe that it's still so good 30 years later. ...... Just got to Rosanne Cash - Seven Year Ache too. Wow, its been a long time.
I have a 12" reel to reel. I loved it and it sounded much better than CD's. Recording new Albums on the tapes was great before they got to snap crackle and pop. I recorder the whole Robin Trower collection on tape and it sound wonderful. Caught a buzz and layed back in the recliner and drifted away. Not everything modern is as good as old tech. Though I love this machine I will never shell out the kind of money they want these days. Now days to achieve great sound is to get a really good DAC.
Seeing those tape specs is just mind blowing. At the studio I work at we have an old Studer 1/2" master tape machine, and I have a few blank reels of Ampex 456 tape. The least I record the master buss to from the console or converters is 15 IPS, and 30 IPS ideally. Couldn't imagine listening or recording at such low tape speeds as 7.5 IPS or 3.25 IPS.
Kyle Conklin you’d be surprised at the frequency response of a calibrated deck at 7.5ips. It’s not that uncommon on a deck with new or relapped heads to go to 20kHz +/-1dB, or even past that. Glass heads will go past 20kHz, and so will amorphous heads. The real improvement going from 1/4t @ 7.5ips to 1/2t @ 15ips is wow and flutter, as well as dynamic range, and noise floor. The frequency response is more linear as well at 15 or 30ips. 1/2t @ 15ips is the studio mastering standard and has been for decades.
Back in the 1960s, I had an Akai X360-D that I loved. It had auto reverse and a bias head (they called it a cross-field head) that allegedly prevented any attenuation of higher frequencies. The quality of sound that thing produced was phenomenal. I'm seeing they're quite reasonable on Ebay now. Thinking . . . thinking . . .
My dad gave me one of that same model to sell on eBay but it's so nice I'm tempted to keep it just for looks.
Three heads also allow you to EQ you recording. I did this with my cassette recorder switching back and forth between the source and the tape in order to compensate for the tape's frequency response. When I got things adjusted reasonably close, I would erase the tape and then start recording.
Hi, all good. Nice finding someone like me who likes the older formats. On the other hand you can't beet the ease and simplicity of a cd versus vinyl. I always love your spots no matter the subject. I just finished watching your vid on the Marantz audio/video receiver ( ? ) . Home stereo has certainly come a long way since the 1970's and 80's when I dabbled. Personally I can think of nothing I would like to get my hands on more than a Studer Revox Pro II or III . It had a led digital time, distance display. Now couple that with a optical display / eq like my Audio Control 101 eq, or the display you have, and you were set. I love hearing you talk about the unpopular formats of audio / video that have fallen by the wayside for what ever reason. As always, thanks.
Excellent info! The only comment I have is regarding glass heads. Although they do have a longer life than metal, the disadvantage is that when they do finally wear out, they give no warning. In other words, with metal heads it's easy to monitor the wear, and hence the point at which they'll stop sounding good. Glass heads give little or no visual indication of wear as they age, so it's trickier to tell when they're going bad.
This guy is great! I majored in electronics in the 60's and connected every wire in four 24-track analog recording studios in L.A. so I appreciate someone who clearly knows what he is doing and explains with a patient voice. Of course, I have heard it said many times that us Americans, when hearing an English accent, believe this person is way smarter (this guy really is) than the usual bloated sack of protoplasm. ;~)
I have the Pioneer RT 909, a Sony 4 track (speeds 7.5 ips, and 15 ips), a Sony 2 track mix down deck also same speeds. I use these in conjunction with DBX noise suppression, and the sound quality is superb. Sans SACD or DTS5.1 discs, these beat CDs to bits, even recording mix tapes. For easier transport, I’ll use my Sony 3500 pro DAT machine, and just play or record on it. I purchased the 909 in 1982, never any problem. Purchased the DAT machine new in 1990. SOny 4 track in 1983 for a home demo studio. I even still use my Sony Mobile ES minidisc player in one of the cars, Sony Minidiscman, and Sony pre Minidisc mahine in the home theatre setup. Don’t know why that never caught on on this side of the pond.