The Ultimate Analog Format? High-End Reel to Reel Tape!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ก.ย. 2020
- This is Part 2 of Mark's reel to reel odyssey, here's Part 1, • Mark's Back! The joys ...
Bob Witrak, High Definition Tape Transfers www.highdeftapetransfers.com/...
Merrill Audio Pure Tape Head Preamp, www.merrillaudio.net/tape-hea...
Harry Weissfeld is VPI's founder, www.vpiindustries.com/store/c...
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#audiophile #reeltoreel #tapeheads - บันเทิง
Now those are my kind of kitchen appliances!
Yeah. I kept thinking, "I hope they don't fry fish in there."
What do you have in the kitchen?
I'm having a blast with this Audiophile Squad stuff. Please make more videos with all these wonderful people!
Yes, about one per week! :) I can't get enough of informative vids like this! And, the history! 👍👍👍👍 Love the history!
Tape is cool. I started with 3" reels on a portable. Stood in front of the tv holding a mic and recorded the Beatles first appearance on Ed Sullivan.
This is a video that only a dedicated, nerdy, audiophile could appreciate, and I have to admit I liked it. Reel tape isn't a relevant, practical format for me, but I can understand how a certain tiny audiophile niche loves it.
You have not heard a 2 track 15 IPS First Generation Master tape on my Tandberg tweaked TD20A SE through Beveridge Model 2SW electrostatic acoustic reproducers.
@@daviddrake7003 I have a modified TD20A and Acoustat electrostatic speakers.
Those bands were also vital for studios. You can still find old production recordings of them on Ebay today
The Harry Weisfeld interview is pure genius. Thank you.
Steve, this video was absolutely fantastic! Endless thanks to Mark for your efforts in capturing everything on video. The information from Bob was wonderful and extremely informative. I love how Harry’s tape set up was on his kitchen counter. I also loved his mention of the Levinson Cello Palette too. The visit by Merrill was just the icing on the cake. Many thanks to you all once more!
Thank you Steve. These men were really something special. I ,so very much, enjoyed watching and listening to them all. These men are the future and the past! Much respect and admiration! 👍
This is so fun to watch and I actually learned something. Thanks to all involved!
It's always a treat to meet another Merrill
Fantastic... I've always wondered about these tape players. Now I have a great introduction to them. Great video, thank you...
A friend, who does professional LP and tape rescue and transfers, uses this formula for his own music, since he likes the sound of analog sources: he plays the source , and records it into digital.
If required, he cleans the digital fro clicks and pops(for LP). The analog "original" goes back to storage, and he'll listen to the digital transfer which, he says, sounds identical, and does not degrade.
Then someone might say he does not hear the difference between analog and digital because his war equipment is too cheap
pops and noise are removed from the vinyl record with a proper cleaning. which removes particles in the groove and static electricity
It does not sound identical; but I can see why he does it. Better to just buy the digital files created from a tape master, and spend the money on a good DAC.
WOW!! Just WOW!! Must be like living a dream.
These guys are really nerding out ! I have to play this over again to understand it
What a great episode! I'm listening to my reel tapes tomorrow~
I loved every second of this ,I’m going to watch it again ,..
Very informative, knowledge level on reel to reel went from zero to novice, thanks for uploading.
Grandpa, can I go to the kitchen for a glass of water?
Forget it!
Great video, enjoyed it. Funny, deadpan, lots of fun and jokes, Harry's a riot.
This episode is so interesting.
This is sooo nice! Thanks for the interview.
great vid, another classic Steve - thanks
Well Steve, this two part video and the Nelson Pass interviews are my best of the bunch.
I too can't afford a quality reel to reel and masters of some kind to go with it but I have a friend that has both and they sure do sound fabulous. Nothing beats it to my tin ear.
Just came across this.
Fantastic information in this!
Thank you for doing this.
Loaded with knowledge!
Thanks for the information on HDTT - the tracks sound great! - just bought/downloaded some transfers. :)
Excellent video! I just bought high res downloads of an Andres Segovia recording from the 1960s. I’ve owned the LP since 1970, but, recently, after some years without a turntable, I listened to it again, and was unhappy with the high level of surface noise. I found and treated myself to a version at High Def Tape Transfers that was transferred from original DECCA tapes. It is sublime!
Thanks everyone involved in the video ,
Yeah as much as i love C.D. and for pricepoint c.d. is still king but reel to teel hard to beat when done right !
That was fascinating,thanks so much for making this. Cheers from Sunny Scotland.
This is my favorite episode for so many reasons.. And you posted it on my Birthday! Thanks guys! Peace and dove to all! : )
Listening to the DSD transfer of Bossa Nova Jazz Samba - Bud Shank & Clare Fischer - DSD128 from High Definition Tape Transfers on my Tascam 3000 to my Class A tube amp through my NHTs.. Prue bliss, (Even though this is a temporary set up in my 2nd story room but that's a whole other story..)
That was fun ! Great info.
Ah brings memories of my beloved Revox A77 with metal 10.5 inch reels. So beautiful to look at and the finest recorded sound. For those who couldn't afford a mighty Revox, purchased the reliable Akai 4000SD.
Had A-77 worked on Revox. Personally have a heavily tweaked Tandberg TD20A SE. through Beveridge 2SW audio nirvana.
High quality digital files of tape and vinyl versions of the same recordings could be digitally subtracted to see how much difference there is before deciding by listening which you prefer.
Decades ago I used to transfer my vinyl to tape because of the unavoidable wear degradation of vinyl sound quality with multiple playbacks.
My first watch of your videos. Very informative and thank you!
That Hugh Masekela album sounds amazing digital, I can only imagine hear it's full dynamic range off a source like this.
Great job! I have been a tape fan since 1972 while in the Air Force stationed in Okinawa. I enjoy my tapes still. I too would like to update my decks to DXD or DSD capable.
I couldn’t afford nice tapes back in the 70s. I still can’t afford the nice tapes now, and the machine to do Justice for a $450 tape.
I’m glad Harry acknowledge how ridiculously expensive are things now for the common enthusiast, given how expensive are all the equipments and recordings at his place.
Fantastic video. Worth rewatching again and again.
Out of my league but incredibly fun and informative, thanks for the video.
Astounding! My wife thought I was crazy.
FANTASTIC SHOW Steve !!!
May I add, I have BOTH of the Klipsch Tapes, I requested my copy of them be transferred to DVD-Audio. I have mentioned these rare 1955 STEREO recordings many times over the past few years in the comment section, but no one seemed interested. Well, now, everyone knows who is behind transferring them, and an OUTSTANDING job at that (O:
I also waited a long time for another transfer of a live organ and orchestra recording which finally came to be, and purchased that soon as it was released. The cassette and original CD from that concert have been in my library for a long time, and it is wonderful to have it in the latest hi-res disc format.
Now use Ultra Bit Gold from Digital Systems and Solutions ( audioGeorge.com) Digital disc treatment. Polycarbonate not a good medium for laser transmission. In Japan very expensive glass discs used.
great episode!
Again, Mark needs his own channel.
tis is gold
...but the thought of droppin twenty large on a tapehead pre-amp makes my goolies shrivel
ohhhhh god, you got that rim good, beautiful car I love the F22 series.
Electrical engineer here
DSD (Direct Stream Digital) is really PWM (Pulse Width Modulation). It is what use in class D audio power amplifiers. The big advantage with class D audio power amplifiers when using MOS-FET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors) switching speed is amazingly fast with high current. You will achieve high efficiency greater than 90% that means a 2500-watt Monoblock power audio class D amplifier you will have 250 watts of heat to dissipate. Therefore, class D audio power amplifiers are small and compact but generate extraordinarily little heat. The problem with class D audio power amplifiers are there switching frequencies are in the AM radio band. The theory behind PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) is the switching frequency must 10 time the highest frequency amplified. Typically, a 100KHZ is the highest frequency amplified meaning 1MHZ will the switching frequency obviously this is right in the middle of the AM radio broadcast band. To avoid interference with the AM radio band the switching frequency must be higher 2.097152MHZ is the ideal switching frequency for class D audio power amplifiers to avoid interference with the AM radio band.
PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) using analog digital and digital to analog converter. Nyquist theory the sampling rate must at least twice the highest frequency amplified. Does DSD (Direct Stream Digital) really sound better than PCM (Pulse Code Modulation)? If you are using 32-bit audio with 393.216KHZ sampling rate PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) will be superior to DSD (Direct Stream Digital). Keep in mind with DSP (Digital Signal Processors) you can easily convert PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) into DSD (Direct Stream Digital) for class D audio power amplifiers.
Keep in mind with computers and DSP (Digital Signal Processors) understands PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) this is way you have reverberation, equalization, digital noise reduction, compression and expansion, pitch control, limiters, noise gating, volume control, audio board mixing, and editing not possible with DSD (Direct Stream Digital). For those people who are in love with DSD (Direct Stream Digital) don’t worry DSP (Digital Signal Processors) for converting PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) into DSD (Direct Stream Digital) for class D power amplifiers with volume control and equalization are coming soon that is integrated into a class D power amplifiers.
This great stuff! Loving it!
The ultimate audiophile kitchen!
I doubt that you can place speakers in a good way in a kitchen
Now this was cool!
Mark is the best! He needs a larger presence on the A.D.S. or HIs OWN YT CHANNEL!!! Period-end of story...PS-sorry about the “wheel”....but is was funny the way you presented it....”hate when that happens”.....
This knowledge needs to be passed on. Come on, young people.
We're here. Kevin Parker, Tame Impala, records his stuff reel to reel in his home studio
Most higher-end studios I worked in and around back in razor-blade days used Ampex or MCI 1/2-inch, half-track, 15 or 30 ips mastering except for voice or mono, of course. There was quite a bit of Studer (810) as well, though it was much more dominant in Europe. I can't imagine suggesting to the engineers that mechanical grooves in vinyl would be a comparably performing format. That's an audiophile-community thing.
Noticed those Mapleshade Isoblocks under the Tascam. 👍
Self induced wheel rash is mental torture. BTW, loved the piece Steve.
This is truly old school.
Worked at a high-end recording studio in the mid 1980's. NO other source sounded as lifelike as the 30 inches per second, 2 inch reel to reel with the Dolby turned off. At 30 IPS, there was NO tape noise.
That scrape kills me every time.
Magnifique!
This is a great video.
RT-909 + ATR Master Tape = Bliss
Interesting and very well done. And here I am with a tape deck I haven't used in 25 years. I keep it as eye candy. Among other aspects, it's too heavy to move without hired muscle. But I kept having this image of three guys trying to determine the exact gold karat content of a Bvlgari Octo, and trying to decide if it is 18.00 kt. or 18.01 kt. -- things that just aren't in many people's wheelhouse. But, peering into another's wheelhouse adds perspective.
I do remember, from working at a studio and a broadcast station in my misspent youth (when analog tape was IT, and Ampex was king), that just one pass of a master tape over a slightly magnetized tape head could permanently and drastically reduce the high frequencies and thus the equalization. We would brand such recordings, ever after, "fat." A good master we'd brand "clean." Then, there was "hissy." Speed variations, which were always there to some extent, made tapes "wowie" or "fluttery." In those days, pianos were particularly hard to record well because of the long, sustained, stable tones they'd produce. Any speed variation would be like seasickness to the acute.
But overall, I enjoyed this very much. Thanks for distributing it.
but a copy of a mastertape on reel to reel tape is still the best sound you can get with Pink Floyd with the album darkside on the moon
@@Andersljungberg Well, with what you going to pay for that, I'd only play it once -- right into a high quality digital capture system. Tapes degrade with plays. But I doubt, for this reason, that the tape copy you can buy isn't at least a couple of generations of dubs from the real, actual master. That real (reel) master is doubtless kept in a vault. They aren't spinning that reel to make you a 1st gen copy -- even if they say they are. At least not the master reels of Dark Side.
Even in the analog tape days, the in-house mastering engineers didn't generally get the true, 0 generation reel master. They got dubs, edited into sequential tracks.
It's one of the huge problems with analog tape, now as before: you can't dub (copy) a tape to a tape without audible degeneration of the quality.
Try this experiment, if you have the gear. Tape record something of acoustical music. Dub it to another tape. Do that again. Play the latest generation, and listen to all that's gone bad in the process.
Now, try that with high quality digital. You can see how it makes life better, simpler, and audibly better for the studio staff.
...
Lou Ottens, recently passed, and former head of Philips Audio, was the inventor of the tape cassette. He knew something of audio science and tape. From his obit:
In 1972 Ottens became director of audio at Philips’ NatLab, where he became involved in the next major music innovation: the CD. A collaboration was entered into with Sony and in 1980 the 12cm Philips-Sony CD standard was ready for the world.
More than 100bn cassette tapes and 200bn CDs have been sold. When asked about his regrets, Ottens lamented that Sony had brought out the first Walkman. “It still hurts that we didn’t have one,” he said.
Ottens, who died on Saturday, had little patience with the renewed popularity of the tape - or even vinyl.
“Nothing can match the sound of the CD,” he had told the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad. “It is absolutely noise and rumble-free. That never worked with [ ] tape … I have made a lot of record players and I know that the distortion with vinyl is much higher. I think people mainly hear what they want to hear.”
Indeed. Nostalgia is a powerful emotion to some.
I listened to tape all through the 70's and 80's. First 8 track than cassette. All kidding aside I enjoyed the interview though a lot of it went over my head. Recently did get back into vinyl with a Reisong amp and Fluance turntable. Really enjoy listening to my albums. I also feel your pain Mark as I recently curbed the wheel on my new car. :(
As a follow-up to my previous comment the hub adapter mentioned Amazon does sell it, type in nab hub adapter and it takes you to that page.
For those viewers who remember the Teac 3300s series and the hub adapter that came with the machine and need to obtain replacement's out of all places Amazon a few months ago were selling a "aftermarket version" of that hub adapter.
I have many of those original Living Stereo reel tapes and shaded dog LPs and I generally prefer the LPs for the lower noise floor. The tape hiss tends to obscure low level detail. Also I have 30 reel to reel machines.
It’s known that LP is for Padawans and that Audiophile Jedis listen their music on tape ! But Jedi Ultra Masters have their tape deck.... in the kitchen 🤘🏻
Eternal respect 😬😀
If you do not take music seriously. Can you imagine a woman using her finest necklace in the kitchen
masters recordings should be listened to in a music room or Living room with very nice and good speakers of course amplifiers should also be of high quality
I doubt that you can place speakers in a good way in a kitchen
I had an M3 for a while with a 6 spd, but low profile tires are a scourge on the pothole filled streets of my city. Got a 5 spd NA Miata now
Best comedy I've seen today!
Wow- so many tapes there- all i have are some Beatles 2 track mono. Sure i saw some jazz tapes there- lucky personm
Wow! I've got reel-to-reels myself, but I've got nothing on these guys - ha ha! I was particularly interested when they mentioned the Technics RS1500, because I've just bought one, and it's on its way from Germany as I write. Cost me £1200, but I regard it as the ultimate reel-to-reel, so it's worth it, and I can now sell my fully restored Ferrograph Super 7 quarter track, along with the Ferrograph Logic 7 half track (in need of restoration), and my baby Teac A2300 quarter track, as the Technics has all three major speeds, is a half track recorder, plus it has an additional quarter track playback head, so I can basically play anything I've ever recorded on the various machines I've had over the years, all on the one machine. I was very much intrigued by the master tapes that are apparently out there, and I shall be keeping my eyes open! I shall probably copy my own master tapes onto digital (I used to record live classical concerts in local concert halls), like the guys were doing in the video, just for preservation of course, but I probably can't afford a Merrill head amplifier, so I'll just have to rely on the Technics circuitry, but it is damn good to start with, and I just hope that my 24-bit Tascam digital recorder is up to the job! I've got a question for the guy who transfers the tapes to digital. I noticed he's got an Otari, which I assume to be an MX5050, as it looks rather like my Dad's MX5050 (BQ2?). His capstan motor died, and he couldn't get it fixed or replaced. Any ideas? Thanks.
Great episode!!! Thx all.
I've still got a little Sony 640 R2R that I bought in '74 plus an Akai 4000 R2R that a friend gave to me. I used to tape a lot of records at 7-1/2 ips and even used a little TEAC Dolby unit with the Sony at home.. I also dragged the Sony around to my band gigs and rehearsals, recording at 3 3/4 ips with two mics. I haven't used the decks for over 20 years, but I've recently found a local tech who will rehab the Sony, and I'm thinking of dropping the 300 bucks so that I can digitize my dozens of band tapes. None of my recordings are going to be super hi-fi; I won't be digitizing my band tapes with the fervor and technology (and budget) that these guys are using, but it's still very interesting to listen to their take on superior archiving of irreplaceable old tapes.
I bought a midrange quality (price) Teac tape deck from eBay in or around 2005. The person selling it packed in crunched up newspapers in a single layer cardboard box. The multiple head, auto reversing tape deck is heavy. I'm quite sure the UPS crews enjoyed their competitive box tossing with this one.
Whether the unit worked well when it left the seller's hands I will never know. The reel spindles were even bent almost flat.
I have many tapes from the 60's and 70's. Some were pre-recorded while others were from air play or records.
I started out many years ago with a Teac A6010. Tape decks continued to improve their electronics. I had a 10.5 inch R-R Sony tape deck, and that was the pinnacle of tape decks for me. The S/N ratio was finally better than record preamps at that time.
Alas 4 children and more than 1 divorce separated me from some of my best vintage equipment. After watching this video, it appears that if I were to attempt to purchase the desired equipment, it's now become unobtainium for me.
Very interesting part 2 of tape machine audio. Thanks.
The expensive BMW wheel replacement is grand larceny...lol! I feel your pain I've done the same with my RS4.
Not one, but *two* microscopes in the kitchen. I think I'm in love.
I like how he rev matched while he was downshifting LOL. Definitely not a beginner
Car does it for you..............
It's a DCT (automated manual), his hand was still on the steering wheel.
@@18000rpm You caught me. Yes, I downshifted with the paddle on the left side of the steering wheel. The only way I could talk my wife into letting me get a sporty car was to get it with an auto-manual so she can put it in automatic in case she needs to drive it. (She never drives it anyway because it scares her.) My previous M car was an E46 M with SMG. Those shifts could be brutal, but I liked it. However, it was TERRIBLE in automatic mode. The current DCT transmission is so smooth it works really well as an an automatic. I still like to shift myself even though I don't have to because it keeps me more focused and involved.
@@eatapc still a cool car even though it's not manual :) About the curb rash, you can probably get it refinished to perfect condition for less than $100.
@@18000rpm BTW, I do know how to do double-clutch downshifts. A friend of mine with a manual E46 M3 didn't know what I was talking about when I referred to the joy of double clutching. He said he liked to row his own gears, but had know idea how to properly use the 6-speed on his car. (Some people use the brakes for braking. Can you imagine?) So I gave him a lesson and scared the shit out of him. He thanked me and decided that at his age he didn't really need to downshift like that. ;) But double-clutching while braking (heel & toe) is more difficult, and it takes a long time for the muscle memory to come back after driving auto-manuals since 2002.
RESOLUTION
Today, the highest digital resolution is 4,608,000 bits per second. Not bad. A big improvement over the standard Red Book CD, but it's not even close to the resolution of ATR Master Tape's submicron particles.The quarter-inch, two-channel ATR main tape, running at 15 inches per second (ips), includes approximately 80,000,000 oriented and randomly stacked particles per second of recording and playback. It's not just the number of particles, but a random change in the orientation of the magnetized particles turns this super binary resolution into pure analog reproduction. This is why even recording a small track width still sounds so detailed, despite the lower surface area.
I'm also a tapehead. Nothing sounds like a good master tape copy (or a direct digital copy) 🎧
Direct to disc sounds pretty close.
I have a stack of those 10” tapes. I bought the back in the ‘70’s because they were a bit expensive and I thought I should get them while I could. Proper storage - not likely. I have a Revox I haven’t turned on in years.
Sell it and buy at any price, a Tandberg TD20A SE spec 15 to 34,000 at 15 IPS. I can tell you how to tweak it if you do.
Really informative video-that hosts a drip-hah! No Ill will
just when you thought it was safe to say your system sounds like the artist are in the room you watch a video like this
So what I want to know---as far as a tape pre, there is the new Doshi Evo at 20K, and the one (Merrill) talked about in this video, and the older deHaviland 222. The 222 at just 3,000 sounds appealing and I wonder if it is the better choice for my McIntosh C2500/MC75s and Sonus Faber system. I do believe this 222 is touted by the direct mastering guy in this video on Kara's website. To get into this tape gig nicely it appears a good Technics 1500 redone by J Corder is 13K and then another 3K to 20K for a preamp. Not to mention 500$ for tapes. Needless to say a 3K vs 20K expenditure for a tape preamp would be more appealing....
Would be interested to know what kind of power conditioning is in use there.
Great video makes me a little bit prouder of my tascam 32 !
Just a couple of days ago I did at analog to digital transfer of some scooped air check tapes from the '60s for a friend at work pretty happy with the results keep up the good work.
No mention of the Plangent process ?
Serious audiophiles have open reel setups in their kitchen 😆
The house of Harry is one of a kind..lol. Hope kiddo keeps the good VPI vibe going and going..
Never imagined Reel to Reel being like rocket science.
An audiophile’s wet dream. A house filled with high end audiophile gear and recordings that’s not a store.
Suddenly the Akai reel-to-reel I have been shopping for just doubled in price.
Get a Tandberg TD20A SE at any price. I will tell you how to make it sing. Not that hard but you should have perfect pitch and perfect timing ( as Franz Polesny Concertmeister of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, said I had).
@@daviddrake7003 I'm afraid my TD20A Is a four track 7.5 IPS machine but my Revox A77 is a 2 track 15 IPS machine and the Tandberg sounds better. Tandberg machines are that good.
I don't go in for this new-fangled reel to reel stuff. I prefer wax cylinder.
I agree, things are getting too complicated. I'll stick to my shellac records
Low profile tires are a scourge. Never again.
Another BMW or other "super" car failure when used day to day
Those who advocate native DSD are more forgiving of those who edit an old recording by analogy, but people who edit an old recording with pcm may probably be criticized
To cite a fellow Steven (okay, with a 'v', not a 'ph', I pronounce them the same way with the 'v' phoneme; hey, it's my name, I can pronounce it as I choose; but I digress), that is "Insanely Great!" :-)
He likes his whisky. Tapes whisky and cigars.
I have always wondered what is the music of your opening theme?
Watched this and listened to it for the second time.
My mind is spinning with information.
This is good; this is really good.
Does anybody know what speakers those are at the 12:48 mark? Beauties... absolute beauties! I love high gloss wood grain speakers!
Subscribed!
Thanks man! I think the speaker is a Joseph audio Pearl.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Thank you, thank you, thank you, sir, for doing this! I appreciate it! Love it! Also, I'll check JA Pearl.
The amount of information in these vids (Part 1 and Part 2) contains value, value, value!
I understand what goes into assembling something like this... first, a person has to make the decision to do it, then convince the individuals to participate, travel, setup, editing, and more. It is not easy. Enjoyable? Yes, perhaps, but it takes organizational skills and all parties have to want to be part of things like this and be willing to cooperate.
Nicely done!
One more time - thank you to all of you guys.
I do rim repair for a living... people doing that buys a lot of albums:)
I once had the M version of the Teac X-2000 which was not auto reverse. It had separate full track and 4-track stereo heads, 15ips speed and DBX 1 noise reduction. I sold it to an audiophile friend. The cost of blank tape and mechanical fussiness of the deck itself(it had solenoid issues) caused me to let it go. Didn't Bery Whyte also make classical recording using 35mm magnetic film stock? And how do you play those recordings in 2020?
I have the X2000R. You're right, they are are fussy, they don't like to sit unused. When mine sits for more than a month, the capstan roller mechanisms and tension arms have to be gently exercised for a few minutes, then I run a short "warm up" tape through it before I record or play a nice reel. That dynamic range is amazing, though. Especially the bass extension.
Were there two different recording companies in this video? And where can you buy the music they produce?
I prefer the Studer A-80 transport.
I have Q , I have one same this exactly , but with no amplifier and speaker , I know it will never ever get sound from it , but the VU ( peak level indicators ) show zero all the time , does it mean the deck is bad ! Or I have to connect AMP to get this indication for VU
for some reason everywhere i went in my life every country i have been the party always was in the kitchen and some one always rolled a joint
No Tandberg at all? I used to do Revox Factory Service found out Studer and Revox same heads.Revox sound better than Teac ( did Teac factory service too). Ampex good Sculley good, but Tandberg TD 20A SE( I converted from 4 track 3 3/4 and 7.5 to 7.5 and 15 2 track. I fell in love with. But not factory alignment. Used alignment tape, 250 MHz Tektronix scope for phase then tweaked with Stax absolute polarity( Very important The Wood Effect and George Louis Digital Systems and Solutions San Diego) Earspeakers. Had first generation master from Hudson Valley Symphony Orchestra Violin early David Ostrach, early Isaac Stern. After tweaking, absolutely astounding!!!!!
I own a Tandberg TD 20 A which is 4 track, and handles 3 3/4 and 7 1/2 IPS. But the new format shown at several audio shows use old tape decks running 2 track at 15 IPS. Who would have a tape deck like this? But this only slightly mentioned in this video clip. At any rate, my Tandberg has almost the same frequency qualities at 3 3/4 IPS as these 'new' tape decks running the very high quality master tapes at 15 IPS! On my Tandberg, 7 1/2 is far better than these decks today running at 15 IPS. And these tapes cost $200-$400! Who would buy that? Why are they not making 4 track 1/4" prerecorded tape now??? No one would own a half track, 15 IPS tape deck.
95% of my 100+ recorded tapes (all 7", 1800 ft) are at 3 3/4 speed, and they sound terrific. To reduce the tape hiss (noise), I used a DBX encode/decode 124 to increase the noise quieting level (when recording) from 65 dB (native tape deck noise level) to 85+ dB, which essentially removed all audible hiss. This video does talk about tape vs records (vinyl in today's terms), but their emphasis here in the video was about prerecorded tape vs the LP. Back then, prerecorded was far better since there would never be any clicks & pops, and more importantly, the dynamic range (volume between quietest and loudest) on vinyl is only 55 dB, and crescendos are lost on vinyl, but not on tape.
Now about recording with a reel-reel tape deck. They do mention the type of tape in this video, but the tape they mention was not the best by any stretch. The better the tape, the quieter it produces a recording, and the better its frequency response becomes. The really good tape back in the day were the following: Maxell UD, Maxell UDII, Scotch 207, and a few high end TDK reel-reel tape. They are referring to what is available today that may have been used for professional recording long ago. Esch type of tape needs to be biased differently (done at the tape deck), adjusted while recording. The goal was to make the source sound the same as the output of the tape.
Back when I recorded all my records (vinyl) I would make sure the tape deck output sounded exactly as the source, Of course you need a very good system to be able to hear any differences, and you need to have a 3 headed tape deck that could play back what it is actively recording. The record head is just slightly before (in front of) the playback head, so this is quite doable. When using a noise quieting device as well, it also has to be able to allow the sound to go to the tape deck, and let the playback come back out and play on your audio system, all at the same time.
When I recorded LPs, I did this when they were new so no wear would show up on the tape recording. I used totally high end tape, and today (45 years later, these tape still sound great. So, when recording your own LPs (or even CDs), the goal is to make the tape sound exactly like the LP or CD, and not any better. So, recorded LPs should sound the same as the record (with its limited built-in dynamic range), and the same goes for when recording CDs, which I have also done. A really great tape deck with a device like the DBX 124 can record CDs with no loss and can basically handle the CDs 90-100 dB dynamic range.
Vincent (09-29-2020)