Studer for the ultimate in techno quality. For design quality I think there were also some Braun models designed by Dieter Rams. Nothing has ever come close for esthetic beauty.
32 responses Add your response
Sadly, finding something that sounds good is the easy part these days. Any decent handheld solid state digital recorder will sound better than even the Studer. The beauty of these old recorders is their refined mechanical quality, and the look and feel that comes with that. It is for the same nostalgic reason that I have not yet sold my LP12 turntable with its classically beautiful SME arm, or my old analogue Nikons. |
Mine is the SME 3009 series II improved. The later series III is a better arm, but for looks I still think it is trumped by the series II. And the V15iii MR was a great cartridge with vastly superior tracking (sadly no longer supported). Even so, the arrival of digital represented a clear improvement. |
Try http://www.unitedhomeproducts.com/reel_to_reel_hq_tape_decks.htm They have the coolest Reels on the market IMO |
There's so many cool looking R2R, I especially like the vertical standing models. Revox PR99 MKII, Tascam BR-20, Technics RS-1500, Akai 747, Studer A807 and A810. The reels and NAB adapters makes a big difference, these I call audio jewelry, up to you on how blingy you wanna get with these accessories. |
IMO, the big Crown recorders with their large, black, bakelite knobs, are the quintessence of the art deco/industrial age. Next, or on the same plane, would be the Studers and Ampex studio recorders. If TEAC is your ideal, then maybe you don't want that look; you want TEAC/Akai/Technics/Sony. Among the Japanese decks, Otari comes closest to the big three in appearance and perhaps in performance when properly tweaked, IMO. |
My vote would have to go to the one I had back in the late 70s, the Pioneer RT-707. It might not be the gnarliest, but it just may have been the most unusual looking. https://www.hifiengine.com/images/model/pioneer_rt-707_open_reel_tape_deck.jpg |
As a teenager in the 80's, the 2 machines I dreamt of owning were the Technics RS-1500, or the Teac X-2000M. I had neither the funds nor good reason to own one at the time... but now I do, and had just had a Technics 1500 refurbished by J-corder. It's very cool and sounds amazing. One thing to really consider is whether you want a 2-track or 4-track deck. The consumer machines are 4-track, and play the tape in both directions. Pro 2-track machines only play the tape in one direction, but use the entire tape width for better S/N ratio. Some decks, like the Technics, have 2 play heads to play either type of recording, but it only can record 2-track. Both machines, I think, look pretty gnarly! |
Evidently, most of you guys never saw a big Crown recorder in the flesh. I never would have either, were it not for the fact that my first boss owned four of them, and he mounted them side by side by side by side on a single long shelf along one wall of his listening area. Very very impressive, especially since he also had one room of his house dedicated to the shelving of his first-gen master tapes, which filled that whole room, floor to ceiling. |
