R2R has its pleasures and pains. I now have about seven decks, in all configurations, 1/2 track, 4 track, all speeds. I've purchased over fifteen decks and sold most of them off when they had maintenance issues. Technics 1500's seem to be the most reliable, and also the easiest to find parts, especially head units. I have two of these. I do not do any recording.
I have about 6,000 pre-recorded tapes, most commercially produced. Again in all configurations, included are some studio masters done by some great engineers. Included are Barkley and Crooker, Drake and AFRTS tapes, the latter being created by the government for broadcast use in the Armed Forces Entertainment Network. These show that the taxpayer funds can do great things. Most of the AFRTS were produced using vinyl as source material.
So my advice, if just starting, would be to buy a Technics 1500 machine. There resale value is high so if you lose interest, little is lost. As for source material I think it is best to only focus on commercially produced 1/2 track, 7.5 ips from majors like Columbia. Yes, that can be expensive. Recently, such of tape of Miles Blue went for about $400, but there are bargains to be had, and a lot depends on your music taste. Buy about ten tapes to get a sense of whether it is worth all the hassle.
Today, I think SACD's and Blu-Ray audio produce the best audio experience. I have Miles Blue in every media ever produced, including R2R. Blu-Ray is the clear winner.
Remember, it is all about the music, not the gear.
I have about 6,000 pre-recorded tapes, most commercially produced. Again in all configurations, included are some studio masters done by some great engineers. Included are Barkley and Crooker, Drake and AFRTS tapes, the latter being created by the government for broadcast use in the Armed Forces Entertainment Network. These show that the taxpayer funds can do great things. Most of the AFRTS were produced using vinyl as source material.
So my advice, if just starting, would be to buy a Technics 1500 machine. There resale value is high so if you lose interest, little is lost. As for source material I think it is best to only focus on commercially produced 1/2 track, 7.5 ips from majors like Columbia. Yes, that can be expensive. Recently, such of tape of Miles Blue went for about $400, but there are bargains to be had, and a lot depends on your music taste. Buy about ten tapes to get a sense of whether it is worth all the hassle.
Today, I think SACD's and Blu-Ray audio produce the best audio experience. I have Miles Blue in every media ever produced, including R2R. Blu-Ray is the clear winner.
Remember, it is all about the music, not the gear.