What's on your tape machine tonight?

Lyn Stanley; London With A Twist - Live At Bernie’s. As close to live music I have ever heard, albeit at a high price ($750 per tape). The music is wonderful and the recording, quite simply the best I have ever heard! Completely rebuilt Revox PR99 mk2 from Tecthrader in Switzerland

Another nephew, also a musician like my favorite nephew (I let him think so) came to visit. Out came Beatles Sgt. Peppers; Original Moody Blues Go Now (piano based blues band before Justin); Rare Earth; Led Zeppelin. Got some tears in his eye.

Mine are commercial consumer pre-recorded by the studios, 7" 7.5 ips, still the best source I have.

Commercial pre-records are the best kept secret in the hi end. Shaded dog sound at a fraction of the price of the vinyl. Oh wait ...

Commercial pre-records were never manufactured at real time. 

I was spending my former tobacco money on music and bought around 500 7" pre-recorded tapes, often the shipping was more than the tape in those days. Sold about 150 of them, anyway don’t let anyone tell you they are no good, bleed thru, ... nearly every one sounds terrific.

S/N: noisiest format I own, best content I have, EVERYONE picks LP version over CD, and then picks Tape version over LP.

I’m gonna play one of my Van Cliburn tapes when I get home friday.

I inherited some 2 track stereo tapes, some staggard and some in-line. They sound amazing when played on a real 2 track deck. Mine needs a new belt. It has 3 (it won’t let me edit staggered) heads, one head staggared I think 3/4"

it always surprises me how few audiophiles have reel to reel machines, including my friends who love the sound of mine. far greater leap in SQ than all the power/interconnect/... tweaks people invest in.

Not tonight but very soon I will be done with my Revox PR99 MKIII and will begin with

Waltz for Debby (Bill Evans Trio)

Folk Singer (Muddy Waters)

When I get both decks running I can make some copies of music too. 

If anyone's interested in trading/borrowing, let me know!