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What's your definition of analog smell?

I was posting on a different topic when all of the sudden I realized that the matter might be worth topic of it's own.
What do you associate with analog gear smell?  I am quoting myself below...
" The smell of an old tube reel to reel (mix of smells of oil, hot metal, hot tube glass, tape flakes and rubber belts) is the very definition of "smell of analog" to me. I need to get me a tube reel to reel just to smell. "
Can't wait to read your posts!  Happy Saturday night!  Don't know about you guys, but I will be diving a bit later into a simple (or not) pleasure of a little Jack Daniels and a lot of vocals with a single instrument.  I just replaced all cables with Acoustic Zen and music no longer "comes out" of my "Gunned" Magnepans, it "pours out" of them like highest grade extra virgin olive oil.  I don't know how else to describe it  Happy listening!
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petg60
1,486 posts
 
Hi,
R2R Maxell UDXL tapes, R2R Agfa 468 tapes, Revox B77MK2 when hot, DECCA LP,s, any classical box set LP, speakers, my Sony st-j88b with top cover off.
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,570 posts
 
My fathers old tube Ampex RTR. I use to watch my father with great interest demagnetizing the thing. What a ritual. The Stereo 70 and HH Scott Preamp and Tuner were all mounted in a custom wood cabinet that was oiled. So after about an hour of play time you got the mixture of hot tubes and oiled plywood. Catnip. My father and I use to sing I Pagliacci at the top of our lungs.  Our smell memory is excellent and when I hit a familiar one it generates an instant flash back. I think the smell flashback is stronger than the visual flashback. 
johnbo55
1 posts
 
I remember from my childhood the quite distinctive smell of a Phillips 4 track reel to reel tape recorder that had become quite warm in operation. It was a smell I loved, probably because I enjoyed using the machine so much. In the 1960s me and my sister used to record all the hit tunes. That smell is, for me, simply associated with childhood and music that I loved. I guess its just nostalgia for something that reminds me of such happy times.
johnss
570 posts
 
would agree with an earlier poster, a fresh box of open reel tape, that is the smell of analogue.....
sns
3,203 posts
 
Black mold on vinyl.
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