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Why no interest in reel to reel if you're looking for the ultimate sound?

Wondering why more people aren't into reel to reel if they're looking for the ultimate analog experience? I know title selection is limited and tapes are really expensive, but there are more good tapes available now than ever before.
People refer to a recording as having "master tape quality",  well you can actually hear that master tape sound through your own system and the point of entry to reel to reel is so much more affordable than getting into vinyl.  Thoughts? 
scar972

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bdp24
10,196 posts
 
The Modjeski quote reveals why his Music Reference amplifiers are so trouble and maintenance free, unlike many of the more well-known and owned tube brands. RM was doing repair work in a shop while still in High School, and learned how NOT to build an amp.
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
10,196 posts
 

Doug Sax proved way back in the early-70’s that a direct-2-disk recording is superior to tape. Unfortunately, most music cannot and will not be recorded d-2-d. For a library of great sounding recordings, buy every d-2-d LP you can get your hands on.

Whether or not the music they contain is to your liking is a separate issue. If you don’t hate Bluegrass (come on all ya’ll Yankies, fess up ;-), look for the Sheffield LP Confederation by The McNeely, Levin, Skinner Band.

By the way, Levin is Geoff Levin, formerly of the mid-late 60’s San Jose group People. They had a hit single with a cover of The Zombies "I Love You", a song I as a teenager saw and heard People perform live many times. People also did "Jesus Is Just Alright", an old song later recorded by another San Jose group---The Doobie Brothers.

The original version of People dissolved when four of the six members (the four included Geoff) demanded everyone in the group join Scientology. The two lead singers---Larry Norman and Gene Mason, declined, and left the group. Norman became a well-known figure in the Jesus Freak movement of the 1970’s (ironic that he had earlier sung "JIJA", ay?), and Mason started a band named Radio. I was subsequently in a band with the guitarist/pianist of Radio.

There are a thousand stories to be told about the garage band scene of the 1960’s. This was one of them.

As for reel-to-reel, I have a number of tapes containing live music I recorded on a Revox A77 and a pair of small-capsule condenser mics. They sound far more lifelike than do most of my LP’s and CD’s, but Buddy Miller, Iris Dement, Rodney Crowell, and Lucinda Williams aren’t on those tapes.

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