I used to sell RTR decks, back in the day. We had a Pioneer RT 1011L, at the store, that we used for demo purposes. We had recorded a bunch of direct to disc cuts at 15 ips on it's 1/2 track head assembly. Sounded excellent. For the purpose of high quality mix tapes, RTR is great. That being said, I'd rather listen to the LP's than even the best 2nd generation recordings. I think RTR is still a viable format for live and studio recordings. For pre-recorded music, not so much. Especially true with the expense and scarcity of new, blank media.
If some of you out there want to dabble, there are some decks out there that make decent recordings for under a grand. The TEAC 2340 (7") or 3340 (10") are reliable, long lasting decks that had decent sound. Also the Pioneer 701, 707, 901 and 907's don't take up as much space, as some, and have direct drive motors, reducing the belt replacement issue. I have seen the 4 track versions of the Pioneer deck for under $1000. I have seen Revox B77's, several versions, for under $1000. Great sound, but needing a bit more maintenance than the Japanese decks.
If some of you out there want to dabble, there are some decks out there that make decent recordings for under a grand. The TEAC 2340 (7") or 3340 (10") are reliable, long lasting decks that had decent sound. Also the Pioneer 701, 707, 901 and 907's don't take up as much space, as some, and have direct drive motors, reducing the belt replacement issue. I have seen the 4 track versions of the Pioneer deck for under $1000. I have seen Revox B77's, several versions, for under $1000. Great sound, but needing a bit more maintenance than the Japanese decks.