Why Not Bring Back Analog, Reel to Reel Tape

We must not have heard the same tape, Myles :-)

Try it against the CD sometime. We did that at United Home Audio. Dave

BTW I have a subscription to the Tape Project and have compared some of the tapes to the LP's, it is no contest the tapes win hands down.

I have to politely disagree with Myles on two accounts:

First, as a TP subscriber and one who has compared the Naylor tape to the cd many times, there is no contest. The cd wipes the floor with the tape---in my opinion. It was so bad in favor of the cd in fact; that I thought my tape was DEFECTIVE. Upon sending it back to the TP folks, they proclaimed that it WAS DEFECTIVE, and sent me another dupe. The second dupe may have been marginally better (I later found out it was NO better), but the cd STILL wiped the floor with it! Now, that is just MY opinion. My friend who is a recording engineer (with several commercial releases to his credit) heard the cd and the tape side by side with me---and he liked the TAPE more!! He said he understood the sound they were "going for" on the tape version (overly warm, full bodied, super tube like, and intimate) as compared to the cd which is clearer, cleaner, and more open and more dynamic sounding. And that comparison was done on a system approaching one-half million dollars as a sidebar. So, as they say----different strokes for different folks!! But I'm with Dave and the guy from United Audio on that Naylor release. Way too muted and dull for my tastes.

Second, I disagree that you need to be at 15ips on open reel to get sound that beats a high quality turntable. I have close to 300 commercial open reel tapes at 7.5ips----mostly 2 and 4 track MLP's, LS's, Blue Notes, Verves, and a nice group of rock and roll (Beatles, Doors, Moody Blues, Zeppelin, Who, etc.). Many of these releases on 7.5ips tape simply DESTROY their LP counterparts. It doesn't happen every time, no, but man when it DOES you know you have come across something very special!

Gentlemen,

It always comes down to the tape machine you're playing it back on, the electronics, speakers and the ROOM in which you're listening. One link does not make great music but a great chain does.

This thread could go on a tangent and benefit us all. RTR machines have made a resurgence as the prices show, however, without a supply of program material that is truly worthy of top of the line RTR machines, topics such as this are headed to a dead end.

This thread might be an incentive for those of us DINOSAURS that still appreciate the sound of tape; be it at 7 1/2 ips two or 4 track, or 15 ips whatever.

Where do we RTR Gonners go from here? A new thread based on titles would be a great start. My apologies for the hijacking but we might just be on to something here. Your thoughts?

Ken

You mean like some sort of audiogon deal where we agree on a tape to issue? Get the rights, and then have somebody do the duplication? Am I thinking too far ahead?