As I'm getting older I appreciate convenience whenever possible. This is also true regarding audio, where I stream most of my music.. However, I still enjoy listening to my Nakamichi ZX7 from time to time. It produces far more distortion than my digital sources, yet still sounds good after 40 years. I used to own a Revox B77 Mark II and before that a Revox A77. Both were great sounding decks, but I sold the A77 because it was not very reliable. The B77 on the other hand was very reliable. IMHO there's something enjoyable about handling physical media that is absent with streaming technology. So I enjoy the best of both worlds by using both technologies.
The dangerous world of Reel-to-Reel Tape
It feels like I re-entered the world of tape knowing full well of all the downsides, yet I did it anyway. I spent much of my youth glued to my dad's decks, making recordings. As cassette and digital came of age, I always appreciated the sound of tape.
Whether this adventure is worth it is a subjective exercise. For folks who plop down $500-$1k on cables or those who swap gear often, tape is really not that expensive, relatively speaking. Titles are limited though.
The sound quality and experience is quite something. Before jumping back into R2R, I had 4 versions of Muddy Waters' Folksinger. Hearing Chad Kasem's firm's work on it in 15ips it's just something else. Body, size, and presence are just different than very good vinyl and digital. And this is with the stock reproduce board from a Revox PR99 MKIII. I can only imagine what's going to happen when I rebuild that card, put in a modern one, or run directly from the head out to a preamp.
Maybe I'll see some of you in R2R Rehab, where I'll try to get sober from tape.
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@kraftwerkturbo That depends on storage. They need to be stored in a low humidity environment to prevent shedding of the oxide on which the recording exists. It that is done the tape will last decades with ease. For this reason its better to store tapes in an attic rather than a basement! Its also a good idea to store the tape in a plastic bag in its box, along with a packet of Silica Gel. |
@kraftwerkturbo It depends. I purchased a case (10 reels) of Maxell 35-180 UD tape in 1981. A few years later, I purchased two cases (20 reels) of "Ampex GM-3600 Grand Master Professional Recording Tape." From the mid 90’s to the mid 2000's, my R2R sat mostly unused, but I would play a reel on rare occasions. Around the mid 2000’s, I noticed my Ampex tapes started to sound muddy and were leaving a lot of residue on the tape heads, pinch rollers, and transport mechanism so I had to stop using them (because they sounded like crap). My Maxell reels are still playing just fine. |
When my Ampex tapes went bad, I found out they were very prone to SSS (Sticky Shed Syndrome) SSS Syndrome. List Of Known SSS Tapes. |
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