If tape is so good why does it record so poorly?

[Bruce B]

One of the reasons a prerecorded tape that was recorded from a master sound so good is because it is a true 2 track recording media, you have a separate track for the R channel and a separate track for the L, with CD and vinyl they artificially separate the channels.

What??????

 

[Eichenbaum]

You cannot take a CD, record it onto any type of other media, and make it better than the original source, so the owner of the store did some BS crap to sell the tape deck. The best thing that would happen is that the tape would sound identical to the CD if everything else was equal. You cannot make a better recording of an original source because the information on the CD is not there to make that happen.

Now what I will tell you all is this. I knew a guy who had a professional recording studio, when requested by a singer or a band to record a master in both analog and digital, thus there was a master tape and a master CD, the tape always sounded far superior to the CD. One of the reasons a prerecorded tape that was recorded from a master sound so good is because it is a true 2 track recording media, you have a separate track for the R channel and a separate track for the L, with CD and vinyl they artificially separate the channels.

It is true that reel to reel tape machines are making a comeback, but to get the sound that you want from it you have buy prerecorded tapes that were recorded from analog master tape, otherwise you're wasting your money. Those prerecorded tapes are also making a comeback and can be found on the internet, howbeit in limited performances at this time, but more "should" slowly become available.

That’s not my experience. I’ve been recording on tape since the 60’s. It’s not about better than the source, it’s about what do you prefer, direct from CD or from a tape recorded from the CD (or streaming). I prefer from tape. In my experience it depends on the saturation on tape. I know a few record engineers that record the master digital file on tape and then back to digital before release. Since the 90’s all major studios use digital recorders and many “audiophile grade” vinyls were recorded from digital files.
I record on a Studer A80 RC MKII, 1/2”, 2 tracks, 15/30 ips, speakers and electronic MBL Reference.

 

[rbbert]

I would buy a nice PR-99 for maybe $3K and live happily.

+1

 

[Kingrex]

Is the Revox know for its recording capability?

 

[adrianywu]

That’s not my experience. I’ve been recording on tape since the 60’s. It’s not about better than the source, it’s about what do you prefer, direct from CD or from a tape recorded from the CD (or streaming). I prefer from tape. In my experience it depends on the saturation on tape. I know a few record engineers that record the master digital file on tape and then back to digital before release. Since the 90’s all major studios use digital recorders and many “audiophile grade” vinyls were recorded from digital files.
I record on a Studer A80 RC MKII, 1/2”, 2 tracks, 15/30 ips, speakers and electronic MBL Reference.

There are actually plugins for DAW that emulate tape sound. You can even choose the brand of recorders and tape stock !

 

[BlueFox]

I sold my Sony reel-to-reel in the 70s. Tape is just too impractical for listening to music. Especially when you want to jump around between songs.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Tape is just too impractical for listening to music. Especially when you want to jump around between songs.

Yes; convenience and jumping around are why compact discs -- and now streaming -- became so popular.

 

[Ron Resnick]

It’s not about better than the source, it’s about what do you prefer, direct from CD or from a tape recorded from the CD (or streaming). I prefer from tape.

This is just to make sure I understand what you are saying.

If you have a CD of a performance which was recorded digitally, you prefer the sound of an analog tape recording of that CD over playing the CD directly through a DAC?

 

[Kingrex]

Life isn't always about convenience. Its nice and all. Conveniences that is.
And it sounds good too. But sometimes you want to shake it up and do something different. Why limit yourself if you have options. And the options are extremely pleasing.

 

[Foxbat]

Is the Revox know for its recording capability?

It is quite good. Only you can tell whether it is good enough for you.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Life isn't always about convenience. Its nice and all. Conveniences that is.
And it sounds good too. But sometimes you want to shake it up and do something different. Why limit yourself if you have options. And the options are extremely pleasing.

Yes, each of us makes the decision about how to balance convenience versus sound quality.

 

[Eichenbaum]

This is just to make sure I understand what you are saying.

If you have a CD of a performance which was recorded digitally, you prefer the sound of an analog tape recording of that CD over playing the CD directly through a DAC?

Yes.

 

[rbbert]

This is just to make sure I understand what you are saying.

If you have a CD of a performance which was recorded digitally, you prefer the sound of an analog tape recording of that CD over playing the CD directly through a DAC?

This may be similar to some preferring the sound of an LP cut from a hi-rez digital master to playing the hi-rez digital master itself.

 

[Eichenbaum]

This may be similar to some preferring the sound of an LP cut from a hi-rez digital master to playing the hi-rez digital master itself.

For the last 40 years LPs have been cut from digital masters.
Sound is about what you hear, it’s not about what you read.

 

[Alrainbow]

I’m not an old pro on tape but am old enough to have grown up on tape and vinyl
when cds came out I bought a good CD player a Sony
what got me hooked was a Clarity , low noise and detail I did not have on my TT playing vinyl
my tape deck was good but I only bought tapes of a mail order quality.
so cd blew away what analog source I owned.
now many many many years later I can now play vinyl and it’s all I was missing when a teenager on my vinyl. is analog better ? Not better but does have magic that takes a lot to get from digital.
in short back then vinyl was great and way above the perfect shinny disc lol. But there were no forums so who could help you get the most of what you were able to buy and set up.
Yes plenty of Reading and I owned many books too. i did build my own SpeAkers at one point
we argue what’s better but few of us get near 60% out of what we have
and I think this is being kind. i love tape but love vinyl better no matter what source it’s from as long as it’s done to please my brain and I’ll bet this is also a very big variance amongst us too.
lastly one thing I have done to make tape please me more.
the repro cards do have eq playback adjustments as well as other adjustments.
I keep all marked but do adjust these to better match my vinyl and digital
I also have tapes to align and set to standard as well.
for the ones who use external tape head pre amps can you adjust the eq ?
we all adjust the phono pre to sound best into our pre amp and system does anyone do this for tape. ?

 

[rbbert]

For the last 40 years LPs have been cut from digital masters.
Sound is about what you hear, it’s not about what you read.

I thought this was what I meant.

 

[Eichenbaum]

I thought this was what I meant.

Yes, I was agreeing with you. Sorry if I wasn’t clear.

 

[Ron Resnick]

This may be similar to some preferring the sound of an LP cut from a hi-rez digital master to playing the hi-rez digital master itself.

Yes; I agree that this may be similar to that. I have trouble understanding either of them.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Yes.

Thank you.

 

[bonzo75]

I was at Vertere's, where he played back a LP that was recorded from digital. He also played back the digital from the same dac (benchmark) that it was recorded from. The LP sounded better.

He explained that if we go to Abbey road studios where this recording was done, we won't hear this difference and they will sound at the same level. He explained the reason happens because of quality of playback in consumer systems. The digital system in a studio has much lower loss of signal, and the same dac used at his place is compromised during playback.

Yes; I agree that this may be similar to that. I have trouble understanding either of them.