What's Everybody Using at Home to Playback Their Reel to Reel Tapes?

What's Everybody Using at Home to Playback Their Reel to Reel Tapes?


  • Total voters
    45

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,236
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New York City
I've never met any tapehead who didn't want to brag about their machine (s). So let's see what everyone is using at home!
 

Bruce B

WBF Founding Member, Pro Audio Production Member
Apr 25, 2010
7,006
512
1,740
Snohomish, WA
www.pugetsoundstudios.com
Bruce Swedein's master vinyl playback rig!
 

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mep

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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Otari MX-55 mastering deck played through Ampex 350s.

Mark
 

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Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Studer A810

Found it in a library in Switzerland in mint condition with only 12 hours on the heads


 
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stellavox

Well-Known Member
Apr 23, 2010
284
61
1,583
Let's see -

Transports: MCI JH-110; Technics 1500 (w/Nortonics 2 track PB head) and a Stellavox sp-7 (2 headblocks - Bogen and Nortronics). All with the heads wired out to a K/C preamp

Also have a second "hot rodded" sp-7

Charles
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,236
81
1,725
New York City
Let's see -

Transports: MCI JH-110; Technics 1500 (w/Nortonics 2 track PB head) and a Stellavox sp-7 (2 headblocks - Bogen and Nortronics). All with the heads wired out to a K/C preamp

Also have a second "hot rodded" sp-7

Charles

An embarrassing wealth of riches Charlie. Enough to make the rest of us drool :) And it goes without saying, a big house to house all these beauties!

Hey Charlie, can you talk a little about the Bogen heads. Understand that many feel they are among the best playback heads out there.
 

Wardsweb

Well-Known Member
May 8, 2010
411
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935
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San Antonio, TX
wardswebllc.com
Here is my humble Teac X1000R. I took this picture as I was finishing up refurbishing it and veneering the case in Brazilain rosewood. The feet are not even on yet.

 

stellavox

Well-Known Member
Apr 23, 2010
284
61
1,583
Tape heads

Hey Charlie, can you talk a little about the Bogen heads. Understand that many feel they are among the best playback heads out there.[/QUOTE]

Hi Myles:

Actually small (they're all small here in Oneonta), rented house.

OK: heads - and more than what you asked for. I've had the opportunity to A/B a number of heads (specific heads in specific machines): Studer/Revox; Tandberg; Nagra; Technics (and other Japanese brands); Bogen; Wolke; Nortronics and Flux Magnetics. The most striking difference heard was what I describe as a "loss in information", like the difference between hearing a digital playback with 12 bits of resolution versus 16. Why this is I can only speculate - something different in the mumetal or it's heat treating??? I heard this "loss" with the Nagra (IV-S); Technics (and other Japanese) and a Flux Magnetics (fitted into a IV-S). I did NOT hear any significant differences between the Studer; Bogen and various Pro Nortronics heads. There are undoubtedly more subtle differences that extended listening might uncover.

Charles
 

Wardsweb

Well-Known Member
May 8, 2010
411
62
935
66
San Antonio, TX
wardswebllc.com
Here is my "portable" patio system. A full rack of SAE gear and a Teac X1000R. It normally stays in the garage. I load it up and take it to parties.

 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,236
81
1,725
New York City
Studer A810

Found it in a library in Switzerland in mint condition with only 12 hours on the heads

That was a steal Steve! But how much did shipping that sucker from Switzerland cost?
 

ack

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member
May 6, 2010
6,774
1,198
580
Boston, MA
Any suggestions where I could find an A810 or A820? The Revox B77 still serves me very well - with everything original and heads in mint condition.
 

jdza

Well-Known Member
May 3, 2010
294
255
1,513
It was one of those absurd surreal days that often seems to occur in Africa.Our state owned broadcaster had dumped a truckload of outdated equipment at a junkyard in one of our coastal cities. Word got around and as I live 200 miles away I duly dispatched my somewhat deaf 75 year old father in law to have a look. Having spent his life around precision equipment ,he is not easily impressed so the phone conversation was difficult: "There is a Sony tape recorder here and losts of other stuff-tape recorders and so on ,big silver things. " Q "Are they Studers?" A "No they are silver" Q (sigh) "Are they well made?" A "Not bad" So it went. Still having cancelled my Monday ,I set off to find:







Somewhat in a daze I bought four Studer A80 Rs, Penthouse from a A80 VU 8 track ,an A810 and some other stuff for the princely sum of $250. Like always I am now sorry I did not take more but the strangeness of it all was too much. Watching a worker casually toss the heads of that 8 track machine in a fire was too much.

Remarkably all the machines were in working order but the A80s were mono. Being non technical I roped in a friend who converted the one into a stereo replay only machine with mastering heads from Flux Magnetics. The mono replay head was replaced with a stereo head and the record head with a 1/4 track Flux Magnetics replay head. Each head is wired to its own repro amp. Initial plans were to use external replay amps but spending time on the internals makes one respect the "Not bad"machines and quality of construction so much that that idea was filed away.Accidentally replaying a MRL alignment tape at double speed and seeing on an oscilloscope the heads and stock (but restored) Studer electronics producing perfect sine waves well north of 20kHz was very impressive.





Haviing now spent time with all the machines I can honestly say that the A 80 R is leagues ahead of the a A 80VU electronics . The A810 has an almost digital quality(albeit good digital) to it with thundering bass, black backgrounds and brutal dynamics. The A80R is so much more gentle-almost tube like. Dynamics build up in a most natural way whereas the almost Krell like bass of the A810 here becomes more of a rolling thunder but very deep and the percussion from the Arnold overtures sent the dogs into a frenzy.

Finally,equally impressive has been the performane of this machine with 1/4 track commercial releases. Being used to my ReVox B77 ,A77 (my pet hate) and PR99s with these tapes the A 80 with the FM heads is a revelation. Of course a rubbish tape stays rubbish but some of those tapes are very good. The $750 invested in that FM 1/4 track head was worth every cent.




 
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MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,236
81
1,725
New York City
Talk about hitting the Lotto!
 

John Brooks

New Member
Apr 26, 2010
16
0
0
Washington (the state)
What's Everybody Using at Home to Playback R2R Tapes

Studer A807 - stock; was from an Canadian embassy. Sounds great, but it's vintage 1983-4 and should probably be recapped to sound its best.

Otari MTR-15, with original 2-track p/b head and Otari 4-track head (engineered and mounted by John French, with switch). A 1993 unit (last year of manufacture) and was owned by a syndicated radio show host, and lightly used as backup to his MTR-10. The 2-track head is a studio head (similar to the Studer's) and the 4-track head is like what you'll find on a MX5050. Has four speeds, so will play 3-3/4 and 7-1/2 commercial tapes. More transparent than the Studer. Has five selectable bias settings plus over bias and three EQs.
 

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xcortes

Well-Known Member
May 18, 2010
6
0
1,556
An ATR-102 rebuilt by ATR Services as a rack mount (FOAK for Mike Spitz) with Bottlehead tube repro and Ironbut Dolby processor. The transport has, in addition to the full compliment of 1/2 track heads, a 1/4 track playback head. It has switches to select between the 1/4 and 1/2 playback heads as well as between the stock and the Bottlehead electronics.

Mike Spitz is coming this weekend from NY to Mexico to finish setting it up. Lot's of fun coming!

atr2..jpg atr1..jpg
 

jcmusic

Well-Known Member
May 20, 2010
400
6
925
Just Outside New Orleans, La.
Here's mine, Otari MX5050 BII/Direct Head Wiring/BH Seduction. Studer A810 Bone Stock. Oh yea I do have a Sony TC-765 too!!! This is before I got the Tube Repro, I need to take new pic's.

Jay
 

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MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,236
81
1,725
New York City
Here's mine, Otari MX5050 BII/Direct Head Wiring/BH Seduction. Studer A810 Bone Stock. Oh yea I do have a Sony TC-765 too!!! This is before I got the Tube Repro, I need to take new pic's.

Jay

Why does it seem that R2R tapes decks come in pairs or triplets :) Am envious :p
 

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