Posted by slbender [ 216.194.22.15 ] on December 22, 2007 at 02:09:26:
In Reply to: Re: the tape project posted by DanTheMan on December 03, 2007 at 19:12:13:
I also think its a very worthwhile project but... A one year subscription to The Tape Project is $2000. and you must have a 1/4" Reel to Reel machine which, if I recall correctly, has the following tape characteristics and performance features: 2 Track Heads, 15 ips, and 10.5" Reels.
Now most RTR Consumer machines are: Quarter track heads, 7.5 / 3.75 ips, and 7 inch reels. Even the semi-pro Teac units are mostly Quarter track heads / 15 / 7.5, or 7.5 / 3.75 ips / 10.5 inch reels, and those high speed versions would be able to play these tapes, but one channel would be down several dB from the other one and the signal to noise would be compromised and degraded by some degree and there might be crosstalk.
One would have to have either a monster 1/4 inch Studer (A-80, A-810, A-827, B-67, etc. about half a dozen models); an Ampex Professional 300/350/440/ATR-100; Crown 700 or 800 Series with 2 Track heads; Revox Professional like an A-77 or B-77 with 2 Track Heads; a Technics 1500, or 1700 series with a 2 Track head stack; or an Akai PRO-1000, or GX-400D-PRO, and maybe some of the models of the Tandberg 10X or TD-20A.
There are only about twenty-five possible Studio Level Professional machines that meet all the basic criteria for playing The Tape Project Reels, out of the hundreds and hundreds of models and brands formerly made for 1/4 inch reel tape. Basically all these machines are 60 lbs. or heavier, and rather high-end in terms of pricing, like those mentioned, or some semi-professional set with a switchable 2 Track Playback head, 15 ips, and 10.5 inch reels, not many come to mind besides the sets mentioned above, in order to get the proper and full capabilities of these dubs.
So The Tape Project isn't for everyone, easier to just buy the CD's.
-Steven L. Bender, Designer of Vintage Audio Equipment
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