Reel to Reel

I have a Revox B77, which sounds really nice, though to be honest I never use it. It's a half track machine, so the full width of the tape is used for the left and right channels, which means you can't turn the tape over and record more stuff like cassette! For top sound quality you need a high speed machine, i.e. 15 inches per second (insert your own smutty joke here).

I'm told that because very few studios use Studer or Ampex half inch machines for mastering, you can pick them up for less than a grand! And you'll get a good Revox B77 for a few hundred quid. Just get someone to make sure the heads are not worn out.

Connecting to a naim preamp is easy. On the Revox you have the choice of phono's or din.

I stopped using my machine as soon as I got a portable DAT machine, as it meant I could listen to monitor mixes from studios while travelling etc. You can't beat a bit of tape though, especially if you get the levels right up and it starts to saturate. It has a sound all of it's own.

If you decide to take the plunge let me know as I've got a couple of Revox service contacts.

Best wishes,

Mick

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Is it a practical proposition owning one of these things, eg are spares available and can they be repaired etc.

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Practical, not really. The tapes aren't actually convenient, they need utmost care, and they have to be installed by hand. A thing for lovers. On the other hand, if your tape deck allows slow speeds such as 2.38 cm/s, you can record radio broadcasts for hours. On top of that, cutting and sticking tapes is great fun even if it is a thing of the past.

Tapes are still available, but are often expensive. Personally I prefer Agfa tapes.

There are always specialists around who are able to repair a good deck, but understandably they often ask for the money they deserve.

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How does the sound compare with say a CD3.5

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Worlds apart. The sheer dynamics of a good tape played on a good deck can IMHO be compared to nothing else, not even a CDS2. But there are other drawbacks, e.g. drop-outs and also tape hiss if the deck is not perfectly adjusted to the used tape. That means: get your deck perfectly calibrated to a specific tape and always use the same type.

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Which is the best model to buy and are there any to avoid.

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Any Revox B77, A77, A700 or Studer machine would be a good buy if in perfect condition and revised. An A77 is the cheapest solution, and some aficionados say it's the best thing Revox ever produced, even though it wasn't meant to be a professional device. At least in cheese country there are loads of them for sale everywhere, probably because their owners have passed away and their sons don't know what to do with that old crap

I guess most Teacs are also good choices. I still own an Akai, it sounded good, but it broke down years ago for the 6345th time so I'm a little tired of it.

A good source for well-maintained professional machines might be some radio stations who all ended up with digital gear. HTH

Cheese - may all beings be happy

Mick,
I agree with what Rob said;

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Even if it doesn't see much use, the sight of those reels will get visitors heads turning.

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I have a rosewood LP-12 with black dust cover, a mint condition 1904 RCA "Victor" 78 player, and a classic Wollensak 4770 top-load cassette all in my wall of hi-fi and the first comment I always hear from visitors is; "oh, you have a reel-to-reel, does it work?". I rarely use it, but it looks cool and blank tapes are easy to find new. I also frequent second-hand shops and come across pre-recorded reel tapes of opera, Frank Zappa, Petula Clark and other 1960s popular music.
It is an Akai GK4000D which sounds good, hooks-up easy, and has a classic walnut finish which nicely compliments the other components with a classy look. No hi-fi should be without one!

Ron The Mon

'Frank Zappa and Petula Clark' - the basis of a classic record collection. How come they never made a duet?