An advice for reel to reel purchase

iosiP

iosiP

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Mar 21, 2014
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Hello all,
When I was (much) younger I used to have a Philips reel to reel machine. Now I would like to get another one, for old times sake and for the beauty of the spinning reels. My price limit is around EUR 1000 (that's around USD 1300).
Now comes the question. I found the following gear:
1. ReVox A77 (NEW!!!)
2. ReVox B77
3. ReVox PR 99
4. Akai GX 747 DBX (multiple items)
5. Akai GX 636 DBX (multiple items)
6. Akai GX 635 D ("supreme silver beauty")
7. The ubiquitous Technics 1500 (multiple items)
And finally 8. Akai GX 635 DB ("black beauty", NEW!!!, and I really drooled when I saw it). You can also see it here: AKAI GX-635DB :: audioweb

Could you please help me choose?
Many thanks!
 
What kind of tapes are you going to play on it? 4 track or 2 track at 15ips?
 
Looks like noone is able to offer qualified advice on R2R... Strange, seeing the subject is quite hot on these forums.
 
iosiP said:
Probably 4 track. I also found a Fostex E-2 2 track machine (you can see it at Okazie absoluta!!!!! Fostex E-2 :: audioweb ) but I'm kind of used to reverse the reels (or use auto-reverse) than to rewind the whole spool.
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To be honest, four track R2R tapes aren't going to give you much fidelity. Duped at supersonic speeds with little or no attention to sound. Plus they're mostly 3 3/4 ips with all the issues of four track tapes. That said, you can't go wrong with any of the Revox or Technics machines.
 
Thanks Miles. Supposing I go 2 tracks, what do you recommend (is the Fostex a good buy, at ~$900)?
 
Mike Lavigne said:
I tried to delete my post and was not able to find that option. I had not carefully read the original post and found that it answered the point I was making.

sorry.

I hope that it's me, and not that I'm not allowed to delete a post.
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Mike, you can edit your post. Same as deleting. Just edit and put "deleted" as the post.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
Is it something I'm missing or, well, there is something I'm missing? :doubtful:
 
iosiP said:
Is it something I'm missing or, well, there is something I'm missing? :doubtful:
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sorry if my deleted post is a tease. you are not missing anything.

I had seen your list and read the comments following the list. then after I posted my comments I went back and noticed you had posted the reason you wanted a RTR deck.

for old times sake and for the beauty of the spinning reels. My price limit is around EUR 1000 (that's around USD 1300).
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what I wrote was a question....."what are you using this RTR deck for? and how would it work in the context of your system?" which your above quote mostly answers and why I felt I should simply delete my question since a more careful reading of your original post answered it.

my reason for asking the question is that buying a RTR deck is the easy part. the hard part is the media.....it's hard to find and expensive to buy if you want it to sound good. and I recommend sticking with vinyl if sonic quality is most important.....unless you commit to really going down the road a ways with tape.

good vinyl sounds better than most of the RTR decks on your list.

but some buy an RTR deck since it looks cool.....which is what you posted. some buy it to tape their own recordings. or maybe to play some old tapes they have had sitting around for years. but if you are buying it for sound quality, then there are so many variables that just talking about decks on that list is not very useful.

I know a few people who buy an RTR deck and have a few nice tapes just to have analog around for the occasional listen, vinyl is too much of a commitment.

anyway; enjoy one of the decks for the beautiful machine and maybe you eventually get into some good tapes.

7-8 years ago when I dived headlong into tape there was no one else into tape and no one to answer questions. I had to search far and wide for the most minimal information. now there are many people who know about tape, as well as lots of tapes to buy. so if you have the interest it is something that is accessible, if not cheap to do right.
 
Thanks for your answer, Mike!
I do not intend to buy pre-recorded tapes but rather make my own, at 7 1/2 ips most probably. These would be, as you guessed it, selections and most probably of music from the '70s or '80s.
Yes I can do this on my computer but nothing beats a night of monitoring and on-the-fly volume adjustments via the record level pots.
As for listening to oldies on a beautiful RTR machine, it's magic!

Fortunately I can get virgin tape (Scotch) intended to be used in pro studios: a thick, grayish-pink tape that only gives about half the time of standard tape when used on small reels, but on large (26cm) reels you can still put enough music on it.

I started reading about RTR machines and found out the problems with each of them, and the more I read the more I'm inclined to buy the Fostex (3 DC motors and no belts). But still I could use some advice and I'll apreciate your input: some machines listed in my OP are "one only" and will be sold to the first buyer, so this is not the time to procrastinate. Also, I intend to send the machine to Poland (they have an expert shop for calibrating and fixing vintage gear) an I honestly admit I would love to get it back before Christmas... the inner child, I suppose.

All the best,
Costin
 
I have an Akai GX-630D and it works well with 4 track 1/4 inch tape at 7 1/2 ips (I never use tape at 3 3/4"). I also have a Studer A807 with a cart that is a much better machine but it plays 2 track at speeds up to 15 ips. The only problem is tape availability for 2 track, not much to choose from and very expensive.
 
Albert said:
I have an Akai GX-630D and it works well with 4 track 1/4 inch tape at 7 1/2 ips (I never use tape at 3 3/4"). I also have a Studer A807 with a cart that is a much better machine but it plays 2 track at speeds up to 15 ips. The only problem is tape availability for 2 track, not much to choose from and very expensive.
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What do you consider "not much to choose from?" There are now 15 companies releasing R2R tape at 15 ips.
 
I guess I meant that there seems to be a lot more 4 track tapes than 2 track. I have bought some 4 track tapes but no 2 track. The machine came with a box of tapes from the CBC radio station in Winnipeg so it has been fun exploring them.
 
To Myles and Albert: I have no intention to buy recorded tapes (well, if one comes my way I won't exclude the purchase, but this is not the reason I want a RTR machine). As stated before, I want to record my own tapes from CD, SACD or vinyl, so the availability of recorded tapes is not an issue... like in "couldn't care less".

Albert, if I'm not mistaking the 630D only takes small reels, so this takes half the fun out of the hobby.
 
It takes 10" reels but only has 3 3/4 and 7 1/2 ips. If you can find a Studer A807 or A810 it is a better machine. Recording on 2 track tape would probably be higher fidelity than a 4 track, especially at 15 ips.
 
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