Can we finally put Reel to Reel out of its misery? Put it to rest people.

uberwaltz,

I have not forgotten DAT which was, at least for some time, a professional's choice. I had it on my mind when someone implied "tape is better because digital sucks". Not that I think that DAT is phenomenal, but it does exist, it is a tape, and it is digital. Still, my heart goes to DCC. It played regular cassettes, too. I wanted to like MiniDisc (another radio station workhorse), but it does make a case for "digital sucks" more often than not. This Elcaset is intriguing, though.

OK, here’s on for the trolls. Who would prefer to listen to a Nak cassette deck, Elcaset, DAT or other medium instead of some of my distribution master tapes on a 15 IPS Studio R2R?
https://i.vgy.me/FY946m.jpg
https://i.vgy.me/hWJJn1.jpg

Don’t forget the Open Cassette introduced by TEAC. 

topoxforddoc,

What are those links actually about?

Descriptions of what is on the tape?

How did you actually get them? For example, even in 1998, you could not go to the store and buy that Jesus and Mary Chain reel of tape. Was someone cleaning the closet?

Both are from over thirty years ago. How is the tape? Any problems due to age?

Hi everyone, I'm Roberto from Turin in Italy. I'm the proud user of three R2Rs: TEAC X2000R, TASCAM 34B and AKAI GX-625. Everyone enjoys excellent health, the necessary mechanical maintenance is performed by myself as well as maintenance. The problem of spare parts has been solved by purchasing other identical machines to be used as donors. If necessary of course! Recently, state television has had the assembly and alignment of at least a dozen or so new STUDER A810 machines performed by RAI in the warehouse. This is to be able to "read" the numerous tapes still present in their archives, digitize them in order to have a security back up. The reel recorder is not "dead" or even in agony. It is no longer used for many years in the production of music in the studio, with results that we can all listen to: poor dynamics, extension to the extremes of very limited band, "flat" studio recording. I will not separate myself from my R2Rs, it is enough to put a well-recorded reel to be able to hear a detailed, warm, full-bodied sound! I also use a DBX 224 noise reducer and a DBX 3BX dynamics expander with exceptional results. Often it also improves music by recording it from CD to R2R!