Thumbs up for @benjie
Right. I found the ATR stuff too. Most of the tape heads I know are using it for a "higher fidelity" medium than LP (i use the quotes only because I don’t want to create an argument about whether tape is better than LP, just noting the difference in use): that tapes are available pre-recorded at a premium and some folks find old tapes, including safeties used for making records in various territories (there were a bunch of Yugoslavian tapes for sale on e-Bay a while ago- who knows what the story is on those sonically). This is different than the OP’s objective- which i remember too-- recording your albums to reel to reel, not only to save on wear but to make highlight reels (or what people today might call a mix tape or playlist).
The modern hi-end reel to reel stuff is deep and the real cost, ultimately, is source material in my estimation. One of the excuses I’ve used so far to avoid diving into that pool, much as I love the gear.
I think the comments about researching thru the tape head community are well taken though-an old machine is going to have needs. I gather Otari was a pretty good bargain deck, but don’t know.
Crazy, but Lee Perry recorded what is considered one of the very best reggae records on a TEAC - probably a 3340 or equivalent-- The Congoes, Heart of the Congo. Killer record (you need the Blood and Fire remaster, most of the others I’ve heard are pretty bad sonically, though i never heard a first Jamaican pressing-- rare and costly).
Good luck with this- could be a fun project. The ReVox and Tandberg were very common in the early -mid ’70s when I was fooling around with this stuff. Have no idea what it would cost to restore one of those machines or whether it is even worth it.
