What is the best Reel To Reel machine ever built?

the ATR is a Mastering Machine.
I read: The Ampex ATR-102 tends to work best on rock, metal and hip hop styles, and even folk or acoustic-based music that needs ‘warming up’. Where it doesn’t work well is when a mix is already quite compressed, dull or heavy in the low frequencies – in these cases the tape only tends to exaggerate these areas.

best & fun only

Thuchan, please elaborate on how the R2R application is coming back. What is the source material and where can you buy it?? I have zero knowledge about R2R, so a brief education would be appreciated.

FWIW, I remember in the "old" days when high end R2R machines were made by Crown, TEAC and Tandberg. I never got into that end of the hobby but these machines were works of art, especially the Crown which was the Cadillac of the day.

Big question and like hi fi, it depends. I can comment from the pro side. The old Ampex machines were nice, but the tube electronics were designed to be simple and easy to repair in the field but not audiophile grade. Sound beautiful but limited dynamic range and too much color! Many old tape transports have been separated from their electronics and now have specially built electronics. I've seen Mike Spitz from ATR tape in NYC sells machines like this to some pros who want top level tape performance. This is probably the best machine available for record/play performance.

Another friend, CHris Mara, is modding and upgrading old MCI machines for studios, but this is a pro application.

For playback only, I saw Paul Stubblebine was doing modded Panasonic and tascam machines, not sure if he still is. He was offering a tape library awhile back.

One issue is the raw tape-the best tape makers went away a few years ago and now ATR/Mike Spitz has begun to manufacture his own tape. There are some other sources as well. I hear good things about ATR tape. But tape does not store well, so its not ideal long term medium. Sure sounds great though.

Other than a few private sources, where would you get a steady source of material?
Brad

That is a crazy question. I have had many different Reel to Reel tape machines and many of them had radically different sounds and features. I have had my last 3 reel to reel machines for over 10 years and I will probably not sell them. I had many of the big Akai, Technics, Pioneer, Ampexs, but settled on three Revox reel to reel machines a G36 and two B77MKIIs. I like them the best out of all the reel to reel machines I have owned but I doubt they are the "best". They just have a sound that I really like.

The old Ampex machines were nice, but the tube electronics were designed to be simple and easy to repair in the field but not audiophile grade. Sound beautiful but limited dynamic range and too much color!

This is not true.

The problem here is that when Ampex made their tube electronics was a good 40-55 years ago! They were amazing when they were new (many Living Stereo LPs were recorded on them) but have gone downhill due to age. If they are properly rebuilt they will take any solid state electronics ever made to task. If not rebuilt properly then I would agree that they can be colored- paper coupling caps perform well, but don't last for decades!

The transport is a different matter. It is arguable that the ATR was indeed the state of the art, but if you really wanted to make things go, find a way to make it work with the 351 tube electronics.