Reel-to-reel tape is the new vinyl

I personally also don't like machines without a record head or record electronics but I would argue that unless you're operating a studio that the capability would be pretty pointless - no real reason to use tape in the home anymore as a recording format. Keep in mind these machines are practically as good as new (or better) and I'm guessing they will be supported as such. If it helps keep costs down which makes the machines more accessible to those who just want to playback, then that's cool - there's always the next model up if you wanna record, or other models entirely. If you want to use these machines professionally you certainly can, but I don't think that's the intended use. They are very much shoehorning a pro-audio product into the constraints of an audiophile grade source component.

 

I suppose having one or more open-reel decks nowadays is purely for fun and nostalgia. It is similar to one of my friends who is into vintage car. He obviously does not use a vintage car for a long trip ...

 

Huh? No real reason to tape in the home anymore?

I guess not, unless you want an affordable way to dub your vinyl records onto a format that provides the highest resolution and flat best SQ for playback possible outside of the still very expensive DAC/ADC's that are capable of 32/384 and above. No recording capability on a rtr is an incredibly vain and pointless exercise to my mind, but then I'm not in a position to agree that "$450 seems almost reasonable" to buy a new title on a reel (let alone the 'more affordable' $200 reels) when I can achieve fantastic results dubbing a well mastered record via an audiophile cart onto a reel using a machine capable of recording (duh).

Been done, with the plebs like me in mind. Thankfully.

Mind you I have no problem with people spending their money as they please...it's just that IMO a reel-to-reel machine without recording capability is just about as dumb as it comes. YMMV.

 

$11,195 with Flux extended response heads and it records too...
MDI PrecisionMotorWorks - ATR100

 

Yes 1979! This guy was flying high from the late 70's through the 80's ...

 

For those of you subscribing to the Analogue Productions R-T-Rs, there is currently a 20% sale which I presume includes these $450 items. Not often one can save $90 on a purchase. Does anyone here buy these?

 

The ATR100 "MasterMonster" 1" Two-track Recorder is quite impressive. Is Ampex still in business?

 

The man that repairs these machines has his business right here in Nashville, he fixes the machines, masters records and has a recording studio.

 

As far as I know Ampex is no longer in business. ATR Services and MDI still restore the ATR machines. Would love to hear that 1" machine. I have heard the 1/4 and 1/2 inch varieties. They are impressive sounding, and very quiet.

 

Is he related to JM Technical Arts by any chance? JM Technical Arts used to be the authorized Revox Service Center in the US ...

JM Technical Arts

 

How bout this one. 'AMR-170'.

MDI PrecisionMotorWorks - Showcase

 

Is this the end-product of putting together old Ampex parts?

 

Not sure. Chris Mara is the guy who owns the studio Welcome to 1979 and does these restorations on the MCI tape decks. The restoration business goes by Mara Machines.

 

Yeah. Appears that an ATR 100 was merged with an older MR-70 tube machine, hence the name. What's cool is he says that it can function with either the stock ATR electronics or the MR 70 tube electronics.

 

Looks like this Technics RS 1800 could be a good competitor to the AMR-170 ...



That separate console is impressive, as it allows all kinds of recording calibrations ...

 

No, if I recall, the ReVox guy is Jack Clark, if I recall, he worked on many of my Studer/ReVox pieces, he is top notch, if it's ReVox or Studer, Jack can fix it, he has been around a long time, since the Studer/ReVox plant was over on Elm Hill Pike, no this man is not Jack, he has a recording studio, I think he calls it welcome to 1979 or something like that.

 

Jack Clark could have retired by now.

 

He was still doing his thing about a year ago when I spoke to him, he moved his place, but still in business.

 

Jack Clark could not be that young if he had serviced Revox gears all these years and Revox has all but disappeared from the US market a decade ago IIRC ...

 

Oh boy! The gold standard company is introducing a brand new tape deck, I can't believe what I am reading, Studer/ReVox is introducing their newest and greatest consumer tape deck, and you can bet this tape deck will take business from United Home Audio, as you know ReVox is not going to introduce anything but a top shelf product. I might just jump on this bandwagon, oh yes, this will be in the "normal people" price range, not cheap, but nothing Studer/ReVox makes is cheap! And, it's NEW!

Take a look, see what you think: New ReVox Details Emerge!

 

This will still be less than half the price of the AMR-170.

 

I just visited the Mara Machines mad laboratory the other week... man, really impressive stuff.

 

With no actual experience on my part, I just have the feeling that Studer > MCI. No real reason, perhaps just cosmetics. Anyone have an opinion based on having used both Studer and MCI recorders? Just curious. Thanks.

 

I think the Studers have the better transports, at least when you move up the line to the very large studio machines like an a820 or something but even very few of the nutty audiophiles making up this niche within a niche market will go to the extent or expense of having something like that in their home system. No substantial experience on my part either though.

 

Studers is now owned by Samsung as the latter bought out its parent company Harman International. Studers/Revox used to be one company when Studers served the professional market while Revox served the consumer market. That was probably back in the 90's. Then financial hardship hit and the company sold the professional side to Harman. Given the current ownership structure, I seriously doubt Studers can join force with Revox on any new products that easily ...

Back in the day, Studers/Revox was like Tascam/Teac. But when it came to open-reel technologies, Studers/Revox was quite a few notches higher than Tascam/Teac.