Unintended Consequences: Reel to Reel Tape

You may have read that few, if any venders are left producting Reel to Reel tape for professional recording. Is it possible that many producers and artists that love the sound they get from tape will migrate over to DSD and high rez PCM instead?

Richard.

 

Maybe, but I dont think so.

There has been good news coming out of the Quantegy situation. It looks like tape will be manufactured again within the next few months, under a different name. Also, ATR Services tape will be ready this summer. There is also a company in Europe that is making German quality tape, that will soon be imported into the US.

I think those who are serious about analog, and dedicated to analog, will wait this situation out. The others, who really dont care, will switch to digital.

Once again, I feel that the current analog tape situation is much like vacuum tubes. Back in the 80's, getting a tube was close to impossible. If you walked into your local hifi shop looking for replacement tubes, they would look at you funny. At that time, all of the US manufactures were gone, and no one, with the exception of McIntosh and Audio Research were importing tubes. Look at them now! They are back, and easy to get. It took some time, but what goes around comes around.

 

Hi Joe,

Do you have more details before I erase more old masters on EMTEC stock? Thanks!

Bob

 

They already have.

 

This just may give hi-rez the boost it needs. There may be a silver lining in all of this.

 

Indeed! = there will be 3 tape manufacturers (again)...

 

All I know about the European tape is, there is going to be tape from Europe. That is all I know.

However, I do know that the ATR Services tape is VERY close in quality to Emtec. I am not allowed to say any more about it than that.

 

Yes, but it would hurt analog. As much as I like hi-rez, I would rather see analog tape come back, and hi-res stay where it is.

 

I think we all have to steel ourselves for the inevitable, that analog recording is going away. Since digital gets better every year, its not the terrible problem some think it is.

You must remember that getting tape isnt the only problem. To record on an analog tape, you need an professional analog studio recorder. These are no longer being manufactured. As time goes on, parts will be unobtainable, let alone qualified technicians to fix them. If you are a young tech right out of tech school, you want to be trained on the latest digital stuff, not 30 year old analog stuff. Thats just the way it is.

All this points to an all digital recording society within the next 5 years, IMHO.
Sad, yes, but a fact of life.

 

First off, if we take that attitude, analog will go away. If we stay dedicated, and support it, it won't.

Second, there are still machines being made. Otari has a two track model, and they still fully support all of their multitrack models. Studer has discontinued their multitrack models, because their older machines are in greater demand than their new models. They are making parts for their older units.

ATR Services is also remanufacturing Ampex tape machines at an incredible rate.

 

Digital is cheaper.

 

Right...

And so is a Best Buy stereo system, but do we own one? NO! we own audiophile components so that we can experence music the best that it can be.

 

Nino. It resally doesnt matter what attitude we take, Analog recording will go away. Just like Edison Cylinders, Vitaphone disks, Nitrate Film, DCC cassettes, and beta.

As for Grants comment about price, not only is Digital in Pro Studios cheaper, its MASSIVELY cheaper. For the price of one old Otari 24 track recorder, a studio can outfit 5 rooms in a complete Pro Tools setup!! And not have to buy ANY tape.
This is the direction 90% of Pro Studios have gone.

There will always be a few analog studios, run by people who can fix the machines themselves, and who have an analog mindset. Just like there are "all tube" studios to be found where everything from the console to the eq to the compressors are tube based. Theres even a MOBILE all tube studio in England. All 1930s and 1940s Tube equipment.

 

You can get a decent used Otari 24 track for around $3,000. An acceptable sounding 24 track ProCrap (I mean Tools) HD rig is going to be in the 12-15k range.

 

Nino, your numbers are WAY off.

Pro Tools isnt that expensive any more. There is even an 8 track version, with most of the bells and whistles that is FREE, and many many studios here in NYC have it. Throw that on a 500$ Pc with a good 300$ SC and youre in business for under a grand.....with professional results.

Adobe Audition (formerly Cool Edit Pro) is alo EXTREMELY popular in studios and radio/TV. ABC Radio uses Audition, for example. And at 250$ its an absolute steal.

Buying a used Otari MTK is like asking for trouble. Head relapping, R/P electronics mismatches, clients complaining that track 4 is noiser than track 8, bias problems...I have seen them ALL. No such worries with a PC rig.

Cant make the $$$$ argument for analog, brother, sorry. Does analog sound better? Sure does. Guess what? The owners dont care.

 

Here is a quote from Digidesign:

Also, I just assisted with a ProTools HD setup here at the college, and it is indeed very expensive.

Here is another Quote:

And here is the source http://news.harmony-central.com/Newp/2003/HD-Accel.html

 

Nino.....you dont have to buy the HARDWARE from Digidesign. Get it??

I've installed Protools in small studios here in Manhattan for years now. Trust me, an enterprising studio owner isnt paying 8,000$$ for it. Trust me on this one.

You want get ANYWHERE with the argument that "analog is cheaper", pal.

And notice, I never mentioned 2 inch tape? Talk about EXPENSIVE...........

 

Go to http://www.digidesign.com/
click on products, then click on ProTools HD systems

You will see that the retail price has actually gone UP since the articles I linked above were written.

 

I am not saying that analog is cheaper, I am just saying that the inital purchace is about the same. The only advantage to a DAW is that there are no revolving costs.

 

one issue digital has (and a serious one at that) is archiving... with technology moving so fast and failure rate of HD's being what it is, material needs to be stored somehow, somewhere. A HD simply doesn't cut it. There have been numerous articles written about this exact subject. Analog does not have that problem to the degree digital does.

 

Do not assume this. Take a look at many of the active forum members' profiles.

 

What is an optical disc?

 

Not everyone on this forum has audiophile components.

 

I agree. I never, ever trust hard drives. Any time I do digital work, I always back up multiple times, and I archive to analog tape.

 

Oh I know, I am not saying that everyone here has an audiophile system, but a very high percentage of us do. And I know that all of us have absolutly no problem shelling out extra $$ for Steve's stuff!!