Common questions

Do they still make reel-to-reel tapes?

Do they still make reel-to-reel tapes?

Studer, Stellavox, Tascam, and Denon produced reel-to-reel tape recorders into the 1990s, but as of 2017, only Mechlabor continues to manufacture analog reel-to-reel recorders.

Is reel-to-reel coming back?

While reel-to-reel is making a comeback, it still barely moves the needle. Schneider, who says he has the capacity to produce about 200 machines a year, seeks to sell 20 to 30 players this year and about double that next year.

Is reel-to-reel good quality?

By writing the exact same audio signal across more tape, reel-to-reel systems provide a greater fidelity than audio cassette. But (there’s always a but, right?), R2R’s better sound quality comes at the cost of much, much larger tapes, which in turn paves way to less convenience and more expensive media.

Why is reel-to-reel so expensive?

Reel-to-reel tapes are preferred by some music enthusiasts for a variety of reasons, most notably, they are much closer to the original master tapes than a vinyl record. Reel-to-reel is also more difficult and expensive to produce.

What is half inch tape reel?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Half-inch tape refers to magnetic tape with a width of 1⁄2 in (12.7 mm) in a format such as: Computer magnetic tape data storage.

Can you record on both sides of reel-to-reel tape?

Similar to half track stereo in that it records only two tracks simultaneously, this format uses a quarter of the tape for each track in order to record on both “sides” of the tape. This layout allows four tracks to be recorded simultaneously, utilizing all of the tape in a single direction.

Who made the best reel to reel?

The Best Reel-to-Reel and Cassette | Buyers Guide 2021

  • TEAC W-1200 ($499 USD)
  • J-Corder (prices vary)
  • United Home Audio (from $6,500 USD)
  • Ballfinger M 063 H5 (starting at $11,400 USD)
  • Doshi Audio EVO Series Tape Head Preamplifier ($18,995 USD)

When did they stop making reel to reel?

1970s: Consumer reel-to-reel popularity was loosing favor to cheaper and more convenient cassette decks. 1980s: Most manufacturers discontinued reel-to-reel tape recorders as digital the digital revolution took over. Teac/Tascam and Otari are the last R2R brands standing.

Who made the best reel-to-reel?

Why does tape sound better than digital?

It’s a digital world, but that song you’re streaming still sounds best if it was originally encoded in magnetic particles. The sound of analog preamps running signal onto analog tape yields a natural compression that minimizes harsh transients and delivers a warmer sound.

Are tapes better than vinyl?

You can argue that the sound quality of vinyl is superior to tapes. Neither format is indestructible, and they become more vulnerable with age. Vinyl better preserves the intended sound of the music, with cassettes providing less nuance.

Do reel to reel tapes have two sides?

The format uses half of the tape to record each track, and thus its name. There are only two channels recording simultaneously in a single direction. There is no Side”B”. Since the format uses the entire area of tape to record the two tracks, it offered the best sound quality.

How big is a reel to reel tape?

Reel-to-reel tape came on many different sizes of reels. Most common among these are 3 inch, 5 inch and 7 inch. Larger 10 1/2 inch reels were also made but not as common to the home user. Here at Reel 2 Reel 2 CD we transfer all reel sizes.

How much does it cost to transfer a reel to reel?

Reel-to-reel tapes that are not full of tape are priced by how much tape, not how big the reel is. When viewing our pricing please keep in mind that it is all-inclusive. For example a 7 inch reel is $48.00 to transfer.

When does Reel 2 Reel 2 CD end?

Ends September 30th Reel 2 Reel 2 CD specializes in transferring Reel-to-Reel tape to CD, MP3, WAV & flash drive We have been doing this for the past 17 years.

How does a multi track reel to reel work?

With all multi-track reels, the tape is played through once, and all analogue outputs are routed simultaneously to a bank of three Prism Sound ‘Titan’ AD/DA converters, then via a Red Net PCIe-R audio card, to produce the raw tracks ( stems) as individual .wav files which are saved to a dedicated solid-state drive (SSD).

Author Image
Ruth Doyle