reel to reel.

[barnabytweed]

hate to ask such a broad question but I'd like to buy a reel to reel to record vocal and acoustic guitar, maybe double bass aswell. what would be a decent one to get? I really know next to nothing about these machines. Is the Akai 400OD good? they seem to be a cheapish buy on ebay etc. I dont mind paying more for a good recorder. Sorry for the boring questions but if anyone can point me in the right direction I'd appreciate it,
Your faithful hound,
Barnaby Tweed

 

[grimtraveller]

Woof ! Woof !

These are the cats to roust, faithful hound....

 

[John Willett]

Be careful with old belt-drive recorders as the rubber belts could have perished and replacements hard to find.

A good direct drive unit is by far the best to get.

A Revox is the best choice (PR99, B77, A77) or a good Tascam.

Though I hope you are ready for the high running costs and hard work.

Tape is not cheap and normally last only an hour.

I hope you know how to demagnetise and align heads, to adjust azimuth, to set up bias and all the other adjustments that a reel-to-reel needs to keep it going properly.

I stopped using such things in 1983 and have never looked back.

 

[nate_dennis]

Be careful with old belt-drive recorders as the rubber belts could have perished and replacements hard to find.

A good direct drive unit is by far the best to get.

A Revox is the best choice (PR99, B77, A77) or a good Tascam.

Though I hope you are ready for the high running costs and hard work.

Tape is not cheap and normally last only an hour.

I hope you know how to demagnetise and align heads, to adjust azimuth, to set up bias and all the other adjustments that a reel-to-reel needs to keep it going properly.

I stopped using such things in 1983 and have never looked back.

Though I am no expert, a good set up can last a long time. No need to rebias things all the time or adjust azimuth. Demagnatizing heads is easy and alignment (though not easy) should last a long time as well. Replacement parts for TASCAM units are readily available from TASCAM themselves for good prices.

Yes old belts go out, but again, buying from Tascam one can get a belt for cheap (my 488 needs a belt and it's only about $5)

Buy local so you can inspect the deck and transport it properly. While there may be "better" brands TASCAM is the favorite around these boards because you can get replacement parts easily, there are still a few techs out there servicing them, and the knowledge pool is deep and wide.

How many tracks are you going to need/want? Don't forget, you'll need a mixer as well.

 

[PDP]

they seem to be a cheapish buy on ebay

Not so sure about that.