Advice on Analog Studio

[hoffmore]

Hi everyone,

I would like to get into analog recording, but I dont know where to start! I have done alot of work with ProTools and various computer things, but I am interested in reel to reel and the general ideas that I have read about analog recording.

My main question - Is it completely pointless to record on reel to reel and then transfer to my computer so that I can put it on CD? Does this hurt the quality?

What websites, general equipment, and brands should I look into?

Thanks!

Matt

 

[Bloodbone]

No it isn't pointless at all.
Use nice mics and preamps,and get a good sound on tape first.
Then you can convert it to digital and do what you will with it on computer.
Some folks will even take the finished product from the digital realm,and put it back on a 2 track stereo master tape,THEN send it to cd.
The sound of music recorded on tape is well worth any extra hassles.

 

[cjacek]

My main question - Is it completely pointless to record on reel to reel and then transfer to my computer so that I can put it on CD? Does this hurt the quality?

Not at all pointless. That is EXACTLY what many people who chose Analog do and have been doing since CD's pretty much replaced the cassette. I personally track to Analog tape and then use the tiny "line in" on my computer sound card to make the transfer to digital. I then have many options including editing the "wav" file using cool edit or any of the other programs, burning it to CD and even making an mp3 to send via the net. This does not seem to hurt the quality. You get a pretty accurate representation of what will end up on CD. Sure, with different tape machines using higher speeds, wider tracks etc ... you may not capture it all on 16 bit CD resolution but for most of us that's not a problem. The final answer is not to worry about it and mixdown to you computer's sound card. As long as you have at least a decent "integrated" sound card and a fairly fast computer, you'll be fine. You could also mixdown to a stand alone cd recorder so the options are many.

What websites, general equipment, and brands should I look into?

I think that most of us would recommend you stick to TASCAM / TEAC ... tho TASCAM branded gear will be newer. TASCAM gear is plentiful on the used market, is very "recordist friendly", is well built, reliable and it is still supported by TASCAM, the company. It is important that you choose a used product very wisely. A local pick up is always preferable. Specific advice on which models are recommended will be based on your needs.

~Daniel

 

[Seeker of Rock]

That's what I do....transfer directly to a CDR using its converters. I go from tape to Pro VLA to TASCAM CDRW-700.
It is important what cjacek said about choosing who and where you buy from. Not to scare you, but there are some risks you take by buying ebay or other out-of-state location. I just stepped up from a 488MKII and bought a TASCAM MSR-16. It came with the remote, a demagnetizer, take up reel, and original manual for $910. It was advertised as less than 200 hours, excellent condition, etc. Mostly true. The tech said nothing critically wrong, but it needed about $500 to get it "better than factory specs"(head relap due to uneven wear, calibration, and a new tach roller). Well, on a purchase like this, I wanted to start off on the right foot, so I invested the extra cash. My seller agreed to help me pay for the service it needed, but even if he hadn't, I still would have gone forward with the service. But GET IT CHECKED OUT by someone reputable (I had to drive about 120 miles round trip to reach these guys) whenever you purchase one and allow yourself a little extra funding to bring it up to the level it needs to be. Oh yeah, and if it needs to be shipped, I would recommend having the seller take it to a professional packaging store to prepare for shipping (not a UPS store and the like) unless of course it comes in the original box.

Oh yeah, a couple of models to kick around in the "prosumer" range:
TASCAM TSR-8
TASCAM MSR-16 or MSR-24
TASCAM 38

 

[jpmorris]

I need advice too. My friend over at Harmony Central wants to sell me an 8-track tape player. Since analog is so religious and warm, I was wondering if I can glue or screw a record head into the player to make it an 8-track recorder. He only has a few 8-track tapes and I can't find any for sale anywhere. These tapes look like square plastic boxes. They are called 8-track tapes, so if I can make it record, I will have an 8-tracl recorder, right?

Anyway, can I make this thing record and where can I fing tapes?

Thanks so much.

I had a better reply, but my web-browser ate it. Back to Firefox, I suppose.

In short, no. It is a stereo consumer playback format, like cassettes.
Here is some info: http://www.uwm.edu/~blomeye2/8track.htm
(and yes, that is as in 'Learjet')

Probably the most interesting thing to come out of it was David Biro's 'Birotron', a clone of the mellotron which used 8-track cartridges for the tapes instead of the mellotron's weird custom-gauge tape frames. Rick Wakeman had the idea for that, I believe. Exactly 13 were built.

 

[cjacek]

That's what I do....transfer directly to a CDR using its converters. I go from tape to Pro VLA to TASCAM CDRW-700.
It is important what cjacek said about choosing who and where you buy from. Not to scare you, but there are some risks you take by buying ebay or other out-of-state location. I just stepped up from a 488MKII and bought a TASCAM MSR-16. It came with the remote, a demagnetizer, take up reel, and original manual for $910. It was advertised as less than 200 hours, excellent condition, etc. Mostly true. The tech said nothing critically wrong, but it needed about $500 to get it "better than factory specs"(head relap due to uneven wear, calibration, and a new tach roller). Well, on a purchase like this, I wanted to start off on the right foot, so I invested the extra cash. My seller agreed to help me pay for the service it needed, but even if he hadn't, I still would have gone forward with the service. But GET IT CHECKED OUT by someone reputable (I had to drive about 120 miles round trip to reach these guys) whenever you purchase one and allow yourself a little extra funding to bring it up to the level it needs to be. Oh yeah, and if it needs to be shipped, I would recommend having the seller take it to a professional packaging store to prepare for shipping (not a UPS store and the like) unless of course it comes in the original box.

Oh yeah, a couple of models to kick around in the "prosumer" range:
TASCAM TSR-8
TASCAM MSR-16 or MSR-24
TASCAM 38

Good info! But I would still have the seller place the original box into another with some heavy duty padding between the two boxes.

~Daniel

 

[Seeker of Rock]

Amen to that. Absolutely double box it.

And to the unapproachable, doe-eyed, sun-washed hair Christian, I mean Quantagee, make you an analog of a deal. I have this GE 320 track tape recorder I'm gonna sell ya because you got style, kid. Just Paypal me $575 and I'll get it right out to you in the mail. Promise you!!
XOXOXO