Nostalgic about reel decks I sold

A Reel Person

A Reel Person

It's Too Funky in Here!!!
32
34B
A8LR
Model 20
Model 80

I sold them at low dollar amounts before the big analog bubble, but only after refurbishing and calibrating each one over many man-hours of labor. The in-person demos were demonstrably tight. The buyers were very happy.

It's not that I wished I'd charged more, but I wish I hadn't sold them at all. Today I "can't afford" or rather disdain the idea of paying top dollar to replace these decks. Analog prices have gone crazy!

Fact is that I needed money at the time, I had not been using them & they were taking up space,... all the right reasons to sell. This was more than several years ago, but now I find myself on eBay ogling pictures and shaking my head in disgust. I won't pull the trigger unless I stumble upon a miracle sleeper deal, but if something seems too good to be true, it usually is. Hard to find something in reasonably clean and workable condition, while not breaking the bank.

People think I am sitting on a goldmine, but I don't see it that way. I think today's sellers are being greedy. I may sell more carefully chosen gear in the future, but I think the market is over-inflated. I'd originally bought most of my gear when analog was at fire-sale lows, when Protools and MOTUs (etc) seemed to have made analog nearly worthless.,... for that period of time. Analog enthusiasts are a lot like a cult, but it seems it's growing again. Analog won't go away. New generations of people are craving this stuff, but for different reasons (seeking lofi) than I had (seeking hifi). I think inflated asking prices are just that, and real world sales run on at a much lower level in the background. I've gotten some fabulous deals on gear in the past, so no complaints. It seems ridiculous to buy in now. Remember "Flowerpot Guy" on eBay? People used to face-palm and shake their heads when they looked at his listings. Now every seller is like Flowerpot Guy.

A looming issue is that the real pros who repair and support analog are a dying breed. That's not to say there aren't some very bright and talented DIY'ers. (You know who you are).

I'm nostalgic, but I keep moving on. There was a purpose fulfilled when I sold those recorders. I'm trying to focus and get good use of the gear I still have. I don't visit this site often. I still love analog recording. I love playing music. Sometimes I like the idea of fixing things again. I've not given up. I just have to get my s#!t together. I'm looking toward better days. Appreciate the things you have and love the people around you. No re-do's in life!

There is no technical merit to this post. I don't have any questions or answers. It's more of a mental upload of ideas I get when on this site and others. Recording is fun, no matter how you get there. Stick with it while you have the passion. Life and time changes everything. Hello to all my old friends and acquaintences. Some have moved on, some are not longer with us, but the real core contributors are still here.

Thanks if you read down this far.
 
I’ve sold one reel to reel and land filled another and I regret it deeply. I know that had I kept them, I’d not be using them. What I produce now is so much better, quality wise, but I would really like to still have them. I also regret dumping my elcassette and my Sony f1 Betamax audio system. I’m looking at a pile of minidisc machines at the moment and thinking they really need to go. I’ll never use them but I loved them.
 
Well *I’m* nostalgic about days gone by and frequent chats with ya, Dave. Nice to “see” you.

*Glad* to see your post.

I am astonished at what some people are paying for some things these days. I mean, people will pay what they will pay…eye of the beholder and all that, and not to pick on any one device or anything but I keep seeing Tascam M-106 mixers for $300-600. Really? It *is* a cool little console, but somehow it’s like it’s quasi-boutique or something. It’s unique. It has facets that make it niche. But wow not $300-600…

I’m wrapping up dialing in a nice Tascam 58…very clean, 100% functional, and a huge list of bonuses…new bearings and pinch roller…calibrated…comes with correct CS-607 cart and a pair of DX-4D dbx units with Hosa snakes…rare RC-50 transport remote, correct Teac YTT-1144-2 calibration tape, factory service extender card, a couple reels of Quantegy 456, OEM manual in original binder, and yes a parts machine that includes amp cards and a nice set of heads. And yes I’m planning on pricing it to make a buck or two in the current market because I’ve got bills to pay. No regrets. I won’t miss it when it’s gone. It’s taking up space in my cramped music room that houses the gear I’ve chosen to stay with me for the long haul that includes the Ampex 2” 16-track, the Studer console and my I-can’t-bring-myself-to-part-with-it prototype modular inline Tascam console from the early 80s. I hoarded gear for years to fill a void, it took me years to address the core issue, years to retrain bad habits and now years to dig out; achingly slow process. But, as far as gear is concerned, I’ve learned to develop a vision for what I want to do, identify the gear that supports that and, for the most part, let everything else fall away. In the process I’ve built up a more consistent and steadfast desire to pursue, and accomplished steady (but slow amidst many, many competing priorities) progress toward that vision. I’m getting there. And feeling some sparks again as I go and healthier sparks at that.

All this is to say I don’t think I can recall one piece of gear I regret selling. Well…that’s not true. Hm. Interesting. No regrets with any recording or audio gear, but instruments. Back in college in the 90s I picked up a Peavey TKO 65 bass combo amp…$200. That might not seem like a good price, but it came with a bass guitar…a Peavey T-40. Unmolested in OHSC. Original owner. I had a bass already, was really only interested in the combo amp and didn’t know my butt from my taint and I sold the T-40…for, like, $150. I was, like, dude I just got an amp for $50! What an asshat. I’d love to have that T-40 now. And then for some reason I regret selling my Pearl free-floating snare drum. I had a 1st generation 14” x 5.5” maple free floater in this beautiful bright blue. I can’t even remember why I sold it but I’m 100% sure it was to raise money to buy other gear.

Okay, well, I guess I’m right with ya, Dave.
 
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I spent the day revisiting this guy....

JYOTI MISHRA: Today Derby, Tomorrow The World!

You've probably heard the amazing story of how Britain's recent number one single 'Your Woman' was recorded by one man, Jyoti Mishra, working alone on an 8-track cassette recorder. Paul Tingen talks to the man behind White Town's extraordinary success, and finds out how he put together his new...
www.soundonsound.com www.soundonsound.com

I was in London when this came out with my three ADAT setup and a Soundtracs desk with a Lexicon PCM70 reverb and a Boss SE70. This guy had a number one with much less gear....maybe that was why it has stuck in my head.
As I now look forward to messing with a Tascam 688 , recording stuff live again and laying off the computer, I remembered this article.

I had a Peavey T40 bass, which I bought new around 1980....it weighed a ton....I also had a Peavey 2 x 15 cab and a Laney valve head. I gigged in a working covers band every weekend with it between 1980 and 1982. I sold it when I went to Manchester University and traded all of it in and bought a Roland Jupiter 4.........which was sold a couple of years later to buy a mixer and a PA and later also a 4 track. Gear was ultra expensive compared to today.
I think I know why the analogue stuff is coming back though. I bought a Tascam Model 24 the other week (it was my birthday treat and I wanted to know what they sounded like). It's supposed to be an analogue mixer with a 24 track SD card recorder built-in. It allows you to record separate tracks, and drop-in....though nothing fancy like a DAW. I used it for around four or five hours, recording some stuff and importing WAVs of tracks I've recorded over the years. I could compare the sound with my Soundcraft Spirit Desk with a Cymatics uTrack24. The Tascam was good, but it sounded digital to me.....there wasn't the warmth (lo-fi?). The build quality was a bit iffy too....I reckon they will last five years then drop to bits....less if its being used hard. Will you be able to fix one? Possibly....but if it's anything like stuff made today, it's all made to throw it away. I sent it back and got a refund.....then blew it all on a 'supposedly' mint Tascam 238...it arrives next week sometime. I paid double what they're probably worth....but if it is 'like new' then all well and good. I've just picked up another Soundcraft Spirit 24 for £400 as mine has developed some noise and needs a good overall. This one is absolutely mint......and sounds gorgeous. It also came with the original packing box.

Another reason why analogue stuff has gone up I suspect, is the state of the world. With World War 3 about to break out at anytime, who wants a bank account full of money? Better to live for today and worry not about what's coming down the line. I may be wrong.......but these past five years have radically altered my perspectives on everything....and I mean everything.

The last time I recorded guitars and drums to a cassette.....was about 1985. I had crappy mixing desks, crappy mics, so now that I have some half decent mics and preamps, I'm interested to see what a recording on a Tascam 688 / 238 will sound like....and also how much I might be able to bounce or sync with my DAW without it sounding 'digital'.
 
A Reel Person said:
There is no technical merit to this post. I don't have any questions or answers. It's more of a mental upload of ideas I get when on this site and others. Recording is fun, no matter how you get there. Stick with it while you have the passion. Life and time changes everything. Hello to all my old friends and acquaintances. Some have moved on, some are not longer with us, but the real core contributors are still here.

Thanks if you read down this far.
Click to expand...


I don't miss tape decks at all - I have no desire to go back to tape splicing, aligning, demagnetizing etc..every time I want to record. Now it's debatable as to the quality of the sound - its definitely a sound - but it can be imitated on a digital deck IMO.

I'm not clear on what you miss?
 
Hello!

I have a Peavey T-40 bass, gently used that lived most of it's life in the OHSC, and yes,... it weighs a ton. It was the first bass I ever got, in 1982 or 83. It's in amazingly well kept condition. Several years ago I did a college rock band performance with the T-40, and it was picking up static from the flourescent lights. I never had any problem with interference on that guitar before, but that cluster of buildings on campus had notoriously screwed up wiring. I don't think it was the T-40. It was annoying, but not a show stopper. Alt, I always wanted a T-60 guitar to match,... but have you seen the prices lately?

I'm still a big fan of the Tascam M-XXXX, which is a beast! I can't come close to understanding all the routing options, but it's nothing short of amazing. I'd never sell that thing, if I were you.

I found in the past that I did my most prolific recording when I only had a 244. 38 and M30 mixer, thru most of the 80s and 90s. I did it as a hobby, and not full time. Then years later in 97 I got a 424mkII. Sometimes less is more. In the early days I recorded everything, all the time. After so many years I found myself focusing on performance, and not recording at all.

When the floodgates opened in Y2K and afterward, I became obsessed with gear purchases of things I could never afford before, whether I actually needed them or not. I could try every format and get a real world opinion of how they worked and sounded. Then it became like I'd buy something, demo it a few times, and move on. Some things I bought and never demo'd or implemented at all, which anyone would say is foolish. Analog and digital porta-format recorders, and many reel recorders and midsized mixers. Rackmount gear, too. What's not to like? I bought broken units and fixed them, tho I never looked at any of it as "profit pieces". I passed many righteous deals on great gear to others, at the time without regrets. Then the bottom fell out.

I have a near mint 688 and 238. They are exceptional units. Of course that's not nearly a full list of things I have, nor my favorites. I'm not here to recite my gear list, nor to brag. Anyone who digs may find my posts, gear lists and photos. It's neither here nor there, but to say the least I love recording and music gear very much. Some people do amazing things with vintage and minimal gear. I salute them, whoever they are.

I had some great units that I sold more out of necessity than anything else. The ones I miss most are at the top of this post. I bought them for good deals sold them as a good deal and did what I had to do at the time. It's hard to look at the vintage analog market today. I guess I was spoiled back then and didn't know it.

Probably the regret for me is I let things go cheaply, figuring if I wanted it again I'd just buy it, but finding out later the market has left me behind. Now I don't want it back badly enough to pay 4x what sold it for. It's a feeling of wasted potential and missed opportunity, which is a personal peeve and nothing I'd cast on others as universal. If I've let something go without getting full use out of it, then part of me feels like I've given up on my dreams,... but I really haven't.

I like the digital units I have and they're fine, the specs tell the tale, but I never fell in love with digital itself. It's just another tool. I'm always finding flaws in things, but I'm conceited enough to think that I can get the best sound out of nearly any gear by using my resources and ears. That's why I never became a mic- or gear-snob. I've always been a better buyer than a seller. Not a tenacious DIYer or prolific writer like sweetbeats. I like to read here, and help when I can speak about something I really know thru experience. I'm a regular guy. A real person.
 
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I will always regret selling my Tascam 388- and my Tascam DM-4800 mixer,Tascam X-48, Moog Taurus pedals, ARP 2600, and 1969 Datsun 2000 roadster- but I re-bought the MXR Pitch Transposer and Systech voltage controlled flanger after hearing old band tapes from the 70s' where they were used on my Hammond organ.
 
Thanks for sharing Dave! I have sellers remorse quite a bit over the years. Sometimes I rebuy some of it. I was lucky to find some prices that weren’t too bad, close to what i sold them for, but some prices have escalated so much that I’ll never be able to afford them again if they don’t come down to a more realistic price.
I picked up both of the TEACs for a decent price. $200 for the TEAC A-6300 and $300 for the TEAC 32-2B. But I see them on eBay and Reverb for $1400+. Ridiculous prices. Thankfully locally pricing is better.
 
Sometime later, I had a chance to buy a Studer A800mkIII for $6k, but I passed. Wanting it, yeah, but I think I was coming to my senses by then. Quadrupling my operating cost, not having room or wanting to buy another slew of gear to run at pro levels were considerations. I guess I could have used a set of bump-box line converters. My music ambitions or abilities were not to that level, and I could not turn my house into a commercial studio and host bands. Some people do. As fun as that idea may seem, I deemed it not a viable option for me at the outset. I still like the idea of having a fully pro 2" recorder, but I have to temper that with the idea that I should use what I already have better. I don't need more gear to do what most people want to do in recording. 24-simul off the floor? Sure. I just have to set it all up and press record. I don't need a Studer or new Model 24. Having more than enough technology to fulfill my musical aspirations has kept me off the buying cycle for many years already. I don't get buyer's remorse at that point, either. The last new gear I bought was a DP-02cf, if you can tell what year that was. Very few times during those years I'd buy a few things that were off the hook sleeper deals that I stumbled upon, but I've not let it get to me or become a full time pursuit. I agree, that people may find much better deals on the local circuit, if they stick to it. Good deals like that are much harder to find. The view on eBay is not pretty. I miss some of what I sold, but I'm not inclined to buy in again.
 
Hey there, Track Rat! Those recordings come up on my shuffle-play every so often. Seasoned over time, I'm not sure they all hold up, but (to me) some hold up well and are true gems. By now they are certified legacy recordings. I shudder to think that set of discs was published 20 years ago! I had a head full of steam. So fun!
 
After I traded in my original Tascam 38 in the 90's for ADAT's (mistake), I missed having tape, so I re-purchased another 38 for a good price back in 2009/10, before the prices got out of control. Then I picked up a second 38 that needed just belts, etc for $80 a year later.

I still use the decks, especially my Tascam 42, but not as often. I re-built my studio as a hybrid and basically use a DAW as a recorder only. I recently purchased some newer high end analog mixers and summing devices.

I would actually still purchase a well maintained 16+ track if I had the space, but probably not at today's prices. Heck, even new and used guitar prices are out of control - but the market is the market.

I would still like to get rid of my Tascam M2600-24 mixer, the extra 38, and even my original M-35. I would not have any regrets selling these at this point.
 
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