What's best tape to use with Teac 80-8?

  • Thread starter Thread starter MadMaxGba
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MadMaxGba

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I'm new to using analog as a means for recording and I need some advice one what tape is best to use for the Teac 80-8. Thanks. :)
 
Welcome to the Analog Only forum!

Lots of different tapes you can use, but your 80-8 was built around the +6 tape standard...the only current manufacturer of +6 tape is RMGI, and the model number for the tape is SM911. If you don't want to buy new or can't afford new, be forewarned that you are taking a risk. If you haven't done so already, read the stickied thread at the top of this forum on the dreaded Sticky Shed Syndrome (SSS).

How else can we help?

How will you be using your 80-8 and what else is in your setup?

Again, welcome! ;)
 
Thank you! I'm glad to be a part of the analog community. I appreciate all the advice.

Right now, I have a few plans for the for the Teac. I'm going to be recording live drums, vocals, and bass straight in from my mixing board. So, mics to mixer to Teac.

I was thinking, for our (my group's) previous and future recordings and samples that were digitally recorded, to run the signal into the tape and convert our digi into analog and then record the tape back into Pro Tools so the recordings retain an analog sound. I know there are programs and rack peices that emulate analog warmth and grit, but still don't match the real thing in sound or nostalgia.

I'm definitely going to buy new tape. I heard that recording over previous sessions on tape strips each new recording of sound quality. Not sure if that is true.

Lets say I buy a 2500ft reel and run it at normal speed for the Teac, I believe that is 7-1/2. Roughly, how much time would that be for recording, beginning to end?

The unit probably needs to be calibrated but I can find how to do that in the manual?

Thanks again for all the help. Sorry, I'm a newbie!
 
MadMaxGba said:
...recording over previous sessions on tape strips each new recording of sound quality. Not sure if that is true.
Click to expand...
Not true. (Well, not true as stated, that is.)


MadMaxGba said:
Lets say I buy a 2500ft reel and run it at normal speed for the Teac, I believe that is 7-1/2. Roughly, how much time would that be for recording, beginning to end!
Click to expand...
TEAC 80-8 is 15ips machine with the only "normal" speed 'there' :), that is 15 (fifteen) inches per second. 1 foot = 12 inches. 1 minute = 60 seconds.

here's some good tape (as it looks to me) and couple hours left to get it: http://cgi.ebay.com/3-New-Sealed-10-5-x-1-2-Scotch-3M-Reel-to-Reel-Tapes_W0QQitemZ290269061800
 
Yeah...assuming the tape path is in good shape, you can run a reel of tape through many, many times before the tape starts losing its ability to reliably capture and reproduce the audio...maybe your source was referring to 'bouncing', and in that case each bounce would add cumulative noise and a degradation in the original audio.

A 2500' reel will give you about 32 ~ 34 minutes on an 80-8.

Do you have the full manual, service and operations?

What kind of mixer are you using?
 
the 80-8 is a wonderful machine. I have my machine set up for Scotch 203 which sounds real warm.
 
Ill keep the 80-8 flame burning...I'd keep the 70-8 flame burning if I could!!

l_bd2095383f964823b1752d6ea28082bf.jpg
 
SongJohn,

Awesome picture. Thanks for putting it up! ;)

Do you have a mixdown deck?

Is that an M-35 and an M-35EX??

Did you used to have a 70-8?

Ahhh...the 70-8...an obscure but important piece of analog history...first 1/2" 8-track right?

Man Tascam/Teac has a history of cramming more tracks on to a smaller stack don't they? :)

vinTascam70H8a.jpg
 
Beauty! I know the 70-8 has discrete amps inside of it which I would imagine to be a bonus for those who appreciate the FET sound, teac used FET pres again in the M15 mixer...Never once had a 70-8 but I've heard a slew of recordings made on it. It really does sound full of character.

the mixers in my pic are Model 5's and MOdel 5EX...I took them apart and saw a date of "1976" inside. I was pretty thrilled by that!
I wish I had a mix down deck...I've got nothing. If I want to mix down, I have to drag the PC out and mix down to the machine.
 
That machine broke down, cutting the session short.
Click to expand...

What a bummer...its relatively distant history at this point, but I'm sure it was frustrating at the time! :mad:

BUT...Teac did learn from the arguably fallible nature of those earlier designs didn't they?

Remember them?
Click to expand...

Remember who? Did I miss something?

Rick, so how was it that you found yourself operating the first 70-8 used state-side??
 
sweetbeats said:
What a bummer...its relatively distant history at this point, but I'm sure it was frustrating at the time! :mad:

BUT...Teac did learn from the arguably fallible nature of those earlier designs didn't they?
Click to expand...
They learned that grounding the head stack with conductive paint was a bad idea as the tape wore away a little paint with each pass until there was no ground left.



sweetbeats said:
Remember who? Did I miss something?
Click to expand...
LP's - aka phonograph records.

sweetbeats said:
Rick, so how was it that you found yourself operating the first 70-8 used state-side??
Click to expand...

Dick Rosmini was my producer at the time. He was also a consultant to the likes of TASCAM & JBL. I was one of the artists on that session. The comnplete lineup was: Me - Electric Guitar, Mike Botts - Drums, Colin Cameron - Bass, Tony McCashen - Guitar/the other artist.
 
70-8... wow the clock really has moved.

For the record, they still make Albums - an album being a collection of songs (or photos, but we are talking music here). The format the album is released on can be CD, LP, cassette etc, but it's still an Album :D


AK
 
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