Reel to Reel

[Adoom]

I’m seeing a bunch of Uher stuff going for buttons around the place.

Could I make use of these in some decent capacity?

[crochambeau]

They often need a bit of the "first start in 30 years" investment (mainly rubber bits that dry up or turn to sticky shit), but yeah, old reel to reel decks can be a blast.

I tend to only recommend them to people who are either gifted with mechanical inclinations or are simply willing to get their hands dirty.

[Adoom]

I am... one of those things.

Thanks.



I am also compelled to ask you what D.o.S. was talking about in his signature.

[D.o.S.]

RMA Stone Splitter!

[crochambeau]

RMA Stone Splitter!

I have a hunch that it (the non-prototype version) will see the light of day in 2020. It is stupidly large.

...but it's not a tape deck.

There are excellent repositories of knowledge regarding tape machines online, but be warned - every single tech who does this for money will recommend you steer clear of consumer decks (as paying someone else to dig into it shoots past value of the object in a hurry). They are, in essence, built to disposable commodity standards of the mid 20th century. They can be fixed, but it takes MacGyver level pigheadedness to dig out of some of the wear patterns if the machine has seen a lot of use or abuse.

I personally don't mind a little bearing slop, wow, or flutter paired with limited bandwidth heads. For the most part you're just looking at replacing rubber, cleaning, and sparing use of lubrication for boat anchors that sometimes have a tendency to multiply.

[Adoom]

Holy shit RMA seems fucking amazing. I take it you’re RMA.

I’m sure the only reason I don’t already own some of your stuff is being away from these forums so long.

Good work man.

I personally don’t mind any of those things. I’d probably be tracking with it simultaneously into something digital. I do find artefacts and all that kind of stuff appealing. If I had Jack White money I’d probably have a recording space like he does. Not a huge fan of the mans music (Though ‘Icky Thump’ is a goddamn riff) but he has a lot of my aesthetic values.

The other dudes I make music with are very well versed in like, proper recording and all that stuff. They to college for it and such. I’m just scrappy.

I’ll look some of this stuff up online too but hey, I’m just interested in making noises and a variety of ways to commit those noises to history.

Any resources you prefer?

[crochambeau]

Yeah, RMA is my work. Thanks for the interest!

Any resources you prefer?

To be honest, I don't spend a lot of time on tape based forums, though tapeheads has a dedicated service sub-forum so at least all the conversation is not steeped in sonics only. I'd feel comfortable asking technical questions on groupdiy as well.

Service manuals for stuff seems easier to find as time goes on, plenty of paywall free sites

[jirodreamsofdank]

I picked up a Roberts reel to reel off the curb - '60s home stereo unit, weighs a ton, tube preamps. Took me a night but I got it working, even recording - I could understand the bug for nicer stuff in this realm. Even just recording over the Henry Mancini album that was in the case, it sounds pretty good in a shit way. There's a physicality to the big buttons and levers that I enjoy.

[Blown_Petals]

I have a few minty reel-to-reel units that I inherited from my father that I could be persuaded to sell to a good home. These are quality units that were properly cared for and barely ever used, other than to record my sister and I as children and um, the odd Nana Mouskouri and Howard Roberts record.
I also have a lot of reels, many still factory sealed. I think I even still have original manuals for a couple of them.
I wouldn't ship these but if anyone is interested and ever in Ottawa, PM me and I could share pics.