Anyone buys master tape dubs ?


They are $300-$600 from reliable sources. Are they worth it ? Not that I am thinking of it at present..
inna

Showing 2 responses by topoxforddoc

I have about 100 albums on 15IPS tape - mostly original production/distribution masters from CBS & Jugoton plus a few from Tape Project.
I archive them onto new RTM tape stock (either SM900 or LPR90) with Dolby SR, as well as a digital archive using a Prism Sound Lyra 2 A2D interface. The digital copy owing the Lyra 2 is pretty much indistinguishable from the original tape.
@inna
When I source a new production master, I duplicate the master onto a) new tape and b) as a digital 192/24 .wav file.
As tomic601 mentioned, it is really important to make sure that you reproduce the music, as it was intended. I’m a firm believer that every tape should have line up tones at the head (or tail), so that you can i) check that your repro head azimuth is correct for that tape and ii) that you can match the level and frequency response of the original recorder machine.
I then do a zero level transfer onto new tape stock (I have several R2R machines) using Dolby SR noise reduction (Dolby 363 with SR/A cards), so that you don’t lose another 2-3 dB S/N with the transfer. The master is then rewound and I do a second zero level transfer (192/24 .wav) via my Prism Sound Lyra 2 A2D onto my Mac Pro hard drive. The original production master is then stored safely.
I can then play the Dolby SR tape copy or the digital file to my heart’s content, knowing that I won’t be degrading the original production master by repeatedly playing it.
Charlie