Reel to Reel Tape

Dear @johnss : As I posted several times in this forum I attend at least one time a week to live MUSIC event.

Unfortunatelly for all of us ( digital or analog ) during the whole recording proccess exist a little or to much signal manipulation that degrades the signal it self and you and me can't do nothing about.

At the end of the day learned to enjoy MUSIC, it does not matters the kind of medium to listen it.

R.

Dear @orpheus10 : As johnss and other gentlemans you insist in something with out facts real facts: not the common " I like it ".

Here I posted ( twice ) if both of you or any other of the gentlemans that supports R2R as number one that certainly it’s not this:

Did you already listen the Sheffield Lab D2D Dave Grusin recording against the same session recording of that Sheffield but where the signal passed trough a top top R2R machine?

If not, then all the ones that think the R2R is the " holly grail " just have no idea of what all are talking about. Facts are the prove not that " I like it ".

Do it a favor try to make that tests evaluation and the come back here ( any one of you ) and share the facts. You will see that the damage made it by the R2R machine is way audible even for a " deaf " person.

With out that experience your opinion about is really useless as the opinion of any one else with out that first hand experiences.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Dear @johnss : No, frequency response is not the only answer but part of a whole answer as could be: noise levels, any kind ditortion levels, etc, etc.
The main subject is what is truer to the recording/what microphones pick-up: analog or digital? The overall and very wide explanation for some other time.


""" for another easy test, go to any audiophile meeting where they are playing hi rez digital files. people will be chatting away.

step in with a high speed analog machine and play a tape. All side conversation stops instantly. """

I know you are a wise/intelligent gentleman and then you will understand my opinion about:

that’s or could be true for a very " easy " reason: if for 40+ years your ears/brain/body is accustommed to listen only analog in home system is obvious that listen it to a wide radical different MUSIC presentation as digital the brain does not tooks very seriously as is something " new " and something that must be assimilated/understan to its advantages can have a meaning for the brain a true superiority meaning.

The subject is: how many time takes the brain to assimilates the top today digital MUSIC home system presentation in favor of it in favor to analog?

As we are more and more exposed to that today digital MUSIC preesentation as more we like it. Yes, is different to analog presentation because is a way different technology that between other things has a clear advantage: almost each day is improving it as technology when analog has several years that just stoppedto achieve true improvements and that’s why so many audiophiles are buying vintage analog audio items.

The overall digital/analog subject is not very complex to speak about but that we analog lovers likes to make it " controversial ". Is human been nature.

In the other side and returning to R2R issue: did you test a Sheffield D2D recording against the same Sheffield recording that was made it through a first first rate tape machine?. 

That's a true easy way to any one can detect the damage made it by that top R2R machine. Btw, digital is superior medium, yes different.



Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Your machine is frequency response limited and with higher noise level as is desirable  and no I'm not driven by specs as that gentleman posted. Facts are facts and some like those are important.

Anyway, that's the way you are satisfied and it's what in really counts for you. My comments are only that just: comments.

R.

Dear @orpheus10 : ARC phono/CAT preamp degrades the cartridge signal even more than SS units. As more/additional links in the signal as more degradation to that audio signal.

R.

@orpheus10 : I think that at least the LP information pass trhough a IC cable to that R2R, is that pass trough " something " is that IC cable and no matter what that signal is degraded and you, me or any one can't listen any improvement of quality sound in the R2R  reproduction. This is a fact and additional to it I already pointed out all the R2R disadvantages about quality.

R.

Dear @orpheus10: Please let me know how you make the transfer of the LP recorded signal to your R2R machine. Thank's in advance.

R.

Dear @orpheus10 : " The playback is better than the original.."""

well that’s what you like to think that just can’t happens no matter what because the LP signal must be " proccessed "/pass through something to your R2R and that pass though something only can degrades the LP signal. or explain why is not signal degradation is this is what you think. Maybe I'm missing something or it needs a wider explanation from your part.

R.

Dear friends: The R2R is in reality a today vintage " fashion " and nothing else. Specs of those type of recorders are really poor against today standards, here an example of that in the Studer A-80:

Fru ,~ ncy response ." riu,’P 30 ips 50 Hz . . 20 kHz ± 2 dB, 15 ips 30 Hz . . 18 kHz ± 2 dB and 7.5 ips 60 Hz .. 12 kHz±1 dB --------’’"’’

wow&flutter: 0.04% at 30ips distortion at 1khz: 1%

signal to noise ratio at 30ips: 76db

and all depends not only on the velocity recording set up but the ty pe of tape.
The recorded information in the tape is magnetic and the masters " suffer " through the time a heavy degradation loosing information and is almost imposible for any R2R unit to re-read exactly with out lost any single information during playback due that’s a mechanic item where the magnetic action and unit heads readers just can’t do it no matter what.

It’s very easy to looklisten the signal degradation that makes any R2R macine when you compare a D2D LP against the same LP in the same recording session using the R2R.
The differences in quality in favor of the D2D recording is not enormous but way huge. Even if the R2R could had better specs the best R2R is no R2R as proved a D2D recordings.

As I said only a well regarded vintage " fashion " with no true advantages/facts against today digital recordings or yesterday D2D recordings.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.