With regard to 1/4" tape most of the pre-recorded stuff I’ve been looking at & buying has either been mono but 2 sided (3 3/4 ips) or stereo (7 1/2ips) and apparently 2 sided so presumably that’s what is called 4 track ie two tracks play one way & then two play the other. So I take it that two track machines can’t play 4 track tapes but that these high speed ie 15 ips two track tapes only play in one direction & derive their quality from the speed of travel & the width of the tracks. Is that all correct? Are there pre recorded 15 ips 4 track tapes aswell?
still getting my head around the array of formats tapes were sold as.
A 4 track machine, as I understand can record up to 4 tracks in the same direction (and playback all 4 at the same time or just individual tracks) - hence being able to use for studio recording of individual instruments but playing back together. Each side of the tape is divided into 4 areas for recording purposes, but will play back on a standard machine.
I picked up one of these cheap locally a good few years back. I liked looking at it but I couldn’t really work out what to do with it. I sold it to a nice chap in Ireland and made a wee profit. I still have a hankering for a machine that can take the 10" tapes but I think I still wouldn’t know what to do with it. It’s a potential minefield in so many ways but that’s all part of the fun.
Does anyone else think that reel to reel is like that psycho bunny boiler everyone warns you about? Might be fun at times, but just too much grief and in no way a sensible long term solution…
Yeah, so much audiopile win with R2R. It’s possible to have 3 albums in your possession costing upwards of 700 quid each. They are deteriorating as you look at them, so must be played back to back, to anyone, neighbour etc that shows interest in your kit when visiting. They are best played on pro machines that are like hens teeth in good condition, expensive and if you aren’t an engineer, need to be serviced by an octogenarian in Pembrokeshire or somewhere far-flung. Have I missed anything?
I thnk Guy nailed it earlier, if you are keen on limited programme material available then there’s method to the madness, otherwise just another middle aged man’s train set.
Mine looks nice in my listening room and attracts lots of comments - but I’ve used it less than 5 times in about 3 years, so most of the comments are from my wife along the lines of “when have you last played with that thing, why don’t you sell it if you don’t use it…”
