I'm gonna have to get me one eventually....

[Fran]

Beware some objects of desire ahead....

http://www.j-corder.com/J-Corder_Tapedecks.html














droooooollll........

[Adrian]

Well well well.... What have we here??????????

They look fantastic!!

Excuse my ignorance but are they still making reel to reel? Or have they being refubished? Anybody got any ideas?

[Ivor]

Both Ciaran and Bill in Clonmel kindly donated reel to reel machines to me for use and training in our little ol' radio station. We had a few small issues getting spare reels (the empty wheel as opposed to the actual tape) which gives me the impression the machines themselves aren't being produced anymore. That said there's something a lot more satisfying about splicing a 1/4 inch tape during editing than cutting and pasting on a PC. The results sound different too. I don't think they'd work well as a hifi source either, The hiss is lovely an' all but on a high end system they're way behind CD or vinyl.

[Fran]

As I understand it, these are original ones that the fella has reconditioned and then re-painted to look even cooler (if thats possible!)

Theres even a carbon fibre one....

Fran

[Diapason]

I dunno, sound aside, there's just something COOL about the look of a reel to reel tape.

Theres even a carbon fibre one....

Goes faster.

[Seán]

God they are spectacularly lovely, like a delicious woman I say, bet they sound better though.

Fado, fado a friend of mine had a Revox machine I loved the sound from it even though it wasn't really high end. There was something real and tangible about them that I liked...ah well memories.

[fergus]

I want that one!

[Ivor]

I dunno, sound aside, there's just something COOL about the look of a reel to reel tape.

After I collellected a Revox from Bill (He was Baroid on the old place - I wish I had contact details) I did rig it up to the hifi and played some tapes through it. It certainly did have a lovely sound - warm, lucid and intimate but there was a serious lack of detail compared to a CD player or turntable. To be honest they have a place in a radio/recording studio but they're a bit academic in a domestic system, don't get me wrong, I'd like one as a permanent part of my system too but by current standards they're not 'up there'.

[Fran]

mmm and yet they get raved about...


Fergus, thats my favourite too!!

[Diapason]

mmm and yet they get raved about...

Some headcases will rave about anything old, and let's face it, this hobby has its fair share of headcases.

A question, though: what were all those old analogue recordings made on? Were such tapes similar to this?