Tape Poll

[Judas Jetski]

First posting. I've been set up with R2R for about a year, 1/4" 8-track. I have a small stash of Scotch 175 (1.5 mil), a reel of 201, something by BASF, and a decent stash of 456. I figured this whole tape-scare couldn't last, but I'm hoping prices don't go sky-high now.

[Phalaris]

yep

[goose]

I'm another tape user. I have many machines, from 2" 24tk down to 1/4" mono. Heck, I even have a Tascam cassette 4tk in the closet somewhere.

[Audio Archaeologist]

ANdy said : "I figured this whole tape-scare couldn't last,..."

Andy, it's more than a scare. It's the shutdown of the last remaining 2" plant.

"...but I'm hoping prices don't go sky-high now."

Prices for what? Non-existent tape ? The tape dealers I talked to have NONE.
Thanks, Durff

[evilaudio]

Got an Otari MTR10 recently. Would LOVE to get a 16-24 track, but am not that rich! I track on Mackie HDR then premaster to 1/4" tape on the Otari if it's requested. If not, I use my Masterlink for digital-lovers. All my own stuff gets analog treatment, usually.

[analogcat]

1/4"

TEAC A-6100
TEAC 7300-2T
Ampex 601-2 gettin' fixed

[JohnDavisNYC]

having just got my stupidly cheap studer a80 into my house, i will now be using tape for all of my own stuff, and hopefully as a print machine for most of my clients.

rawk.

john

[Judas Jetski]

OK, I should specify that I believe this tape crisis is a serious situation, especially for those who make their bread and butter using analog equipment. I'm just assuming that, say, ATR or a reformed, leaner Quantegy will pick up the slack. Maybe that's a pretty big assumption, but I have a hard time believing that the gap will not be filled somehow. The analog market is too big to ignore, even if it is too small to be catered to by cumbersome, large-scale corporations.

[Noah]

been recording to cassette for about 4 or 5 years now (since i was a young'n). 4-track broke. so i got a r2r.

[Audio Archaeologist]

AndySmash said : " The analog market is too big to ignore,..."

Andy, consider this, of the 5000+ registered members of the TapeOP forum
only 80+ say they use tape. Of the 400 + members that have viewed my post
"Are you using tape" less than 5% say they are. These numbers don't look so good. I realise this is only one forum, and most of the major studios don't participate, but nevertheless.... According to Quantegy's own figures, 250,000 reels of 2" tape were sold by them ( AMPEX) in 1992, In 2004 when they were the world's only only producer of 2" tape 2500 reels were sold. Very sad.
Durff

[xpulsar]

I used a 2" 24 trk MCI for a while, loved it. Now that that studio is defunct I don't use that machine anymore. I've been doing a lot in PT HD at the SSL room where I work. We mix down to 1/2" ATR 102.That sounds amaizing!!!! Really makes the mixes come together. I just partnered up with with a cat here in Detroit, He has a 2" 16 trk MCI and a Amek Mozart console. I can't wait to start using only analog on My next Rock project.I will mix to my ampex 440c 1/4" . ANALOG RULES!!!

[Judas Jetski]

Ehh, well you've got a point about the 89 (I'm assuming you're going by the results at the top of the page, which is like 89 who use tape to like 12 who don't). A market consisting of 89 people is DEFINITELY a boutique market's boutique market. BUT, I'll bet that for every one person who has responded there are a hundred out there who have not responded, don't know about TapeOp, or may not even use a computer for websurfing, which would have been me until about a month ago.

Look at tube amp technology. I remember in the early 80s everyone was saying that tubes were dead as a doorpost, and solid state was the way of the future. But lo and behold, tube amps now command top dollar, are firmly in control of a niche market, and have decent product support as well. Think of all the vintage mics, instruments and reissues. It's not only sentiment driving those markets.

I'm also into '70s Chrysler products. They're all I drive, even through these brutal rust-belt winters. Back in the early 90s, when Carter Carburetors closed their doors, everyone was filled with extreme anxiety that all carbs were going to disappear and the world would end shortly. But Edelbrock bought most of their designs, and has gradually been re-issuing them (with improvements). And making money at it. And the prices aren't even that bad, to boot.

The advent of newer technology doesn't necessarily mean the demise of the old. Good engineering and design will stand the test of time, as long as there people using it who have the nerve to stick to their guns.

But I will say that I believe it is important that those of us who use the technology support the people who are laying their cash on the line to produce what we want--and not just with lipservice, either.

[pornsoundtrack]

... In 2004 when they were the world's only only producer of 2" tape 2500 reels were sold. Very sad.
Durff

Recording studios never had a monopoly on using tape.

The broadcast/cine markets are gone to the dark side, these were huge market segments and the general audio/data magnetic tape market has been in decline since the early '90s. For a nice example, take a look at super8 cine, it was obsoleted quality-wise by Betamax/VHS in the '80s and stock will still be availiable probably long after the death of VHS. Super8 still looks cool for some projects; even when digital surpasses tape, tape is still going to be used.

I'm not powering down my machine yet.