Cheap 2-track Reel to Reel?

[iamthecosmos]

Are there any cheap (I mean ?100-150) stereo tape machines that would be worth picking up to print final mixes to? I'm working on a record at the moment that I think would suit a bit of tape love.

I did see a couple of services offering to print mixes to tape for upwards of $10 a track, but that got me thinking I might as well watch out for a cheap 2-track. That's if there's anything worth bothering with that isn't huge and pricey...

[Syngriner]

Unless you luck into a great deal, in that price range you are going to find mostly consumer format reel to reels (1/4 inch tape-four track/bi directional-3&3/4 and 7&1/2 inch per second tape speed) and again unless your lucky it will probably have an appreciable or worse amount of wear and tear. There are a lot of worn out machines out there and it can be very frustrating, time consuming and costly to get them in decent working order. After all that you might not like the "effect" that a narrow format consumer tape machine delivers. I don't want to sound all downer because tape can be fun but just caveat emptor (let the buyer beware).

[iamthecosmos]

Unless you luck into a great deal, in that price range you are going to find mostly consumer format reel to reels (1/4 inch tape-four track/bi directional-3&3/4 and 7&1/2 inch per second tape speed) and again unless your lucky it will probably have an appreciable or worse amount of wear and tear. There are a lot of worn out machines out there and it can be very frustrating, time consuming and costly to get them in decent working order. After all that you might not like the "effect" that a narrow format consumer tape machine delivers. I don't want to sound all downer because tape can be fun but just caveat emptor (let the buyer beware).

I had been looking at getting a Tascam 22-2, partly because it's a smaller machine and I don't have much space. Would this be high enough quality for final mixes?

[toothpastefordinner]

I'm selling a Pioneer RT-1050 that runs 1/4" tape at 15/7.5 ips - it's a consumer machine and in well-maintained condition. Heads/rollers/etc are fine. Comes with cover and it's yours for $100 + shipping.

[Syngriner]

The Tascam 22-2 is a decent little machine. It is 1/4 inch half track 15ips, and if you can find one in your price range that is in workable shape it will probably do what your looking for.

[Waltz Mastering]

A client dropped off a Teac 2300s last week for me to sell for him.

Just out the shop totally refurbed, He wants between 300 and $400
which is what they are going or on ebay in normal working condition.

[iamthecosmos]

I'm selling a Pioneer RT-1050 that runs 1/4" tape at 15/7.5 ips - it's a consumer machine and in well-maintained condition. Heads/rollers/etc are fine. Comes with cover and it's yours for $100 + shipping.

That would be amazing, but for shipping to the UK it would be as much as the price of the tape machine! It seems like there are way more machines on the market in the US but the shipping is a killer.

[Dr Rubberfunk]

Studer or Revox machines would be some of the best quality machines available over here - quite alot of ex broadcast machines about, so watch for head wear, and sadly they'll probably be double your budget...

In the consumer arena, lots of Akai 4000 models around for under ?100, try and get a later one, and you'll get some good results from that. And the various Teacs and Tascams get plenty of praise too. But like Synginer mentioned, there are alot of knackered machines around, and whilst there are plenty of people in the UK who can repair and service reel to reel, you might be better buying one that has been serviced and set-up already - so at least you can get some use from it before having to spend more money on it

[iamthecosmos]

Studer or Revox machines would be some of the best quality machines available over here - quite alot of ex broadcast machines about, so watch for head wear, and sadly they'll probably be double your budget...

In the consumer arena, lots of Akai 4000 models around for under ?100, try and get a later one, and you'll get some good results from that. And the various Teacs and Tascams get plenty of praise too. But like Synginer mentioned, there are alot of knackered machines around, and whilst there are plenty of people in the UK who can repair and service reel to reel, you might be better buying one that has been serviced and set-up already - so at least you can get some use from it before having to spend more money on it

Thanks for that, that's pretty much what I was after! I saw a few ex-BBC machines but I've got more important things to spend that kind of money on.

The Akai or the Tascam seem to fit the bill. Am I going to be making a serious trade-off of sound quality for tape character? The only previous experience I have with tape is tracking to a studio's very nice 8-track (and an old 424 Portastudio years ago).

[Waltz Mastering]

Am I going to be making a serious trade-off of sound quality for tape character? The only previous experience I have with tape is tracking to a studio's very nice 8-track (and an old 424 Portastudio years ago).

Some of the things you will have to deal with when going to 2 track tape is a higher noise floor, constant maintenance and calibration, usually a slight high end roll off and bump in the low end, tape cost, storage etc....That said, if you have a quality machine that's set up great,imho the sound can be amazing.

[calaverasgrandes]

In the states at least you can sometimes find old machines at college/university suprlus auctions. I have seen Otari and Tascam machines at these. Though they are often a bit beat coming out of college radio depts.
I also see decent consumer decks in old hifi stores. There are still some holdouts in hifi cirlces that stick to their old r2r decks. Those are going to be 7 1/2-15 decks though.

When I think of old cheap decks I recall my first reel to reel was a Sears Silvertone. Horrible SNR. It had a hillarious tape path that somehow didnt have as much wow and flutter as you would think by looking at it.
I did a lot of totally useless recordings with it. Anything louder than a butterfly fart overloaded at least one part of it. It looked cool and sounded lofi before lofi was hip. Lost it in a house fire along with my Ludwig vistalites and my Rogers kit with a slingerland kick.