Reel to reel tape recorders

[laserblazer]

Our County Records Office has sent out a request to all schools asking if we have any spare. I guess there must be a few floating about.

[maniac]

I have 2 reel to reel tape recorders at home that were salvaged from one of the schools I worked at a few years ago - I also had a very old Sony reel-to-reel video recorder which was a beast of a machine, although it eventually packed up and when I moved I gave it to a collector as I didn't have the space to keep it.

 

Any idea why they're asking?

 

Mike.

[laserblazer]

Any idea why they're asking?

 

That's what I'm wondering. Possibly, they need a decent one for copying purposes and will select the best from the bunch.

[OutToLunch]

Surely they could just pick up something like Review: Firebox Ion USB Cassette Deck peripheral - 21 Nov 2007 - Computeractive and whack them onto CDs - down to £50 now too...

[localzuk]

Surely they could just pick up something like Review: Firebox Ion USB Cassette Deck peripheral - 21 Nov 2007 - Computeractive and whack them onto CDs - down to £50 now too...

 

That isn't reel to reel...Reel-to-reel audio tape recording - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[OutToLunch]

That isn't reel to reel...

 

I was assuming that they were trying to make new copies of old tapes and it hadn't occurred to them to transfer to a digital format. Next model up will do tape to tape.

 

USB Cassette Deck - buy at Firebox.com

 

Edit - see what you mean now, we always called tape to tape reel to reel. Doh.

[SteveBentley]

Ahh that takes me back to the days of Media Studies lessons in the days before everybody started doing Media studies, and before 'elf and safety got too mad.

 

Editing audio using a razor blade and a chinagraph pencil. Fantastic

[laserblazer]

Ahh that takes me back to the days of Media Studies lessons in the days before everybody started doing Media studies, and before 'elf and safety got too mad.

 

Editing audio using a razor blade and a chinagraph pencil. Fantastic

 

On a Ferrograph recorder that made a satisfying "Clunk" every time to pressed a button.

 

http://writingman09.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/20090904_ferrograph.jpg

[K.C.Leblanc]

I'll have a look in the sociology department.

[SteveBentley]

On a Ferrograph recorder that made a satisfying "Clunk" every time to pressed a button.

 

Nothing so fancy - redundant Tandbergs "recovered" from Languages

[elsiegee40]

Editing audio using a razor blade and a chinagraph pencil. Fantastic

 

Showing you age there!

 

Do the youngsters these days know what a chinagraph pencil is?

 

Or a razorblade for that matter! I was in Superdrug a couple of weeks ago and ended up helping an older lady who couldn't find razor-blades. She didn't want cartridges... she wanted the thin flat metal thing that's individually wrapped! The girlies on the counter didn't have a clue!

 

There's probably a few on here who don't know about Reel-to-rell as well... it's not the same as a cassette. We used to use them all the time in school... especially in language lessons. I imagine machnes are wanted so they can listen to old reel-to-reel tapes they have in the archive... or possibly for spares to keep machines they have running.

[Marci]

Got a few, but all multitrack... take it they just want 2 track 1/4" format?

[laserblazer]

Got a few, but all multitrack... take it they just want 2 track 1/4" format?

 

I'd have thought so.

 

I wasn't begging, I just thought it amusing that the Council were after old technology.

[SimpleSi]

Editing audio using a razor blade and a chinagraph pencil. Fantastic

 

As part of the BBC's A Course engineering induction training, everyone had to be able to do an edit (to within 1 sec) using this method.

 

This was despite that fact that we were training to be Transmitter Engineers

 

regards

 

Simon

[Andrew_C]

As part of the BBC's A Course engineering induction training, everyone had to be able to do an edit (to within 1 sec) using this method.

To within a second! That's whole words! At 15 IPS you should be able to do MUCH better than that!

 

I'd bet that they want 1/4 inch quarter track. That gives stereo in both directions. Half track is stereo in one direction only, which they could mean. (OK, a bit simplified!)

 

I have both, but we're quite a long way from you. Hang on! Are you in Portugal or Wessex?

[SimpleSi]

To within a second! That's whole words!

 

As I said - we were training to be Transmitter Engineers

 

regards

 

Simon

[SteveBentley]

Showing you age there!

 

Hehe I'm not that old!

 

To be fair it's only in the last 10 years that reel to reel has stopped being the bread and butter of BBC Local Radio.

[sidewinder]

I remember them...my dad still has his in the loft, was fascinating listening to all his recordings of 60's radio. Wouldnt be surprised if they've degraded a lot now though

 

For those who used to edit it, I understand it was cut, but how on earth did you stick it back together? So it still played?

[laserblazer]

I just had a call from the Records Office. They use them in their History dept. that is open to the public and has an old-technology theme, so people can actually listen to tapes on the original equipment. They try to keep a stock because of reliability.

 

They have digitised all the material as well.

[Marci]

but how on earth did you stick it back together? So it still played?

With splicing tape applied to the rear surface (non-playback side) of the tape... eg: http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~bunce/cutedit.htm

[sidewinder]

With splicing tape applied to the rear surface (non-playback side) of the tape... eg: Music Technology Handouts: Tape Editing

 

 

Ah, thats makes sense thanks

[laserblazer]

I used to do it with 8mm film. I had a special splicing tool and an acetate that melted the two ends together.

[glensc]

Editing done using a non ferrous blade, to cut down on magnetic inteferrence.

 

Tape loops done by cutting out and editing the ends together then threading round a strategicaly placed chair leg to maintain tension, hence the name loops.