Oh bloody hell, what have I started now! My Misses is going to kill me!

[Spectral Morn]

Certain machines were designed to play one way or the other... others don't mind. My Sony and Tandberg's can be sat either way.

I've never tried doing a sound test, but I suspect that upright is better because gravity is acting equally on both 'top and bottom' of the tape, whereas on it's back, it may cause the tape to drift (of course these forces are tiny, probably imperceptible, but if we can hear the affect of clean mains contacts, or a different type of fuse it might be audible!).

I can get away with upright now as Mrs DS has not made any further comments but yes its logical to assume upright is better. I just have lots of questions that pop into my head...such as. What about isolation with R to R's ? Better mains leads ? etc you know the type of thing.


Regards D S D L

[Barry]

Hi Barry

What R to R machines do you have?

What do you feel about the question of standing them up or laying them down ? Do they sound better one way or the other? Are they easier to use as hi-fi dave finds on their backs?

I have three machines, they are:

[1] Nagra IV-S, a two track portable stereo machine. It has no time code or Neopilot facility. Not needed, so can take advantage of using a wider tape track. This provides an 8dB improvement in signal to noise ratio.

[2] Ferrograph 632, two track stereo machine. Now retired, it is a wonderful example of ‘built like a brick outhouse’ British engineering. Not as sophisticated as Revoxes, but with better access to the heads it was much easier to edit and splice tapes. Usually criticised for limited frequency response compared to the rival Brenell and Revox machines, but a fully fettled Ferrograph (apologies for the alliteration) could stand its own.

Try as I might, I can’t find a good home for it. Everyone who I think might make good use of it, claims that modern digital hard disc recorders can do everything they want of a recorder. Please – I don’t want that last statement to start another passionate thread.

[3] Uher 4000 Report portable. The BBC chose this machine as their ‘everyday’ machine for roving interviews. (The Beeb did of course use Nagras, usually the model 4.2, but tended to reserve them for outside ‘studio’ programmes, such as, for example, ‘Gardeners World’.) Mine has been resurrected and fitted with a new set of drive belts, although it could do with a thorough overhaul and service.

Regarding horizontal or vertical operation - well, the Ferrograph was primarily designed for horizontal use, and that is how I used it. However when used with the metal ‘Hublock’ spools, the machine could be and was used, in a near vertical orientation. Have no idea how this affected the sound. Both the Nagra and Uher, being portable machines, are designed to be used in either orientation; both are fitted with methods to secure the spools.

Does anyone out there use a Leevers-Rich machine? A onetime darling of the BBC, this British design could hold its own against the Studers of the day.

Regards

[twelvebears]

Oh god help me! Now I'm trawling eBay for blank metal tapes and watching various DAT machines too!!

Mmmmm.... I could easily set up a second system in the loft room.

[TheMooN]

Pretty reasonable sound quality (For a YouTube) demo of a Nice ReVoX E36 Hybrid valve model If you canna stand the guy droning on about his Dittons FF to 3mins in .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qf-ZI...eature=channel

[TheMooN]

Another interesting R2R YouTube , Quite nicely demonstrating the playback of a Quadraphonic capable machine ~ the Sony TC 388 esp should you have a surround sound rigged computer !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJqPe...eature=channel

The same guy has a number of other nice R2R YouTube's

[hifi_dave]

Hi Barry

What R to R machines do you have ?

What do you feel about the question of standing them up or laying them down ? Do they sound better one way or the other ? Are they easier to use as hi-fi dave finds on their backs

By the way Dave what type of R to R do you use/have ?





Regards D S D L

I haven't much of a R2R collection as they take up too much space and I'm struggling now to find a slot for my latest purchases. All I have is an immaculate and serviced Revox G36, an F36 which looks like it's been unpacked for the first time and an Akai M8 in really good nick. Still looking for a decent Ferrograph 6 series and that must be it.

[Marco]

Awesome, Roger. Even on cheap horrible laptop speakers you can tell the R2Rs sound amazing!

There is a vibrancy, life, and tonal richness to the sound (discernable even through the speakers on my laptop) that reminds me very much of what I get from my Techy, or the CR7 - but I suspect the latter is not quite up to the best R2Rs.

Digital? Pah! It pales into insignificance!!

Marco.

[TheMooN]

Awesome, Roger. Even on cheap horrible laptop speakers you can tell the R2Rs sound amazing!

There is a vibrancy, life, and tonal richness to the sound (discernable even through the speakers on my laptop) that reminds me very much of what I get from my Techy, or the CR7 - but I suspect the latter is not quite up to the best R2Rs.

Digital? Pah! It pales into insignificance!!

Marco.

Re-Birth of the CooL

[Barry]

Neil (DSDL)

Clear out your mailbox!. You will then find something that might be of interest to you!

Cheers