Klarinet Archive - Posting 000413.txt from 1999/07

From: "Benjamin A. Maas" <benmaas@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Reel-to-reel tape decks
Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 02:00:25 -0400

> Chuck,
> DON'T BOTHER!!! That technology is hopelessly out of date. Not
> only will you have difficulty finding blank reels of tape but the units
> are huge and heavy. Thus, they are a pain to transport to a concert
> location. I should know - I have one and used to use it to record.
> Buy a DAT machine (or, if you are not that picky, a minidisc recorder) and
> save your back. You still have to do editing but with a DAT machine it's
> MUCH easier and you can do totally professional work on your PC. No more
> splicing tape. To top it off, the fidelity on either DAT or minidisc is
> better than what you'll get with a reel-to-reel unless your unit is a
> very expensive one.
>
>
> Fred Jacobowitz
> Clarinet/Sax Instructor, Peabody Preparatory
>

I don't want to start an analog vs. digital war here, but a couple things
must be said. Chuck, the original poster, did not mention his need for a
reel-to-reel deck. Perhaps he has old tapes he wants to play. We don't
know and can't jump to judgement.

For basic concert recording, DAT is a great medium. However, I think analog
is a viable of a format as ever right now. A standard piece of equipment
for many studios includes MCI and Studer analog multitrack machines (with
their tape that costs $200/reel). In the 2 track domain, there are a lot of
good machines ranging from old vintage (tube) Ampex decks to Nagra to even
Otari. A classical project I was somewhat involved with was recorded almost
entirely on analog tape. It is still the medium of choice for much jazz
stuff. The big thing with analog tape is your noise reduction. Dolby SR
sounds almost as clean as digital.

When it comes to digital mediums, DAT is really the only viable medium out
there right now. Minidisc's data compression ruins the sound and the A/D
converters in the units are pretty sub-standard.

Oh well, now that we are completly off topic, I'll shut up.

My $0.02

--Ben

Benjamin Maas
Freelance Clarinetist and Recording Engineer
Los Angeles, CA
benmaas@-----.com

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