[Hartley118]

Originally Posted by Lucien Nunes

.........

Tape, meh. Untidy, complicated, incompatible. I would imagine that most people looking for the 'tape sound' have an unrealistic impression of what that meant. They see a 2-valver with a BSR deck and imagine it's a small version of a BTR3 and expect it to bring a little bit of Abbey Road into their living room.

Never mind the fun I had a few weeks back, firing up an EL3541 in the workshop and putting on Flanders & Swan's 'At the drop of a hat' including the 'Song of Reproduction' for the amusement of the crew. I think it falls to us to popularise the notion that tape is not a patch on vinyl, quality-wise, to encourage hapless punters to leave it well alone. If they want to record, perhaps Crosley could bring out an R/P with optional cutter head?

ISTR The Song of Reproduction summed up the challenge of domestic tape recording back in the 1950s along the lines of:

"I've an opera here that you shan't escape on MILES and MILES of recording tape!"

Martin