Favorite of my open reel decks???

[brenellic2000]

The Leevers Rich Proline 2000 was indeed a Klark-Tecknik SM, in essense, taken over by Leevers-Rich. The first few were built from kits supplied by K-T; the motors were originally of K-T's own design and build.

Barry

[reel-to-reel-man]

I know what you mean, I love these amps, I have 3 of the 909's and one of their mini units (cant remember the number).

[Dave Anderson]

I have three open reel tape recorders. The first, a Revox B77, bought brand new when I left school and started work. I think it cost me about 600 pounds. It's the mark 2 version, high speed, half track. I used it for making live music recordings. The second machine is a Ferrograph series 7 recorder. This was given to me by my father when he no longer had any use for it. It's a quarter track stereo machine. It still performs well despite its age (and the hard life it had). My third open reel is a Revox A77 only purchased in November 2009. This is a mark 4 model, half track and running at 3.75ips and 7.5ips. I love the teutonic simplicity of the A77 series and I like the rugged design of the Ferrograph. The B77 is probably the best of the lot in terms of performance and specification but there are no favourites. I love them all.

Dave

[rayr0683]

I thought that the Tandberg TD20A or TD20A-SE machines would be much bigger contenders in England. Actually throughout Europe. Many of the best Tech's here in the USA that have worked on all different Brands of Reel to Reels, have all said that no pro-sumer machine matches the Tandberg TD20A, or TD20A-SE in performance, or sonics. Many customers that own Revox machines, have even asked some of our better Tech's to convert the Heads, etc...on their Revox machines, over to Tandberg Heads, etc...since they already own several Tandberg's, they like them so much, that they want their revox decks to sound more like the Tandberg's. I know that many Rock bands, like the Kinks, Who and a few others, have used TD20A decks back in their early days of recording. I love my 2 Tandberg's, and I honestly do like the sound and convience of my TEAC X2000R, and AKAI GX-747 DBX...these both sound great as well, but the Tandberg, is just so close to a real professional deck, not as many bells and whistles, but sonically, incredible. Ray

[Dave Anderson]

Ray, you ask a difficult question. I agree the Tandberg's always received good reviews over here but they didn't seem to sell as well as other makes. There are some customers in the UK who would only 'Buy British' and therefore would lean more towards the Ferrographs, Brennell's, Vortexions etc. If country of origin wasn't an issue I think the Revox was very popular. In fact some amazing commercial recordings have been made on nothing more than a high speed Revox A77. Some of the early BIS label classical music recordings were recorded onto an A77 (without noise reduction) using only two Sennheiser omnidirectional microphones. The results are impressive. Even the audiophile Proprius record label used an A77 for some of their church organ recordings. Their sound is stunning, in my view. Perhaps the Tandberg didn't have a background in professional audio like Revox/Studer, Teac/Tascam and Ferrograph who all made semi-pro and fully professional machines. I think, as well, the open reel market in the 1970's and 80's was highly competitive. If my memory serves me correct (and it usually doesn't) I think the Tandberg TD20A was a bit more expensive than it's nearest rivals so maybe that put customers off. Who knows. I do agree with Ray, the Tandberg is a beautiful machine and performs extremely well.

Dave

[Ted Kendall]

To put it simply, a Revox is a domesticated studio machine, whilst a Tandberg is a domestic machine on steroids. Both can make excellent recordings in the right circumstances, but the Revoxes are far more robust and easier to line up. Their mechanics are built on cast aluminium frames, with big, chunky motors which go on practically for ever. By contrast, some of the mechanical alignment procedures for Tandberg decks make my hair stand on end - bending brackets and the like. I think the A77 was so well loved because it sounded fabulous if properly lined up, was relatively cheap to buy and near certain to be working when it came out of the car on location - although one engineer who shall be nameless claimed that he missed a comedian's breakthrough performance because a lead-out fractured on the inductor in the record amplifier; theoretically possible, but in this case a cover for forgetting to set the record channel buttons...

The high speed G36 was also a favourite with budget-conscious engineers in the 60s - it could drive BASF LR56 high output tape, and produced results which are still selling today, like the first Julian Bream/John Williams "Together" album.

Throwaway line from a 1960s article about the Studer factory - " A Revox will give good service for 30 years or so, but a Studer is built to last!"

[Michael Maurice]

European tape recorder/Hi Fi systems tended to sound nicer often sweeter than their Japanese or American counterparts.

I bought my first Revox in Feb 1976, mainly because my Akai 4000DS was so unreliable.

The build quality of the A77 was superb and as Ted rightly points out was a domesticated Pro Machine.

More to the point it was simple to use.

Everyone felt that the B77 especially those toggle switches was somewhat flimsier!

[Ted Kendall]

Agreed - loathe those toggle switches, but the guts of the thing were as robust as ever. Studer restricted the flimsiness to external things and spent money on doing the insides right, whereas some...

[brenellic2000]

Yes, a lovely little machine, the A77. I would say 'fool-proof', except that one day I set up to record an interview, miles from home, and blow me it would'nt work! I had only gone and fogotten to refit the multi-pin plug having earlier used the remote control!

It was all Revox's fault, of course, for not tying the plug to the chassis - M'Lud!

Barry

[rayr0683]

Ok,
So I learned some things about British Reel to Reel decks that you guys take great pride in. And I cant blame you, I personally like much of the British Audio products myself. I own quite a few. Not reel to reel, but in the Turntable world. I still dont understand you putting Tandberg on a Tier below Revox. but that is more of a personal thing.

It makes me ask another question though....what about cassette decks?? It is almost a given that Tandberg made probably the best cassette decks that there ever were. The TCD-910...3014, 3014A...3004...these topped Nakamichi finest decks. And the Revox cassette decks could not compare with these Tandberg's either. So, whar are the fav's of the British in cassette decks? And how do you respect Tandberg in this area? Thanks, Ray

Originally Posted by brenellic2000

Yes, a lovely little machine, the A77. I would say 'fool-proof', except that one day I set up to record an interview, miles from home, and blow me it would'nt work! I had only gone and fogotten to refit the multi-pin plug having earlier used the remote control!

It was all Revox's fault, of course, for not tying the plug to the chassis - M'Lud!

Barry

[Michael Maurice]

Originally Posted by brenellic2000

It was all Revox's fault, of course, for not tying the plug to the chassis - M'Lud!

Barry

Except in my case, I did just that! The dummy plug had a bit of wire coming out of it, which was soldered to a solder tag and held in place by one of the screws. Its still there to this day!

[brenellic2000]

Drat!, and there was I about to patent a small tabbed cable with a knot tied in the middle to remind me...

Barry