Limited to 5 media embeds per post, here's two more slates.

Audio @2:35

Audio @ 4:15, goes thru individual tracks.

From what I have read and have heard, the Waves Abbey Rd J37 tape plug-in is also very good.

I used Ozone7 tape sim with good result (Very subtle).
It would be nice to compare them and find what their forces are. (I bet quite different)

i've got your J37 tape sim. $21,000.00

Very nice machine...

I liked tape. I still do.

Even Tascam had winners with their 48/58 Series 8 Track 1/2", and their MS16 1".
I have a 48 still, needs a LOT of work though. I don't have the MS16 anymore.

But I do still have a working Studer Revox B77 2-track, although a few years back, the VU lights on the meters burnt out, and I replaced them with red LED's instead of standard white, so now, it kinda looks like the Amityville Horror House when I turn it on and look at it. It's even spookier in a darkened room. LOL

But... they certainly aren't self-maintaining, that's for sure. De-Gaussing, head stack re-lapping, biasing, mechanical parts like guides, lifters, capstans and pinch rollers, motors and brakes, and occasional tracks going wizzly ... and I remember all too well those times where I had to re- align ( bias) my decks to tapes coming in from other studios to either add tracks to a current project from somewhere else, or to do a mix ( for those too young to remember tape, yeah, believe it or not, this was fairly common!)

And ...tape itself wasn't all that cheap, either, even back then when it was plentiful.
A reel of Ampex 499/2500'/1" cost about $90; and at 15ips, you only had around 32 minutes of recording time.

;)
-d.

DonnyThompson, post: 442333, member: 46114 wrote: But... they certainly aren't self-maintaining, that's for sure. De-Gaussing, head stack re-lapping, biasing, mechanical parts like guides, lifters, capstans and pinch rollers, motors and brakes, and occasional tracks going wizzly ... and I remember all too well those times where I had to re- align ( bias) my decks to tapes coming in from other studios to either add tracks to a current project from somewhere else, or to do a mix ( for those too young to remember tape, yeah, believe it or not, this was fairly common!)

And ...tape itself wasn't all that cheap, either, even back then when it was plentiful.
A reel of Ampex 499/2500'/1" cost about $90; and at 15ips, you only had around 32 minutes of recording time.

if you were running a pro room at that time, you would go to a wholesaler for tape. they actually exsisted back then. nowadays you have to go directly to the manufacturer and they control the prices. we had a good one in Menlo Park just across the Dunbarton Bridge in CA. they charged $50.00 for 1" 456 / $90 a reel for 2" 456 in 2000. tape was a great money maker for me. I'd charge a buck and a quarter for each reel.

as far as the maintenance aspects i think keeping a modern DAW up and running with updates and such to be just as much a chore and personally i relate much more to mechanical means to recording than electronic. i know some of my dislike for DAWs is my lack of ability in computer geekage. but i still don't really care for the sound of digital. it just rubs me the wrong way.

Today, if I'd charge 150$ for the tape before actually starting to setup and record, I'd have no customers. Those still using them are blessed ! ;)
Most like the economy, middle class studios are disapearing. You get the elites or the amateurs and nearly no one in between :(

Sean G, post: 442318, member: 49362 wrote: From what I have read and have heard, the Waves Abbey Rd J37 tape plug-in is also very good.

Yeah I watched a comparison vid with it and the VTM and uad ampex, I found the waves to be the least interesting. It had a brightening effect like all waves plugins. The ampex was most dramatic, and the VTM was subtle. VTM had a little bit of a 'your there' quality to it, which I associate w tape.

The decision was made against the j37 plug because it 'only' does 96k. Waves in particular you have to be careful and make sure the plug supports the sample rates you want. I found that out the hard way. About half of there plugs don't support 192k and most of the newer ones don't. I'm not sure why there 10+ Year old would. I'm guessing two things, lack of requests for 192k, and they need something to justify their upgrade fees.

Not to go off on a tangent but it surprises me that 15+ years after 192k capability, people are still 44.1 and 96 in general. Seems like 96 has been somewhat standard for about 5-8 years. But a lot of people still are at cd quality. But who's using CDs to listen too!? Lol

Kurt Foster, post: 442331, member: 7836 wrote: i've got your J37 tape sim. $21,000.00

Droooooooooolllllll me want me want!

DonnyThompson, post: 442333, member: 46114 wrote: I liked tape. I still do.

Even Tascam had winners with their 48/58 Series 8 Track 1/2", and their MS16 1".

Proud portastudio owner here. My Tascam 34 is gonna be on sale after I transfer the last tape. I like it it's just too bulky to have around.

Kurt Foster, post: 442336, member: 7836 wrote: if you were running a pro room at that time, you would go to a wholesaler for tape. they actually exsisted back then. nowadays you have to go directly to the manufacturer and they control the prices. we had a good one in Menlo Park just across the Dunbarton Bridge in CA. they charged $50.00 for 1" 456 / $90 a reel for 2" 456 in 2000. tape was a great money maker for me. I'd charge a buck and a quarter for each reel.

Maybe I should start charging for HD space so the bands will practice more, and actually commit to a mix. lol

Kurt Foster, post: 442336, member: 7836 wrote: as far as the maintenance aspects i think keeping a modern DAW up and running with updates and such to be just as much a chore

Ya know, that's a really good point. It's why I'm grabbing all my software upfront. I only wanna do the computer crap once. Take a backup snapshot on disc and be done. I'm working towards a 'closed system' like a mackie HDR hard disk recorder/editor.

No internet, no (frivolous) software updates, no flavor of the week plugins.

I'm gonna keep my desktop daw/NLE as locked up as possible. I have my laptop to try any new stuff on and make sure it's cool first.

Kurt Foster, post: 442331, member: 7836 wrote: i've got your J37 tape sim. $21,000.00

Thats awsome Kurt...why have the plug-in when you can have the real thing. (y)

Its early morning here in Australia, I just flicked on my computer, logged on to RO first, and the first alert I click on was your one showing that beautiful piece of recording history.

What a way to start the day...It has put a smile on my face to last the all day.:D

DonnyThompson what's wrong with your 48?

Kurt Foster, post: 442347, member: 7836 wrote: DonnyThompson what's wrong with your 48?

Oh man, I'd have to really go through it to know everything... pretty sure it needs a new motor, new meters, head re-lap, probably guides and lifters are pretty worn too...

so it need a good wash too? :ROFLMAO:

Kurt Foster, post: 442350, member: 7836 wrote: so it need a good wash too? :ROFLMAO:

LOL... oh yeah.
Although I thnk it's pronounced, "warsh". :LOL:

Thought you might get a kick out of that video. ;)