KVR Audio

beni_72 · Post by **beni_72** » Sat Aug 03, 2013 12:49 pm

Hey guys,

I was just wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction of good articles/videos about Reel to reel recording.
I want to learn all about it as I am wanting to get as much analogue feel to tracks as I can.

They're reasonably cheap on ebay so i was considering buying one but then I heard that theyre pretty expensive to run/repair...so is it worth buying one or getting a vst that can emulate it? If so any recommendations on a good vst?

Apart from tape recording any other articles on getting analogue feel would be good. I dont have the luxury to purchase hardware.

Thanks!!

Tricky-Loops · Post by **Tricky-Loops** » Sat Aug 03, 2013 1:00 pm

Some VST suggestions for tape simulations:

Ferox (Variety of Sound; free), Reelbus (Toneboosters), Kramer Master Tape (Waves) and PSP Mix Saturator 2 (or Vintage Warmer).

wesleyt · Post by **wesleyt** » Sat Aug 03, 2013 2:07 pm

Tricky-Loops wrote:Some VST suggestions for tape simulations:

Ferox (Variety of Sound; free), Reelbus (Toneboosters), Kramer Master Tape (Waves) and PSP Mix Saturator 2 (or Vintage Warmer).

VoS' tape emulation is FerricTDS. Ferox is ToneBoosters.

Halma · Post by **Halma** » Sat Aug 03, 2013 3:48 pm

Hey,

sounds cool to me going hardware if they sell cheap on ebay right now. I don't own one but always liked the idea sometimes buying one.

This might be a good first read: http://www.sternstudio.com/reel_recorders.pdf

Anyway, if you have more time take a look at those posts about old reel to reel machines. I am not quite sure if he also hosts a "vintage" engineers handbook about recording stuff (eg reel to reel) or if I have seen it somewhere else (and it did not look pirated).

http://www.preservationsound.com/?tag=tape-machines

Btw you could also search google for something like recording handbook manual "reel to reel" filetype:pdf . Should come up with lots of Ampex, Fostex etc manuals.

And some cool AMPEX papers: http://www.recordist.com/ampex/aes-preprints.html

Regards
Sebastian

fedexnman · Post by **fedexnman** » Sat Aug 03, 2013 4:07 pm

Get a four track and some worn out or wear out some cassettes for some fun sounds !

wesleyt · Post by **wesleyt** » Sat Aug 03, 2013 9:03 pm

Oh, I've used TB Reelbus a bit and like it very much. Another to consider that I've not yet tested is Sknote's Roundtone. Looks good.

Tricky-Loops · Post by **Tricky-Loops** » Sat Aug 03, 2013 9:08 pm

wesleyt wrote:
Tricky-Loops wrote:Some VST suggestions for tape simulations:

Ferox (Variety of Sound; free), Reelbus (Toneboosters), Kramer Master Tape (Waves) and PSP Mix Saturator 2 (or Vintage Warmer).
VoS' tape emulation is FerricTDS. Ferox is ToneBoosters.

Must be the heatwave in Germany that made me confusing both...

wesleyt · Post by **wesleyt** » Sat Aug 03, 2013 9:14 pm

No worries mate; I'd not realized before how similar the names are.

My sympathies on the heat wave. ours is past in the SF East Bay; it's absolutely gorgeous here today.

Cheers!

skipkent · Post by **skipkent** » Sun Aug 04, 2013 3:27 am

I'll second the recommendation for getting a 4 or 8 track cassette recorder first and experimenting with that. They can still be a blast to use and you'll learn a lot in the process. Reel to reel recording is exciting and a great experience, but tape can be very expensive and the machines can be very temperamental and needful of frequent servicing.

Still, if you have the time, space (you'll need a mixing desk too and LOTS of cables, maybe a patchbay and so on) money and a serious desire to learn, then go for it.

Another option would be to get a reel to reel but just a stereo unit and not a multitrack. It might be fun to experiment with recording to the reel to reel and then dumping it into your daw and time-stretching where needed to get it to fit, or using it for mixdowns and then importing that back into the daw for mastering or whatever.

beni_72 · Post by **beni_72** » Tue Aug 06, 2013 4:54 am

skipkent wrote:I'll second the recommendation for getting a 4 or 8 track cassette recorder first and experimenting with that. They can still be a blast to use and you'll learn a lot in the process. Reel to reel recording is exciting and a great experience, but tape can be very expensive and the machines can be very temperamental and needful of frequent servicing.

Still, if you have the time, space (you'll need a mixing desk too and LOTS of cables, maybe a patchbay and so on) money and a serious desire to learn, then go for it.

Another option would be to get a reel to reel but just a stereo unit and not a multitrack. It might be fun to experiment with recording to the reel to reel and then dumping it into your daw and time-stretching where needed to get it to fit, or using it for mixdowns and then importing that back into the daw for mastering or whatever.

So something like this?
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Tascam-Porta ... 9258320%26

And i suppose all the same principals as recording with reel to reel?

beni_72 · Post by **beni_72** » Wed Aug 07, 2013 8:48 am

Okay so i managed to pick up a tascam 4 track.

Now I would like to know if anyone could point me in the right direction for some tuts on how to use them effectively and get the effects I want to get

Cheers

beni_72 · Post by **beni_72** » Fri Aug 09, 2013 12:47 pm

Anyone??

Tricky-Loops · Post by **Tricky-Loops** » Fri Aug 09, 2013 12:55 pm

beni_72 wrote:Anyone??

Maybe you're the only one who still uses them...

BertKoor · Post by **BertKoor** » Sat Aug 10, 2013 8:52 am

What 'effect'? You record and that's faithfully played back.

What else were your expectations?

kritikon · Post by **kritikon** » Sat Aug 10, 2013 12:21 pm

Dunno if "faithfully" is the right word for cassette playback...

Reel to Reel