1970s reel tape recorder. Pioneer RT2022

[Disturber]

I got one of these old tape Machines eight, nine years ago. I have never used it. I kept it at our old rehersal place, thinking I might one day find use for it. We moved out of that place and I had to take the machine home last week.

It's built like a damn tank. I don't know what it weighs, but it's A LOT. Apparently these were pro consumer, or all pro, I don't really know. It was used in the studio as a mix down machine were I used to work. I got it when we switched to ADAT´s.

So, question is should I keep it, or should I sell it. It's in pretty good condition cosmetically. I've turned it on, but I don't have any reel tape to try it with. I assume it will work though.

What use would you have for a machine like this these days?

What is it worth? Any one have a clue?

Some info: http://www.thevintageknob.org/pioneer-RT-2022.html

It's the two channel version, with one TAU-11 amplifier. With two of these amps it could be turned in to a 4-track. But I guess finding the parts for that would be costly as hell.

Not my machine, but one just like it:

[sonic1974]

I'd be curious to try it out just to see what the sound quality is like. But from a purely practical point of view, recording on a computer would most likely be simpler.

[Disturber]

Yes, that is what we are doing. I don't know if it is any use to transfer the recorded material to tape, and then back to digital again - before or after mastering. Guess it would ad some tape compression, but no matter how good the tape machine is, I guess it would also ad a little noise.

I was just thinking if there is any use for a maching like this that I have not thought of... But most likely I'll put it up for sale.

[django49]

In my experience, those are at an age where they are likely to be dying......I know I cannibalized a couple old similar decks to get them to work long enough to get irreplaceable recordings transferred to digital before the last one totally crapped out.

[JohnnyB]

I was just thinking if there is any use for a machine like this that I have not thought of... But most likely I'll put it up for sale.

That's a serious machine. It weighs over 71 lbs. and has lots of die cast parts for ultimate tape alignment. I'm sure the transformers and motors add a bit of weight too. Here's a little info.

Somehow, my experience in analog tells me that it sounds quieter and more dynamic than the specs would indicate, kind of like how identically-rated tube amps seem to have more oomph than their solid state counterparts. You could also boost that S/N ratio to 120dB if you could scare up a 2:1/1:2 compander, e.g., a dbx unit.

There is an advantage to making the original recording in analog: digital resolution standards keep changing, starting with 16-bit/44.1Khz and moving up through the years until it's 24b/384Khz, and now there's more activity in DSD (direct stream digital), a 1-bit pulse width modulation (PWM) system with much higher sample rates--2.7Mhz and above. With an analog original, you can make a digital master of any resolution without need for dithering or bit-slicing.

Mapleshade Records makes some of the most shockingly live-sounding CDs I know of, and owner-operator Pierre Sprey records the originals in analog. It is true, of course, that analog has production limitations that digital doesn't (e.g., changing pitch or tempo independent of each other), but really, production convenience is why digital replaced analog, not sound quality (ducks and runs).

[dragan]

To an old guy like me it still looks very cool with those 10" reels , I'd find a way to use it . Live rehearsal recording , or hifi stereo recording .

[chromium]

There is still demand for them, especially in the electronic music realm - for both recording and tape-based composition (splicing ala John Cage)

Couple RT2022s sold on Ebay recently in the $600-range, to give you some idea...

[Disturber]

I have a guy willing to pay 400$ for it. Seems reasonble, maybe on the low side. But it will probably need some attention, a cap job at least.

So I'll probably let him buy it if he wants it.

[gorch]

There are people who love all analog stuff. I'd post it in the bay for a 2 weeks auction and let it go.

If that's not working, send it to Tom Scholz. He will love to record another Boston CD with it.

[RichRS6]

Is there a way you can use it for tape echo ?

[Steve Haynie]

Find me someone who wants eight tracks of reel to reel goodness.

JohnnyB brought up changing standards in the digital world. My TASCAM DAT machine is my mixdown recorder. It has the 16-bit/44.1Khz that was CD quality back in the 90's. That machine is worth about 10% of what was paid for it 20 years ago.

[Disturber]

Find me someone who wants eight tracks of reel to reel goodness.

JohnnyB brought up changing standards in the digital world. My TASCAM DAT machine is my mixdown recorder. It has the 16-bit/44.1Khz that was CD quality back in the 90's. That machine is worth about 10% of what was paid for it 20 years ago.

The Pioneer reel tape machine is now sold. I don't think I'll miss it, after all I didn't use it for eight years or so.

I have a small portable DAT machine in the basement somewhere. And a bunch of DAT tapes with stuff I keep thinking I should convert to flac or wav files in the computer. One of these days.....

[crunchee]

Congrats on the sale! If you hadn't found a buyer for it, you could have glued machine parts all over it for that 'steampunk' look.

That's the thing about 'obsolete' technology...somebody, somewhere is bound to be looking for it. It's kinda like Hammond organs, it's one thing to play one, and an entirely different thing to actually OWN one and physically lug one around, much less care for it and feed it properly.

[velorush]

Yes, that is what we are doing. I don't know if it is any use to transfer the recorded material to tape, and then back to digital again - before or after mastering. Guess it would ad some tape compression, but no matter how good the tape machine is, I guess it would also ad a little noise.

I was just thinking if there is any use for a maching like this that I have not thought of... But most likely I'll put it up for sale.

The only thing that came to mind (before I read it was sold) was that Richie Blackmore (and probably others) used a reel to reel as a preamp a really long time ago. Congratulations on the sale.

[mc2]

Congrats on the sale.

I recently bought a R to R deck to transfer some old 10 1/2 masters to digital. It took awhile to find one that didn't have a melted belt, bound up capstan and in need of a cap job, etc.

I made the mistake of walking into a local Radio Shack and asking for a 1/4 inch tape splicing block and splicing tape.

The kid behind the counter stared at me, confused.

After I explained what those were.....he stared at me, like I just walked out of a time machine Hahahahaha

Besides splicing master tapes together...I was killer with a razor blade and a splicing block from editing so many commercials back in my radio days.

Cutting and pasting computer audio just isn't as "arty." It's like Picasso using Photoshop (damn....now I'm missing my old darkroom

[chromium]

I made the mistake of walking into a local Radio Shack and asking for a 1/4 inch tape splicing block and splicing tape.

The kid behind the counter stared at me, confused.

"...but can I interest you in a smartphone or pre-paid calling card?"

I've bought 1/4" tape from these guys: http://joaonline.com/catalog/

...and supplies (splicing tape, etc) from: http://www.tapecenter.com/

This has been for doing restoration work on old tape echos (I've had a lot of these), and rolling my own 1/4 loops. Usually I cheat and use a couple of those old "gibson girl" splicers that I've picked up over the years.

[tomteriffic]

I made the mistake of walking into a local Radio Shack and asking for a 1/4 inch tape splicing block and splicing tape.

The kid behind the counter stared at me, confused.

After I explained what those were.....he stared at me, like I just walked out of a time machine Hahahahaha

Besides splicing master tapes together...I was killer with a razor blade and a splicing block from editing so many commercials back in my radio days.

Razor blades and splicing blocks were my artist's canvas in the 1970's. Commercials mainly, but there are still a couple of radio edits of music out there that get played now and again. And with three machines and a splicing block, you had the sound effects editor's playground.

I still have 1/4" and 1/2" EdiTall blocks around here someplace.

ETA: decades after the fact, I ran into members of one of the bands whose 8+ minute magnum opii I had chopped down to 3 1/2 minutes or so (and these guys didn't do long solos either). They didn't hit me. I considered that to be high praise.

And I noticed recently that, in at least a couple of studios in Nashville, tracks are recorded on tape, then picked back up immediately and sent to the digital masherupper. I'm not sure how they deal with sync issues on the overdubs (or if they bother with tape on those), but I thought it was cool to see a couple of 2" 24 tracks running in sync again.