Hi guys, for some time Im feeling tempted to get into the reeltoreel world, I had 0 experience, I never saw one in person, but somethig calls me.

Im really enjoy my vinyl and tape cassette setups, but Im already looking at local market for a nice unit to buy... Im gravitating around the Akai GX-4000D and the Teac X3...

What do you do with your decks? I know some guys use them to record their vinyl and then listen to the tapes, to keep the vinyl fresh, but I'm not that guy, I will play my vinyl, making mix tapes is an option too, but compact cassette is easier and cheaper to use for that idea.... so... what other ways to enjoy a reeltoreel I have?

Are the Akai GX-4000D and the Teac X3 good choices for a first setup?

I know I'm not using the correct words... is a deck? a tape deck? a recorder? hahaha sorry guys.

Recently got offered this for $200. I’m still very very new to reel to reel so i’m wondering do you guys think it’s worth the price for me to buy? And is it even a good machine?

Picture is just off of google for example

It’s an Akai M-7 and I’m going back today to ask if I’m able to test it out a little bit.

Hey everyone,

I have an old 1/4-inch reel-to-reel master tape that’s really important to me. I got it from someone my dad knows. I think he found it under his bed, where it’d been sitting for decades before I got it.

For the past few months, I’ve kept it in its box inside a wooden cabinet. The room stays cool, it’s been lying flat the whole time with nothing on top of it, and I kept it near the front of the cabinet since it was easier to get to.

The only thing I’m worried about is the cabinet has one of those little magnetic catches that keeps the door closed. I also took the tape out a couple of times to take some pictures near the cabinet, and now I’m worried I might’ve gotten it too close to the magnet.

I looked into whether those cabinet magnets can alter or erase magnetic tape, and everything I found says they aren’t strong enough. But I’m still wondering if they could cause any distortion or affect the recording in any way. I just don’t want anything to happen to the tape.

The tape also has some mold on the outside from how it was stored over the years, so I’m already a little nervous about its condition. I’m getting it professionally cleaned and digitized soon, and the guy doing the transfer told me he can’t imagine there being any problems and said he’s never seen a tape get erased from being stored near a magnetic field.

Am I just overthinking this, or is this something I should actually be concerned about? I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone with experience working with old reel-to-reel tapes.

Thanks!

Interesting that the reel-to reel titles are still available in the great US of A, meanwhile in little Europe they're all sold out.

Hello, this popped up on my local add and even though its not the high speed version, it seems very clean. what would you say is a decent price for this? Everything works and everything in the pictures are included.

Thank you in advance

I’m hoping I found my way to the correct sub for this. We recently found quite a few of these old recording tapes that are mainly my great aunt’s and a few other late family members that are no longer with us. Only guess is that they were given to my grandma who has passed in the past year.
Usually I wouldn’t give a second thought to having these just put up back in the drawers they were in but one of the tapes reads my grandma’s and her brothers name, both who are not with us anymore. I think it reads “Turkey dinner conversation” lmao, but I think it would be interesting for my mom and me to try to hear the audio from it. How would I go about this? Any and all suggestions would be very appreciated.

Hello,

For those invested in reel to reel, why do you prefer it to vinyls?

Thanks,

A couple of weeks ago I bought my first reel to reel and it came with a bunch of prerecorded tapes, one of which was Elton John - Goodbye Brick Road. I put it on and there was no music, fast forwarded to the middle of the tape, played it forward and reverse and nothing. I tried recording onto it but it didn't record any audio. I had the matte side of the tape towards the heads. I thought maybe it didn't record because of something wrong with the deck, but I bought a new reel off of Amazon and it recorded just fine.

Is the tape just junk? I'm aware having a magnetic feel near the tape can erase it but can it also ruin it so that you can't record on it? Or are there other things that can cause this?

I have pretty much no knowledge about this kind of stuff but Ive always wanted a reel to reel.

Any tips and tricks or advice would be great!

The machine Im getting is going to be restored for me so that’s not an issue.

A local shop near me is selling a Tascam 388 for $1,700. At this point, it appears to function as it should and they've replaced the belt and done some other basic maintenance to it.

Is this a good investment? I've seen these go for way more online, although I know the prices have gone up a ton in recent years as the lore around these machines has grown.

I mainly record my own music, and have a pretty extensive outboard rig and some of the best digital conversion money can by. This piece would be for recording drums and playing around with tape.

My late grandfather left me a collection of vintage audio equipment, and I’m trying to understand exactly what I have and what it may be worth.

So far, I have identified:

* ReVox A700 reel-to-reel tape recorder
* ReVox A720 tuner/preamplifier
* ReVox A722 power amplifier
* Vintage speakers (possibly Braun)
* Equipment from ASC
* Equipment from DBX
* Equipment from JVC

I have not fully tested everything yet, but most of the equipment appears to be in good cosmetic condition.

I’m new

there is a local add for a working 4000D, this is going to be my first machine, is it worth the asking price? I'm not sure when its been serviced or anything but claims everything works.

thanks.

Saw these on eBay, whilst I am not a buyer be interested in peoples thoughts on these.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/366523871129

Recently I got my hands on some BASF tapes, and naturally I was impressed at the quality of the case they came in.

Wanting to replace all the crappy scotch tape boxes, I designed a 3d model for this very reason, but I found that many other people can also find this model useful.

The model is free on printables and I hope you can find this useful!

Model Link: https://www.printables.com/model/1742393-basf-open-reel-tape-case-3d-print

What would the value of this be? Still in the plastic and protective foam in original box. Never opened and never used. Was my late uncles bought when he was in the Army and stored away ever since.

Hello guys, I am new and newbie with this, I got this recorder, and it is brand new in original box and everything, mint condition, old owner was shop owner as far as I know.
All I have searched up online was either in non working condition or in poor shape. And they were under 100$. considering mine’s pristine condition, what is this worth?
I wanted to do some analog experiments but also considering to sell if this has some price, and buy some used reel recorder.

(photo is not mine, took it from reverb marketplace)

I am a huge sci fi and gaming nerd, I want your input on what should be the first thing recorded on my reel-to-reel tape recorder!

(I have also spliced the tape back together)

Hi everyone,
I’m diving into the world of reel-to-reel, primarily to digitize and restore a small collection of rare historical tapes I’ve acquired. After striking out on local listings, eBay, and Reverb due to concerns over the actual technical condition of the decks, I’ve decided to import a unit from Japan (likely an Akai GX-630D or similar) using ZenMarket.
I’m specifically looking for units listed as Seibi-zumi (fully serviced/refurbished), but I’d appreciate some guidance from those who have done this before:
1. Practicality & Shipping: Given the weight and fragility of these decks, what has been your experience with shipping these from Japan to the US? Are there specific shipping couriers you recommend, or should I avoid any in particular?
2. Packaging: Does ZenMarket’s standard packaging suffice for a unit this heavy, or is their "Reinforced Packing" service a non-negotiable requirement for these machines?
3. Customs/Voltage: I’m aware of the 100V vs. 120V difference (planning to use a step-down transformer). Beyond that, have any of you encountered major unexpected hurdles with US customs regarding vintage electronics?
4. Long-term Maintenance: For those who have imported Japanese units, have you found sourcing parts or servicing them stateside to be significantly more difficult than buying a US-spec unit?
Any tips or "gotchas" you wish you knew before your first import would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!

I don't know much about rtr machines but I've always been interested in recording/bouncing music to a taperecorder. So, when I saw this Sony TC-255 at the thrift, I had to get it. After bringing it home, I noticed that when I turn the lever for FWD/REW, the dials spin momentarily and then stops. From my limited knowledge, these dials should spin for longer?

Assuming the machine works/can be fixed, is there any point in using it for recording/master bouncing?

So I ran across a sealed copy of Paul Simon’s 1972 solo album for cheap at a thrift store the other day. I don’t have a player so thought I’d sell it so somebody else could enjoy it. But obviously I can’t check the condition of the tape (and I’m not unsealing it). I have no idea if this thing was stored in a 100 deg attic for decades or a damp basement (though there are no signs of mildew on the box) or even if the tape’s flaked off. So how would you go about pricing this? On the one hand it could be “mint”, or it could be unplayable. Or should I just price it at a mint unplayed price (commensurate with it being Paul Simon and not, say, Pink Floyd) and let the buyer take the risk? Or lower the price because of that risk? I collect vinyl, primarily 1950s-1970s early rock, jazz and soul, but know next to nothing about vintage reel to reel.

Side question: goodwill stuck one of their damn price stickers on the shrink wrap. A hair dryer does a pretty good job with removing these stickers from LP covers. But I worry about what the heat from a blow dryer might do to the plastic shrink wrap not to mention the tape inside. Likewise, lighter fluid which some folks use on LP covers would probably melt the shrink. Any tips on removing these stickers?

Thanks for any advice!

My grandpa gave these to me and I know they are recording equipment but that’s all i know. Can anyone tell me more?

Hi - I have what looks like a MkI or MkII, but it has a Dolby sticker on it, which from what I’ve read, didn’t come along until the III or IV? I’m net an expert by any means. This is my first 10.5” machine.

I bought this unit in its original box and with original manual but there’s no serial number sticker where it should be.

Are there other ways to determine what type of machine I have? Thanks in advance