I'm a tape enthusiast and am always amazed when I go back to listening to music I've recorded on tape. A lot of people have recently purchased 1/4" reel to reels and are looking for new music. Are you one of them? Then read on!
My journey as a recording engineer started before my adventures opening OTR Studios back in 1982. When I was in a band, we had a 1/4" tape machine that we'd record rehearsals to. Then we moved to cassette. OTR started as an 8 track 1/2" Otari tape machine with a 1/4" reel to reel Otari machine to mix down to. A few years later, OTR purchased a 2" 24 track machine. I had to learn about tape biasing, calibration, test tones and the rest to get the best sound possible. Even though we were afforded the first digital recording devices in the mid 80's (Silicon Valley has it's benefits - sometimes), I always (and still do) prefer the sound of tape. More on that for another day.
With the success of our Master Quality Disc (MQD Gold CDs) we were considering making 1/4" masters directly from our 1/2" source tape. We have the tools and access to tape. We believe we can keep the costs down if we make the tapes on order - without packaging. Instead, we'll provide hand numbered reels, authenticated by me, with tracksheets and labels printed out on order.
The questions we have are .... what IPS speed are your running your reel to reels at? 30? 15? 7.5? other? Of course, the slower the speed, the less cost for tape and shipping. What kind of deck are you using? 2 channel one direction? or stereo and flip it over?
Let us know what you think of this idea and we'll see if it's worth pursuing. Comment or write us directly.
Enjoy your week!
Cookie Marenco
Founder and Producer
Blue Coast Records and Music
