You are not an audiophile if you've never owned an open reel deck and some pre-recorded tapes. They are legendary for their sonic purity. Forget LP's for a minute and read on!

Superior Sounds

I had my first exposure to pre-recorded open reel in 1966 when I was 12. My well known fascination with tape recorders in the neighborhood led to one of our neighbors inviting me to look at, and listen to his new Concord recorder. He put on an Al Hirt tape, and my mind was blown! The clarity and depth were astounding! At that point, I started a personal campaign to get my own open reel stereo deck, which I did the following year.

It was definitely better than vinyl at the time, and in many ways, still is today. Think about it like this: In order to create the LP's in your collection, the original two-track master has to be compressed in order to stay within the dynamic limits of the medium. Most of the high and low frequencies are reduced, and then the RIAA curve is applied. That's a lot of processing!

To create the bin master for open reel duplication, the original two track master is copied to another tape (usually to 1/2 inch tape) at 7.5 IPS. That's it! No limiting, no frequency adjustments, no compression. Sometimes mild limiting or compression was applied if the program had extreme dynamic shifts or if the master has artifacts that would be amplified in the process of high-speed duplication. On the early duplication systems, Ampex 350 transports were used in real-time which resulted in an outstanding copy that brought the listener very close to experiencing the live performance, or at least getting very close to the sound of the master tape.

The earlier tapes tend to sound best, and most produced in the 60's by Ampex, Capitol, Reprise, and others are superb examples. One of my favorites is a sampler released by Reprise around 1963.

But if you want to hear a real contrast I recommend getting a copy of Abbey Road on open reel, and compare it to the LP and even the CD. True full range sound, without the edgy characteristics of the CD. Even the CD copy of the tape I made sounds better than the commercial release!

Beginners Take Note

If you are new to open reel tape, there are a few things to consider. Not every factory made tape is going to knock your socks off. The later tapes made by Magnatron (I think), for example, vary in quality. Before Ampex got out of the tape business, they had already started changing the production methods. Cheaper and faster methods produced some pretty crappy sounding tapes.  I have a copy of The Beatles Rubber Soul  that I bought in the late 70's, that was manufactured by Ampex, and it sounds thin, almost shrill, and over sibilant. When Magnatron took over, and were the sole manufacturer of open reel tapes, the quality was pretty good at first, but swiftly descended into crap. My point is, if you want a great aural experience, go with earlier produced tapes.  Many of the older recordings were done with tube gear and velocity (ribbon) microphones, and duplicated with tube gear.

The other problem with collecting used tapes is overall condition. Many tapes with mylar backing may suffer from stretch. Someone that had a cheap little open reel deck with high take-up tension, or did frequent fast winds, can stretch a tape all out of shape after a few plays. This results in the pitch being too slow, or, in the worse case scenario, cause extreme 'wow'. If it is a long linear stretch, it may have occured in just the first hundred feet or so; the tape will start slow and then sound like it is speeding up. To avoid this issue, always ask the seller to send a picture of the reel. If the tape pack looks nice and even, it should be good to go. An uneven tape pack sends a signal that all may not be quite right with it. If the seller states the he test played the tape, find out what kind of deck he used. Chances are if it was played on a Teac, Akai, Revox, or other good brand, there won't be any damage done.

Most people never demagnetize the heads and guides on a tape deck, and this can result in tapes losing the high frequencies, or result in over-sibilant tapes. If a seller says the tape is good, pin him down on a return policy, just in case the seller has no ear and misses this rather annoying artifact.

Speeds

On many older tapes, this isn't as critical as you might think. Two speeds were used: 7.5 IPS (inches per second) and 3 3/4 IPS, the faster speed being reserved mostly for classical, jazz and what were considered adult 'easy listening' titles (Mantovani, Percy Faith, etc...). Getting a copy of an album at 7.5 is desirable, but not always necessary. I have had many tapes that ran at 3 3/4 that were surprisingly good, and others that ran at 7.5 that were just OK to poor, but these were in the minority.

I have a copy of The Supremes A Go Go that is from the 60's that runs at 3 3/4, but is awesome in all aspects, and totally blows away the vinyl copy. It is old enough that Ampex still used an acetate backed tape as opposed to mylar. My copy of Rubber Soul that I mentioned before runs at 7.5 and sounds horrible. It really depends on the person that did the mastering the day the tape was created. But I can safely say that any negative experiences you will have will be in the minority.

Acetate Backed Tape and The Beatles

Capitol Records did their own tape duplication originally, and all of The Beatles albums (up to the Yellow Submarine and the White Album) were released at 3 3/4 ips, (except the initial release of Revolver which ran at 7.5) with some albums presented as twin-packs (two albums on one tape). Not all of these are going to sound great, as many of them were played to death on machines that  rarely had clean heads and no doubt, never demagnetized. But there are exceptions, and it is possible to find these in good playable condition. The White Album is particularly good as well as Magical Mystery Tour and Sgt Pepper's. I've had one twin pack that had Beatles '65 and Early Beatles on it , but this one was very sibilant. But then, I also had a twin-pack of the Beach Boys from around the same period that really sounded great!

Be Careful! Capitol had great sounding tape, but much of it was very thin acetate which breaks easily (they went to mylar backing around 1969). My copy of Revolver, (yes at 7.5, I bought in late 1967), has suffered many breaks over the years. Unfortunately, many of the breaks happened when I was quite young, before my splicing skills were fully developed. The nice thing when dealing with a break on an acetate tape, is that there is generally no stretch damage, and the two broken ends can be fitted back together like puzzle pieces, so no program content is lost and the splice itself will play through without any audible artifact.

Crosstalk

Be advised that occasionally you'll get a tape that is saturated in the low end. This results in crosstalk from other side of tape. What does it sound like? : like your neighbor is practicing backward bass guitar.

Except in extreme cases, this is not excessive or intolerable. You may hear a few very low bass notes in the silence between tracks. This is not a frequent problem, but it does happen because the mastering engineer set his levels too hot when making the bin master, or had the levels to hot on the recording slaves during duplication. It's the same thing when you get a bad LP pressing; it happens.

Tracks

For the most part, pre-recorded reels will be labeled as '4 Track Stereo'. This means that two tracks, each taking a little less than 1/4 of the tape's width are playing in the same direction on each side of the tape, for a total of four tracks.

Two track stereo means the each track takes up 1/2 of the tape width, which is why there is only one side to the tape. A two track tape can be played on a four track stereo deck, but not vice-versa.

Then there are the staggered, or, In Line, and stacked arrangements, all of which are two track types. Staggered heads for Two Track stereo means literally just that: there are two heads staggered in-line of the tape path. One head is behind the other in the order that the tape passes over them, so one channel is played slightly before the other. When played on an In-Line or Staggered head deck, they sound fine, but if played on a stacked head or standard two track or four track deck, one channel will sound delayed. This can be corrected with some digital tweaks, if you only plan to output the tape to a CD.

Half track mono tapes can be played on 4 track or any 2 track deck. Why bother with mono? Sometimes the quality is so good that it justifies itself.

The Price

Granted, when you do find a good copy of a tape you are looking for, it's gonna cost ya! Consider; when I bought my copy of Revolver in 1967 it was, with California sales tax, over $8.00 (the LP was 2.99). I had to mow lawns for over two months to raise the money to buy it. 8.00 in 1967 would be equivilant these days to (and this is a rough guess) about 40.00! ( Hey, Twinkies were 13 cents in 1967, and now they are 1.30! Maybe I should have estimated higher!). But the audio I experienced coming out of my little pair of 8" Jensen wide-range speakers, pushed with a pair of small single ended amps (6V6) was priceless!

 A good copy of Abbey Road will set you back  90.00 to 120.00 typically. The same copy I have of Revolver on Capitol will run between 50.00 and 200.00 (depends on who's bidding really). But you can find albums by Steppenwolf, The Doors, Canned Heat, and CCR and the like for 15.00 to 30.00. Movie soundtracks and easy listening titles go for about the same, while jazz runs a bit higher. Classical titles still go comparatively cheaper than the rest, and occasionally comedy albums pop up for cheap.

Proper Storage and Handling

First and formost, make sure your tapes are stored in a climate controlled enviroment, (68 -72 degrees, 40% to 60% humidity is recommended) away from anything that can produce magnetic fields, (speakers, TV, computer monitors, motorized appliances, etc.), and out of direct sunlight.

Your tapes should be 'played-in' before storing them. This gives the pack an even tension, and keeps the tape backing uniform. The tapes should always be fast-wound before playing, as this prevents an annoying problem known as 'print-through'.

Avoid handling the tape itself as much as possible. Oils in your skin are very destructive to tape, as much the same to records. On really old tape, or if the tape is exceedingly rare, it would be  good idea to invest in linen gloves, especially if your are doing any editing or splicing.

 If you are using a deck that has a 7 inch reel capacity, get a low-torque take-up reel . A 7 inch low-torque reel has a large hub, just like the reels pre-recorded tapes come with, which is the same size as the NAB hub on a 10.5 inch reel. (If you have a deck that uses 10.5 inch reels, you can use your small reel settings and your 10.5 inch take-up reel). If your 7 inch deck has user selectable tension (as found on the Teac 4010S), set it for 1 mil.

 If you get lucky and get a double-album that runs at 7.5 IPS, chances are it will be on a reel with a small hub (the original release of Electric Ladyland and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road are like this). If you have a deck with 10.5 inch reel capacity, I would recommend winding the tape to an empty 10.5 inch reel for playback. Alternatively, you can select the small reel settings, and use a standard 7 inch take-up reel. On 7 inch decks, again, use the 1 mil tension setting, if available.

Clean and demagnetize your tape heads and guides frequently. Heads, guides, pinch roller, and capstan should be cleaned about every 6 to 8 hours of use. Demagnetize about every 20 to 30 hours. If you played a tape that shed oxide, or leaves other residue, clean and demagnetize before you play the next tape. Just doing this will extend the life of the tape and the deck significantly.

What kind of deck should you get?

Stay with the better decks by the major makers and you'll be OK. If you are well heeled enough, consider a Studer 807 that has 1/4 track playback capabilities. For the rest of us average guys, look at the Pioneer RT701, 707, or 909, Akai GX 636, 747, and Teac models. You really can't go wrong. I personally prefer the Akai GX747 (yes, I own one), as it has a direct drive capstan and can handle 10.5 inch reels, with a very smooth transport, but if you don't need 10.5 inch capacity, consider the GX77. This also has a direct drive capstan, and is feature rich, perfect for enjoying pre-recorded reels and making your own too.

If you really want to go retro, and you want to have tubes in the preamp, look at old Crown, Viking, and Magnacord units. You might have to do a bit of restoration on old units like these, but it will be very worthwhile. However, the mechanical portion of these old decks don't stand up to the mechanical specs of the later units I've mentioned above. The deficiencies should be neglegible when listening to program content.

The Vinyl Preservation Side Benefit

I know this guide is mainly about pre-recorded reels, but there is a side benefit if you decide to not only listen to factory made tapes, but to record your LP's to tape as well. I've talked with other engineers about this, and all agree that when you dub records to tape (not cassettes), the tape sounds better. There seems to be an expansion of the dynamics, and the sound stage seems to open, widen, and gain more depth. Just why this is, I don't know, but it's true.

There is a misconception that I've heard voiced among some parties that analog tape actually compresses audio. This is not only untrue, but is stated from ignorance. Here are the facts; tape, when saturated will produce compression, that is very desirable in some recording situations. Unsaturated, that is, recorded at decent levels without clipping, tape will outperform vinyl every time. Period. Besides, most of the records and CD's you listen to started out on analog tape, or was at least mastered to tape.

 My standard practice when I bought an album was to immediately dub it to a reel. I would play the reel, and keep the vinyl in reserve. This was my primary reason for owning an open reel deck later in life; keeping the miles off of my records.  From that reel, I would dub my 8 track or cassette copies for the car and for the portable, (cassettes and 8 tracks were great for nights when I had a few too many 'refreshments' to thread the deck... Hey, I was in my 20's! Don't judge!)

Some Must Have Tapes!

South of the Border - Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass  7.5IPS

Abbey Road - The Beatles   7.5 IPS

Reprise Sampler - various artists; Frank Sinatra, Equivel, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, etc... 7.5IPS

Revolver - The Beatles on the Capitol 7.5 IPS version, not the Ampex version

Miles and Monk at Newport w/ Cannonball Adderly  7.5 IPS

Boots - Nancy Sinatra (it sounds just that good!)  7.5 IPS

The Supremes A Go Go  3 3/4 IPS

Persuasive Percussion - Enoch Light - any of these or his other releases 7.5IPS

Boogie With Canned Heat   7.5 IPS

I could go on and on. There are so many!

And for you audiophiles out there... 

Allow me to vent a moment...

I can't call this a hobby. It's more of a passion for me. I have been an avid audiophile and musician for over 40 years, but for the last 20 or so I have been busier as an audio professional, and when I finally got back in touch with my peers that had that same passion, I found a lot of strange concepts. You will need to discard what I call 'audio superstition' to get the max out of this or any other format.

 The trend these days, from what I've read and from the audiophiles I know, is rather minimalist. This ridiculous idea of eliminating everything in the signal path that may (emphasize 'may') add color or degrade the signal. This includes EQ controls (bass, treble, etc,), routing selectors, etc, and to go with very expensive, but low powered tube systems, often using very antiquated and obscure tube types. I love tubes, but geez, pump it up some, and try some 6L6's sometime, (that's KT66 for you Brits out there).

 I work in a studio, and if audiophiles witnessed all the processing that goes on, they might re-think this approach.

 It is perfectly OK to have routing and tone controls, as well as some real power and somewhat inefficient speakers, and still get close to a live performance. And yes, it's OK to have transistors instead of tubes (but do avoid the amps with IC outputs). There was an interesting article I located at the Stereophile Magazine website that expresses part of what I am saying;  Go to the Stereophile website and put 'Fisher' in the search engine and read the article you find. I only disagree with the reviewers comments on solid state receivers from the 70's, (with good source material to listen to, these can sound awesome Don't judge an amp by referencing an Eagles album that was mixed for FM radio).

Also, while the LP is a mainstay in our hobby, trying to make it sound better by spending nearly as much as it cost to produce the LP itself is like chasing the wind. It's a ridiculous concept. I think much of what audiophiles think they hear is actually colored by a belief system in most cases, as opposed to what a given system or recording actually produces.

I've taken a number of my peers out of their depth in recent years with just a few carefully crafted CD's from either an open reel tape or LP.

A pre-recorded reel, (a good one) may change your view on audio forever. Cheers!