Re: Tape looping/sequencing

["r. dennis" <tonobung@panix.com>]

i think a lot of you have already weiged in on this one, but...

On Fri, 8 Dec 2000 Bowerbird@webtv.net wrote:

>  Thankyou for the in-depth advice! What reel-to-reel models would you
> recommend? The reason I'm asking is that my Akai doesn't work properly,
> and I'll probably be buying a r-to-r through the recycler, so I'll have
> to know if it's an acceptable model before I drive out to
> who-knows-where to buy it. I've heard Revox is my best bet. 

ReVox good.
studer VERY good
teac/tascam fine
ampex, nice as well
otari also nice
dokoder ok, but parts sort of hard to find

like i said before, any machine's fine as long as
you can move the tape over the heads manually with
the machine stopped - not every deck'll do that.




> About that "china marker", is there a place to buy those, or is it just 
>any old
> peice of wax? 

a good art supply store will have em, check pearl paint or someplace like
that. it is not just a piece of wax, it's a like a grease pencil thing.

Just one more thing.... since different loops are
> different lengths, is there some kind of device for keeping the tape
> tight aroud the reels? Is this what's refered to as a "loop arm"?

well - the tape isn't really going to be around the reels, only
ONE reel. i guess if you're running a very _short_ loop it
could be a reel's-width span, but anything longer than that
is going to require something "out there" to run the tape around.

that's basically yours to experiment with. it's not uncommon to
see a mic stand pressed into service as a remote-hub sort of
thing. because it is difficult to keep tension even across the unit
your deck will experience the additional stresses i mentioned
in my earlier rant.

me, i'd use actual, real splicing tape, as opposed to gaffers tape,
velcro, masking tape, what have you.


rbrt