jean_martineau's Reviews
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Expander, magnetic compression, Reel to Reel machines...
This nice looking package doesn't features an expander. In olde tymes there were compressors and expanders in the studio...this is because there was no Dolby (compander) and to reduce the tape hiss that was very high because of the tapes themselves, they were needed. Note that I would try to process a tape this way...I relie on my Dolby SR and it's perfect.
Also there are different kinds of compression and a tape recorder allows you to make magnetic compression...magnetic compression is said to begin at 1000 nW/m with a 50 micron tape. So you need a powerful machine that pushes at least at +12dB and there are plenty in the pro world. My Studer A-807 doesn't want to run these days ( a chemical capacity, I guess ), so I use my Revox PR99mk3 with 35 Micron tape and it's ok.
Few years ago, I wanted to buy an old Ampex Machine but the specialist told me that he couldn't give a guaranty because it was too old and he added that to get the sound of the 60's, I had better trying to find vintage mics. On his advice I purchased a pair of AKG Solitube and they are already vintage...now as long as R2R machines are concerned would I choose an ATR100, a A820, a Sony, I thing I'd choose the Studer because it calibrates automatically...well, to 'tune ' a R2R is one thing but 'detune' it is much more difficult. Still, the sound engineers could do that in the 70's when R&R was great.
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