Analog recording tape
- Thread starter Brian Roth
- Start date
Help Support GroupDIY Audio Forum:
I have used both ATR and RMG in 1/4" in my Otari 5050.
I use a mix of ATR, nos Ampex and Quantegy 456 and 499 in my 1" MS16 depending on the project, and only ATR so far in my 1/2" 30ips Otari.
Quality wise, the ATR stuff has always been consistently good. I've read horror stories about the RMG stuff but it seems they have addressed it since. The few reels I have are just fine. Sound wise, ATR is the best overall, although I am slightly partial to the Quantegy 499, because older = better right?
I'm curious to try the RMG SM900 because it's supposed to be like 499
Plus I like ATR because they're not too far from me and they are awesome people. A few years ago, I spent a whole day with Mike Spitz at one of his seminars where he taught noobs and youngsters how the stuff worked. It might be one of the most fun days of my life. He was a guy who helped me out over the phone for hours before I even bought a cent worth of tape from him. His knowledge and enthusiasm for music and all things tape was something special. His passing was a giant loss to the world of music.
Mixing a song down to tape last night basically reaffirmed my opinion that nothing sounds like tape and none of these plugins will ever be even slightly close. At least for me.
But the other aspect of it that is lost is the workflow. It is built in quality control for the most part. You have to be good and know what you're doing. You can't have 3000 tracks of disorganized loops, time corrected drums, auto tune etc....
...That wasn't supposed to turn into a rant, sorry!
I use a mix of ATR, nos Ampex and Quantegy 456 and 499 in my 1" MS16 depending on the project, and only ATR so far in my 1/2" 30ips Otari.
Quality wise, the ATR stuff has always been consistently good. I've read horror stories about the RMG stuff but it seems they have addressed it since. The few reels I have are just fine. Sound wise, ATR is the best overall, although I am slightly partial to the Quantegy 499, because older = better right?
I'm curious to try the RMG SM900 because it's supposed to be like 499Plus I like ATR because they're not too far from me and they are awesome people. A few years ago, I spent a whole day with Mike Spitz at one of his seminars where he taught noobs and youngsters how the stuff worked. It might be one of the most fun days of my life. He was a guy who helped me out over the phone for hours before I even bought a cent worth of tape from him. His knowledge and enthusiasm for music and all things tape was something special. His passing was a giant loss to the world of music.
Mixing a song down to tape last night basically reaffirmed my opinion that nothing sounds like tape and none of these plugins will ever be even slightly close. At least for me.
But the other aspect of it that is lost is the workflow. It is built in quality control for the most part. You have to be good and know what you're doing. You can't have 3000 tracks of disorganized loops, time corrected drums, auto tune etc....
...That wasn't supposed to turn into a rant, sorry!
