Mom and Pop sound like a pretty cool cat and kitty. Thanks so much for taking the time to reminisce. Are you going to transfer the tapes, after cooking them, of course? That might be worth doing for the sake of history. IF not you then there may be others interested.RIP
Yes I think. The main thing I remember about the place was a huge life sized "nipper" statue in the reception area.
As kid I remember my dad bringing home lacquers. Sometimes he would cut short takes like music from popular TV shows that we kids found entertaining to play on the record player. I recall years ago coming across a lacquer outtake of Toscanini cursing out some symphony orchestra when they blew a take. I lost track of that years ago and suspect someone might have been interested it. Despite a rigorous search I never found it. As kids we would use the old lacquer discs like frisbees to throw around the yard. I suspect the aluminum discs could do some real damage if one of us got hit.
===
I joke that my mother and father were way cooler than me. My dad recorded talent like Harry Belafonte, and Perry Como for RCA records. I recall a case of wine under the family Christmas tree, a gift from Perry Como.
In the 1930s my dad was sent over to England to do sound for the film recording of King Edward's coronation.
My mom was a red neck farm girl from NC who modeled naked for a mannequin maker in NYC. Dad was a radio ham and played drums in a jazz band (nothing serious, I recall seeing YMCA gigs noted on his old drum head).
My father left behind a stash of RCA open reel recordings, lots of classical music, mostly mono.
Things change...
JR
"Western Electric" considering expanding US tube operations; seeks input
- Thread starter soapfoot
- Start date
Help Support GroupDIY Audio Forum:
Back in the 70s we had an open reel (Revox) at work so I would bring in tapes and play them at the office. Not super high fidelity but good performances of good music.
Anybody interested? these tapes predated consumer stereo.
JR
Anybody interested? these tapes predated consumer stereo.
JR
MidnightArrakis
Well-known member
[Anybody interested?] -- In buying them??? Or, just receiving them??? Or.....what???
What tape brand and type are these open reel tapes? If they are AMPEX 406/407/456/457 types, then they will need to be baked first before they can be played. However, if they are AMPEX 632/642 or any similar types, then they won't need to be baked due to the formulation differences. In addition, and I am certain that there are those on this forum who will disagree with me on this, but.....I have found that the SCOTCH brand of magnetic recording tapes don't normally need to be baked, either. Their formulations differed from the AMPEX brand and none of my studio SCOTCH tape recordings have ever required any baking!!!
Years ago, I bought this huge "food-dryer" device that has a built-in timer and a digital thermal controller and it works like a champ as a "Recording Tape Baker"!!! It can easily hold up to 4 10-1/2" reels ranging from 1/4" to 1". If I take out a couple of sections, it can then also hold a 2-inch 10-1/2" reel, as well.
If you are planning on selling your tapes, it would depend upon the price. Or, I would be willing to "receive" your tapes, bake them, then transfer them over to CD's and then send them back to you!!! I have both a MARANTZ and a SONY "CD Mastering" recorder and a boatload of blank CD's!!! Any ideas and/or suggestions about this???
[these tapes predated consumer stereo] -- Who cares??? Preserving the music and the performances is what really matters!!!
/
I don't see any such raw tape brand listed on the RCA releases.
A bunch of tape recordings my dad made on blank tape used a local brand called Soundcraft, manufactured by Reeves Soundcraft Corporation, on 52nd street in NYC.
as I shared I played a bunch of these in the 70s when they were already 20 years old with no problems. They have been kept in decent indoor storage all these decades
my price is $0, but I don't want to pay shipping costs. Years ago when I shipped all my old engineering journals to PRR, I was able to ship them at a cheap book rate, I don't expect these tapes to receive any low cost shipping accommodation.
I do not have any interest in getting transfers back, if I wanted to hear these I'd buy a cheap open reel playback machine. The first tape I grabbed to see if they listed a raw tape manufacturer is packaged as Tchaikovsky symphony #5, but hand written on the paper leader is Orhenbach /Gay Parisian. There was a short film adaptation by Warner Brothers in 1941 of the classic french ballet. My dad had connections to Warner Bros from his former gig working at Vitaphone (joint ventrue between WE and Warner Bros). My dad apparently recorded over the Tchaikovsky.
If you are willing to pay shipping, the next step is for me to prepare an inventory. IIRC some of these recordings are cheesy TV shows, like Lawerence Welk (stop the bubble machine), so not worth cooking. I don't know if flat rate shipping would make sense. I have a couple dozen of these tapes.
JR
