The "Picture of your Reel-To-Reel(s)" thread

my Revox

 

3,3/4 ips
Shurley shum mistake

 

Teac X1000R.

 

If there's any showoffs here i'll join in. Some have 2 or 3 turntables, I have my RTR's.

Studer A820-1/2-2-TC
Ampex 350-2
Ampex Ag440C-B servo 1/4 playback head
Crown CX844
Crown CX844 varispeed
Crown CX824

 

Signal coming from the left channel.

 

Wow! you win

 

I love all these pics, I always drooled over RTR s. FAST996, I have never seen Crown RTRs before. Were these used in recording studios or were they consumer products? How do they compare quality wise to the present day Crown equipment? They look really nice. How do they sound?

 

Here's my old Ampex 300 4-Track. Unfortunately it's still not functioning yet...

 

The present-day Crown equipments are all commercial amps. Crown exited the consumer market in the early 90's. I think it stopped making the RTR decks way before it stopped making amps for the homes ...

 

Hi Jim,

IIRC the Crowns were produced up to 1975 but Crown annouced the end of production in '73. They were flooded with orders,enough to carry through 1975.

My CX824 was shipped to Canada,that's why there is no Crown logo displayed on that deck. The CX844 with a tape counter was from a small studio in Indiana. Both units were purchased from John Haimes who refurbished them. The CX844 with the varispeed unit was one of two units purchased by a Lockheed aircraft exec in 1973. The decks were stored and never used so they were NOS. Both were auctioned on Ebay the 2nd unit sold for 2600 and mine sold for 1500. These decks originally were priced at 5000 from the factory,very costly back then.

The NOS deck works like a new deck should and sounds a little more colored than the updated decks which have been recapped with Nichicons.

Crowns are good decks with very good sound,the transports could be better but adequate. Compared with my Ampex 440 the sound is more neutral.

I just sold my parts set to build a 350-4, I had planned to build it but came across the very clean Studer A820 and that was just too hard to pass on. I still have my 350-2 and maybe someday I'll get a ATR 102. My two C200 Accuphase preamps can handle 3 decks a piece so right now I'm maxed out.

The one thing that always drew me to the Crowns was those big meters and knobs. Plus the electronics are discreet and all plug and play boards.

Thanks
fast

 

Paul,

What a great deck to see,not too many of those around. I was going to build one but decided to go in a different direction. I would like to see this baby up and running. Congrats on a fine Ampex.

fast

 

Studer-Revox used to be one company. Studer made decks for the commercial market while Revox made decks for the consumer market. Studer was later acquired by Harman International, owner of Harman Kardon, JBL, Lexicon, AKG and of course Crown. Revox was subsequently acquired by some European private equity firm. Not sure when the split exactly ocurred. Perhaps it was after Studer-Revox filed for bankruptcy - courtesy of the advent of digital recording technologies ...

 

Here is mine Hungary made STM-610:

 

I love this unit!!

 

This Sony deck has to be from the 1960's based on the style of the UV meters. Is that right?

 

Coopmv, its from the late 50's I believe..i think one of the first to record in stereo...semi-pro unit...all tubes.. 2 trk recording. 4 amd 2 trk playback.

 

I did not think the deck was from any period later than the 60's since I have never seen any decks from the 70's having the round UV meters, just my observation ...

 

I don't, but this guy does.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z7jwZK2-Gw&feature=PlayList&p=577BE4AE43B63238&index=5

 

Beautiful Machines

 

Identical to mine! Bought it for $200 about 15 years ago from a friend who bought it to record his band live back in the late 70's. It's currently being borrowed by my videographer nephew to transfer some ancient R2Rs from a client.

 

I don't have a working digital camera but I have three decks:

Otari MX5050 BII
Technics RS1500U
Teac 3340S in a custom made road case.

A_L

 

high fidelity would be the answer - I pick up reels on eBay from time to time.

 

Uh oh. I knew I shouldn't have looked in here. Now I want one... there is some great looking hardware in this thread.