Reel Resilience

Florrie, the line-up dog, likes Deacon Blue, recording on this B77 under soak test after a service. She reckons it’s f/r rolls-off at 20k but I’m not so sure…

All ready for the two days ahead at the UK Audio Show. Quite apt when I took this image that the A807 was playing a pressing-master of The Beatles “Blackbird” -“You were only waiting for this moment to arrive.”

Considering it was a bit shabby, non-working and sat in the workshop for a year "until I get around to it" I think this ex-ITN TV (Independent Television News) A807 I bought from a house clearance has turned out well. I needed a second demo machine for the upcoming UK Audio Show next weekend and this will do the job. Cleaned inside and out. Rectifers replaced (that's what was making non-working originally). Partially re-capped - I will do the rest as and when. Heads re-lapped. Lots of small items replaced, such a lamp lenses and bolts. Mech serviced and lined-up. Trolley metalwork re-sprayed. Re-spayed tape platters. A b*****d of a fault corrected on the left channel (a dry joint on the output transformer, winding side of the solder pin) and lined up for SM911. I am going to get a new transport panel and deck plate in the next week or so. See it, and me at the show! https://www.chestergroup.org/uk-audio-show-2024/22/venue/

Probably the first person who has done any work on this machine since the old king abdicated. Anyone care to guess what reel-to-reel this is? The clue is in the post. A used cotton bud for the first correct answer.

Florrie the Line-Up dog gives her approval to these respayed A807 trolley frames. Thanks to Elite Spray Tech in Derby for the work.

Shame this. Got given some XL1 35-180B. It’s usually good stuff, but this one is full of holes. So gash status it will be for testing machine transports (it doesn’t matter if the machine chews it up). Still I get a nice reel out of it!

Reel Resilience looks after the reel-to-reel and cassette machines for the Manchester Central Library that will facilitate the transfer of the archive. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/6ESezitfNFkEGx2w/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Piccadilly Radio archives to be digitised after National Lottery grant Manchester Central Library has received a £99k grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to digitise the collection of Piccadilly Radio reel-to-reel tapes it holds.

Monthly give away. You pay postage (which for these items, due to size weight, could be £10+) UK only delivery. First come, first served, but if you have been a lucky recipient in the past, please step aside for a while. NOTE. These items have been stripped of any worthwhile parts and some are less than best. DM me.

Find Ep27 of the Press Play> podcast on the Reel Resilience Youtube channel too.

Press Play - The Podcast from Reel Resilience - Ep 27: Why Gen X Are Loving Tape Reece Beard is a final-year student at Salford University in the UK. I thought he would make a great interview as to why GenX, Millenials and Gen Zeds are g...

A great watch. Recommended.

The Psychology of Analogue See current films by Myles O'Reilly on https://www.patreon.com/mylesoreillyJulie McLarnon is a recording engineer and record producer, known for working sole...

A few reel to reels are in this studio. But, psstt! I think they need a clean at least!! Just sayin'.

Analog is king at Daptone Records Read the CNET Article here - http://cnet.co/2e7kl2ZDaptone recording studios in Brooklyn is keeping the sounds, and gear, of the 1960s alive.Subscribe to CNE...

For your listening pleasure. Hear why it's good that a machine doesn't record sometimes and how I trashed an MRL alignment tape.

Press Play - The Podcast from Reel Resilience - Ep 27: Why Gen X Are Loving Tape - Press Play > Dedicated to All Things Reel-to-Reel Reece Beard is a final-year student at Salford University in the UK.  I thought he would make a great interview as to why GenX, Millenials and Gen Zeds are going back to the analogue tape format.

Playing with the big stuff! Mechanical settings check and adjustment on an Otari MTR-90 II, 24-track 2" tape recorder. The take-up reel was always catching the tape, regardless of the spool use. It was found the spool platter height was very slightly out of spec. (too low) Adjusted and now ok.

Oh joy!! Lining up an MSR-24. Tascam, in saving the cost of a head, put a heap of grief on the poor guy who has to line the audio up! And I’ve got two to do as well. So double the grief!!

Saturday 5th and 6th Ocober sees Reel Resilience at the UK Audio Show at the Staverton Park Hotel, Daventry Rd, Daventry. Futher details to follow. We will have machines playing pressing-master and pre-recorded tapes, presentations through out the two day on aspects of the format plus machines and accessories to purchase.

UK Audio Show 2024 - Chester Group View full details of UK Audio Show 2024 organsied by Chester Group

Client Chris Jones at Beckview Studios demo'ing the Sony MCI JH-24 they own. We have moved it between studios, aligned it for RTM SM900 and maintain it.

Someone is finding it hot so is sleeping amongst the “kool” tape machines!

Thank you to Steve Fensome for the tape tension adjustment gauges. They make setting up this A812 so much easier.

Florrie, the line-up dog, helping me when we check this A812 is truly flat to 20kHz.

Free to a UK home. You pay postage of £3.50. Scrap A/B77 and Studer bits. PM me TODAY (1st August 24) or it goes in the bin.

Ha! Haaaa!! With these Studer parts I will create life!! LIFE!!! Calming down somewhat. A side project of the restoration of an ex-ITN TV A807 I bought from a house clearance. The one on the floor is a donor machine as it’s in a very bad way.

Tomorrow (6th July) we run Reel Resilience Webinar 18: Tools & Test Kit.
Iain will be joined by his guest, Glen Gilbert of Anlen Audio, to discuss what you need to keep your machine handling, and playing, tape the way it should:

Audio alignment tools: Test tapes, 'scopes, tone generators and measuring kit
Mechanical alignment tools: For the brakes, speeds, tape tension and pinch roller
Where to source the specialist items
Making your own test kit

There will be a Q& A session during the webinar and questions can be sent in advance to [email protected]

Join us at 15:00 UK time
To book click the link and if you are a subscriber to our webinars and videos, remember there is no cost to attend.

Reel Resilience Webinar 18: Tools & Test Kit by Reel Resilience on cademy.co.uk Keeping your tape recorder in top-form requires more than just cleaning the heads. These electro-mechanical devices need service and adjustment to give you the audio quality they are capable of: From the audio alignment to match the tape to the machine, to the mechanical alignment to make sure it ha...

One of our clients, Beckview Studios, produced two great Live Lounge sessions last week. You can find them on Youtube. Here's a session from a while back, before they relocated to a great new studio facility, of band AC3, recording to the MCI JH-24 we support.

AC3 | Coming Home [Tape Session] @Beckview Studios This Session was Recorded and Mixed at Beckview Studios using our MCI JH-600 Mixing Desk and MCI 24 Track 2" Tape Machine.At Beckview Studios you have option...