#142 - What is it about tape that keeps me coming back?

I have always loved the sound of 2" tape when recording.  So why did I stop and move to DSD 256?

I never wanted to stop recording on tape but the demands of keeping the machine operational were challenging.  When Quantegy/Ampex stopped making tape, it was like the bottom had dropped out of decades of recording music and the future seemed grim.  I was not a fan of digital sound.  

Then a few companies stepped up with 'tolerable' tape formulas that gave us a little hope.  The next challenge was finding parts and competent repair folks to help us maintain the gear and systems. Somewhere along the line, the rollers on the machine changed formulas and as tape passed over the rollers and heads, problems became more frequent... especially with the rollers.  

The new formula was suppose to last longer and be 'better' (yeah, how many times have we heard that story).  We changed how we cleaned them several times but nothing seemed to work.  The rollers continued to disintegrate faster and faster until that one fateful multi track tape session on a warm day.  The tape got stuck, snapped and wouldn't rewind during a massive session.  We were extremely lucky to not lose any music and transfer everything to DSD256. 

No matter how much I liked the sound of tape, it wasn't worth the risk of bad tape and melting rollers.  The pandemic shut the machine down completely and we've been working on DSD256 ever since.  More recently, we reinstalled Protools for sessions when our artists request it of the studio (not for Blue Coast Records, though).  The pandemic also took our repair tech (Krieg Wunderlich of MoFi fame) who no longer wanted to make the 2 hour drive.  No tape, no rollers, no repair tech.  Analog tape was a distant memory.

Then, I had an artist who insisted on rolling on tape for his next record.  He had done me too many favors to say "no" to... so the challenge became how to fix the three issues.

I found a tech who could put new rollers on.  I've accepted that the rollers now have to be changed every 5 years due to disintegration and the tech introduced me to an upgraded brand of tape that I had dismissed years ago.

After baking a few reels yesterday, I ran the machine with new rollers to test playback and I was amazed.  The rollers ran smooth as silk. Even with old tapes... the sound I had forgotten was back.  There is a reality to tape I can't explain.  

Instead of dread, I'm looking forward to recording on tape again and experiencing that sound.

Don't worry, I'm not giving up DSD256.  It is our future.  Eventually, there will be no techs, tape or rollers to bring back the old ways of recording.  It's a fond memory that I get to experience every now and then.  

I am considering making 1/4" tape one off masters for those interested... similar to what we do with MQD Gold CDs.  It won't be cheap, but those of you already purchasing 1/4" tape know that.  :)  It's an extreme sport getting involved with tape.  :)

Enjoy your holidays and music!
 

Cookie Marenco
Founder and Producer
Blue Coast Records and Music