![]() And, since many of these machines saw intense service, the motors had to be ‘tractor-like’, not ‘Formula One-like’,” says Kostas. “The R2R decks of the previous century basically developed their own motor circuits in conjunction with the motors available at the time. So imagine what they can achieve in a modern tape deck.”Īctually there’s no need to imagine, since you can now find out in practice: Metaxas combines cutting-edge Swiss motors and technology (six DC motors in each deck) with the most inert chassis design to deliver a significant improvement over vintage designs. Fast forward 40 years and now they’re vastly more refined. At the point when tape machines ceased production in the late 1980s, precision motors were still in their infancy. “Take motors for example (and this is just one example). But that doesn’t mean that the best is behind us – far from it! I’ve spent a lot of time researching state-of-the-art machines from the 1960s, 70s and 80s and, despite their obvious quality, like all things they were limited by the technology of the time.” ![]() “Of course we’re all talking about how superior analogue tape is compared with more modern audio formats. “I wanted to see how far the medium of tape could be pushed,” says Kostas who, in 2003, began an ambitious project to create his own library of reference-quality analogue recordings, which he uses in the process of designing his high-performance Metaxas audio components. So what do we know about the new Metaxas T-RX design?įor one thing, it’s been a real labour of love. “Essentially, the latest version of the T-RX will have a detachable headblock so that the customer can select the head types, and so that the machine can accommodate up to 1/2″ heads.” “I wanted to see how far the medium of tape could be pushed” “I was hoping to show some new developments at the 2020 shows in Munich and Basel, but sadly both shows have been cancelled,” he adds. “The first machines have just been delivered to customers and I’m currently working on the next production run,” reports Kostas. The good news, however, is that designer Kostas Metaxas has remained very much on the case behind the scenes and, as a result, his new T-RX tape machine is now ‘hot off the press’. ![]() The first of the companies, Ballfinger, has since released several such machines, while the second, Metaxas & Sins, sadly seemed scuppered for a while following the sad death of a good friend and valued supplier (of key parts for the deck being created). Of course the cassette being a listening format not extensively suited for high end listening, it does not make sense to spend mucho bucks behind it in the first place.You may remember that back in 2018, the Munich High End Show saw previews from two companies of the world’s first modern open reel tape decks, which were on their way to market after a couple of decades with no new production of tape machines. If you now account for the fact that most new music hits the indian scene first through piracy (an Example: Riding with the King was relased in India almost 6 months after its international release) and in the form of cassettes, a tape deck makes a lot of sense in our context. This is of course not counting piracy and downloading from K*Z**. Cassettes typically cost $2.50 or so, and if you look at the average GDP of the country, cassettes make more sense for most of the population. Also most of CDs in India cost about $10, and some about $5-&6. It is much more economical than CDs, which typically constitute (legally) about 5% of music sales. The most widely used format in India is the cassette tape. A great buy by my standards.Īs to the comments on India, there are a few problems, let me clarify what Vivek must've been trying to say. No Dolby, simple VU meters, etc, and the thing cost under 3000 Rupees. I personally use a Sharp deck with a replacement Ferrite head and overhauled mechanical transport (the really hard push button keys) that is working excellently. Therefore I generally recommend buyin a used deck. I have access to schematics of NAB tape preamps, but they need to be well built (read: No veroboard) to keep noise down. ![]() I've built quite a few decks, and there are major problems with the playback quality of commercial designs currently available in India. It depends on what you use it for and how much it costs.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |