Reel-to-reel audio tape recording

Reel-to-reel audio tape recording, also called open-reel recording, is a way to record sound using magnetic tape that spins on two reels. To get started, you place a reel of tape on one spindle, then pull the end of the tape and thread it over a special part called a tape head before attaching it to a second, empty reel. This system uses wider tape than the smaller cassettes that came later, and it can create very clear sound quality.

Reel-to-reel recording was created in the early 1940s and stayed popular with people who love high-quality sound all the way into the 1980s. Even though it was a bit harder to use and the tapes were bigger and more expensive, many loved the better sound it provided. Some companies kept making these machines into the 1990s, and a few still make them today for special uses.

Besides music, reel-to-reel tape was also used to store information in early computers and to record videos. It even helped scientists keep data from important tests, like those done with hydrogen bombs in the 1950s.

History

The reel-to-reel format was used in the first magnetic recording systems, from wire recording to early tape recorders. One of the earliest examples was the German-British Blattnerphone from 1928, which used steel tape. Later, German Magnetophon machines in the 1930s also used this format.

Originally, the format had no special name because all magnetic tape recorders used it. Names like tape cartridges or cassettes came later when new types of tapes were created, such as the Fidelipac in 1954, the RCA tape cartridge in 1958, and the Compact Cassette by Philips in 1963.

German engineers found ways to improve the quality of early machines. In 1939, one machine was noticed to make better recordings because it used a special signal, which greatly improved sound quality. This made recordings better than many radio broadcasts at the time.

After World War II, American engineer Jack Mullin brought German Magnetophon recorders home. He worked to adapt them for commercial use. In 1947, he showed his recorders to Bing Crosby, who saw their value for pre-recording radio shows. Crosby helped fund the development of a commercial tape recorder through a company called Ampex.

Reel-to-reel tape recorders became popular for home use and in schools. However, when Philips introduced the compact cassette in 1963, cassettes gradually replaced reel-to-reel for everyday use. Still, reel-to-reel remained important for professional recording studios until digital recording became common in the late 1980s.

Some artists still prefer the sound of analog tape recording today, finding it more natural. Reel-to-reel recording also allowed for editing by physically cutting and joining tape sections, which was a key part of music production for many years.

Pre-recorded tapes

The first pre-recorded reel-to-reel tapes were introduced in the United States in 1949, with only a few titles available. In 1952, EMI began selling these tapes in Great Britain. Companies like RCA Victor also joined in, offering more choices. However, these tapes were often more expensive than other formats, which limited their popularity.

By the mid-1960s, reel-to-reel tapes were most popular, but they started to fade when easier-to-use cassette tapes and 8-track tapes came along. Even though reel-to-reel tapes had better sound, their higher cost and more complicated way of playing music made them less favored. By the late 1970s and into the 1980s, very few new titles were still available in this format. Some special editions for music lovers were made by Barclay-Crocker during this time, mostly featuring classical music and a few jazz or movie soundtracks.

Technology

Reel-to-reel tape recording uses special tools and parts to record and play back sound. It works by using tiny magnetic particles, often made from iron oxide, which are coated on plastic tape. These particles are changed by a small recording head when sound is being recorded.

When recording, an electric current makes the head create a magnetic field that changes based on the sound coming from a microphone or other audio source. As the tape moves past the head, the particles become magnetized in a way that matches the sound. When playing back, the same head detects these changes in the tape and turns them back into electrical signals. These signals are then made into sound again by a speaker or headphones. Some machines have more than one head to help with recording, playing back, or cleaning the tape.

There are two main ways to move the tape across the head: using a spinning part called a capstan with a rubber roller, or simply turning the reel that collects the tape. The capstan method keeps the tape moving at a steady speed, which helps keep the sound clear. The other method can sometimes make the speed change, which might change how the sound sounds when played back.

Tape speeds

The speed at which tape moves affects the quality of the recording. Faster speeds spread the audio signal over more tape, which improves sound quality and reduces issues from the tape itself. Slower speeds save tape and are useful when longer recording times are more important than perfect sound.

Common tape speeds include:

• 15⁄16 inch per second (2.38 cm/s): Used for very long recordings, like saving a radio station’s output.
• 1+7⁄8 in/s (4.76 cm/s): The slowest speed for consumers, good for long speech recordings.
• 3+3⁄4 in/s (9.53 cm/s): A common speed for home use, providing reasonable quality for speech and radio recordings.
• 7+1⁄2 in/s (19.05 cm/s): The highest consumer speed and slowest professional speed, used by radio stations for commercial copies.
• 15 in/s (38.1 cm/s): Used for professional music and radio recordings.
• 30 in/s (76.2 cm/s): Used when the best sound quality is needed, though it may affect lower frequencies.

These speeds are measured in inches per second (IPS). The two most common speeds for consumer tapes were 3+3⁄4 in/s and 7+1⁄2 in/s. The 3+3⁄4 in/s speed was also used for 8-track cartridges and Compact cassettes.

Quality is also affected by tape speed. Slower speeds can make the sound less clear, add background noise, and cause issues when playing the tape. Editing tape can be tricky and often reduces quality. Other factors like tape design and the recorder’s quality also matter.

Electronic noise reduction, like Dolby noise reduction, helps improve sound quality by reducing background noise during recording and playback. Another system, dbx, also reduces noise but sounds strange if played on equipment without dbx.

Multitrack recorders

Main article: Multitrack recording

As music studios improved, people wanted to record each instrument and voice separately. Then, they could mix everything together later. Some reel-to-reel recorders had many tracks—like eight, sixteen, twenty-four, or even thirty-two! These machines were very big, sometimes larger than a washing machine, and used very wide tape.

In the 1970s, special machines could link two or more recorders together to act like one giant recorder if even more tracks were needed.

Digital reel-to-reel

As audio technology changed from old tape to digital formats, engineers made digital reel-to-reel machines. Before computers could easily record sound, studios used these digital tape machines. Companies like Mitsubishi, Sony, and Nagra made popular digital reel-to-reel formats in the 1980s and 1990s.

Digital reel-to-reel recording removed many problems of old tape, like background noise and sound loss, but it was very expensive. Finding specific parts of a recording still took time, and the tape could wear out over use. Keeping the tape and machine clean was very important because tiny bits of dirt could ruin the recording. Even with special systems to fix errors, dirty tapes and machines caused some early recordings to become unusable.

Although new technologies like cassettes and computer recording made digital reel-to-reel less common, some people still enjoy using their old equipment today.

As a musical instrument

See also: Recording studio as an instrument

Early users of reel-to-reel tape recorders found creative ways to use the tape. They could connect pieces of tape together and change how fast or in what direction the tape played. This was similar to how modern keyboards can change the speed of sounds.

In the late 1940s, Les Paul used reel-to-reel recording to create a virtual band. He layered his guitar playing with his wife Mary Ford’s singing by playing the tape back multiple times and adding new parts. This was easier than using old phonograph records, which could not be reused. Les Paul could also change the pitch of his guitar by moving the tape faster or slower. He used special tape effects to add atmosphere to his music. Paul and Mary Ford became famous for songs like "How High the Moon" using these methods.

Many artists used reel-to-reel recording to make fun and novelty songs. In 1958, Ross Bagdasarian recorded his voice at half speed, making it sound higher when played back normally, for his hit song "Witch Doctor". He later used this method to create the sound of the Chipmunks. Other artists used similar techniques to make playful and creative records.

The Beatles used reel-to-reel tape in many interesting ways. For example, they would cut up old recordings and mix them into new songs, or play tapes backward to create unusual sounds. They also used tape loops—short pieces of tape played repeatedly—to add special effects to their music. These creative techniques helped make their songs unique and exciting.

Influences

Reel-to-reel tape machines changed how people could record and change sound. They helped start a music style called musique concrète in the 1940s in France, where artists would cut and loop tape to make new sounds. Famous composers like Pierre Henry and Pierre Schaeffer used these tape collages. Later, famous electronic music makers like Karlheinz Stockhausen made pieces such as Gesang der Jünglinge and Kontakte, using lots of tape work. Even popular rock bands like the Beatles used these ideas, like in their song "Tomorrow Never Knows" from 1966.

Modern designers still love the look and sound of reel-to-reel machines. For example, the company Teenage Engineering made a device that looks like a tape deck with a big wheel to move through recordings. Digital tools also try to copy old tape machines. Universal Audio’s Studer A800 and Waves’ J37 are examples that add special sounds to modern recordings, keeping the old tape feel alive.

The way tape worked helped artists be creative. They had to make quick choices and build songs from short loops. Some artists even used two machines together to make long loops. The small imperfections of tape, like soft compression and gentle hiss, are now seen as cool effects that make music sound better. Many music fans think tape adds a special warmth to recordings.