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Vintage Tape (Audio), Cassette, Wire and Magnetic Disc Recorders and Players Open-reel tape recorders, cassette recorders, 8-track players etc.

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Old 30th Oct 2017, 5:04 pm   #1
Bookman
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Default Historical Reel to Reel Music

A kind and modest lady who is most adept at playing the harpsichord has asked me what she ought to do with several boxes of circa late 1950s/1960s reels.
She says that they have quite a history associated with them as they were from several recording studios as well as the BBC at the time. She was hoping that they could go to a good home.
I have asked her to try and catalogue them to the best of her abilities. Bless her, she is not the youngest person around but is still relatively agile.

I will try and help her in the best way possible but what should we be looking for in such matters. My wish is to help her to find a good home for them.
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Old 30th Oct 2017, 5:45 pm   #2
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Default Re: Historical Reel to Reel Music

Hi,
one of the options ( not necessarily the best ) might be the National Sound Archive at the British Museum.
http://www.bl.uk/subjects/sound
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Old 30th Oct 2017, 7:26 pm   #3
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Default Re: Historical Reel to Reel Music

Thanks Peter,
Also received a helpful pm for similar consideration.
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Old 30th Oct 2017, 8:47 pm   #4
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Default Re: Historical Reel to Reel Music

It's impossible to give advice without knowing what's on the tape. They may be anything from unreleased alternate takes by Kathleen Ferrier or Jacqueline du Pre to spliced together odd lengths fit only for the bin.
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Old 30th Oct 2017, 9:03 pm   #5
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Default Re: Historical Reel to Reel Music

Thanks Paul,
Yes there are too many variables; indeed could be nothing but could also be something. This is very much a lady of style who is trying to downsize but in a way where she will know that the matter is being assessed by those able to respond in a professional manner. This is a subject where I would not comply with the latter requirement.
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Old 30th Oct 2017, 9:15 pm   #6
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Default Re: Historical Reel to Reel Music

Sadly a lot of it is likely to be worthless apart from as tape stock, but there's always the nagging doubt that there may be something important there. I once came across an off air R3 recording of John Elliot Gardiner performing the 1610 Monteverdi Vespers in Ely Cathedral in 1968, right at the start of his career - this subsequently became his signature piece. The quality wasn't up to a commercial release by any means, but I sent a digitized copy to his office and the cathedral archivist, thus preserving a bit of history.
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Old 31st Oct 2017, 9:37 am   #7
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Default Re: Historical Reel to Reel Music

Can we discover a few basics?
The number of reels.
Reel size (7" much easier to handle than NAB/10").
Are any of the boxes labelled?
Does she still own the original machine? (Not for use for transcription but merely to help discover the tape format). I guess the ex-studio tapes could be anything.
Would the lady trust Forum members with this potentially precious material?
This sounds like a worthy cause that members could take pleasure in.
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Old 31st Oct 2017, 10:40 am   #8
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Default Re: Historical Reel to Reel Music

Thanks Graham,
The lady in question certainly thinks highly of them. Her demeanour and ambience is similarly highly disposed to someone associated with quality of life. It is this that leads one to expect anything really.
Am out for most of the day and will provide feedback accordingly.
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Old 31st Oct 2017, 10:50 am   #9
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Default Re: Historical Reel to Reel Music

I had a similar situation when I acquired many tapes made by the late Don Durbridge. One particular tape had Tony Hancock being interviewed in Aden whilst entertaining the troops there. I notified the Tony Hancock appreciation society and they were delighted to hear of this as they knew about this trip but had nothing but a photograph, the tape was like a big missing part of a jigsaw for them. There was also an interview with the late Brian Clough and I sent a copy to his son Nigel. He was amazed, did not know of its existence and sat down with his Mum to listen to it. So, it is worth trawling through them as you never know what their true worth could be.
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Old 31st Oct 2017, 11:01 am   #10
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Default Re: Historical Reel to Reel Music

If the owner genuinely has no knowledge of the provenance of the tapes then it may be better to hand the lot over to a tape enthusiast who can go through them sorting the wheat from the chaff, hopefully identifying anything of real historical significance. Recording studio tapes from that period are likely to be 15ips mono full track or stereo half track. Broadcast studio tapes are similar but mostly 7.5ips. Some of the tapes may be dubs made for the recording artist to listen to at home and these will probably be 3.75ips.

It sounds as if they are too early for sticky shed problems, but any splices may well have failed by now.
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Old 31st Oct 2017, 4:34 pm   #11
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Default Re: Historical Reel to Reel Music

Quote:
Originally Posted by Top Cap View Post
I had a similar situation when I acquired many tapes made by the late Don Durbridge. One particular tape had Tony Hancock being interviewed in Aden whilst entertaining the troops there. I notified the Tony Hancock appreciation society and they were delighted to hear of this as they knew about this trip but had nothing but a photograph, the tape was like a big missing part of a jigsaw for them. There was also an interview with the late Brian Clough and I sent a copy to his son Nigel. He was amazed, did not know of its existence and sat down with his Mum to listen to it. So, it is worth trawling through them as you never know what their true worth could be.
It would seem that this lady used to work for a German radio station and has mentioned that there are several interviews she remembers.
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