Cassette and RTR Recording Speeds

AVTechMan

Aspiring Videographer
Looking at the specs of my TEAC A3340s RTR, it supports 7 1/2 and 15ips speeds. Do you guys usually record at the 7.5 speed or the 15? Naturally the 15 speed will yield better quality but at reduced recording time. According to a chart I looked at, 2500' of tape will yield about 30 mins at the 7.5 and around 60 mins on the 15 each side.

As for cassette decks that support dual speeds like the Tascam 122B, it has a switch for high and low speed. Low speed I know is the standard 1 7/8 while high I believe is 3 3/4. Is it common to simply record at the lower speed, or would the sound quality be improved using the 3 3/4 speed?

I definitely enjoy high quality sound, but looks like I may have to invest in more blank reel tape if I go that route! :)
 
R2R is the way to go. I have an A3340S and I've done live piano recordings with it at 7.5ips (it was all I had) that still hold up well.
 
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Looking at the specs of my TEAC A3340s RTR, it supports 7 1/2 and 15ips speeds. Do you guys usually record at the 7.5 speed or the 15? Naturally the 15 speed will yield better quality but at reduced recording time. According to a chart I looked at, 2500' of tape will yield about 30 mins at the 7.5 and around 60 mins on the 15 each side.

As for cassette decks that support dual speeds like the Tascam 122B, it has a switch for high and low speed. Low speed I know is the standard 1 7/8 while high I believe is 3 3/4. Is it common to simply record at the lower speed, or would the sound quality be improved using the 3 3/4 speed?

I definitely enjoy high quality sound, but looks like I may have to invest in more blank reel tape if I go that route! :)

Normally you will get longer times with slower speeds in otherwords the 7.5 ips should be longer!
My 2 speed Marantz has a little better quality sound at the faster speed but then whatever Cassette I use is half the Time:):thmbsp:
 
15 ips is a fairly uncommon speed for R2R. It can be beneficial when doing live recording, but for copying from another source 7.5 is usually sufficient.

As for cassette, more or less the same thing applies. 1-7/8 is nearly universal for cassette, with Philips by and large controlling the format and refusing to allow faster speeds. The Tascam is one of the few exceptions. Again, it depends what you're recording - but faster almost always is better (but eats up twice as much tape).
 
The same rule applies for cassettes and open reel. The faster the tape speed, the better the recording. Some cassette decks have the 3 3/4 inch speed, but did not catch on.

Open reel is the best format. I would use the 15 I.P.S. speed for live recordings, 7 1/2 for live recordings and to archive music, 3 3/4 I used to use all the time to record radio shows and to make party tapes. IMO, 7 1/2 is the best balance between recording time and quality.

The only problem I see with open reel tapes is it's very hard to find quality blank tapes. If you can find them, there are expensive. That is why I stopped recording on open reel. That and space issues. Even though cassettes do not have the quality of open reel, there adequate for taping music and blank tapes are cheap and plentiful. They seem to hold their shelf life well as long as you keep them in their Norelco case away from sunlight in a cool, dry place. I have tapes I recorded close to 35 years ago and they still play great.
 
15 ips is a fairly uncommon speed for R2R. It can be beneficial when doing live recording, but for copying from another source 7.5 is usually sufficient.

I have to disagree, I have 7 or 8 (out of 11 I own) decks that run at 15ips, 30ips is the uncommon one.

It's easy to get 15ips decks, they literally fall into my lap.
 
I have to disagree, I have 7 or 8 (out of 11 I own) decks that run at 15ips, 30ips is the uncommon one.

It's easy to get 15ips decks, they literally fall into my lap.

...And how many of those are 7" reel machines?

My thinking was as follows:

1. There's a heckuva lot more 7" machines than 10-1/2".

2. I've never seen a 7" machine with 15 ips.

So, since there were WAY more 7" machines than 10-1/2"...

Ergo, my statement that 15 is a FAIRLY uncommon speed...in the overall universe of reel to reels.
 
Yes, in the world of consumer machines and low end prosumer. In the professional world of for hire broadcasting and recording, different story, 10 1/2" machines are preferred there. 7 1/2 IPS is standard in broadcasting use. 15 IPS for special production work and the recording industry at large.
 
...And how many of those are 7" reel machines?

My thinking was as follows:

1. There's a heckuva lot more 7" machines than 10-1/2".

2. I've never seen a 7" machine with 15 ips.

So, since there were WAY more 7" machines than 10-1/2"...

Ergo, my statement that 15 is a FAIRLY uncommon speed...in the overall universe of reel to reels.

I only have one 7" only deck, a Teac X-3. And it was free, I only got it because my friend didn't want it and I needed to xfer some 3.75ips tapes. I have seen far more 10" decks than 7" decks...I almost never see 7" only decks in the places I seem to go. In the world I seem to live in, 10" 15ips capable decks are the norm.
 
My only R2R being the A3440s, has the 15ips and 7.5, using both 10.5 and 7" size reels. So it would seem that using the 7 1/2 would be ideal for the more common audio recording usage.
 
I can run 3-3/4 on my MX 50/50. 6 hours of recording on a 10.5" reel. Sounds way better than cassette as well. New tape is really expensive though. Lucky for me the guy I got my Revox B77 from threw in a case of Scotch 206 pancakes. I had a ton of empty 10.5 inch reels they were going to toss at the place I used to work.
 
Cassette speeds:

3.75 IPS
1.875 IPS
15/16 IPS

Microcassette speeds:

15/16 IPS
15/32 IPS

RTR speeds:

Hi-Fi (Professional)
30 IPS
15 IPS

Domestic
7.5 IPS
3.75 IPS
1.875 IPS
Perhaps 15/16 IPS

Faster speeds for the most demanding music or for most resistant to dropouts, slower for the less critical stuff or better tape economy (efficiency)
 
Hi, just a correction to the list above:

[snip]
RTR speeds:

Hi-Fi (Professional)
30 IPS
15 IPS
7.5 IPS (radio, cinema, TV)
3 75 IPS (Nagra SN high speed, and other applications where duration is important)
1.875 (Nagra SN normal speed, air logging, surveillance and other uses where tape duration matters more and sound quality is secondary)
15/16 IPS (surveillance, long duration logging)

[snip]
 
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Cassette speeds:

3.75 IPS
1.875 IPS
15/16 IPS

The Philips standard for cassettes is 1.875; there are a few specialized machines that use 3.75, but not many. Even fewer are devices that playback at 15/16, restricted to audio book/talking books for the blind - totally useless for music because of reduced fidelity.

Happy trails,
Larry B.
 
What corrections are there? It is just adding a little info.
If you say so :rolleyes: The main correction is that 7.5 is not a "consumer speed": many more professionals have used it than 15 ips. On the whole, not having 7.5 on a professional deck would be a major problem, since it would prevent you from playing virtually all the film and broadcast archives.
 
Another thing to keep in mind about tape speed choice is intended use.
If you're recording something you'll need to physically edit, then 15 ips is your friend.
If you're making a copy that the most people will be able to play, then 7.5 ips is it.
If you're making a cassette (on a dual-speed deck) that you may want to use in your car, or give to a friend, then the standard speed is the one to use. If you're making a mix tape master that you will later copy for all the Cindys in your life, then go high-speed.
Please note that, just like me, all these examples are from an earlier time in our history, before you could shoot and edit cinema-quality video with a telephone, and before you could electronically communicate internationally, instantly, for free. :)

Chip
 
If you're recording something you'll need to physically edit, then 15 ips is your friend.
Actualy it was never a problem to edit tape recorded at 7.5 ips. It's how radio was made for decades. The precision is excellent - of course it takes a little practice to make it perfect, but then it is the same at 15 ips, just easier.
 
When I needed to make staggered-track edits, add a 1/8" sliver to correct timing, or shave oxide to alter attacks, I was happy to be at 15ips. :thmbsp:

Chip
 
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