Correction of blatant error below On 2018-07-23 08:47, cmpxchg wrote:

Hi,

For EMFcamp, I am preparing two Akai GX-77 reel-to-reel 'full autoreverse' decks to play music in a fully analog, electromagnetic way: https://revspace.nl/kiekjes/view/20180715/P1010398.JPG

They are using 1/4" reel-to-reel tape pioneered by AEG and BASF, pre WWII. These days magnetic tape in this broadcast format is only commercially available from Ampex, USA, via sites like thomann.de, large dutch retailers don't have it.

correction: Thomann.de only sells new tape from ATR Magnetics and RTM (recording the masters), Ampex went mostly defunct in 2014 according to wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ampex

Old tape is usable too, as long the tape's oxide-to-tape binder quality was ok.

The GX-77 decks will be adapted to include remote control and remote pitch control and rudimentary cueing features so they can be used along with vinyl records.

Timecode extraction and -slaving from the other stereo head (it is a dual 2-track autoreverse machine) should be possible as well, although it goes a bit against the 'all analog' dogma, and would mostly suitable to match film or video - for cueing the latency of vinyl, capstanless direct-drive of the actual reels would be best. For this the dual reel motor drive circuit needs to be redesigned, worst case replaced.

The music itself should ideally being taped from FM radio, in the highest quality possible.

What stations worth listening to in .nl (could be local) should I check out and what genre's should I bring to EMF ?

cmpxchg