Reel to reel tape may well be the most successful recording media of all time. While other technologies, such as cylinder recording, have fallen by the wayside, reel to reel continues to be the medium of choice for countless artists and producers. The simple reason is that reel to reel represents one of the most generous and precise analog methods ever devised.The history of reel to reel recording might otherwise be thought of as the history of recording music throughout the 20th century. Reel to reel recording preceded the invention of plastic, and so began with a method that involved magnetically recording the signal onto pure metal wire. It wasn't until the widespread adoption of polymer ribbon coated in iron oxide that the "tape" so many of us know actually took on its present appearance.
Reel to Reel through History
Once tape came along, a host of other techniques and terms we now associate with recording followed quickly. Terms like "cut" and "splice" came from editing methods that involved the physical division and manipulation of the medium itself, and today such terms persist even into the digital realm, with record producers and artists routinely talking about cutting and splicing, despite the fact that they may be optically recording on a hard drive. Needless to say, this legacy is part of the reel to reel's history, which only cements further its centrality to recording for nearly a hundred years.
If you have ever seen IMAX film, it may not surprise you to learn that wider tape generally leads to higher resolution. Indeed, the best reel to reel tape in the world tends to be wider and faster than other kinds. The greater physical size of this reel to reel tape facilitates increased multi-track capacity and greater frequency response, creating a fuller and richer acoustic experience.
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