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[Plush]

I am converting a Studer 807 4 track half inch to 2 track half inch. We have contacted John French at JRF about heads. I am interested in getting other suggestions for 1/2" heads for best freq. response and best S/N.

If anyone has good experience with any certain design or brand, please pass it on in here. Mostly we will run at 15ips with
Emtec 900 @ +6.

[jfrigo]

Plush wrote on Tue, 01 June 2004 08:48

I am converting a Studer 807 4 track half inch to 2 track half inch. We have contacted John French at JRF about heads. I am interested in getting other suggestions for 1/2" heads for best freq. response and best S/N.

Be careful about choosing based solely on the numbers. Some of the "extended frequency" heads don't sound as good in the more sensitive parts of the spectrum. if you get a little extra on the extreme bottom and top but it's not as nice from, say, 40-16k, you've lost more than you've gained. Look at all the parameters and listen to the heads if you get a chance. There's more to it than just the extreme limits of frequency response. That's not to say that extended response heads aren't worth looking at - just that it's only one thing among many to consider.

[bblackwood]

Jay, thanks for that, but what would you buy?

FWIW, I bought Studer 317 series repro heads for my A80 deck. They sound great.

[jfrigo]

bblackwood wrote on Tue, 01 June 2004 13:57

Jay, thanks for that, but what would you buy? FWIW, I bought Studer 317 series repro heads for my A80 deck. They sound great.

JRF, Saki, and Flux all have good heads. Then again, for my session a few days ago, I had to rent 1/4" heads for the normally 1/2" ATR  and I chose the boring old Ampex metal heads over the fancy Saki heads that were available, so make of that what you will. If I had to buy heads right now, I'd do more research and listening before making a choice, but if I absolutely had to choose a head now with no further looking around, I guess it would be Flux Magnetics.

[lucey]

jfrigo wrote on Tue, 01 June 2004 16:33

bblackwood wrote on Tue, 01 June 2004 13:57 Jay, thanks for that, but what would you buy? FWIW, I bought Studer 317 series repro heads for my A80 deck. They sound great. JRF, Saki, and Flux all have good heads.

you don't mean the Saki ferrite heads do you?  they sound cold and lack depth

[jfrigo]

lucey wrote on Tue, 01 June 2004 21:15

jfrigo wrote on Tue, 01 June 2004 16:33 JRF, Saki, and Flux all have good heads. you don't mean the Saki ferrite heads do you?  they sound cold and lack depth

To quote myself:

Quote:

Then again, for my session a few days ago, I had to rent 1/4" heads for the normally 1/2" ATR and I chose the boring old Ampex metal heads over the fancy Saki heads that were available, so make of that what you will.

And I guess I'll just leave it at that...

[lucey]

jfrigo wrote on Wed, 02 June 2004 00:29

lucey wrote on Tue, 01 June 2004 21:15 jfrigo wrote on Tue, 01 June 2004 16:33 JRF, Saki, and Flux all have good heads. you don't mean the Saki ferrite heads do you?  they sound cold and lack depth To quote myself: Quote: Then again, for my session a few days ago, I had to rent 1/4" heads for the normally 1/2" ATR and I chose the boring old Ampex metal heads over the fancy Saki heads that were available, so make of that what you will. And I guess I'll just leave it at that...

I'm not on your case here, but you're still confusing me ...

Saying "fancy Saki heads" implied that they are nice to someone ... yet you chose the Ampex heads ... then we are to "make of it what you will."

how non-committal is that?

A clearer statement would have been in the ballpark of 'the Ampex heads sound better than the Saki ferrite'. Period.  

Is this up for debate to you or anyone?   My understanding was that Ferrite heads all sound like the ones I've heard on an ATR ... they were shitty.  



So is there a good sounding Saki head as you said at first, or any good ferrite head?

If not ... the recommendation to the original questioner would be to avoid Saki ferrite heads.

[jfrigo]

lucey wrote on Wed, 02 June 2004 11:12

Saying "fancy Saki heads" implied that they are nice to someone ... yet you chose the Ampex heads ... then we are to "make of it what you will." how non-committal is that?

I didn't think it was non-commital. I was commited to the Ampex metal head over the Saki head. And yes, the Saki heads are nice to somebody or they wouldn't be sold, rented, and installed on so many machines. But for me, if you need it put so succinctly, I prefer other heads to the Saki.

But I'm hardly the last word on tape heads. Anybody in the market for new heads should listen to the them. I certainly don't think Saki are a bunch of technically incompetent boobs, so if you like the sound of their head, then feel free to get it. It's a reputable firm that will sell you a reliable head. Just because I happen to like others better than it is no reason for the poster not to at least check it out.

The whole point of my posting in the thread (as you can see from my first post) was to say that sometimes the fancy head with the extended this and that doesn't actually sound better. Therefore, don't buy just from the numbers. Good general advice I think, but I guess some would rather have a specific recommendation. Well, I didn't have one head in mind that I thought the poster absolutely must have. Their post just seemed to indicate they wanted the ones with the best numbers, and from experience I know those aren't always the best choice, and he should take other factors into account, including listening to them. That's all I wanted to add, but through futher questioning now we see that I like Flux first and Saki last. I really didn't feel strongly enough about a particular head to want to make a strong recommendation - just to warn that drawing by the numbers isn't the best recipe for success.

I see you have extended low frequency heads on your ATR. Which ones? And you liked those better why? And which others did you try? How did the sound of each head compare to the spec numbers?

[Plush]

The goal of my original post was to find out what Studer
1/2" users like in the way of modern heads. I"m not going by the numbers. Basically it comes down to Studer heads (hard or soft) or a modern variant. I'm looking for specific recommendations from those who have something they like on THEIR Studer 1/2" machine--A80, A820, A807. I am seeking other's personal experience with what I'm in the midst of doing.

With appreciation,
   

[lucey]

jfrigo wrote on Wed, 02 June 2004 15:28

lucey wrote on Wed, 02 June 2004 11:12  Their post just seemed to indicate they wanted the ones with the best numbers, and from experience I know those aren't always the best choice, and he should take other factors into account, including listening to them. <ed>  - just to warn that drawing by the numbers isn't the best recipe for success.

fair enough

Quote:

I see you have extended low frequency heads on your ATR. Which ones? And you liked those better why? And which others did you try? How did the sound of each head compare to the spec numbers?

I figured he needed to A/B and would come to that.  Plus I have an ATR not a Studer, so I'm of little help to him.


To answer your new question: at the time I got into the 1/2" it had a badly used Ampex and a Saki, it needed so many things (capstan, etc) that I needed to have it working asap.  I did no A/B ... just went gut with EMG.  

I eventually did A/B and chose to disable the input transformer only, then later the output transformer only. Other then that, it's stock, with EMG heads.