The drama is killin' me,
Tape is not gone.
Are tubes gone?
I just checked again and the library is still stacked to the ceiling with rolls of the stuff.
Its not like tape is extinct - ie: died off and disappeared, gone the way of the do-do bird, like a battery or something -- useless.
I have reels specifically reserved for re-use (as in track to 2" and dump to something less...ummm...bulky?). They say reels can last a lifetime, so what are we worried about?
I think back to when there were no more Pultecs, or Fairchilds. But then, I go into a recording studio and there they are! No wonder I can't find 'em on *Bay!
ELAM 251s?? Remember when there were no more? What brought 'em back? Fools like us willing to pay ANYTHING for one (thanks John McBride, Alan Sides and Sony Music Corp, etc.).
Same with the 1176 & LA2a - it was "worth" it for Bill Jr. to bring them back. It will be worth it for Quantegy to rise from the ashes or ATR to come up with something else.
All the debates about "how many times can I record over it?" crack me up. You know how many times one occasionally has to punch-in on the same spot over and over (generally right before the guitar solo)? I think the reels enjoy getting used over and over, kind of a masochistic pleasure that rivals young performers' enthusiam. Beats the heck out of "undo" or "next virtual track".
Whomever it is that's interviewing engineers and they say "no one uses tape" must be in the outback somewhere - no offense, Linear.
Linear said, "Maybe I'm stupid but I'm focussing all my attention on how to continue recording in the analog domain."
You are certainly NOT stupid, and you are probably not thrifty either <wink>.
Saying that the delivery medium to the public (mp3 or worse) is reason enough to lower our sound quality standards and nobody cares/notices "these days" is a bunch of hogwash, too. If you cannot tell the difference, sonically, perhaps you are in the wrong field of expertise.
Those that wish to record to analog will find a way to do it. Just like those that hunt wild game or drive muscle cars or whatever. The process is the pleasure.
Warm analog regards,
Thom "Fig" Fiegle