DD: Speaking of shipping, how do you plan to sell the machines internationally, in terms of distribution and retail?ĬM: At this point, I haven’t yet worked out distribution arrangements for international markets. The TR-1000 (playback and recording) will be available for purchase in early 2022, priced at around 13,000 Euros plus shipping. The price is 10,000 Euros excluding taxes and shipping. There’s also the fact that the entire design was guided by the end user in mind, to include various other user-friendly features such as automatic stopping at the end of the tape, and blank search (the ability to skip forward to the next space between tracks, as was the case in some cassette decks back in the day).Ĭustomers can find all of the features and technical details online at DD: So, the big question: when will the TP-1000, and then the TR-1000, be available for customers to buy and what will be their retail prices?ĬM: The TP-1000 (playback only) is available to order now, from this December, for delivery in January or February 2022. The port can also be used for remote control. Another is the Ethernet port and upgradable firmware, enabling the enhancement and addition of features over time. DD: Are there any specific elements of the design that you’d like to highlight?ĬM: One of the most unusual, probably unique, features is the computer-controlled user interface with touch-screen control panel and digital display. It’s not an update, an upgrade or a reworking of the design of any old, pre-existing machines, as we can see elsewhere. What do you mean by this?ĬM: What I mean is that the machine I’ve designed is completely new. DD: On your website to you refer to your design as “the future of R2R” and in another article you refer to “a new generation of tape recorders”. The reel motors are Swiss Maxon DC motors, the capstan motor is a JMC servo motor and the tape head is Photovox butterfly head. A prototype DD: Where did you source your component parts, or did you create some or all of them yourself?ĬM: All components are new, of my own design, except for the motors themselves and the magnetic heads. If I had to highlight one thing, I’d say that particular attention was brought to the choice of the motors in order to achieve the lowest possible W&F (wow and flutter). What excited me was the opportunity to explore how to use today’s technology to improve on the already excellent sound quality of tape.ĭD: What choices did you make about specific areas of the design, in order to create the quality of machine you wanted?ĬM: That’s a difficult question to answer since all parts of the design have been systematically explored and crafted to deliver the desired quality of sound and to ensure the reliability of the machine. So, when I left Mulann in 2017 and had some free time, I saw it as an opportunity to challenge myself to design a new tape machine. It’s a two-channel version of the 24-channel custom mixer at Kerwax Studios, a unique mixing desk that’s described as “a window to the golden age of recording studios”.ĭuring my various visits to Kerwax I had the opportunity to listen to lots of audio tapes, an experience that left me with the conviction that it was absolutely necessary to enable as many people as possible to discover this amazing sound! The Replica was designed at Kerwax Analog Recording Studios in Brittany, France, and is manufactured by RecordingTheMasters. During my time there I participated in the industrialization of the Kerwax Replica, a high-end tube line preamplifier. DD: What inspired you to design and create a new tape deck?ĬM: I discovered the joys of analogue sound while working at Mulann. ( RecordingTheMasters is part of the Mulann Group). More recently I worked at Mulann, which, as you know, manufactures magnetic tape. For more than 25 years I worked on designing flight simulators, with a focus on electronics and firmware. DD: Hi Christophe, can I begin by asking about your professional background… are you an audio man by trade, or have you to come this via a different angle?ĬM: I’m an engineer by profession. So, here we go… a Q&A with founder and designer Christophe Martinez, perfectly timed to coincide with the launch to market of the first of Analog Audio Design’s two decks, the playback-only TP-1000. In an earlier blog in August I promised to find out more and report back. Back in the summer we got wind of another brand new tape deck on the way, from French company Analog Audio Design.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |