herb alpert on 8-track
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thetijuanataxi
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Surely you must mean that your 8-track of TBAC sounds better becaue the LP is badly scratched and worn to where you can't see the grooves anymore?? Sound quality on
an 8-track? That's practically an oxymoron. After all, 8-Tracks have about the same frequency range as FM radio and much more wow and flutter. They never claimed to have any sound quality. They were originally popular for use in car decks before cassettes, their much superior successors began showing up on car decks. And cassttes are generally inferior to LPs sonically. So unless you have a Kenner Close and Play Phonograph or a record that is worn beyond usefulness, it's hard to imagine how any 8-Track of Herb's could sound better than the LP. I had most of Herb's TJB releases on 8-Track as well as LP and there was no comparison. As a matter of fact, I think most Cornerites would agree that the CD versions of those original TJB albums don't even sound as good as the LPs. I don't mean to offend Phil or anyone else who likes 8-Tracks, that's their privilege. I just never thought I'd see someone talkin about 8-Tracks and sound quality in the same paragraph. My favorite shortcoming of the 8-Track format is when it changed tracks in the middle of a song. Fortunately, I don't think any of Herb's did that, but I had quite a few that did. However, in answer to your question Phil, Ebay would probably be your best bet. When an 8-Track shows up there it is usually pretty cheap and there is not much bidding competition.
David,
who remembers many fond youthful driving excursions with his low fidelity 8-Track........
an 8-track? That's practically an oxymoron. After all, 8-Tracks have about the same frequency range as FM radio and much more wow and flutter. They never claimed to have any sound quality. They were originally popular for use in car decks before cassettes, their much superior successors began showing up on car decks. And cassttes are generally inferior to LPs sonically. So unless you have a Kenner Close and Play Phonograph or a record that is worn beyond usefulness, it's hard to imagine how any 8-Track of Herb's could sound better than the LP. I had most of Herb's TJB releases on 8-Track as well as LP and there was no comparison. As a matter of fact, I think most Cornerites would agree that the CD versions of those original TJB albums don't even sound as good as the LPs. I don't mean to offend Phil or anyone else who likes 8-Tracks, that's their privilege. I just never thought I'd see someone talkin about 8-Tracks and sound quality in the same paragraph. My favorite shortcoming of the 8-Track format is when it changed tracks in the middle of a song. Fortunately, I don't think any of Herb's did that, but I had quite a few that did. However, in answer to your question Phil, Ebay would probably be your best bet. When an 8-Track shows up there it is usually pretty cheap and there is not much bidding competition.
David,
who remembers many fond youthful driving excursions with his low fidelity 8-Track........
You know, short of the imposing hiss heard on all 8-tracks, our copy of Beat Of The Brass sounded sensational. Matter of fact, we listened to it recently and it sounded darn good. No, it wasn't better than the Lp or CD, but it wasn't the worst I've heard, either. I was amazed the thing hadn't tightened up after so many years of just sitting around.
Now, when it came to great sound, my Father's reel-to-reel's couldn't be beat. They were sensational. Yeah, it took a great deal of adjustment to get the sound just right, but once you did, they sounded (in some cases) better than the Lps, although not better than an 8-track.
And so it goes. The time will come when CDs are laughed at as well. It's always fascinated me how we started with a 78 RPM, went to 45 and long playing Lps, only to come around to a CD, which spins faster than a 78. Kind of ironic, really. Guess it goes to show that what goes around, comes around (literally!)
Jon
Now, when it came to great sound, my Father's reel-to-reel's couldn't be beat. They were sensational. Yeah, it took a great deal of adjustment to get the sound just right, but once you did, they sounded (in some cases) better than the Lps, although not better than an 8-track.
And so it goes. The time will come when CDs are laughed at as well. It's always fascinated me how we started with a 78 RPM, went to 45 and long playing Lps, only to come around to a CD, which spins faster than a 78. Kind of ironic, really. Guess it goes to show that what goes around, comes around (literally!)
Jon
To this day, I can't hear the song "Bean Bag" from HERB ALPERT'S NINTH without anticipating a program change CLICK right at the end of the song. (The tape I had was recorded a little too close to the change-tab for comfort!) But I wouldn't go back to the 8track daze for anything.
For quite a while, the only recording I had of "The Sea Is My Soil" was a cassette which had been copied from a copy of another cassette that had been copied from an 8-track of WARM. Needless to say, it was "hiss city." I think I still have that cassette around somewhere, but I no longer have a tape player to "enjoy" it on.
For quite a while, the only recording I had of "The Sea Is My Soil" was a cassette which had been copied from a copy of another cassette that had been copied from an 8-track of WARM. Needless to say, it was "hiss city." I think I still have that cassette around somewhere, but I no longer have a tape player to "enjoy" it on.
Captain Bacardi
Well-Known Member
My Fisher 8-track deck leaves a lot to be desired--I may just eBay it and get a Pioneer instead. I grabbed an 8-track deck for a couple of reasons:
* The software is cheap. Except in a few cases, 8-tracks are not often considered "rare". A good way to sample music I haven't heard before.
* If I should ever find an album I want, and it's on 8-track, at least I have a way to listen to it. Vinyl can sometimes be very elusive.
* It's a novelty. The mechanical geek in me likes to play with these kinds of things.
The drawbacks with 8-track: the equipment is older, and the tapes themselves deteriorate quite a bit. In the tape cartridge, any number of things can go bad. The foam pressure pads usually deterioriate, unless you luck out and get an 8-track that uses spring-loaded felt pressure pads. The program-sensing foil also comes undone--it's best, if you find a tape like this, to replace it immediately to prevent a massive tape jam. Some brands of tape also have bad pinch rollers, some of them turning gummy or getting too hard to be functional. Finally, the tension of the tape pack can go screwy, and that may sometimes require some surgery on the tape to make it usable again. I don't have the patience for it--a tape goes bad, it goes into the trash. Life's too short to dink around.
Sound quality? Yeah, it can be kind of dicey depending on the tape. The tape speed isn't up to what a reel-to-reel offers (aren't 8-tracks 3-3/4"/sec?), they don't use noise reduction (unless you record them yourself), and let's face it, like any other mass-produced tape, these were all copied at high speed and cut from a master pancake on average-quality tape.
In fact, that's why I don't care for record label released reel-to-reel tapes. They were mass duplicated at high speed, and the tape stock (even if it WAS Ampex or Scotch) isn't the good tape you can buy for recording. Add in questionable storage conditions (temperature, proximity to magnetic fields, humidity), and the fact that tape (especially older tape) loses some of its magnetism over the years, which means a dull high end. Pre-recorded reels also don't have noise reduction...so even in the rare event you get ANY output over 10kHz (a rarity in any pre-recorded reel), it's probably buried beneath hiss. I've found a few Ampex-duplicated reels on the Verve label that don't sound all that bad (A&M's are horrible, I might add), but they still can't touch a clean slab o' vinyl.
* The software is cheap. Except in a few cases, 8-tracks are not often considered "rare". A good way to sample music I haven't heard before.
* If I should ever find an album I want, and it's on 8-track, at least I have a way to listen to it. Vinyl can sometimes be very elusive.
* It's a novelty. The mechanical geek in me likes to play with these kinds of things.
The drawbacks with 8-track: the equipment is older, and the tapes themselves deteriorate quite a bit. In the tape cartridge, any number of things can go bad. The foam pressure pads usually deterioriate, unless you luck out and get an 8-track that uses spring-loaded felt pressure pads. The program-sensing foil also comes undone--it's best, if you find a tape like this, to replace it immediately to prevent a massive tape jam. Some brands of tape also have bad pinch rollers, some of them turning gummy or getting too hard to be functional. Finally, the tension of the tape pack can go screwy, and that may sometimes require some surgery on the tape to make it usable again. I don't have the patience for it--a tape goes bad, it goes into the trash. Life's too short to dink around.
Sound quality? Yeah, it can be kind of dicey depending on the tape. The tape speed isn't up to what a reel-to-reel offers (aren't 8-tracks 3-3/4"/sec?), they don't use noise reduction (unless you record them yourself), and let's face it, like any other mass-produced tape, these were all copied at high speed and cut from a master pancake on average-quality tape.
In fact, that's why I don't care for record label released reel-to-reel tapes. They were mass duplicated at high speed, and the tape stock (even if it WAS Ampex or Scotch) isn't the good tape you can buy for recording. Add in questionable storage conditions (temperature, proximity to magnetic fields, humidity), and the fact that tape (especially older tape) loses some of its magnetism over the years, which means a dull high end. Pre-recorded reels also don't have noise reduction...so even in the rare event you get ANY output over 10kHz (a rarity in any pre-recorded reel), it's probably buried beneath hiss. I've found a few Ampex-duplicated reels on the Verve label that don't sound all that bad (A&M's are horrible, I might add), but they still can't touch a clean slab o' vinyl.
luv8tracks
New Member
Hi,
You have to admit on a high end(I know) 8 track deck the results are quite good. I know its a hated format but it avoids the worn vinyl and some of the HAECO-CSG problems. It's also a kick to have someone remark on the fact the tapes still play.
8-tracks if cared for can last..replacing the splice and pads.
And you have to admit its the only way you can hear the TJB in quad.
As far as reels go they are hit and miss. Again depending on the deck they are played on.
I just wanted to know if there are any 8 trackers out there using A&M tapes.
Phil
You have to admit on a high end(I know) 8 track deck the results are quite good. I know its a hated format but it avoids the worn vinyl and some of the HAECO-CSG problems. It's also a kick to have someone remark on the fact the tapes still play.
8-tracks if cared for can last..replacing the splice and pads.
And you have to admit its the only way you can hear the TJB in quad.
As far as reels go they are hit and miss. Again depending on the deck they are played on.
I just wanted to know if there are any 8 trackers out there using A&M tapes.
Phil
Technically, no, we don't use A&M 8-track tapes anymore. We do have an old 8-track deck -- came across it during a recent move -- and tried it out (to see if it still worked after all these years). It did, although volume adjustment led to ear-piercing squeeling. All in all, it didn't sound half bad.
As for reel-to-reel, it's probably a favorite due to my Father's passion for them. Alhtough we had a turntable, 8-track and cassette deck, reel-to-reel was Dad's audio device of choice. I grew up with it.
As for 8-tracks, face it...they deteriorate with age.
Jon
As for reel-to-reel, it's probably a favorite due to my Father's passion for them. Alhtough we had a turntable, 8-track and cassette deck, reel-to-reel was Dad's audio device of choice. I grew up with it.
As for 8-tracks, face it...they deteriorate with age.
Jon
Captain Bacardi
Well-Known Member
luv8tracks
New Member
True! I agree (I was busy writing my reply when a nosy party-goer -- my Mother has friends over this evening -- came up and began reading over my shoulder! With that, I finished with "Face It, 8-tracks age..." and hit the send button!!)
What I mean to say is the same thing as you, Phil. With a little care, most all of the older audio systems do age well. I couldn't agree with you more!!
Jon
...who also ages like an 8-track, online & off...
What I mean to say is the same thing as you, Phil. With a little care, most all of the older audio systems do age well. I couldn't agree with you more!!
Jon
...who also ages like an 8-track, online & off...
luv8tracks
New Member
Thanks Jon.
It's just fun to see how many times A&M used different vendors for their tapes before they actually started manufacturing them. Thats the fun of collecting tapes. Some of the early Lear Jet/Ampex tapes have very good high end.......and some of the later tapes don't. It was a quality control issue and also they found cheaper ways to make the tapes.
Phil
I collect all artists on A&M 8 tracks...they are cheap and easy to maintain.
Phil
It's just fun to see how many times A&M used different vendors for their tapes before they actually started manufacturing them. Thats the fun of collecting tapes. Some of the early Lear Jet/Ampex tapes have very good high end.......and some of the later tapes don't. It was a quality control issue and also they found cheaper ways to make the tapes.
Phil
I collect all artists on A&M 8 tracks...they are cheap and easy to maintain.
Phil
thetijuanataxi
Well-Known Member
luv8tracks
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luv8tracks
New Member
Does anyone know why a lot of the TJB 8-tracks had the songs in such a crazy order? I know that the songs on an 8-track generally have to be in a different order than on the LP but it seems that A&M went nuts sometimes. For instance, why does the "Whipped Cream" 8-track start with the title track and end with "Peanuts"? Since, "Taste Of Honey" is at the start of one program, and "Lollipops And Roses" is at the end of another program, they could have had the same beginning and end to the 8-track as they did to the LP. On "Going Places", "Zorba The Greek" begins the album instead of ending it. And why is "Sea Is My Soil" repeated on the "Warm" 8-track? I was curious about this and sat down with the album's song list and timings and found I could seperate the songs into 4 programs without repeating any and without having to put a song in two parts. (I know, I have too much time on my hands!). Anyway, the programs on my fake "Warm" 8-track were all within 15 seconds of each other, timewise, so why did A&M have to repeat "Sea"? And on "Summertime", two songs are repeated. It's very odd.
Captain Bacardi
Well-Known Member
luv8tracks
New Member
Hi,
A&M did this on several tapes. The Sergio Mendes tapes do the same. Look Around repeats A little Help with my friends. As for the TJB The Beat of The Brass duplicates Monday Monday and reorders the LP totally. My guess is that they spread the songs out in case you wanted to switch tracks and not be stuck with a dud of a song. Herb Alperts Ninth and SRO are out of order as well.
It also insured no dead spots in the tape at the end of programs.
Iv'e also noticed some mastering faults with some of the A&M tapes there is a slow down at the beginning of each track for a few seconds. The original Ampex and ITCC tapes do not suffer from this.
Phil
A&M did this on several tapes. The Sergio Mendes tapes do the same. Look Around repeats A little Help with my friends. As for the TJB The Beat of The Brass duplicates Monday Monday and reorders the LP totally. My guess is that they spread the songs out in case you wanted to switch tracks and not be stuck with a dud of a song. Herb Alperts Ninth and SRO are out of order as well.
It also insured no dead spots in the tape at the end of programs.
Iv'e also noticed some mastering faults with some of the A&M tapes there is a slow down at the beginning of each track for a few seconds. The original Ampex and ITCC tapes do not suffer from this.
Phil
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