| Hmm, Hiring should be no problem - your local Public Address hire
company (see yellow pages) should be able to help.
What you want is a Revox B77. But - they are available in a number
of forms.
Things you will need to know are : � or � track (you can't play
tapes from one properly on the other - � track means that each track
of the stereo pair uses about half the tape width - so you can only
record/play one 'side' of the tape. � track, as it sounds, uses
only one quarter of the tape width per track, and the tracks are
arranged so that the tape can be turned over and run back the other
way (just like a cassette - and some reel-reel recorders, notably
Akai and TEAC, have auto-reverse etc just like a cassette.)
Unfortunately, the alignment of the tracks is such that � track
tapes won't play properly on a �track machine. Half-track
gives you better quality but costs more in tape - though if you
need to edit the tape (by cutting and splicing), the additional
playing time of �-track can't be used anyway (cos you'd scramble
the other side when you edit).
The other thing to decide is what type of recording equalisation
response characteristic you wish to use - there are two - NAB and IEC.
IEC is the normal 'domestic' one. If you are going to record and play
on the same machine, it doesn't really matter. If you need to
interchange tapes, then you need machines of the same type, or ones
that have switchable Equalisation.
If you can't find a source near you, I can recommend Paul Farah
Sound Systems in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey. They do a wide range
of gear for lots of the big concerts. You are probably looking at
�25/day or �60-75/week per machine, including cables. Microphones
is you need them are extra and there are loads of different types,
depending on what you want to record.
If you want a chat, call/mail me (DTN 7844 3293)
Rgds, Dave
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