Which analog tape manufacturer closes every July?

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Steve Albini's famous "What's Wrong with Music" article mentions a tape maker that closes every July, causing a worldwide shortage. Which company is it?

King Kobra (King Kobra), Thursday, 4 December 2003 22:58 (twenty-two years ago)

??????

Um, maybe he meant to say that one tape making company closes every July, not necessarily the same one. Otherwise, that would be strange, because that one tape company would theoretically have to restart every year.

Anyway, I still see AMPEX tape for sale at stores, so *crossing fingers* they seem to have staying power for the analog gear folks on the forum here.

(Anyone want to buy an 8-track 1/2 inch Reel to Reel perchance? *whistles*)

donut bitch (donut), Thursday, 4 December 2003 23:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Unless this is one of those weirdly phrased riddles that can't be answered.

donut bitch (donut), Thursday, 4 December 2003 23:02 (twenty-two years ago)

ampex doesn't exist anymore. they r now called Quantegy

the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 5 December 2003 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

donut bitch, i have a friend that might want to buy the reel to reel. you're in la, right? he wants to know what kind and all that. email me with some specifics.

JaXoN (JasonD), Friday, 5 December 2003 00:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Um, maybe he meant to say that one tape making company closes every July, not necessarily the same one. Otherwise, that would be strange, because that one tape company would theoretically have to restart every year.

I think you interpreted "closes" as something permanent. I'm sure he meant that they just take a monthlong vacation every year.

Here's the actual quote, which comes in the context of a paragraph talking about all the things a real "producer" (read: engineer should know:

Which tape manufacturer closes every year in July, causing shortages of tape globally?

the full text can be found here:
http://www.mercenary.com/probwitmusby.html

King Kobra (King Kobra), Friday, 5 December 2003 01:06 (twenty-two years ago)

How old is that "Problem with Music" essay now? It's going on over a decade, right?

Albini should just create not only Electrical Audio, the studio.. he should create, Electric Audio, the Institute. We'd have to give him the power to stop time and unlimited bank, of course, so he could, you know, actually build the school and get it going.

The real question is.. which actually pays more? being a music studio engineer? or being a music professor?

donut bitch (donut), Friday, 5 December 2003 01:13 (twenty-two years ago)

(in relation to engineering, not music as art... although seeing a syllabus for a Music Appreciation course taught by Albini would be a hoot..)

donut bitch (donut), Friday, 5 December 2003 01:15 (twenty-two years ago)

(Jess, you're right. i am so gay. I should get me and myself a room)

donut bitch (donut), Friday, 5 December 2003 01:15 (twenty-two years ago)

How old is that "Problem with Music" essay now? It's going on over a decade, right?

It's from 1993, I believe.


The real question is.. which actually pays more? being a music studio engineer? or being a music professor?

I was shocked by the fact that Albini only charges $350/day for his services. Hell, I can afford that! Minus weekends, a rough calculation shows that his income from that gig is roughly $100,000/year, give or take $10,000. Amazingly modest, given his stature and unshakable credentials. You gotta hand it to him, the man's got integrity.

King Kobra (King Kobra), Friday, 5 December 2003 01:23 (twenty-two years ago)

um, needless to say, music professor pays considerably less than that, although Albini's pay can't necessarily be considered the average engineer's pay.

King Kobra (King Kobra), Friday, 5 December 2003 01:30 (twenty-two years ago)

I was shocked by the fact that Albini only charges $350/day for his services. Hell, I can afford that!

um, that would be $600 or $800 per day for use of the studio, depending on which room you want, *plus* $350 per day for him to be the engineer on the project. so to afford that, you're gonna have to come up with either $950 or $1150 per day.

he used to claim that he used a sliding scale -- a lot of money for big record company projects and a little money, or even free, for bands he actually liked. maybe he still does that, and maybe the posted rate is his big record company rate.

fact checking cuz, Friday, 5 December 2003 04:25 (twenty-two years ago)

DB, you never emailed me. my friend really wants to know

JaXoN (JasonD), Friday, 5 December 2003 20:04 (twenty-two years ago)


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