Reeling in the Years

In recent years, open reel tape has quietly returned to some audiophile listening rooms – not as nostalgia, but as a medium reclaiming its place at the top of the fidelity ladder. Germany’s in-akustik has become the latest to feed the revival, introducing its Master Tape Editions in three tiers – Start, Standard, and Studio. Unlike archive reissues, these are fresh analogue masters created from high-resolution digital sources, carefully remastered by Christoph Stickel before being dubbed in real time on professional Studer A80 machines.

The editions scale from the Start version, recorded on RTM LPR90 tape at 7.5 inches per second (ips), to Standard at 15 ips, and the flagship Studio edition on RTM SM900 tape with higher reference levels and deluxe metal reels. Each tape is produced in small batches, emphasising sonic integrity and craftsmanship.

For readers unfamiliar with tape terminology, ips refers to how quickly the tape passes the record, playback and erase heads. The faster the tape speed, the more magnetic information can be imprinted on it, and this translates to lower noise, greater dynamic range and higher fidelity. The 7.5 ips Start Edition prioritises compatibility with the widest range of legacy tape decks, while still delivering very good sound. At 15 ips – which is used for both the Standard and Studio editions – you get theoretically twice the amount of information recorded to the tape. This brings lower distortion, broader dynamics, and better low-level detail – providing, of course, that your deck runs at this speed.

Another distinction lies in the reference levels. The Start Edition is calibrated at 250 nWb/m, which is a conservative setting for reliable playback across many decks. The Standard Edition lifts this to 320 nWb/m, giving greater headroom and a lower noise floor. At the top tier, the Studio Edition is recorded at 510 nWb/m, a professional reference level that drives the tape harder for maximum fidelity. This only really shines on very high-quality machines capable of handling the hotter signal. The higher the tape speed and reference level, the more vivid and dynamic the playback, provided the hardware is up to the task.

Part of reel-to-reel’s enduring appeal comes down to the format’s technical strengths. With greater tape track width and far higher speeds, it captures way more musical information than a Compact Cassette. This makes for a more extended frequency response and vanishingly lower tape noise. Also, when driven hard, the tape gently saturates – which engineers sometimes exploit to add harmonic richness. Remember that when digital recorders clip, they give an abrupt and unpleasant sound – whereas open reel tape recorders compress things gently, giving a more rounded and euphonic sound. Combined with precision transports and heavy-duty heads, the result is playback that many listeners describe as more immersive than other formats.

Once the backbone of recording studios worldwide, reel-to-reel machines disappeared from control rooms in the latter half of the nineteen eighties, as digital systems took hold – first Sony’s U-Matic and DAT formats, then eventually Pro Tools and computer-based recording. On the consumer side, the format had already become niche by the late seventies. Compact Cassette dominated home recording and portability, while the arrival of the Compact Disc in 1982 ambitiously promised “perfect sound forever.” By the mid-eighties, reel-to-reel was consigned mainly by professionals and consumers to the archive of superseded formats.

Yet the tide may be turning. Revox has re-established itself with the B77 MK III recorder and, earlier this year, partnered with Alice Cooper on a limited Shock Rock release. Meanwhile, Metaxas & Sins has elevated the medium to art-form status, with its sculptural TR-X Tourbillon and Papillon decks now part of the Ten Collection elite. Boutique publishers and labels also produce carefully prepared titles – some from vintage masters, others newly minted for tape – showing that reel-to-reel is no longer the preserve of engineers and archivists alone.

It isn’t just hi-fi enthusiasts fuelling the resurgence either. Artists themselves have returned to tape for its raw immediacy. Rock band Foo Fighters famously recorded their 2011 album Wasting Light entirely on analogue tape in Dave Grohl’s garage, eschewing computers to capture the energy of live performance. The gamble paid off, as the record debuted at number one in eleven countries and later won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album, proving that tape-based recording could still deliver at the top tier of modern music.

More recently, mainstream pop acts like Lady Gaga have turned to reel-to-reel for select recordings, drawn to its tactile sound and authenticity. And nu-metal icons Korn are currently recording their 2025 follow-up to Requiem entirely on tape. In a recent BBC interview, guitarists James ‘Munky’ Shaffer and Brian ‘Head’ Welch confirmed the album is being cut live to tape – no Pro Tools, no punch-ins. “If we don’t get it right, we rewind the tape and do it again. It takes more commitment,” Welch said. He added that the goal is to recapture the visceral energy of their early years.

So, is there renewed momentum as reel-to-reel spins back into relevance? The evidence suggests so, and more than a hint. With manufacturers like Revox returning to the format, Metaxas & Sins redefining it as art, labels pressing new titles, artists committing to tape in the studio, and now in-akustik offering carefully tiered Master Tape Editions, open reel tape is once again claiming the mantle of hi-fi’s finest format.

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