Open reel tape decks have been making quite the comeback of late, something we’re indeed excited to see for such a vaunted analogue high fidelity recording format.
Metaxas & Sins Open Reel Tape Machines the opportunity to experience audio at the highest level
Although Metaxas & Sins makes a variety of audio equipment including amplifiers and speakers, its reel- to-reel tape machines have attracted particular attention.
For decades, right through to the 1990s, magnetic tape wound across a pair of open reels was the established medium for master recordings in the music world. Although digital recording and storage now prevails, analogue recording on magnetic tape is still preferred by some artists and its use continues to this day.
In terms of consumer use, reel-to- reel tape was never a widely adopted format in the manner of vinyl or compact cassette in the pre- digital age and, while some enthusiasts did use the format at home, its use in domestic settings all but died out decades ago. Until recently .....
Metaxas & Sins makes two models of open reel tape machines – The T-RX Tourbillon and The Papillon Studio 15. Both open reel tape machines are designed from the ground up to utilise the finest component parts available today, from the heads to the entirely discrete circuits, and the sound quality they deliver puts ‘classic’ reel-to-reel tape recording format to shame.
The Metaxas & Sins’ open reel tape machines designed for 10.5-inch reels, the Tourbillon is a ‘location recorder’ – in other words, sufficiently compact and transportable to be used in a variety of environments, rather than purely recording studios, with an optional battery box so it doesn’t have to be plugged into the mains. Its design revels in the tactile appeal of precision mechanical machinery; in the hands of its operator, with the turn of each dial and the flick of each switch, it performs its function to deeply satisfying perfection.
Metaxas And Sins has released a new and eye-catching studio tape recorder. The high-end Papillon is a work of art in itself.
Metaxas & Sins Papillon Studio 15 Reel Tape Reproducer
Papillon, which means “Butterfly” in French, is at once a superb audio recording device as well as a masterful work of industrial design. Kostas Metaxas, the creator of the Papillon, has a long history of innovation and achievement as an artist, designer and audio engineer. The Metaxas & Sins “Papillon” Analog Tape Reproducer is the first Tape Recorder to use the same concept to support the rollers and mechanics of the delicate tape path. It is an entirely newly designed professional reel to reel tape studio recorder and playback machine. It is an entirely newly designed professional reel to reel tape studio recorder and playback machine which challenges the notion that we’ve been able to extract all the information from magnetic tapes and meets and exceeds the highest demands of recording engineers and the most serious audiophiles.
Technical Specifications At Glance:
Nominal recording level- 0dB @ 514nWb/m
Maximal peak rec level- +4dBm
Erase efficiency at 1 kHz- >65dB
Recording / Playback- 19cm/s[7.5ips], 38cm/s [15ips] & 76cm/s [30ips]
Frequency response [+/- 2dB]- 30Hz -20,000 Hz
Distortion 1 kHz 514 nWb /m- <1%
Crosstalk- > 55 dB
Signal to noise ratio- 38cm/s ASA
Flutter 514nWb/m- -67db
Wow & Flutter- <0.25%
Line level inputs- 10K input impedance
Outputs- Line level 560 Ohms output impedance
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Metaxas & Sins T-RX Tourbillon Reel Tape Deck
In horology, a tourbillon ( French: “whirlwind”) is an addition to the mechanics of a watch lever escapement to increase accuracy. It was developed around 1795 and patented by the French-Swiss watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet on June 26, 1801.
Technical Specifications At Glance:
Nominal recording level- 0dB @ 514nWb/m
Maximal peak rec level- +4dBm
Erase efficiency at 1 kHz- >65dB
Recording / Playback- 38cm/s [15ips]
Frequency response [+/- 2dB]- 30Hz -20,000 Hz
Distortion 1 kHz 514 nWb /m- <2%
Crosstalk- > 55 dB
Signal to noise ratio- 38cm/s ASA
Fluter 514nWb/m- -67db
Wow & Flutter- <0.25%
Line level inputs- 10K input impedance
Outputs- Line level 560 Ohms output impedance
Metaxas & Sins
An innovative, creative and award-winning company, where design, art and Hi-Fi meet. The perfect mix between beauty (luxury), high quality and functionality. Think of watches, clocks and ground-breaking sound solutions as displayed on the right. A company founded by Metaxas, an Australian creative entrepreneur with over 40 years of experience in the Hi-Fi scene and who was later accompanied by his two sons. A company that evolved with and through the development of technology and creative spirit, which enabled them to "do all the crazy things" that they do nowadays.
Metaxas & Sins’ TR-X Tourbillon and Papillon Open Reel Tape Machines
W: openreeltoreel.com T: 020 76177532
Metaxas & Sins Open Reel Tape Machines www.metaxas.com