Vintage Gear: Yes or No?

Vintage gear - there’s lots still out there, partly through interest but also because lots of it was built to last. However, when things do go wrong, they can be difficult to fix with obsolete components or for want of consumables like tape, heads, cleaners, pots, switches, etc.

I worked at EMI Townhouse studios in the 1990s, and so I saw first hand a lot of classic vintage gear:

Students A800 mkiii 24 track 2” tape recorders
Ampex ATR-100 2 track half inch recorders
SSL E/G/J series mixing desks
Rebis EQs
DBX compressors
TLA EQs, compressors and preamps
Countless classic microphones
Outboard effects
And more.....

Why do people still use this stuff? Surely a computer can do everything...

Well it’s the signal chain, the colouration of the sounds, the charm, the kudos of having stuff, etc...

A computer is great and very useful and convenient, but one fault and the whole thing comes crashing down and that’s it, whereas a bit of gear that’s not quite up to its operating best may still work (and probably will keep working)..

Well here is an argument for and against...

Enjoy and share!

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[PeterReesvan]

Great and honest video! Feel the same way about vintage stuff. Lesson learned: just get the most out of the stuff you already have!

[livekaos]

Completely agree my friend! I’m also an electronics engineer and started to play guitar when I was 12 and mess around with electronics around the age of fourteen. Back in the eighties I was building my pedals and amps and speakers etc. sometimes from old parts sometimes from new parts depending of what we could afford but the the fact is that we all wanted bran new equipment, not the old ones, then the guitars from the 50 and 60 where old guitars not vintage and the best made guitars came from Japan! Guys buy new gear, if you are a professional you don’t want your gear to fail on you, you want something that you plug and play without any issues. If you have log gear that you want to keep then take good care of it but you don’t need to buy old gear to get good sound!

[Stoufferthecat]

You're the only vintage gear I need, Dan. <3

[martoneill]

Thoughtful, balanced reflection - thanks Dan.

[skylightmusicshowree]

I've created an area in my room for my old hardware...a sort of computer free zone...to give me another creative option. I'm with you on the cost of upkeep, I now need to replace a patchbay and one of my old keyboards has a faint tone constantly running in the background. My hard disk recorder has developed a fault too, but I can work around it using my H4n as a back up.

In short, as much fun as it is being tactile with old gear, it will quite often let you down and I wouldn't want to depend on it now, as I compose for a living!

"What is that sound? Oh that...that's the sound of another missed deadline whooshing by..."

(I noticed that you were 'fattening' that Kontakt Mark One through your MX30 on the shelf...lovely!😉)

[shaneweightman]

I’ve got a 3 foot stack of hi fi, , 3 mini disc players, one being LP, and record, 2 cassette decks, a turntable never used and a CD player and later cd copier, and I use couple of times a wk, and still listen to cassette tapes that I recorded 35 yrs ago, none of its ever been repaired or had the lids off, , oh and cand remember the make of my graphic, eq, think that’s Tandy own brand, but it’s Sony and Technics, , class AA still going strong, , cheers Shane uk 🇬🇧

[citd]

Wonderful. My Hammond B3 stood on stage and is stll alive!

[frantisca]

Hi Dan: some are worth it, some don't... The Hammond B3 on the iPad replaces the original organ quite perfectly, with a huge difference in weight, space and price !
I kept some of the analog equipment I've got through the years (at least the gear that did not break down and was too expensive to mainain/repair), but mostly I use the iPad which is 99% efficient. Cheers Dan !

[positionnormal]

I replaced my kettle with an app that virtually boils water. I virtually smell bad with my fart app.

[DrKlimax]

Just bought a Tascam ATR-60 16 tracks 1 inch that I match with a tascam M2524, it’s sweet and lovely. Any sugestion on external effects?