Grammy winner working on project that puts music back on analog tapes
By Max Darrow
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SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — Most of people listen to music through a streaming service, but a local Bay Area Grammy winner and top engineer has some advice on how to get a better listening experience.
Michael Romanowksi said he prefers to listen to music on an old-fashioned format. For him, reel-to-reel is where it’s at.
Many people claim vinyl LPs sound better than digital music. But he has a different preference.
“As far as the two analog releases, LPs and tapes, tapes sound way better,” Romanowski said. “Higher dynamic range and they don’t change from one side to the other. On the outside of a record, it sounds different than the inside.”
The Grammy winner along with two other experts began what is called The Tape Project.
“It is a passion project,” Romanowski said.
They secure the rights to the actual analog master tapes, and then using a special format on quarter-inch half-track stereo tape, they make master tape duplicates.
“We started doing demos, and we would show it and we would win best in show without trying,” Romanowski recalled. “We’re like, ‘Oh, OK. Maybe there is something here.'”
The Tape Project has a dedicated fan base that is going along with this catalog. Each reel is beautifully boxed with a unique serial number. People will need a special playback machine to hear the full sonic effect. But for him, it is worth it.
“Sounds great,” Romanowksi said.
For those sticking with music on their mobile devices, he has advice.
“Try wired headphones. Better audio than listening to something that has wireless audio,” he said.
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