Revox B77 MK II Yellow Limited Edition and Yello Master Tape Edition

The Revox B77 MK II Yellow Limited Edition tape machine is designed as an exclusive special model in a limited edition of just ten units. The Yello Master Tape Edition is available to match.

It is a historic merger of two icons of music and audio technology that can now be announced in the form of a collaboration between Revox and Yellow, which will initially culminate in a unique product, namely the Revox B77 MK II Yellow Limited Edition tape machine.

But that’s not all: as part of this cooperation, the Swiss duo Yello are also announcing the Yello Master Tape Edition, a series of albums to be released in the coming months in particularly outstanding quality as reel-to-reel tapes. Stella” will be the first, followed by “One”, “Flag”, “Baby” and “Zebra”.

Revox B77 MK II Yellow Limited Edition – A synergy of technical and musical masterpiece

In the case of the Revox B77 MK II, the Swiss company Revox speaks of a solution that is more than “just” a tape machine due to its outstanding sound fidelity and sustainable design; rather, it is a symbol of audiophile excellence.

As part of the now announced collaboration with Yello, it was not possible to manufacture new tape machines, but rather the decision was made to restore ten of these legendary machines, and to do so so extensively and in such detail that one can almost speak of brand-new systems.

For example, components were renewed, refined and specially designed. Every detail has been considered in the Revox factory, from the precisely manufactured heads to the carefully calibrated motors, as the manufacturer emphasises. This ensures that buyers can experience an unrivalled sound experience as well as a unique visual highlight with the tape machines.

Exclusive design of the Limited Edition

As already indicated, the Revox B77 MK II Yellow Limited Edition has some exclusive details that distinguish it from the regular series device. The aim is not only to reflect the technical brilliance of Revox, but also to capture the essence of Yello’s music, as they emphasise. It is also said that each machine is not only an audiophile masterpiece, but also a visual work of art. The company also admits that the new Revox B77 MK II Yellow Limited Edition is a reminder of the era in which both the Revox brand and Yello celebrated their greatest successes, even though it is described as a time of ground-breaking innovations.

Revox B77 MK II – The technology

The B77 MKII tape machine was built between 1980 and 1998. Revox itself refers to it as a true classic and a milestone in the audio world, although the company believes that this also applies to its predecessor, the Revox B77.

The Revox B77 MKII is equipped with a built-in sound motor control, a so-called Vari-Speed Control, and a revised audio and drive electronics compared to its predecessors.

In addition to the standard version with speeds of 9,5 and 19 cm/s, the following models were available: Revox B77-HS with 19 and 38 cm/s (high speed), Revox B77-LS with 4,75 and 9,5 cm/s (low speed), the Revox B77-SLS with 2,38 and 4,75 cm/s (super low speed for monitoring tasks), as well as the Revox B77-AUTO with automatic recording start and three variants with an additional pilot head for simple to sophisticated slide projector controls, according to the manufacturer.

The tape recorders had a clock track amplifier for professional synchronised recordings from the recording head. The Revox B77-DOL with separate Dolby B processors for recording and playback, i.e. “dolbysed rear-band control” for the highest sound-to-noise ratios, should also not go unmentioned, as Revox emphasises.

Yello Master Tape Edition – Selected Yello albums on tape

Along with the presentation of the Revox B77 MK II Yellow Limited Edition, Yello also announces that selected albums by the musician duo Dieter Meier and Boris Blank will soon be available on tape, in particularly outstanding quality as a purely analogue master tape.

The first album is “Stella”, which is now available in the Revox Music Shop in a special Studio Master Tape Edition with black reels, limited to ten copies, as well as a standard master tape in excellent Horch House quality. Further albums are to follow with “One” in October 2024, “Flag” in April and May 2025, “Baby” in October 2025 and “Zebra” in April and May 2026.

Prices and availability

We have just reported on the availability of the special Yello Master Tape Edition, and although the first album is available now, you will have to be patient for the other Yello albums, which could take up to two years. The Revox B77 MK II Yellow Limited Edition will celebrate its official premiere at the High-end 2024 in Munich, where the original will be on display. The price for the machine is listed at € 13.500,-. The standard version of the tape machine is also still available from Revox for € 7.200,-.

The standard version of the Yello Stella Reel-to-Reel Tape album will cost € 479,-, while the special, limited edition Yello Stella Studio Master Tape will cost € 1.350,-.

Getting to the point

Admittedly, this is first and foremost a successful marketing campaign by Revox Deutschland GmbH and Yello, as the Revox B77 MK II Yellow Limited Edition is aimed at a very, very small target group, as no more than ten of these tape machines will be available. The Yello Master Tape Edition announced at the same time is also clearly aimed at a limited target group, but it is an extremely exciting project that can generate attention for outstanding sound quality and exclusive HiFi solutions even beyond the usual core target group.