Jedi Posted December 10, 2002 Share Posted December 10, 2002 Whatz Up gang, I'm looking for a 1/4" or 1/2" two-track Master(one that records in only one direction). I looking for something with the speed of atleast 15 ips. I'm looking to mixdown my digital stuff to tape. I like the results I got from my Tascam 388, so I'm thinking that a true Master two-track at 15 ips would be even better. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance, Lincoln Ross Dead Black Jedis "All conditioned things are impermanent. Work out your own salvation with diligence." The Buddha's Last Words R.I.P. RobT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderton Posted December 10, 2002 Share Posted December 10, 2002 Go for 1/2" if at all possible, that takes you into a more pro arena. For 1/4", Revox is still the standard. The TASCAM model 32 and Otari MX5050 (I think that was the name) are good budget decks. I believe TASCAM might still make the model 32...does Jeff The TASCAM Guy know? Craig Anderton Educational site: http://www.craiganderton.org Music: http://www.youtube.com/thecraiganderton Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/craig_anderton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nawor Posted December 10, 2002 Share Posted December 10, 2002 I think some of the older Ampex machines are pretty highly regarded. Also I 've seen quite a few 1/4" MCI's going pretty cheap. I just use a Revox B77 MkII 1/4" half track at 15 ips. This gives you the same track width as a two inch 16 track. Of course the Revox is a domestic machine and is a lightweight in comparison to the pro machines but it still does the job for warming/fattening things up. Of course a 1/2" machine at 30ips is the ulitmate in sound quality but if you really want to use the machine as more of an analogue effect then 15 ips will tend to give you a thicker bottom end at a marginally reduced frequency response and signal to noise ratio. It seems a quite a few analogue freaks prefer the extra fatness of 15ips over 30ips just for that. :) "WARNING!" - this artificial fruit juice may contain traces of REAL FRUIT!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedi Posted December 10, 2002 Author Share Posted December 10, 2002 Thanks Craig. I would love to get a 1/2". Know of any models or where I can find some. I tried e-bay of course and got zilch or the same 1/4" decks like the Revox, the Otari Mk50/50, and so on. Thanks again, Lincoln Ross Dead Black Jedis "All conditioned things are impermanent. Work out your own salvation with diligence." The Buddha's Last Words R.I.P. RobT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedi Posted December 10, 2002 Author Share Posted December 10, 2002 Thanks for the info, Rowan. Much Appreciated. Still, where can I get a 1/2"? Anybody got any ideas, names, something? Lincoln Ross Dead Black Jedis "All conditioned things are impermanent. Work out your own salvation with diligence." The Buddha's Last Words R.I.P. RobT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Flier Posted December 10, 2002 Share Posted December 10, 2002 I'm a nut for Ampexes. For a real bargain on a pro quality 1/4" 2 track, you can't beat the Ampex AG-350 or AG-440. They run at 15 ips (and yeah Rowan I dig the 15 ips fatness! Not to mention the smoothness of cymbals at 15), and boy do they sound great. They were state of the art for their time (mid-late 60's) and are built like tanks. Find one in good shape, and you shouldn't have to do much maintenance. Be aware of course that these are old machines and you may have to spend some cash initially to get them up to fighting shape. If you don't want to do this, buy from someone local and be very careful about your purchase. You should be able to find one for less than $500 easily. [url=http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=929144032]Here[/url] is an AG-440 on eBay now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedi Posted December 10, 2002 Author Share Posted December 10, 2002 Lee you always come through. Thanks as always. Still, whatz up with the 1/2" 2-track tape decks? Are they just that hard to find or what? Lincoln Ross Dead Black Jedis "All conditioned things are impermanent. Work out your own salvation with diligence." The Buddha's Last Words R.I.P. RobT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Flier Posted December 10, 2002 Share Posted December 10, 2002 They're around, but a little harder to find, plus they're expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mastermind trev Posted December 10, 2002 Share Posted December 10, 2002 For a 1/2" deck I'd go with either an Ampex ATR-102 or a Studer A-80RC (although a VU would be fine also - I happen to like the RC's better). An MCI JH-110 or Otari MTR-10 or MTR-12 or a Sony 5002 are also nice machines - they are not in the same league as the Ampex or Studer. It should be noted that any of these machines are also available in 1/4" variants or can come with both (headstacks and guides for both 1/4" and 1/2" - you just swap back and forth). These machines will run at either 15 or 30 ips, and in some cases more speeds. My ATR-102 has both 1/2" and 1/4" heads and is a four speed machine so I can handle quite a bit in terms or format. For a 1/4" deck you could get any of the above machines as a 1/4" machine (with the added bonus of getting a conversion kit for 1/2" later when you get more dough so then you'd have both) or you could get a Studer A-807 or A-810 (these machines are 1/4" only). The Revox machines are also really nice 1/4" machines, but in my opinion the Studers are a bit more professional in terms of alignment controls, etc. A Studer B-67 could be a nice budget deck.. it comes in a full size rollaround and looks a bit like a Studer A-80RC in general (upon closer inspection you will notice that the whole deckplate/transport is completely different). The B-67 was a radio production deck, so again it's 1/4" only and does not have as nice electronics as in the better Studers / Ampexes, etc. But you can pick up B-67's really cheap. Studer A-820's are also really nice decks... they don't (IMHO) sound as nice as say an Ampex ATR-102 but they do have a lot of nice modern features. Again these decks could come as both 1/2" and 1/4". I don't really know that much about Tascam 2 channel decks in terms of how they sound. I think the Otari MX-5050 isn't that great a sounding deck - you'd do a lot better spending a bit more on a Studer A-807 or A-810... even a Studer B-67. Keep in mind that whatever deck you get you will need to be armed with the following: - q-tips - 99% pure alcohol (do NOT use the 70% stuff found in drug stores - it will ruin the heads) - an MRL calibration tape - a complete understanding of tape deck alginment procedure. This last bit is pretty important - the best deck in the world will sound like crap if you don't keep it aligned properly. I would advise you learn this procedure yourself so that the machine can be aligned whenever an important mix is being printed. best, trev trevor sadler mastering & vintage submarine restoration mastermind milwaukee, wi., usa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedi Posted December 10, 2002 Author Share Posted December 10, 2002 Thanks Trev, How would I go about learning alignment procedure? Lincoln Ross "All conditioned things are impermanent. Work out your own salvation with diligence." The Buddha's Last Words R.I.P. RobT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Flier Posted December 10, 2002 Share Posted December 10, 2002 No doubt trev, the Ampex ATR-102 is the Rolls Royce of analog mastering decks. And priced to match... I mean you'd have to drop 7 grand on one of those. The Studer A-820's are even more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.