miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
This baby showed up in my studio today.
So as I've mentioned a fee times in the past, the place I work also has a theater as part of the bigger operation...we get music/Broadway/Cirque show, and they also use it for large group assemblies/presentations..etc.
Anyway...I take care of their website and I also did major work to set up their online ticketing system years ago, and I provide the support and maintenance for it when needed...so I know all the theater people and I've wandered in their storage areas many times.
Twelve years ago I saw that Ampex ATR 102 sitting in a back room, unused, kinda dusty...at one point they were cleaning up old gear, and I asked what they were going to do with it. At the time, they wanted to hang on to it for some reason...mind you, it probably had not been used for 10-15 years.
FWW to today (twelve years later)...and the building manager says to me that they're cleaning out some of the old junk from the theater, and that there were reels of tape, and if I wanted any I could just grab them (they know I'm an audio guy).
So I go and check out the tapes, and it's mostly used stuff, covered in dust from laying there for many years...and there were a couple of dozen small reels of Ampex 631, which is a lower "voice" grade tape, but they were still in plastic, so I just grabbed them, not sure what for.
However, I notice that in the pile of gear they were moving...was the Ampex ATR 102...and I asked if they were getting rid of that too..???
They said it's been sitting there for so long, it was not even on their books anymore after 30+ years, and that, along with the other stuff that was not on the books, was going to get taken to the dump/recycling center.
My eye popped open, and I immediately asked the property folks if indeed that was going to get tossed...and they said yup, 'cuz they had no record of it anymore or any associated value...and if I wanted it, I should take it now, otherwise it would be carted off.
I told them I would be happy to unload it for them...and into the back of my truck it went and here it is.
The fucking Holy Grail of 2-track tape recorders...well, I guess the 1/2" 2-track version is THE Holy Grail, but this 1/4" version is right there too. These things don't show up too often, and if they are in good shape, they are prized as mixdown decks.
Anyway...I've got to spend some time cleaning it, it has a lot of surface dust/grunge...but I took a peak inside, and the components are all clean....not a speck of any oxidation/rust, 'cuz it sat in a dry, controlled environment all these years. It has all the cards, even got a couple of extender cards...the heads look to be in good shape, and I think once I overhaul it, it should work fine, with maybe minor issues. I wouldn't be surprised if I have to replace some caps, most likely in the PS...but I think the overall electronics look to be in very good shape.
There some minor scratches, the armrest has is torn in one spot, but I can easily get it redone with a new piece of vinyl or faux leather. There's some reside from duct tape or some other adhesives in a few spots, but that should all come off.
So I've got a nice project for the winter...and I could end up with killer mixdown deck in the end.
So as I've mentioned a fee times in the past, the place I work also has a theater as part of the bigger operation...we get music/Broadway/Cirque show, and they also use it for large group assemblies/presentations..etc.
Anyway...I take care of their website and I also did major work to set up their online ticketing system years ago, and I provide the support and maintenance for it when needed...so I know all the theater people and I've wandered in their storage areas many times.
Twelve years ago I saw that Ampex ATR 102 sitting in a back room, unused, kinda dusty...at one point they were cleaning up old gear, and I asked what they were going to do with it. At the time, they wanted to hang on to it for some reason...mind you, it probably had not been used for 10-15 years.
FWW to today (twelve years later)...and the building manager says to me that they're cleaning out some of the old junk from the theater, and that there were reels of tape, and if I wanted any I could just grab them (they know I'm an audio guy).
So I go and check out the tapes, and it's mostly used stuff, covered in dust from laying there for many years...and there were a couple of dozen small reels of Ampex 631, which is a lower "voice" grade tape, but they were still in plastic, so I just grabbed them, not sure what for.
However, I notice that in the pile of gear they were moving...was the Ampex ATR 102...and I asked if they were getting rid of that too..???
They said it's been sitting there for so long, it was not even on their books anymore after 30+ years, and that, along with the other stuff that was not on the books, was going to get taken to the dump/recycling center.
My eye popped open, and I immediately asked the property folks if indeed that was going to get tossed...and they said yup, 'cuz they had no record of it anymore or any associated value...and if I wanted it, I should take it now, otherwise it would be carted off.
I told them I would be happy to unload it for them...and into the back of my truck it went and here it is.
The fucking Holy Grail of 2-track tape recorders...well, I guess the 1/2" 2-track version is THE Holy Grail, but this 1/4" version is right there too. These things don't show up too often, and if they are in good shape, they are prized as mixdown decks.
Anyway...I've got to spend some time cleaning it, it has a lot of surface dust/grunge...but I took a peak inside, and the components are all clean....not a speck of any oxidation/rust, 'cuz it sat in a dry, controlled environment all these years. It has all the cards, even got a couple of extender cards...the heads look to be in good shape, and I think once I overhaul it, it should work fine, with maybe minor issues. I wouldn't be surprised if I have to replace some caps, most likely in the PS...but I think the overall electronics look to be in very good shape.
There some minor scratches, the armrest has is torn in one spot, but I can easily get it redone with a new piece of vinyl or faux leather. There's some reside from duct tape or some other adhesives in a few spots, but that should all come off.
So I've got a nice project for the winter...and I could end up with killer mixdown deck in the end.