Otari MX-5050 8 track 1/2" recorder HELP!

[antispatula]

Ok, so I'm new to reel to reels still, and audio stuff alltogether. I need to test my mx5050 unit, but I don't know how.

So I just rewired an xlr cable to be pin 2 hot, and I want to see if I did it right, since the unit takes only pin 2 hots, and if my machine even remotely works.

So is there anyway to do this w/ out a mixer and tape? I had a mixer, but I had to send it back, and I've got tape (2 sealed 456 1/2 from like 30 years ago......oh yeah!) but no take up reel!

So I can just plug my mic straight into an input, right? The first thing I want to check is if it even takes the signal. How do I do this? I have no idea what buttons to press or anything, and I don't see the VU meter even remotely flutter when I tried. Anyone with expirience with this unit know how I can test this thing out? Thanks a bunch!

Oh, and does someone have the manual they could send me?

[doris]

hi. some of the older (2-track?) mx5050's could take a mic level signal. but usually with this type of machine you need a line level signal such as the signal from a mic pre. the signal straight from a mic is too weak. if nothing else you can connect the line out (NOT speaker out) from a home stereo or walkman or your computer. you'll need the appropriate adapter to match the connectors. better and less hassle would be the output from a mixer or channelstrip and some other recording interface.

if you are going from a home stereo or something with RCA outs then one way to do it would be to find a Hi-Z mic cable (XLR at one end, 1/4" at the other) connect the 1/4" end to one of the channel outs of the stereo (you'll need a 1/4" to RCA adapter. connect the XLR end to a channel input on the otari.

as far as what buttons to push for that machine, we need an MX5050 owner to come along. if you could post a pic of the control panel i could probably tell you.

have you tested the cables you just soldered for continuity?

also, the otari is pin 3 hot, and most xlr cables are already pin 2 hot. i assume thats what you meant .

its late. i hope my post reads ok.

--doris

[Raw-Tracks]

Originally Posted by doris

also, the otari is pin 3 hot, and most xlr cables are already pin 2 hot. i assume thats what you meant

Cables are not "pin 2 hot". A cable has nothing to do with which pin is hot. A piece of gear is either pin 2/3 hot. A conventionally wired xlr cable passes the signal from pin to pin on each side of the cable. If you are interfacing a piece of gear that is pin 3 hot with another piece of gear that is pin 2 hot then you crosswire pins 2 and 3. You now have a polarity inverting cable that will allow you to pass audio while maintaing absolute polarity between 2 pieces of gear where one is wired pin 2 hot, and the other is pin 3 hot.

[doris]

Originally Posted by Raw-Tracks

Cables are not "pin 2 hot". A cable has nothing to do with which pin is hot. A piece of gear is either pin 2/3 hot. A conventionally wired xlr cable passes the signal from pin to pin on each side of the cable. If you are interfacing a piece of gear that is pin 3 hot with another piece of gear that is pin 2 hot then you crosswire pins 2 and 3. You now have a polarity inverting cable that will allow you to pass audio while maintaing absolute polarity between 2 pieces of gear where one is wired pin 2 hot, and the other is pin 3 hot.

good point. i could have worded that better. i meant that standard xlr cables are configured for interfacing "pin 2 hot" pieces of gear, thus no modification to the cable is required if your stuff is pin 2 hot. but i would argue that cables can maintain or change which pin is hot. it won't change the gear, but it will affect what the next piece in the signal chain "sees". take a mixer that is expecting a pin2 hot signal and interface it with the otari via a standard XLR cable: pin3 (the hot signal) on the otari goes to pin3 (the cold side) of the mixer--inversion of polarity. now do the same with a cable that has had pins 2 and 3 switched: pin3 signal from the otari goes to pin2 of the mixer input--polarity in conserved.
i agree that using a standard xlr cable in this instance would still yield good signal if you followed the same basic chain (mic pre-->tape machine-->mixer) although you would be recording the bottom of the waveform rather than the top--and some people claim to be able to hear the difference, myself not included.
but there can be headaches associated with not switching pins 2 and 3 on your snake (interfacing with unbalanced gear, interfacing multiple machines, etc...) and its such an easy task to perform, i would just do it so i wouldn't have to worry about it.

--doris

[Raw-Tracks]

Originally Posted by doris

good point. i could have worded that better. i meant that standard xlr cables are configured for interfacing "pin 2 hot" pieces of gear, thus no modification to the cable is required if your stuff is pin 2 hot.

I am sure you understand what you are talking about. But your above statement still is not correct. The cables are not configured "for interfacing pin 2 hot" gear. A standard XLR cable can be used for connecting 2 pieces of pin-2 hot gear just as well as connecting 2 pieces of pin-3 hot gear. The trouble comes when you want to connect a pin-2 hot piece to a pin-3 hot piece. That is when you need to reverse the pins on end of the cable.

[doris]

Originally Posted by Raw-Tracks

I am sure you understand what you are talking about. But your above statement still is not correct. The cables are not configured "for interfacing pin 2 hot" gear. A standard XLR cable can be used for connecting 2 pieces of pin-2 hot gear just as well as connecting 2 pieces of pin-3 hot gear. The trouble comes when you want to connect a pin-2 hot piece to a pin-3 hot piece. That is when you need to reverse the pins on end of the cable.

ok, i see what you are saying. i think somehow we are both arguing the same point here . i could see how my poor wording made it sound like i thought standard xlr cables were only for pin2 stuff--no more late night or early morning posts for me. I just meant that if his stuff was all pin2 hot then he wouldn't need to mod his cables.

i agree, a standard xlr will work the same between 2 pin2 devices or 2 pin3 devices. i was just making a crazywild assumption that his mixer was wired pin2 hot so my example was for that scenario.

so in summary, and for the sake of brevity:

Given that the otari is pin3 hot, switch pins2 and 3 on one end of the Otari-Mixer snake if your mixer is wired pin2 hot.

i'm not sure we were really much help to antispatula.

And now comes the person who will argue not to bother switching the pins...

[Raw-Tracks]

Just to get back to the original poster, Pin 2/3 hot issues will not matter if all you are trying to do is verify whether or not your machine is operational.

Also, a lot of people will actually modify the connectors on the machine, rather than mess with the cables.

[Muckelroy]

The Otari MX-5050 8 track is an unbalanced machine -- don't let the XLR jacks fool you.

Pin 3 -- signal
Pin 2-- ground
Pin 1 - ground

So wire your cables accordingly. Hope this helps

-callie-