Scully 280B

[zorf]

I have a scully 280B and i can't decide what to do whit it.

It has four sets of heads and guides;

half inch 4 track
half inch 2 track
quarter inch 4 track
quarter inch 2 track

I've tried in my mind to imagine using just 4 tracks, and i dont think
i can do that.

So i'm most likely going to use it as a mix down deck.

What do you guys think, does it make any sense to mix from half inch 8 track to half inch 2 track?

[sweetbeats]

Why wouldn't it make sense??

Don't know much about the Scully transports or electronics but I'd see how a 1/2" half-track mixdown sounds.

Put up some pics if you can.

[zorf]

Was just wondering if going to a wider format from a smaller one really makes as much of a difference as the other way around.

From what i read, the 280 has nice preamps but not great transport and the 280B has better transport but the preamps are not as nice.

There is a pretty active yahoo users group for scully decks.

[sweetbeats]

Well...its not so much a matter of going from the "narrow" to the "wide" format (like, its not worth it or something to capture a narrow format project on a wide format mixdown deck)...in general, whatever you hear coming off the 8-track will be better captured by a wider format...its just simple logic, but of course its going to be dependent on the make, model and condition of the mixdown deck so YMMV. I don't know if the Scully is like an Ampex 440 (and many others I figure) where you can literally swap the 1/4" headblock out for the 1/2" with a screwdriver (for 2 or 3 screws) and about 5 minutes time total (including changing the whole tape path over...quick change tension arms and such...), but it would certainly be interesting to do mixdowns to 1/4" and 1/2", all other conditions being the same and see what your ears say (and then post some results up here so we can kindly kibitz about it ), but that would seem to be the way to really get your answer.

[zorf]

that not a bad idea.

I'll try and set it up next week and do some tests.
I had to disassemble it for transport.

It looks like the half inch heads were never used.

I'll go through the box and see if there is an alignment tape in there.

[SteveM]

Send it to me.