15 or 30ips?

[Beck]

… reading thru my manual earlier today - it says in one area that they 'recommend' using MRL tapes set for NAB.

(Granted, it also says that it's 'switchable' as well) - but with that said - does this mean I better stick with 'NAB' over 'IEC'?

Also, a few other things to mention: when reading the part about 'setting up for alignments' - it has a 'requirement' list of things I 'must have' before doing any alignments.

One of the things it says I must have, is something called an 'extender board'. Have you (or anyone) know what this is? I've never heard any of you ever mention one of these before.

Another thing it mentions (as far as using or selecting a 'tape' to record on) is either 'Scotch 226' or equivalent. I've never even heard of 226 tape before. But more importantly, what is today's 'equivalent' for that tape? - or is it all that important to stick & use that particular tape anyway?

For a half-track mastering deck NAB is the standard in the USA. Though standards don't mean as much as they used to when tape was king, I still use NAB EQ for half-track (even up to 4-track). For multitrack reel-to-reel (8 or more tracks) I use IEC.

An Extender Card or Board allows easier access to rec/play amp cards. You pull the rec/play amp card and put the Extender card in the slot and then plug the rec/play amp card into the extender card. With some machines you can't even get to the tweakers without one.

226 was 3M's equivalent to Ampex 456. Calibrate with whatever tape you plan to use, be it Quantegy 456, RMGI SM911, etc. Don't go looking for NOS 226 because it's terrible for sticky-shed. 226 was great tape in its day, but all that I had went sticky long ago.

 

[student8]

Thanks Beck.

However, where in the world am I ever going to find this 'extender board' for my particular Otari? Also about how much on the cost for one? And last - do I absolutely have to have one - or if I can't find one - can i still get around it somehow?

- thanks again,

 

[sweetbeats]

What Beck said...

Hey, my bad on the eq...good reminder that I should look in the manual before quoting from memory ...good job looking it up. I'd say in that case if the electronics were designed around NAB, get the NAB tape.

I have delayed your progress. I will stop now.

 

[student8]

'No' Sweetbeats - please don't stop now!

You've been a great help to me thus far - and have offered a wealth of great advice & information to me. Much appreciated. (and I'm almost positive that I'll need you even more when it actually comes time for me to begin the alignments!!)

Do you happen to know anything about 'extender cards' or where I could go about finding one nowadays?

And I guess I've decided to go ahead & play it 'safe' & order the MRL tape as follows (unless you or anyone else disagrees?)

* 1/4-inch tape, with NAB eq @ 250nWb operating at 15ips.

Does that sound about right? (and do I need to indicate to them which 'kind' of tape I'll be using as well?)

 

[sweetbeats]

Thanks...

That MRL you are talking about sounds like the flavor I'd get.

Contact Otari and see if they still stock the extender cards and just get the price.

BEFORE you plunk down any money though get a handle on what you actually need the extender cards for. Beck is of course right that sometimes you need a card to access basic trimmers, other times it is ONLY for stuff that you'd be adjusting once every 25 years y'know? I got an extender card for my Tascam 58 but I got it because I had to check/adjust the bias traps because I was having a problem. So you can check and see if Otari has them, but get a handle on whether or not you're ever going to realistically need it. It was like 50 bucks for my card, and it does nothing other than than once-in-a-blue-moon-if-ever adjustment.

Oh, and no you don't need to worry about the tape with the MRL...it comes on 226/456/SM911 tape stock anyway but it really isn't that critical because you can, within reason, set your deck up for any operating level with a calibration tape of any fluxivity (i.e. 250nWb/m)...knowing the flux level on the cal tape just tells you what '0' means when you see that on your VU meter...setting the bias level is really probably the task that dials your deck in to the specific tape you will be using, and you don't use the MRL tape for that.

 

[miroslav]

* 1/4-inch tape, with NAB eq @ 250nWb operating at 15ips.

Yup...that's what I use and how I have my BIII set, and my multitrack uses the IEC curve. Although, like I mentioned earlier, I set my BIII at -3 instead of 0VU, which brings it up to 355nWb/m for use with EMTEC/RMGI 911 tape so I can hit it a bit harder and get a touch more tape compression.

If you want to go for pure "archiving" quality...and you don't want any tape "color" added...you can leave it at the 0VU reference for 250nWb/m...and/or you might consider some EMTEC/RMGI 468 which is touch more "transparent" than the 911, and has longer retention quality.

I like both.

I'm sure I saw an extender card on eBay just not too long ago...though I don't see it now (someone musta grabbed it)...but there are a few MTR10 card modules on there right now that someone is selling...so you might consider some spares....here is the link to one, check out his other items:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Otari-MTR-10-Audio-control-card-module-E-2-trk-MTR10_W0QQitemZ120454364273QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1c0ba3bc71&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14