Atr-700
- Thread starter Roozter
- Start date
lonewhitefly
Active member
It's made by Teac, I think it's basically an A-7300 with a few design changes per Ampex (like XLRs instead of RCAs, etc). But not a 'real' Ampex.
Correct. As per Ampex's requirements, it also has sel-sync. Though not a "real" Ampex, it's quite a good machine. I've had mine, the Tascam 25-2 version, for 30+ years and it has needed service once. The biggest drawback is getting to the electronics for alignment.
lonewhitefly
Active member
An AG-440 is by far the best choice for a variety of reasons, generally speaking. But the real answer is whatever you happen to find locally that is in working condition at a fair price. Most likely, this will be a 440! The biggest problem with Ampex decks is that they are the size of a washing machine (though you can rack-mount them ... most will be in the roll-around console). And most have been worked to hell and back in studios and/or radio stations ... but are probably still running or capable of running with minimal investment or work.
The Scully 280 is another reasonable choice, and though I really like these machines, they tend to have more problems than the 440s in my experience. Out of the 5 Scullys I've owned over the last couple years, only one was really working well. Now I have only Ampex (AG-300 1" 8-track, AG-440 1/4" 2-track, AG-440 1/4" mono) and Teac (80-8 1/2" 8-track). If you come upon a Scully 280 in good working condition at a good price, it's worth considering.
MCI and 3M machines are out there as well, but I have no experience there.
The ATR-700 may not be a bad choice, as RRuskin pointed out above. I've never used one, but it probably won't give you that Ampex mojo ... and the prices are not that far off from a 440. The size is much more appealing however! I've owned many many Teac decks, and they are solid and usually not beat to hell.
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lonewhitefly
Active member
The tube stuff typically sells for a lot more since many like to use the electronics as mike preamps. Also, you'd need to have a tech nearby (or be handy with that kind of stuff yourself) for this type of deck. The solid state Ampex decks like the AG350 and AG440 are arguably better sounding and require less maintenance, and are cheaper. Plus the tube decks were phased out around 1964, so they are all very old at this point.