What would our "home" studios cost....

[gerard]

if we bought them new "back then". I have a Tascam MSR 16 (not the S) with the remote and a Tascam M3500 24 channel with the full meter bridge. I think my total cost was about $1,600 for both with shipping. I was told the console alone new went for $8/9,000 (?). Whatcha think?

 

[lo.fi.love]

I dunno, but here's what I've got. It's all TASCAM gear, and whatever else I have I bought new:

M-30
M-520
34b
48
302 MKII cassette deck

and an Otari MX-5050 MKIII-2

That's gotta be at least $30k or something, right?

 

[Victory Pete]

Oldies but goodies

I bought a brand new MSR-24 in 95 for $5400. It was one of the last ones available before they pulled the plug on Analog. I had been watching the price adverised in magazines go from $14999-$12999-$10999. I was thrilled to pay $5400 back then. And with a TSR-8, I paid $1800 in 93, I just recently bought one NIB for $550 that had a sticker on the box for $3299 from early 90's. It is interesting to think about how much all this gear has depreciated because of the "Pure Digital Sound" revolution.
VP

 

[jedblue]

Erk, I remember buying new in one hit in '95 a Tascam MSR16S, a pair of NS10's, a Mackie 32-8 bus with meter bridge, a couple of AKG C414's, a handfull of 57's and 58's, a 16 channel snake, a Tascam headphone amp and a bunch of Sennheiser headphones to upgrade my old 8 track studio to 16 track.

I can't remember the exact bill but I do remember it hurting, maybe $15k or more at the time.

The NS10's are all that remain.

My current Studer 089 console reportedly went for $20k of 1966 $'s when new but I'm not 100% sure of that. They are still quite expensive to pick up today. I think you can still get an Otari 5050 two tracker from Otari on special order for $5k or so and I have no idea what the Revox was worth when it was first sold? Both probably worth no more than $300-$500 for 20 year old ones second hand, in good nick these days.

Last week I picked up a Danelectro Spring King reverb, a replacement record amp card for my PR99 and a now discontinued lawsuite Berri REV2496 nib for a couple of hundred all up off eBay.

ebay is the analog nut's friend for sure.

G

 

[ausrock]

Jed,

I think you got off lightly at $15k .

I seem to recall being told my S/craft Spirit Studio 24 channel was around $8,000AU when new, my Tascam ATR-60 was between $32k and $36kAU, Fostex D160 $6,000AU, the Otari 5050 2 trk......who knows, plus all my rack gear which was purchased s/hand...........I'd estimate the total original/new purchase price of everything here would be close to $60k

 

[RRuskin]

I dunno, but here's what I've got. It's all TASCAM gear, and whatever else I have I bought new:

M-30
M-520
34b
48
302 MKII cassette deck

and an Otari MX-5050 MKIII-2

That's gotta be at least $30k or something, right?

I don't think so.

 

[jedblue]

Jed,

I think you got off lightly at $15k .

I seem to recall being told my S/craft Spirit Studio 24 channel was around $8,000AU when new, my Tascam ATR-60 was between $32k and $36kAU, Fostex D160 $6,000AU, the Otari 5050 2 trk......who knows, plus all my rack gear which was purchased s/hand...........I'd estimate the total original/new purchase price of everything here would be close to $60k

Yeah, it was probably $20-25k in reality for what I did when I think back about it. It was a while ago now. I remember that I couldn't afford a 1" 16 track like yours so it had to be 1/2" for me at the time. There was a Tascam DA-30 master DAT recorder in there too now that I remember. The digital multitrackers of easy availability at the time were the VHS ADAT's. I'm glad I never got hooked into those things.

I had a Soundcraft Spirit 16-2 as a live desk in a pub I was running at the same time. I think that was pretty expensive then by today's standards. Not $8K like your 24 channel but maybe $4k? Can't quite remember that one either but I'm sure that there'd be a modern equivalent live desk for under a grand these days.

I can't see myself going back to multitrack tape now, especially not a narrow track format like the MSR-16. Live to two track does everything I can see in my forseable future analog wise and I do like the sound of the 1/4" two track machines in that mode.

I wouldn't mind a nice 1 bit recorder now though - one of those Korg MR1000's looks pretty neat. It'd be nice to be able to digitize analog at very high sample rates to a stand alone recorder like that. I'll wait and see if they start coming down in price over the next twelve months or so.



G

 

[Beck]

And with a TSR-8, I paid $1800 in 93, I just recently bought one NIB for $550 that had a sticker on the box for $3299 from early 90's.

You know we all hate you now, right?

 

[lo.fi.love]

I don't think so.

What's your estimate? I can't remember what the amount was, but the guy I bought the M-520 said that it retailed for a pretty penny when it was new. He was the second owner, though, and I think he said he had seen an old print advertisement for the M-520 somewhere. I would guess over $5k though. Does this seem right?

I would guess something around $1500 for the 34b, and maybe $1,000-1,500 for the M-30.

$2-3k for the 48?

I might have been thinking about what the dollar amount would be today, adjusted for inflation.

(Edit) I just saw an ad on the Philly craigslist which says that the M-520 sold for $10,900. I don't know if that was the MSRP or the actual price.

 

[RRuskin]

What's your estimate? I can't remember what the amount was, but the guy I bought the M-520 said that it retailed for a pretty penny when it was new. He was the second owner, though, and I think he said he had seen an old print advertisement for the M-520 somewhere. I would guess over $5k though. Does this seem right?

I would guess something around $1500 for the 34b, and maybe $1,000-1,500 for the M-30.

$2-3k for the 48?

I might have been thinking about what the dollar amount would be today, adjusted for inflation.

(Edit) I just saw an ad on the Philly craigslist which says that the M-520 sold for $10,900. I don't know if that was the MSRP or the actual price.

List for the 512 was just under $4K and I doubt they'd price the 520 more than double that figure. Your original guess of 5K - 6K seems more realistic. Regardless, actual street prices were lower.

 

[ofajen]

I'm pretty low on tape machines at present. I'm really not sure what my M-23 2-track would have gone for 50 years ago, but I'm guessing roughly $2000. I think I paid $250 for the transport, $250 for the electronics and maybe that much again to have the heads relapped and optically aligned.

I do know that 40 years ago, the M-56 1" 8-tracks went for a bit over $13,000 and the 2" 16-tracks sold for about $21,000. I bought my M-56 8 track in about 2000 for about $2000. I got my M-79 machines (2 and 4 track) shortly thereafter for about $400 each and I suspect they sold new in the late 70s for between $3000 and $4000, but I haven't seen sales lit on that.

Cheers,

Otto

 

[Beck]

What would our "home" studios cost....

Sad thing for many of us is it DID cost because we bought much of what we have new back then.

I don’t think about it much because the gear has practical musical value far beyond its current market value. When I do think about how much it’s depreciated since I bought it... well that sucks.

 

[Dr ZEE]

I don’t think about it much because the gear has practical musical value far beyond its current market value. ...

"practical musical value" - , Yah, for lack of a better term, but, that's what matters, I'd say.
And it's a pity that we are trying to "determine" the value by reference to something that is backed by nothing else but dubious and irresponsible trust in will and determination of a "few men" wearing nicely groomed grey beards and shiny shoes, invisibly ( ) twisting, turning and gently tapping their waltzer on The Titanic's smooth ballroom floor.

 

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

This is why its taken me so long to collect my analog dream. I paid $3k for my first used MSR-16 in 94'(they musta been around $8k or so new). I bought my second MSR in 2002 for $600(like brand new) I bought a Midizer in 2003 for $300(about $2500 new in the 90's). And then I got a 42b for $350 in 2004. And finally a M3700 in beautiful shape a couple of years ago for $1200. There was no way I could have afforded this stuff new when they first came out. No way in hell. But now i have em. Lordy be. And I love em still!

 

[themaddog]

I don’t think about it much because the gear has practical musical value far beyond its current market value. When I do think about how much it’s depreciated since I bought it... well that sucks.

At least you don't live in your tape machine. I mean, nothing would depreciate the cost of your home, right?

Oh shit... maybe I'm in more trouble than I thought, ha ha ha ha. Well, at least it's a roof over my tape machines' heads.

Has anyone noticed in these harsh economic times that a lot of this gear has depreciated even further? You can pick up an MSR-16 for a song now.

In terms of my own gear, I'm very fortunate, and nearly every time I purchased a new piece I felt like I was getting a real bargain. The highlights have included a Tascam MS-16, with spare parts machine used by Godsmack and remote control for $700, and a mint 32 channel Soundcraft Ghost for $2,000. Those are the gems in my studio, and I haven't really bought anything real big before or since then - no need, and no money!

-MD

 

[A Reel Person]

Back when...

Back when a Portastudio cost $1100, or 1/2" 8-track & mixer cost over $3K, the fact it was price prohibitive kept all of home recording as a specialty field that was relatively uncommon, and was usually for adults.

The digital revolution has devalued recording itself. Pretty much e'one and their grandma's dog can do it. And the typical 14 y/o kid.

I'm not saying this is inherently bad, as e'one needs a creative outlet, but in the turnaround it's not given the world any more good or quality music,... just more music that's everywhere.

I guess in that sense digital recording has devalued music itself in the long run.

Please don't throw stones. YMMV. (What's the topic?)

 

[Dr ZEE]

...You can pick up an MSR-16 for a song now.

-MD

Not so if I'm the singer.

 

[Dr ZEE]

Back when a Portastudio cost $1100, or 1/2" 8-track & mixer cost over $3K, the fact it was price prohibitive kept all of home recording as a specialty field that was relatively uncommon, and was usually for adults.

The digital revolution has devalued recording itself. Pretty much e'one and their grandma's dog can do it. And the typical 14 y/o kid.

I'm not saying this is inherently bad, as e'one needs a creative outlet, but in the turnaround it's not given the world any more good or quality music,... just more music that's everywhere.

I did not know that the capability to write/perform/produce good quality music was somehow connected to and predetermined by ability to afford a purchase.

And still don't know and never will know, as I don't care to find out, neither do I care to figure out whether or not falling rocks off the cliffs in the Grand Canyon has anything to do with singing frogs in the woods of Catskill Mountains.

 

[dodgeaspen]

I talked to a guy at Tascam that told me my 38 was made around 1982 with a cost of 2,700.00 If I were to buy this unit in today's market brand new it would run me I think it was calculated at 6,075.00 I bought it in November of 08 and my cost with shipping was 160.00. Of course I put 225.00 in it to bring it up to standards. This is a great deck. Don't know what the DBX 150's were new but i bought 3 units for 110.00 I still need 1 more to complete the set.

 

[sweetbeats]

Hey ZEE...what I get out of what reel was saying is not that you have to have money to be a good artist, but that there is something more created by the struggle, whether that be the 1100 bucks to get your stuff on to cassette 4-track or much more to get it on a wider format...like a butterfly coming out of the chrysalis. Now you can go to retailer x on the web and get a little multitrack production studio for a...uh...song. Fast food fills the tummy but I have consumed food before that was an experience, not a process. Maybe the tools today and the low cost make more opportunity for great music to make to other's ears. I wouldn't disagree with that at all, but I'd bet that it has also allowed a lot of hollow calories to make it out there too. My dinosauric cockroachish obsoletist gear for sure focuses my performances as opposed to pushing the go button with the canned plugins.

My 2p.