Going Analog

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JPSaylor

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Hello all, after some thinking I've decided to go half digital and half analog. That is to say, I have an Mbox 2 and I'm planning on purchasing an analog machine. A side project I've been wanting to embark upon was to remaster my dads old tapes and put them all on CDs. I need to be able to use 7" and 10" reels and play and isolate 4 tracks (they used a 4 track machine, a Teac 3440).

The 3440s are rather expensive in price, I was wondering if any of you analog savy persons out there might be able to point me to a place where I could purchase an inexpensive yet reliable reel to reel recorder.

Thanks,

JP
 
You can find a Fostex a-4, Teac 22-4 and many other decks for less than what costs a Mbox 2 new. What is your price point?
 
Hey all, first off- thanks for the quick responses. Very cool.

My price range is around 300 dollars. I'd like to be able to have 4 tracks since my dad and uncle recorded into a 4 track recorder. I'd like to be able to isolate each track, import them individually into ProTools and hopefully master them all.

~JP
 
I’m only familiar with Teac/Tascam R2R products…haven’t owned or been around any other manufacturers so my response is focused there. I’m partial to them because they are very available, and parts/manuals are relatively easily obtained. The Tascams are more user friendly to work on where the Teac’s are a bit more cumbersome IMHO.

If your dad’s tapes were recorded on a 3440 they will be:
7.5 or 15 ips tape speed
¼” tape format
7” and 10” reel capability
So you will need a deck that operates with those parameters.

You also want a deck that is a true 4-channel deck, not a ½ track mastering deck, i.e Tascam 22-2. Nor do you want a “stereo” deck that only plays back two tracks simultaneously.

Jenn mentioned a Fostex A-4 and that may be a fine machine but 7” reels is max size to my knowledge; same for the Tascam 22-4 mentioned. They will not handle your larger 10.5” reels. Guess you could spool the large reels to 7” if you go with a machine that will only handle the smaller reels size but then you will need to cut the tape from the large reels when the 7” reels reach capacity.

Ideally you can find a suitable deck locally on craigslist to avoid shipping. If I were in your position I would look for a Teac 3440, Teac 3340S, or Tascam 34. These would meet your needs nicely IMO. My personal preference would be the Tascam 34. You will need 7” and 10.5” take-up reels and likely will also need to acquire NAB hub adapters for the large reels.

Hope this helps and good wishes. Welcome to analog!
 
So a Teac 3440, Teac 3340S, or Tascam 34 eh? I'll look em up on ebay and such. I'll let everyone know how it turns out. I might have to wait till Feb. though.
 
JPSaylor said:
I'll look em up on ebay and such.
Click to expand...

Great advice from rickb. Just to reiterate to buy only local, where you can actually see, test, touch and pick the machine up in person. In addition to local eBay sellers, scan through craigslist daily. The above mentioned decks pop up regularly.
 
cjacek said:
Great advice from rickb. Just to reiterate to buy only local, where you can actually see, test, touch and pick the machine up in person. In addition to local eBay sellers, scan through craigslist daily. The above mentioned decks pop up regularly.
Click to expand...

No, not junkbay!!!! If you do buy from far away take a look at the packing 101 thread, it's very scary.
 
Sadly I have no choice to buy from ebay. Craigslist has nothing where I live, or anywhere NEAR where I live. Ebay is my only choice. I'm confident that I'll get a good deal. I'm not concerned in the slightest. Thanks for your input however.
 
JPSaylor said:
Sadly I have no choice to buy from ebay. Craigslist has nothing where I live, or anywhere NEAR where I live. Ebay is my only choice. I'm confident that I'll get a good deal. I'm not concerned in the slightest. Thanks for your input however.
Click to expand...

Famous last words! :D

Good luck!

Cheers! :)
 
JPSaylor said:
Sadly I have no choice to buy from ebay. Craigslist has nothing where I live, or anywhere NEAR where I live. Ebay is my only choice. I'm confident that I'll get a good deal. I'm not concerned in the slightest. Thanks for your input however.
Click to expand...

OK, your the boss. Just take a look at the thread I mentioned.
 
JPSaylor said:
Ebay is my only choice. I'm confident that I'll get a good deal. I'm not concerned in the slightest.
Click to expand...

Well, I hope that you won't learn a painful lesson from the experience. The odds are that you will, sorry to say.

If shipping damage doesn't get you (the likely candidate) and neither will an ill described machine, then consider yourself very lucky.
 
Shipping companies are anti-Analog!

:(I could be the poster child for shipping damage! Do all you can to get the seller to pack the best they can. Send them the Packing 101 link. Good luck!
VP
 
There's also the Teac 40-4, no sync funtion though but could work for you. Tascam made a 44 as well but I'm not sure of the input/outputs being rca unbalanced (-10dbv) or balanced 3-pin (+4dbv). Maybe it has both?

I'd still opt for the Tascam 34 if you can find one. Ther was a 34B model as well but some other members will have to provide info on how it differs from the 34.
 
JPSaylor said:
Sadly I have no choice to buy from ebay. Craigslist has nothing where I live, or anywhere NEAR where I live. Ebay is my only choice. I'm confident that I'll get a good deal. I'm not concerned in the slightest. Thanks for your input however.
Click to expand...

What part of the country are you in?
 
Both decks I bought on eBay had no problems in shipping and showed up as they were described. One was an "As is" and the other was listed as tested and fully functional. The one that was fully functional was $50 shipping and showed up just fine. The seller of the working one was very communicative and told me where the deck came from, why he was selling it, and every detail as to it's condition. :) Maybe I'm just one of the lucky ones.

I've always had very good experiences with everything on eBay which is why I turn to it so often. The only bad experiences were with sellers in hong kong selling fake/counterfeit items. (Not tape decks haha)
 
I have also had some good experiences with e-bay, more good than bad. But when a irreplaceable machine gets damaged it is devastating.
VP
 
Yeah for sure. If I won one that was listed as tested and working fine like the one I got recently and it showed up with veneer cracked and knobs broken off etc.. I would not be happy at all. I hate doing claims and disputes on paypal.
 
Sorry, I noticed after I'd posted the need for 10.5 inch reels. Probably a newer 34 would be easier out of the box, and with more modest servicing requirements. One thing, expect to pay for shipping. Someone who quotes a shipping price of $20 for a large and heavy deck like a Tascam 34 is an idiot. E.g. the 3 series Tascams are fairly large and heavy. Otaris larger and heavier. the Uhaul 27" TV box is a good box for a deck like this, and figure those dimensions plus about 50 or 60 pounds or so.

Check out the shipping thread and communicate ahead of time with the seller. If they aren't willing to properly pack don't deal with them.
 
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