H
Heimcomputer
New member
The Otari looks good. Would that be easy for me to fix myself or would I have to take it to a professional?
Also what about Revox A77 or B77? Are they good?
The Otari looks good. Would that be easy for me to fix myself or would I have to take it to a professional?
Also what about Revox A77 or B77? Are they good?
jpmorris
Tape Wolf
The A77 was made from about 1968-1978, there are four revisions of it. However, the high-speed 15ips version is rarer. The B77 replaced it and is considered to be a better deck.
Bear in mind that the B77 is considered a high-end consumer/semi-pro deck. There are several flavours, including a low-speed quarter-track version which would be basically the same as your Panasonic.
What you want to try and find is the 15ips version, which is known as the B77HS. The thing to watch out for is what is printed above the speed buttons - it should have 15 on one and 7.5 on the other.
The low-speed version says 7.5 and 3.75.
The PR99 might be a better bet - it's the professional version of the B77 and was used a lot in broadcast. AFAIK they are always high-speed ones. The Mk2 and Mk3 have a digital counter and return-to-zero... the PR99 Mk1 and the B77s have a mechanical counter which usually needs both belts replaced.
I have a B77HS mk2, it worked quite nicely for a while, but began to have problems rewinding. One of these days I'll see if I can work out why.
Bear in mind that the B77 is considered a high-end consumer/semi-pro deck. There are several flavours, including a low-speed quarter-track version which would be basically the same as your Panasonic.
What you want to try and find is the 15ips version, which is known as the B77HS. The thing to watch out for is what is printed above the speed buttons - it should have 15 on one and 7.5 on the other.
The low-speed version says 7.5 and 3.75.
The PR99 might be a better bet - it's the professional version of the B77 and was used a lot in broadcast. AFAIK they are always high-speed ones. The Mk2 and Mk3 have a digital counter and return-to-zero... the PR99 Mk1 and the B77s have a mechanical counter which usually needs both belts replaced.
I have a B77HS mk2, it worked quite nicely for a while, but began to have problems rewinding. One of these days I'll see if I can work out why.
H
Heimcomputer
New member
I think I'll go for the Otari or the Revox B77. The PR99 looks great but I can't spend that much!
M
mdainsd
Member
Depends. Are you handy with a soldering iron?
Edit: the machine doesnt need to be modified, it can be done when the cables are made to connect the machine to the mixer.
Last edited:
H
Heimcomputer
New member
Haha..not really! I think I'll go with the cables.
M
mdainsd
Member
Yiu can ask here when you are ready and you'll get the info you need. At any rate wrap the ends of those cables with a couple of turns of red electricians tape. Just saying....
E
ecc83
Well-known member
At the risk of being ostracised from the section! Can I suggest another tack?
My son loves the sound of his Teac A3440 4track, high speed recorder (with SEL-SYNC,most handy!) but the logistical hassle of multitracking, noise build up and tapes flapping at the cruicial moment means he records guitar/voice into Teac from an A&H ZED10 and then dumps the tracks to a PC for editing and composition.
The noise and distortion of a 2496 soundcard are SO way below the source that nothing is changed, it is still just "tape".
Last thought, if you don't know/can't do basic line up and maintainence on an OR machine go didgital.
Dave.
My son loves the sound of his Teac A3440 4track, high speed recorder (with SEL-SYNC,most handy!) but the logistical hassle of multitracking, noise build up and tapes flapping at the cruicial moment means he records guitar/voice into Teac from an A&H ZED10 and then dumps the tracks to a PC for editing and composition.
The noise and distortion of a 2496 soundcard are SO way below the source that nothing is changed, it is still just "tape".
Last thought, if you don't know/can't do basic line up and maintainence on an OR machine go didgital.
Dave.
Blue Jinn
Rider of the ARPocalypse
This brings up another issue (or rather several) but the Otari is "Pin 3 hot" depending on what other gear you have, you might also already be "pin 3 hot." I have a Tascam M-520 which I use with a MX5050. BOth are pin 3 hot, so I've settled on a pin 3 hot for my XLR's. (Unless I have no choice, like certain microphones, and that is where the phase switch comes in handy)
H
Heimcomputer
New member
I don't really understand what that means (haha sorry!) could you explain a bit more? That means that there are 3 pins in the XLR connector, right? I will just have to mics that have 3 pins in the XLR, right? I haven't bought anything yet so I can still change my setup.
I'm also considering a Tascam 22, Tascam 32, or Revox A77 or B77 for my master (whichever will work the best or that I can find). I'm getting a Tascam 38- 8 Track for my multitrack and a Mackie 16 channel mixer. Will I have problems with this set up?
E
ecc83
Well-known member
If I may? The very widespread convention for XLR3 is that pin 2 is "hot" and pin 3 "cold" (for TRS jack= tip hot, ring cold) and this follows all the way back to microphones such that you can use any brand of microphone, anywhere in the world (AFAIK!) and they will all be in phase.
Now, if ALL your equipment is swopped such that pin 3 is hot no matter, phase is preserved but as soon as you introduce another piece of gear, a compressor say or a reverb unit, you have a problem because THAT bit of kit will be Out Of Phase with the main path signal. Even worse is the fact that a great deal of modern gear is "impedance" balanced. This means that there is in fact no signal on pin3/ring so if the wires are swopped you can get squat!
Personally, if faced with a unit so wired I woud set it right but if that was impractical/undesireable I would make up breakout boxes to sort the wires or short XLR-XLR "stubs" to do the same thing....BTW a phase check switch box is almost mandatory in a balanced studio especially if you roll you own cables!
Just found cpc.co.uk sell XLR phase swop adaptors at £6.46 each. Tidy sum for 16 ways but a heck of a lot cheaper than boxes or stubs and a H of a lot less hassle!
Another thought occurs. Multitrack machines are often routed through a patchbay? Could correct phase on the way.
Dave.
H
Heimcomputer
New member
OK I think I understand now. So will I be alright with my setup? How do I tell which machines have pin 3 hot? So should I get a patch bay? I am putting all this through a mixer, but I guess that doesn't fix the problem?
Blue Jinn
Rider of the ARPocalypse
There may be a thread on this around here somewhere. I think Ampex was pin 3 hot, and so this became sort of a standard in the USA? I don't know. Of the XLR balanced gear I have, all from the 80s or so
M-520 pin 3
Otari MX5050Bii-2 pin 3
FOstex 5030 pin 3
Also, the Creamware A16 is ring hot of all things. But the Sony PCM2500 is pin 2 hot....
On truly balanced gear, it isn't a problem (although you may be out of phase). Review the threads here on balanced/unbalanced. The Jensen transformer site has a publication explaining balancing as well. It is worth reviewing to have an understanding.
Also, except for microphones, and unless you go w/ the Otari, you'll likiely not encou]nter line level signals on XLR's. MOst of what we'd encounter is line level unbalanced, connecting w/ rca or 1/4" phone.
M-520 pin 3
Otari MX5050Bii-2 pin 3
FOstex 5030 pin 3
Also, the Creamware A16 is ring hot of all things. But the Sony PCM2500 is pin 2 hot....
On truly balanced gear, it isn't a problem (although you may be out of phase). Review the threads here on balanced/unbalanced. The Jensen transformer site has a publication explaining balancing as well. It is worth reviewing to have an understanding.
Also, except for microphones, and unless you go w/ the Otari, you'll likiely not encou]nter line level signals on XLR's. MOst of what we'd encounter is line level unbalanced, connecting w/ rca or 1/4" phone.
H
Heimcomputer
New member
So if I don't go with the Otari I won't have a problem? Will the Tascam 8 Track and Mackie Mixing board give me any problems? I'll definatly research this more so I understand it better.
jpmorris
Tape Wolf
The mixing board will almost certainly provide both XLR and 1/4" jacks for each channel, so that's not a problem.
Most TASCAM machines will use unbalanced RCA connectors, I think the 40 and/or 50 series may be XLR only, but I don't know. IIRC the BR20 has both. However, you will need to make sure you have a cable loom or two which goes from RCA phono to 1/4" jack in order to connect the 38 to the mixing desk.
For the 2-track, you'll need a couple of stereo RCA to jack leads too.
Blue Jinn
Rider of the ARPocalypse
Correct. The MX5050 has XLR inputs and outputs (although it is actually unbalanced, -- another discussion.)
Most of the "prosumer" gear we use around here is unbalanced.