best suggestion for r 2 r purchase?

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clevodrummer

Tascammer
anyone have a suggestion for a 4 or more track reel to reel tape machine which one might be able to score for lets 1500.00 range?


im an owner of a 424mk3 and a 488 respectively. Been having wandering thoughts off FAT tape. truly love tape decks and saw my first Studer recently and I was speechless.

I probably cant swing the bucks for a good while so now is the time to peruse. I amfraid of Ebay with such a unit unlike scoring a flawless 488 for 150 bucks.

im fairly mechanical and am able to handle mainteneace and minor repairs,etc.

thanks,

clevo
 
RE: 4 track Reel to Reel

I had a Sony TC788-4 in the 70s that was a great performer but I just bought a Tascam 34B from a guy in New York on Craigslist for $300 including the shipping and insurance. It doesn't apppear to have a whole lot of hours on it (no shiny spots on thwe heads or guides/tape lifters - the previous owner claims it had under 100 hours in the 12 years he owned it). Unfortunately, UPS damaged the rear plastic case when shipping to Michigan but i am trying to find a replacement. I was able to convert some of my old 70s tapes to mp3s this past week before the pinch roleer crapped out. The 34B is a very nice machine. I can share some of the quality od these old songs with you if you like...

Good Luck with the hunt!
 
...

The 34B is a nice unit, which works best with a compatible mixer such as the M30 (minimum), but will also accommodate mic/line 1/4" inputs directly into it's rear jack panel, (& has an onboard headphone monitor section). ($200~$450, est). The 34(std) is an identical unit, less the 1/4" inputs and monitor section.

For 8-tracks, a well kept 38 is a good choice, ($250~$500, est), but 1/2" tape is a bit more expensive than 1/4". An external mixer will be needed to use the 38. Dbx NR is an add-on unit, (2).

The TSR-8 is a 1/2" 8-track that's about 10 years more modern than the 38, which contains built in dbx-NR, sophisticated onboard locate and sync functions (outboard synchronizer required), and is slightly more compact than the 38, too. The TSR-8 is a 2-head design, vs. the 38's 3-head design, with 3-heads being generally regarded as "better",... especially when it comes to alignment and setup of the deck. ($350~$650, est).

A good alternative is the 388, with 1/4" tape, 8 tracks, and a fully self contained design that's really a huge, bloated Portastudio, but it's a good middle ground between cassette 4-tracks, 1/4"-4-tracks and 1/2"-8-tracks. ($250~$650, est).

Fostex has a whole line of 1/4" 8-tracks, with the R-8 being top dog, and the Model 80 and A-8 being more vintage, respecively. ($150~$350, est).

There's a topic of 1/2"-16-tracks, with the MSR-16 and several Fostex decks in the field, the topline one being the G-16, if you can find it. More common is the E-16, a slightly older version. To the best of my recollection, these are all 2-head decks, but include the locate and sync features of 90's vintage decks. ($650~$850, est).

A big and popular workhorse is the Tascam MS-16, a 1"-16-track. It's not too fancy but is functional enough, with add-on dbx units and autolocator as plugin accessories. ($1200~$1600, est).
 
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wow...thanks dave

as usual, thanks for the most informative response Dave. That is the best info I could ask for..... Time to investigate!!




clevo
 
clevo,

In addition to the above good advice, do yourself a big favor and look locally. Shipping should be a last resort and then only boxed, strapped to a pallet and freighted. Too many perfectly good recorders get banged up during typical transit.

EDITED: Just wanted to add TASCAM 44, 48 and 58 to that list and even an old TEAC 80-8 but judge on condition (most important variable).
 
thanks cjacek

theres a few local studios around where i know some people, and im going to check with them.want to have service lined up as well.it would be a nightmare to ship one on UPS or anyone else. im in the freight biz, and i have seen plenty of scary things when it comes to electronics.

thanks,

clevo........ im keeping my open for a local 388 as well. are they .25 in tape width?
 
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