Build a 2" 16 track RTR NEW?

  • Thread starter Thread starter poopchute
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poopchute

poopchute

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I want to start a discussion about what it would take to build a reel-to-reel machine from the ground up. I figure since it would be useless to build a new RTR 4 track that it might as well be a 2" 16 track.
How hard would it be? Could certain things be minimized with smaller parts so the thing doesnt end up so heavy? I know that the heads themselves would be the hardest thing for anyone to replicate but the rest of the machine...How hard would it be to redesign it, update it a little bit? Basically make it as if a big company like Tascam/Sony/Studer was making them today...
I know everyone is gonna say its a pipe dream. But lets discuss it anyway...
 
So are you talking about modding an existing frame or truly-truly starting from scratch?

For one thing it would be expensive and extremely time consuming to do...think about building a car...yes a car is bigger, but think of all the parts...all the cast parts, machined, stamped, pressed parts...that's just the physical stuff...then there's the electronics. Where to get the motors from? Design your own PCB's?

If it were to be done, the person or persons doing it would need to have ready access to a pretty well outfitted machine shop.

I wouldn't be skimping on parts sizes and such to make it lighter. You could go with composites to lighten the frame and such, but I equate heavy/tank-like equipment with quality and sturdiness in this area.

You probably already know this but JRF Magnetics in Florida makes a proprietary 2" 8-track stack for retrofit...it ain't cheap, and I reference it here just to give an idea of what it might cost to build an entire machine from scratch.

Should be a fun discussion though, along the lines of the thread that went up awhile ago about modding a VCR to be an analog multitrack machine...low feasibility, high discussion fun-factor.

I take it you are not really talking about this as a true aspiration, but for discussion sake, but I think there is a whole lot more meat to taking an existing machine and modding, but me personally I'd be focusing on mods that make sense...mods that address known issues and weaknesses.

I used to work in a machine shop that served a small manufacturing plant. We designed and built the machines on the assembly line, so I got exposed to a lot of techniques/processes/machines. Design and fab work is time-consuming and expensive...but...it...is...fun.
 
Something like this was already dreamt up by several people years back but when they added up all the costs to actually make it, from scratch, it was way too expensive to justify and so the project was dropped.

ATR magnetics probably comes closest to that sort of thing of actually rebuilding Ampex machines, using original parts where necessary and building new ones too.

It's still very expensive though. Can be done, as most of the parts can be machined or rebuilt but it'd be very expensive. I mean ATR's 2" 8 track machine costs about $20,000, last time I looked.

What is a good, realistic idea is actually restoring those machines, as per what ATR is doing. It would actually cost a lot less than building a new one.

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Wasn't MCI that prototyped a 3" 32-track? :eek:

Oh yes it was...
JH-32.jpg


http://www.mcirecording.com/32.htm

IMHO, the ideology you are opening up here, poopchute, is really what MCI did back in the day; trying out new things. But they had the know-how and facilities to do it for sure. Having the tools (physical and mental) is essential. They were pioneers of sorts into shaping so much of the modern equipment designs we use today...I love reading accounts of mixing consoles from the late 60's and early 70's when they were so often custom built into the studios, and MCI among others brought about the console-type mixer that was free-standing...Tascam among others brought it to the masses.
 
sweetbeats said:
Wasn't MCI that prototyped a 3" 32-track? :eek:

Oh yes it was...


http://www.mcirecording.com/32.htm

IMHO, the ideology you are opening up here, poopchute, is really what MCI did back in the day; trying out new things. But they had the know-how and facilities to do it for sure. Having the tools (physical and mental) is essential. They were pioneers of sorts into shaping so much of the modern equipment designs we use today...I love reading accounts of mixing consoles from the late 60's and early 70's when they were so often custom built into the studios, and MCI among others brought about the console-type mixer that was free-standing...Tascam among others brought it to the masses.
Click to expand...
Otari also made a 2" 32 track version of the MX-80. I have no idea how many they may have sold.
 
I Figured It Out!!!!!!!

Here goes.....You ready?......... On your dining room table, lay (4) 4 track reel to reels on their backs and side by side. Raising the 2nd, 3rd and 4th units (underneath with shims) to the appropriate heighth so that each machines heads match the desired space on the 2 inch tape. Thread machine 1 with the Tape reel and machine 4 with your take up reel. Take a broken 4 track cassette unit's control panel (to use as a remote) and wire it up to all of the R2R units in sync. Grab a cold beer and a snack before sitting in the lazy-boy. Press record and play together and.............WAH-LAH!.........witness nothing happen....................................................:rolleyes:
 
I realize that I would NEVER be able to do it myself. I just wanted to fantasize about a world in which they still made new analog reel-to-reel machines. Where they kept developing new tech and implementing them. I often wonder how nice it would be to have a brand new state of the art RTR. And for me if I was to build one I would go with the 2" 16 track layout cause I like to think the more tape realestate you have the better everything would be.
That 3 inch monster looks impressive...and Newish
 
Can you say "ADAT??"
Click to expand...

Hm...AYDLAF...no...ADAK...arg :mad:...mmm...a....aaay....AKAD...auggghhh! :eek:

I can't.

The thread I was referring to though was somebody with the desire to mod a VCR into an analog mulltitrack unit, and thus ensued post after post about issues with the helical scan head, transport speed, tape thickness, etc...it was a fun thread though...here.

OPEC....rrr...ASHREK....nnnnonono....asnak...grayvac...ziphranjabungafuhdangumonkadat...:eek:
 
Probably to difficult to do it from scratch, but you could possibly modify a stereo unit into more tracks i.e 4 tracks. The more tracks you want the bigger and more powerful the motors would need to be. Or you could keep your eye out for a broken or incomplete unit. I remember seeing on ebay once a 32 channel airport logging reel to reel unit?
 
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