Crossfield Recording Technology of an Akai Model M9

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Stanbery

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Howdy!

I picked up a perfect working condition Akai Model M9 at Goodwill the other day for $30. I've done some recordings on it. Mostly just 2-track stereo which is actually what brings up my question.

Everywhere I've read I have been told that it's a 4-track machine. It has has a big circular knob on the front that I can switch between stereo (is when the knob is in the middle), 1-4 (is when the knob is tilted down), and 2-3 (is when the knob is tilted up). I'm new to analog recording and recording in general. I'm wondering how to properly use the Crossfield Technology to record separate tracks at one time? There is a sound on sound button which I know how to make overdubs with but I really would like to know how to mix down just one of the tracks with one instrument on it when I do finally want to master something.

Thanks!!!

-Dylan
 
It's going to be a stereo machine, probably from the mid 1960s. It's 4 tracks because you can flip the reels over like a cassette (2 tracks * 2 sides = 4 track stereo). You can't play all 4 at once.

What the machine will be able to do is either record over an existing track without erasing it, so allowing you to combine the two (Vortexion machines did this), or more likely, it can play back the left track while recording on the right. It probably has the ability to copy the left channel to the right while mixing in the new material, and vice-versa but it may require a special add-on, and it may not be quite in sync.

This kind of machine was intended for consumer use, playing back pre-recorded tapes, mostly. While it does provide basic support for overdubbing, you wouldn't really want to work that way unless your aim is to recreate The Brondesbury Tapes by Giles, Giles and Fripp or Agincourt something.
 
Thanks jpmorris for the information. That's everything I needed to know. I guess my hunt will continue for a true 4 track machine. Thanks again.
 
jpmorris said:
This kind of machine was intended for consumer use, playing back pre-recorded tapes, mostly. While it does provide basic support for overdubbing, you wouldn't really want to work that way unless your aim is to recreate The Brondesbury Tapes by Giles, Giles and Fripp or Agincourt something.
Click to expand...

Can you elaborate on this a little bit? Who/what band is Agincourt by? It's interesting (and incredible!) that a band could make recordings with such primitive equipment, but I'm listening to an early version of "I Talk to the Wind" right now, and it sounds damn impressive!

Stanbery said:
Thanks jpmorris for the information. That's everything I needed to know. I guess my hunt will continue for a true 4 track machine. Thanks again.
Click to expand...

Four VU meters in the front is a good indication (thought not always). Don't Akai M9's have tube electronics? Might be useful holding onto that tape deck if only to use as a preamp...
 
I am almost sure the m9 is solid state and the m8 is the tube version. However preamps are preamps I love solid state preamps! Nice deck by the way.
 
Hammerstone said:
Can you elaborate on this a little bit? Who/what band is Agincourt by? It's interesting (and incredible!) that a band could make recordings with such primitive equipment, but I'm listening to an early version of "I Talk to the Wind" right now, and it sounds damn impressive!
Click to expand...

Yeah, the Brondesbury Tapes are pretty fascinating. As for Agincourt, that was a band formed by John Ferdinando and Peter Howell (who later went on to the BBC Radiophonic workshop and did the 1980 version of the Dr. Who theme, the Greenwich Chorus and various other pieces of incidental music). They put out five albums, annoyingly using a different band name for each one.
Because this was from about 1968-1973 and recorded inside the house of Peter Howell's parents, they didn't have access to a multitrack and everything was done by machine-to-machine bouncing. IMHO their best was 'A Game For All Who Know' under the name 'Ithaca', which was stereo and made by back-and-forth bouncing between two Revox machines.

The homepage for the Howell-Ferdinando recordings, cleverly called 'index' by the BBS engine:
index

The opening track from the Ithaca album:
Ithaca - Journey - 1 - YouTube

This may also be interesting in general, (Mr. Howell demonstrating how his Dr. Who theme was made), around 1983 or so:
Dr Who (How To Remake TV Theme) - YouTube

Four VU meters in the front is a good indication (thought not always). Don't Akai M9's have tube electronics? Might be useful holding onto that tape deck if only to use as a preamp...
Click to expand...

The M8 was valve, the M9 was the first all-transistor deck, I think.
 
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