Is the AKAI MG1212 and 1214 worth buying today?

[deslog]

I have no idea what cables but I know that generally the cables are fine. It is mainly the connections. I'm not an electronics technician and don't have extensive knowledge. Sometimes it is best to send to a tech to sort electronics issues out.

 

[Fte New]

Thanks @deslog,

Then I will start with the connections beeping them all through. I know someone who is a electro-mechanic, so I will ask him for help.

 

[Papanate]

Off the topic a bit - but where do you guys procure tapes for the unit? They weren’t that popular to begin with - I would think tapes would be both expensive and hard to find.

 

[Fte New]

Off the topic a bit - but where do you guys procure tapes for the unit? They weren’t that popular to begin with - I would think tapes would be both expensive and hard to find.

Hey, yes they‘re hard to find indeed. I noticed apparently there are some on eBay Canada… but all expansive +extra shipping depending on where you are located.

Only have the ones that came with the unit, when I bought it.

 

[Papanate]

Hey, yes they‘re hard to find indeed. I noticed apparently there are some on eBay Canada… but all expansive +extra shipping depending on where you are located.

Only have the ones that came with the unit, when I bought it.

So what do you do? Write over the old recordings? Do you back them up somewhere? Import them to a DAW?

 

[Fte New]

So what do you do? Write over the old recordings? Do you back them up somewhere? Import them to a DAW?

hey, I’m in the finishing process to repair the unit. But when it’s ready I assume to go the route to Backup in Logic and write over the recordings. As far as I Know, unfortunately the Akai has tape out pre-eq, only. So I will either capture the stereo-out or the single stems unprocessed. I’m in charge of 4 Tapes, so I will overwrite the least needed first.

 

[Papanate]

Hey, I’m in the finishing process to repair the unit. But when it’s ready I assume to go the route to Backup in Logic and write over the recordings. As far as I Know, unfortunately the Akai has tape out pre-eq, only. So I will either capture the stereo-out or the single stems unprocessed. I’m in charge of 4 Tapes, so I will overwrite the least needed first.

How long will the tapes last? - Do you know how many writes do you get before they start degrading - Seems a curious thing to use tape these days.

 

[Fte New]

How long will the tapes last? - Do you know how many writes do you get before they start degrading - Seems a curious thing to use tape these days.

Hey, I‘m not too far experienced, but I believe theoretically you can record tape over and over, degrading is more a matter of how you storage and the age of the tape.

 

[sweetbeats]

How long will the tapes last? - Do you know how many writes do you get before they start degrading - Seems a curious thing to use tape these days.

I know it’s a curious thing to you that some people use tape these days, but each to their own, yah?

The MK20/MK20J tapes are an Achilles heel of the Akai MG series for sure, unfortunately. The biggest problem is it is a mystery what the tape is that was actually loaded originally. IIRC the closest guesstimate is it is something similar to Maxell EE but with a 1.5mil class base. So I’ve read of people successfully replacing the original tape with new +6 class tape like any of the current SM911 variants. Bias will have to be reset for sure and I can’t recall how big of an issue this is on the MG…have to look in my service manual. If the manual references using OEM tape and some arbitrary setting off the bias amps, then one would have to resort to the LF modulation method of setting bias or something like that. But anyway swapping the tape out is doable…it’s in a cassette housing that can be disassembled just like Philips Compact Cassettes or VHS or Beta…so with this in mind the tapes aren’t really an issue if one has OEM MK20/MK20J to work with.

 

[Fte New]

Hey, I‘m not too far experienced, but I believe theoretically you can record tape over and over, degrading is more a matter of how you storage and the age of the tape.

Hmmm, or wait I think what I just wrote is not true… it degrades also by recording and playing… so I don’t know. I read in general you can erase/record 200-500 times on a high quality reel tape, but not sure if this also counts for the Akai cassettes, sry

 

[sweetbeats]

It would apply. Same circumstances as any tape machine, it’s a plus that the tape speed is 7.5ips as far as tape life, and the MG transport is gentle enough on tape.