Is the AKAI MG1212 and 1214 worth buying today?

  • Thread starter Thread starter zking1774
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Sweetbeats,
Yes. I bet you are correct on the bias issue. Everything you posted about bias is right on the money about record signal. Apparently, I was simply adjusting the "record level" and not the bias adjustment. With these new schematics, I can better see what is going on. If I can figure out exactly how (where) to do this, I will twiddle with the adjustments, just to see if it makes a positive difference. I assume I would need to read up more on this and get an oscilloscope. This bias thing is new concept to me, but makes good sense on why it is needed. Also, I recently purchased a junk VCR and was surprised at how many similarities exist between it and the mg1212. Looks like tape guides, maybe pinch roller etc....could all be made to work if needed. It is all half inch tape. Now if I can find a junked out, top load beta vcr, there would be some fun.
Rob
 
I found some guy on craigslist who had around 10 machines for sale in San Francisco, and he said 50 to 100 bucks each.....mg14d, 1214 s. I got real exited, but then he raised the price when I wanted multiple machines, claiming that he didnt know there was this much demand, when I was the only person who was demanding them. Anyhow, thanks sweetbeats for all the help. The 1212s are seeming like an old vw.....constant problems but fun to drive. I am confident that parts, at least some of them, are common among some machines. In fact, I was able to track down a part from the actual part number in schematic. When I found it, it was the identical part, but no mention of mg1212. Also, for example, I am looking at idler tires. Nothing online about them for MG machines, but a micrometer and a search, shows that generic replacements are available.
Rob
 
Hey Sweetbeats,
I have been learning alot more about this stuff. You were right on. No power to the board. A couple blown diodes on PS board and it might work again. The "water damage" looks like leaking caps and/ or water. But hey, this was the parts machine never expected to run. Got an oscilloscope recently so all that talk about the bias oscillator is starting to make sense. Thanks again for schematics. I am looking into getting some blown-up/ laser printed. Great quality copies you found.
Rob
 
You should be careful with adjustments, without knowing what are you are doing is very easy to ruin what was right, and have a hard time to go back.
 
Words of advice that I took into account when messing with this stuff Dreverb. I have more info for those of us who still like to mess with these things. Because all 4 of my machines now have good transports, I went with sweetbeats advice on checking voltages and oscillator. 3 of my machines had issues recording, meaning they hardly put any sound on tape. I had some luck with one oscillator, though I started noticing inconsistencies and the oscillator board got pretty hot at one point. !00 degrees versus the 70 degrees when it cooled. Thats when I decided to really go back and check voltages at the source. Here is whats weird, Two machines gave almost identical (but wrong and low) voltages, while one machine gave even lower voltages. I am talking about straight from the transformer. To verify all this, I went to my one good machine, and yes, the voltages were just as schematic said. Seems pretty flippin evident I have three bad transformers. Now they did run machines fairly good, which I find odd, however the worst one I pulled out and hit it while running volt meter. Sure enough, the voltages jumped all over the place. My guess then is this is a root cause of alot of machine transport issues, where the transport kinda works, or not at all. Next MG1212 I get I am going straight to transformer and checking it out. What do you guys think of running a separate power supply? There are a few voltages from transformer, like, 5, and 30, and 15, but a little more specific. How realistic is it to dial in voltages somehow, and then make sure the current is up to snuff?
 
As i said, I think that messing with the bias, levels etc not being sure is a mistake. Now, messing with the power supply.. well , that, in my humble opinion, could be THE MISTAKE and it makes me think about Keith Relf, from the Yardbirds...

All the transport issues I've had were mechanical issues. None of them was related to the power supply.
 
I have a MK20 tape that I'd like to transfer to wav (48k 24 bit) Do you guys with these mg decks do that kind of thing? PM me please
 
zking1774 said:
For example... there is an AKAI MG1212 not far from me for about $200. Guy is unable to verify anything about it, as he is not a musician and just got it with a bunch of other equipment from an estate sale etc.

I was considering picking it up, and repairing anything on it within reason. it seems it had a very high quality mixer section even without the Tape portion working. Thoughts?

Also, anyone know the differences between the 1212 and 1214? I also found a 1214 with a few missing faders, but working.

Thanks!
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I wouldn't buy anything tape/analog based myself. But if you are electronics savvy and can work around a schematic it would be a fun (although Time Consuming) project. The difference tween the 1212 and 1214 is two more tape tracks.
 
No, the 1212 and the 1214 have the same number of tracks: 12 audio plus a timecode track.
 
I am on year #3 of working on my machines. Have a new one coming. The rackmount mg14d. i have been taking notes everytime i work on them, and currently, i have noticed some weird phenomena with the rewinding and fast forward. The tray that holds the tape needs to be super flat when in down position. I also just noticed that my pulley on left side was sitting a little low. There is a plastic screw on umderside which will push pulley up. i just ordered 3 new idler tires too. My guess is that the pulleys that move tape, need to be at proper height for an important reason. the tape can drag pretty bad inside the shell, and the pulleys should l put the reels inside the shell in a position where they float, with very little drag. Sweetbeats: Machine #2,,,,,the parts machine is coming along pretty good. I think there is only one voltage left to fix on power supply. The more i work on these, the more i see how useful, but unnecessary some of the parts are. The loading mechanism for exaple can likely be driven by hand if the motor and all stop doing their job. Actuators could potentially be moved by hand, or even a separte voltage applied by a switch, rather than run through the on board computer. I soldred a ton of extension wires so i can run mecha-block outside of machine: literally set tape mechanism on the bennch and look and learn withe mechanism being in full view
 
sweetbeats said:
No, the 1212 and the 1214 have the same number of tracks: 12 audio plus a timecode track.
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I'm pretty sure the 12 refers to the 12 channel mixer - and the 14/12 refers to the tracks available.
 
Papanate said:
I'm pretty sure the 12 refers to the 12 channel mixer - and the 14/12 refers to the tracks available.
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No. There is no difference in the heads or track layout between the 1212 and 1214.
 
12 refers to mixer
12 refers to audio tracks
14 refers to total available trcks (sync and control tracks are 13 and 14)
Both machines are configured the same from what I umderstand. Just a non precise evolution of sensible naming at play here.
 
Hey Friends,
Just made my first real recording on my MG1212. MIxed results. The bad is that after recording the full 6 first tracks, I moved to track 7 and it completely erased track 1! Drums gone, total loss. Recording on track 8 erased track 2 and so forth. So essentially I have an MG6. I figured what if I record on tracks 7 thru 12 and then go back and use tracks 1 thru 6? Well, there were other issues that popped up. I am a little bummed about that, and so for my next recording, I stuck to only 6 tracks. I went to dump that mix onto another recorder, and the volume fluctuated on playback. So I had to make a few attempts until I got an acceptable transfer. What is the good news? After a few years of eyeing these machines, working on them, researching etc...I finally did a song and I love the results. Warm, unpredictable, vibe, and the flow is cool. Like, do I roll the dice and do another take? And erase what I did? Keep it and move on? I love analoge for the sound. I always have, even before it went out of style. I loved the noise and everything about using magnets to record. But the way in which analoge works, no screen, no mouse, is worth the price of all the headache of setting this stuff up. Now that I have sucessfully made a recording I am proud of, I will soon start sticking random tape formulations in the machine and let you guys know what happens. I have a buddy who used to run a recording studio, and he recently told me that he would spend hours biasing his reel to reel machine before the band showed up. But for his own music he just let it rip and didnt care. My thought is that even if the Akai MG1212 machine is not biased exactly right, cool things can still happen.
Rob
 
Hi Guys,
So on a previous post I said I grinded the eject arm, which sits on left side of transport. It turns out, that is not the best idea. Apparently, because this thing is under constant tension, it gets bent. Imagine 35 years of having that tough spring pulling at you. Ever notice your machine, or a video of one where it starts to close smoothly, then jerks real fast? Thats the eject arm slider deal. It would prefer if you left it open once in a while I am sure. Unbending, with heat, and possibly reinforcing somehow is what it needs. And lube.
Robert
 
PT3 said:
I have a MK20 tape that I'd like to transfer to wav (48k 24 bit) Do you guys with these mg decks do that kind of thing? PM me please
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late reply but I do Akai mg tape transfers. Cheers
 
RobMG1212 said:
Hi Guys,
So on a previous post I said I grinded the eject arm, which sits on left side of transport. It turns out, that is not the best idea. Apparently, because this thing is under constant tension, it gets bent. Imagine 35 years of having that tough spring pulling at you. Ever notice your machine, or a video of one where it starts to close smoothly, then jerks real fast? Thats the eject arm slider deal. It would prefer if you left it open once in a while I am sure. Unbending, with heat, and possibly reinforcing somehow is what it needs. And lube.
Robert
Click to expand...
Can you re bend and just re lube?
 
RobMG1212 said:
Hi Guys,
So on a previous post I said I grinded the eject arm, which sits on left side of transport. It turns out, that is not the best idea. Apparently, because this thing is under constant tension, it gets bent. Imagine 35 years of having that tough spring pulling at you. Ever notice your machine, or a video of one where it starts to close smoothly, then jerks real fast? Thats the eject arm slider deal. It would prefer if you left it open once in a while I am sure. Unbending, with heat, and possibly reinforcing somehow is what it needs. And lube.
Robert
Click to expand...
Hi Rob. Very impressed with your tenacity and patience. I also have about 4 machines and parts. Currently I have the Akai mg1214 installed in our studio with a digital mixer along side.





P1066241.webp




Also the Akai mg14d in a rack near our patchbay with remote.


Akai mg14d.webp
 
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