Mentor....

[treidm]

History: Recording since 1997.

Experience: Started on 4-trck analog cassette. Next ADAT & Hard Disk. Never in box(computer), all standalone. Most of experience lately is in digital domain.

Intention: Want to explore analog recording on RtR format.
Voiced this to all my recording buddies. One happened to have a RtR in the closet, that he has just given me.

I will invest in a better model, if this all pans out. He gave me an AKIA GX 220D. Really dusty, and tape is filthy.
I am slowly cleaning insides of unit, will eventually get to belt changing etc.. Haven't bought new tape yet.

Problem: Totally new to RtR world. Need a mentor, or advice on what forum or site(s) I can go to. The average person will probably not be willing to step down to my level. I will have all the rediculas questions. Any willing teachers out there? heh heh

I don't even know what kind of tape this machine wants or is set up for. Came with two plastic reels. One with filthy pre-recorded 1/4". It was done at 3 3/4. The machine did run when I plugged it in and turned it on. After 20 years in a closet!

I record two bands, that I participate in. Vocals and acoustic instruments.

Well, this is my situation. Any help and/or advice would be appreciated.
.............Reid

 

[The Ghost of FM]

Welcome to the analog board!

The Akia deck you received is a consumer stereo deck, designed to be a better quality choice then the cassette decks of the day for home stereo enthusiasts...it's not really going to be of much benefit to you in a studio environment as you can't multi track with it like you could your older portastudio. Even for stereo mastering in analog, there are much better decks out there in the semi-pro and pro fields of gear which would be 1/2 track stereo decks, running at faster 15ips tape speeds. Decks like those use the entire width of the tape to make a stereo recording so that the sound will be more lush and with fewer tape drop outs and less natural background hiss.

In what way did you want to introduce analog recording back into your signal chain? For multi-track work or for stereo mastering?

Cheers!

 

[treidm]

Thanks for replying.
I'm not totally sure yet, to what degree I will incorporate RtR into my recording. For now, with only two tracks available, I will test it as a mix-down deck, and experiment with it. If all pans out, I will probably want to get a deck, where I could record individual tracks of 8 total(4-track, if it's all I can afford) Might still use that 8-track deck, as a mixdown stereo master deck. But by your response, sounds like you should have separate decks for this. I want to see how much I can do in analog, before I have to convert to digital and burn CD's.

I just don't have any experience beyond 4-track cassette recording, in the analog domain. I do have many pieces of analog gear (example: Mackie analog mixer. Some decent mic's. example: AKG C 414 condensor) , that should work well with RtR, I'm assuming.

Should I forget about rehabing this unit, and just look to buy a better model, or experiment with this unit?

So 15ips is the speed I'm looking for? 7-1/2 was highest on this unit.
So 1/2 track machine means, it records on tracks 1&4 for one channel, and 2&3 for other channel? So it would use complete width of tape in one direction?
And 1/4 track machine could record each track individually?


Oh, and thanks for the welcome!
....Reid

 

[evm1024]

hi

Lots of threads and data on the web....

15ips is the "standard" speed for serious work.

Tape comes in several widths. You have a 1/4" tape width deck. Common widths for 8 tracks is 1/2". 16 track can be 1/2" to 1". Tape comes up to 2" in width. Many variations. Keep it simple at first.

Tape also comes in many formats. What you have is a (quarter track) 4 track stereo deck. 2 tracks (left and right) are recorded in each direction. this divides the tape into 4 tracks so each track is about 1/16" wide

A half track deck divides the tape in to 2 tracks that each use 1/2 of the the width. This gives much more tape to put the signal on and much better audio quality. (there are half track 1/4" machines as well as half track 1/2" machine and so on)

a 4 track 1/4" machine like the Tascam 34B or Teac a3440 divide the 1/4" tape width into 4 individual tracks that can each be recorded on independently. There in no reverse side.

There are 8 track 1/4" machines, 1/2" machinnes and 1" (tape width) machines. the wider the individual tracks the better the potential audio quality.

So there is a nutshell of track formats and tape widths. So much left out but you will learn that as you go.

As for your Akai, I would not toss it but I would not spend much money on it. Let it be your introduction to tape and tape handeling. Use it as a learning tool and then move on to a 4 track or 8 track as you gain some experience.

Regards, E

 

[The Ghost of FM]

As for your Akai, I would not toss it but I would not spend much money on it. Let it be your introduction to tape and tape handeling. Use it as a learning tool and then move on to a 4 track or 8 track as you gain some experience.

Regards, E

Sound advice!

And a studious effort on the tape width - track formats. Well done.

Cheers!

 

[treidm]

Appreciate the advice. This analog forum seems very friendly. I will take advice & not spend too much on it.
Have already completely cleaned, general insides. Next I will clean & lube more detailed. Belts looked very good. Will condition them. Cleaning heads, which I will have to do a search for technic & chemical used. Then some new tape.
Any suggestions on tape to learn with on this unit?
Any suggestions on a head demagnetizer?

Later I will probably ask for suggestions on future unit.
Thanks again for the friendly help!
....Reid

 

[The Ghost of FM]

Any suggestions on tape to learn with on this unit?
Any suggestions on a head demagnitizer?

Being a consumer machine that runs at slower speeds and with reduced track width, you can happily seek out lower bias tape that comes in 1800 ft rolls as this would be the maximum reel load that this machine was equipped to operate with. Seek out Quantegy 407 tape. It's inexpensive and available.

As to a demag wand, there's a bizarre degree of choice out there on ebay and elsewhere, locally too if you're in a decent urban center. The Han-D-mag is one of the more popular choices for larger machines and may be used judiciously with your current deck. It's powerful and dangerous and needs to be treated not as a toy when it is on. It can damage stuff!...OK

Cheers!

 

[treidm]

1800 ft rolls Quantegy 407 tape.
The Han-D-mag
Cheers!

Thx for the info. Will order some Tape. Might wait a little on the Han-D-Mag, they are up there in price. Might find a cheaper demag for now. When I do, which one is better?
I know the voltage I need, but they have "short","long","short&thin","long&thin" versions.

Learning alot.
So the machine I have is a 1/4", 1/4 track machine.
Only records in one direction at a time. Then can record again after reversing reels.
So for a multitrack(discreet)in one direction, it is no good.
And for a mixdown master, also not as good, because it is using only 1/2 the width of tape in one direction. And the max speed is only 7-1/2ips.

If having a Mixdown master machine would be more advantageous to me, I guess I would look for a 1/2 track machine, that can record at 15ips or 30ips.
But if I want a 4 or 8 multi-track recorder, I should go with a 1/2" machine, that records all in one direction.
Too bad they don't have a machine that will do it all, heh heh.
Thx again for all the help!
....Reid

 

[cjacek]

Will order some Tape. Might wait a little on the Han-D-Mag, they are up there in price. Might find a cheaper demag for now. When I do, which one is better?

In addition to Quantegy 407, which indeed is a great (and fresh new tape), you may also consider new (old stock) Maxell UD 35-90 on eBay. They go for pretty cheap and are closer to what your Akai was setup for originally. Example:

http://cgi.ebay.com/MAXELL-UD-35-90...ryZ15000QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

and / or:

http://www.quantegyonline.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=32_76&products_id=39

For your Akai, this demagnetizer would work too:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Tape-Head-Demag...ryZ15000QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

So the machine I have is a 1/4", 1/4 track machine.
Only records in one direction at a time. Then can record again after reversing reels. So for a multitrack(discreet)in one direction, it is no good.

Yes, correct.

And for a mixdown master, also not as good, because it is using only 1/2 the width of tape in one direction. And the max speed is only 7-1/2ips.

I wouldn't say it's useless for mixdown purposes.

If having a Mixdown master machine would be more advantageous to me, I guess I would look for a 1/2 track machine, that can record at 15ips or 30ips.

15 ips would be sufficient. 1/2 track would be an advantage.

But if I want a 4 or 8 multi-track recorder, I should go with a 1/2" machine, that records all in one direction.

It really depends and some will have a different view on this but, generally speaking, I feel it safe to recommend either a 4 track 1/4" or 8 track 1/2" dedicated recorder. Then there's the TASCAM 388. It's a pumped up version of the cassette portastudio. It's 1/4" tape and 8 tracks running 7 1/2 ips. Many here like it but some have a different viewpoint. Personally I think it sounds superb.

Too bad they don't have a machine that will do it all, heh heh.
Thx again for all the help!

Some machines certainly do a better job at one thing than others but this is not to say you can't use something else for the job.

I would like to underline the importance of finding a recorder and / or mixer locally rather than having it shipped.

 

[cjacek]

Reid, where about are you located ?

 

[treidm]

cjacek:

I'm in Leavenworth, Kansas. It's about 20 miles NW of Kansas City, U.S.A.
I record in a spare bedroom. Well, used to be a spare bedroom, heh heh.
I really want to explore RtR's. I'm gettin' close to 50, so grew up in RtR era, just didn't record any, and used vinyl in those days for listening.
I can from time to time, sock away money for big buys, but generally don't have a big budget for equipment.

..........Reid

 

[cjacek]

Check http://geo.craigslist.org/iso/us/ks and your local eBay auctions and classifieds in your area. You will find something of interest, I'm sure. Never hurts to post a WANTED ad too. Whatever strikes your interest, run it by us and we'll try to help.