MSR-24. Worth it?

[jjones1700]

I have wanted a 16 or 24 track deck for a long time. The $$$ is what keeps it a dream.

yeah, the price of the deck plus the almost $200 for a reel of 1" tape is pretty steep. I can find 1/2" machines all day, but 1" and 2" machines only pop up, maybe, half a dozen times a year. That should be a clue for me, huh?

 

[sweetbeats]

Look for Ampex/Quantegy 499...no reports to speak of of SSS with that. Ethan has some for a whole lot less than sub $200...

Are you saying the 388 is a bear to work on or the MSR-24?

 

[jjones1700]

Are you saying the 388 is a bear to work on or the MSR-24?

I guess I was figuring that since the deck was integrated into something else (basically a large portastudio), it would be more difficult to service it than, say, a 38. Am I wrong, or am I smoking some bad crack?

 

[A Reel Person]

...

I can sell you a ton of 1-pass 3M 996 on 1".

 

[sweetbeats]

With so many cards being the plugin type and residing in the cardbay (which is accessible from the top of the meter bridge) and with the transport being so flat, the 388 is adream to work on IMHO. I'd rather work on it than anything else I have except for the Ampex. The hardest things to access are the jack PCB's and the Control PCB. Everything else is relatively easy to get to/remove, especially the plugin cards.

EDIT

The 388 isn't built like the cassette Portastudios...it was designed (as far as I can tell) to be opened up and serviced when needed.

 

[jjones1700]

With so many cards being the plugin type and residing in the cardbay (which is accessible from the top of the meter bridge) and with the transport being so flat, the 388 is adream to work on IMHO. I'd rather work on it than anything else I have except for the Ampex. The hardest things to access are the jack PCB's and the Control PCB. Everything else is relatively easy to get to/remove, especially the plugin cards.

Hmm. That's good to know. Now......decisions, decisions......