OTARI MX-5050 MKIV-4 (1/2", 4 track) is still being made!!

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Hell, if I knew, several years ago, the road I'd go through, buying used and 20 year old gear, no matter the condition, I'd opt for a brand new recorder, if I had the budget and, most importantly, the experience.

Who gives a shit, thinking outloud to myself now, that I could have bought 10x the amount of older gear, for 10 cents on the dollar, when all I would be buying is aged electronics and machines not up to par in just about every way.

The amount I spent, in the last 3 - 4 years, on machines with various issues, many of them damaged through bad packers and not to forget the time wasted and stress associated therewith, I could have just bought 1 good and new machine and not some new-old-stock one either but a freshly made one.

Yup, I basically spent the equivalent of a new Otari 1/2" 4 track machine, on mostly junk gear, with a couple of exceptions, thinking what a great deal I had, that I was "saving" money and that I was on a "budget".

The stuff that I have, that is in truly low use, clean condition, is really a blessing and I'll continue to use it but age doesn't lie and electronics are definitely way past their middle age. I'm def not getting up to spec performance and I can't see the machines going for another decade.

Unless one loves to play around with changing capacitors and the like, I feel the best advice would be to snap up a brand new recorder now and have peace of mind for the next 30 years, if one plans to be recording for that length of time.

Added all up, it was insanity and not about being too poor to afford a nice recorder.

If I had to do it over again, I'd spring for that Otari or whatever machine was available at the time. Now I have another chance and I'm not going to let it pass by.

...and really, why does one need to have more than 4-8 tracks, especially the typical home recordist ? 4 tracks on 1/2" tape is really quiet and sounds HUUGE! :eek:

As always YMMV. ;)

Ok, rant over. Sorry. :o
 
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Cool, but wait for the 8-track, and definitely inundate these people and Otari with requests for an 8-track. ;)

The other side of this for vintage Otari enthusiasts is a new infusion of parts. Drinks all around! :)
 
I hope you feel better after your rant. That hasn't been my experience at all. I bought my 3M machines from a guy who ran his own pro studio in the Tulsa area with a Neotek console, some 3M decks, a Studer J-37, and eventually also ProTools, since it became necessary. We met half way each time (about 160 miles one way for each) to deliver the decks, so they were never in other hands.

The M-56 gave me fits for a month until I replaced one main relay that was dodgy and eliminated a small short in the tape runout sensor circuit. After that, the machine was very dependable. The M-79 4-track I got for a mere $400 (and that included a whole second machine for spare parts). About all I needed to do was buy a 1/2" MRL, wire the jumpers for IEC eq and learn the calibration routine for the M-79 series and I was in business. The M-79 2-track was only $350 and needed nothing but tape path cleaning, changing the jumpers for IEC and routine calibration. Turns out all the M-79s came originally from Oral Roberts University.

I've used Otari machines and they are decent enough, but I prefer the sound of machines that use transformers on input and output. That's my preference. The main comment I have is that buying older machines can be viable. The stuff in the Otari literature about bad experiences with used machines is just what I'd expect from someone wanting to sell new machines, but thankfully not everyone has that experience.

Cheers,

Otto
 
I am sure the trafo ins and outs sound good but you can get that from other gear.... I am getting a lot of that from my preamps, as well as a 4-pack of telefunken eq's, an 1176, etc, etc..............

I have picked up an E-16, E-22, Otari-4, and Otari-8, all working perfectly, and a Tascam 32 that I needed to do surgery on but now works. I picked up a tascam 42 and an otari 50 -2 that were not in good shape and sent them back for a refund. I am glad you are interested in a new otari 4-track, but I am troubled that you had so many poor gear experiences!!!!

Anywayz I still am not sure which machine to record with next week....
 
BRDTS said:
Yeah, the 8 track is half inch and from the looks of it for anyone looking for new machines, it's now also available as a current model-

http://www.trycho.com/trychostore/ANALOG-RECORDERS-TAPE-SUPPLIES-C415.aspx


The return of all these new analog machines is a little surprising to me. Great to see.

Yikes! It's gone up a bit since it was last available... like by twice! :eek:

But if the tape prices are any indication of Trycho’s general pricing level it might be worth looking around or contacting Otari for dealers.

Nonetheless it is good to see the demand finally nudged them back into a limited production. I think it's great.

The “Good old days” sure are costly to resurrect though. I guess maybe too many people said they would give an arm and a leg to see analog make a comeback and the deck manufacturers (Being Japanese) and the tape makers (being Dutch) didn’t pick up on it as a figure of speech. :p
 
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Yup, amazing news to be sure. Here's the email I received from the trycho people:

Hello Daniel,

Thank you for your note and your comments. As you can now see from our Otari page, we have included some exciting new product variations. We now offer two versions of the Stereo mixdown recorders, two versions of the four track machines (choice of quarter inch or half inch) and the long awaited return of the half inch 8 track machine. All new of course! We also have some exciting news coming down the analog pike, tentatively at the end of the year. As an FYI, there will be a price increase on these new machines at some point during the year. Demand for the multitrack versions is at a very high level, so if you're considering a new machine, you may wish to contact us regarding the wait list.

We offer complete setup and operation integration of analog and digital gear for our customers as we've been involved in the recording studio setup biz for three decades. If it's analog or digital, we know it.

By the way, if you wish to forward the pdf info you have, we'll see if we can integrate it. Otari Japan won't have new jpgs etc for a while yet. We'll hope to have a better set of detailed specs, pictures, manuals online in the future (especially for the benefit of folks who are currently buyiing these new machines and are in many cases experiencing the integration of analog recorders into digital rigs for the first time). Thank you again for your interest.

Steve Kern
sales@trycho.com
1-800-543-8988
 
ofajen said:
I hope you feel better after your rant. That hasn't been my experience at all.

As always, eveyone's experience level is unique and it really matters too how a person views their situation and handles things or what one feels comfortable with.

The stuff in the Otari literature about bad experiences with used machines is just what I'd expect from someone wanting to sell new machines, but thankfully not everyone has that experience.

No, I think it was pretty dead on, the "bad experiences" part and, ok, they exaggerated a bit, like the "135 owners" part, for example, to underscore a point but other than that, it's a true description of a typical buyer, more or less. Sure, not everyone has that experience behind them but I bet you many more people can relate to it than you think.
 
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ofajen said:
I've used Otari machines and they are decent enough, but I prefer the sound of machines that use transformers on input and output. That's my preference. The main comment I have is that buying older machines can be viable.

If we were discussing brand new machines or ones completely restored then fine but nothing can compare with brand new, recently made machines. That part about transformers is a moot point in light of this, at least to me.

Anyone who's heard an OTARI MX-5050 series and I have, was floored by the experience. To say "decent", which can also mean "adequate" and "fair" is pretty misleading.

Yes, buying older machines can be a viable alternative but only if you know what you're getting into. Most people don't.
 
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Trycho said:
"As an FYI, there will be a price increase on these ________ at some point during the year."

Something to watch to be sure, but be careful there pilgrim... the above quote from Trycho was first uttered by an Arab trader in 1500 BC. :)
 
cjacek said:
Anyone who's heard an OTARI MX-5050 series and I have, was floored by the experience. To say "decent", which can also mean "adequate" and "fair" is pretty misleading.

By decent, I mean Otari wide track decks are viable, pro machines. In fact, I was considering buying an Otari 1" 8 track when I chose to buy the 3M M-56 8 track instead.

On an older machine, if the PSU is working well, the tape path components are in good shape and the electronics have been recapped and upgraded, if needed, it should be fully up to new machine specs. I don't see the justification in paying for the depreciation of a new machine. But that's just me.

Speaking of spending the $6000 the new Otari 4-track would go for, someone just spent $5900 for an M-79 8 track from a rebuilding shop. This M79 8 track included a complete rebuild with special audio electronics, transformer ins and outs, re-milled deck chassis, new higher torque precision motors, ceramic tape guides, all new bearings/pucks and adjustable reversing idler, special FET remote with locator. New mahogany case & locking wheels, as well as 2" tape width with a 2" 8 track head block and heads. Now I could see spending about $6000 on that.

Cheers,

Otto
 
ofajen said:
On an older machine, if the PSU is working well, the tape path components are in good shape and the electronics have been recapped and upgraded, if needed, it should be fully up to new machine specs. I don't see the justification in paying for the depreciation of a new machine. But that's just me.

Speaking of spending the $6000 the new Otari 4-track would go for, someone just spent $5900 for an M-79 8 track from a rebuilding shop. This M79 8 track included a complete rebuild with special audio electronics, transformer ins and outs, re-milled deck chassis, new higher torque precision motors, ceramic tape guides, all new bearings/pucks and adjustable reversing idler, special FET remote with locator. New mahogany case & locking wheels, as well as 2" tape width with a 2" 8 track head block and heads. Now I could see spending about $6000 on that.

That's wonderful but, on the other hand, you're in a completely different league than many of the people that post here. The majority simply cannot and will never relate to your neatly laid out and deceptively simple example. Looks only great on paper, for the typical home recordist.

It's not about depreciation but rather buying peace of mind and getting brand new machine performance for decades to come. Figure 20 - 30 years of regular and typical use (caps, in the real world, can last 30 - 40 years), with perhaps a relap or two and maybe a change of heads once, provided the Otari is well taken care of otherwise and you're getting a brand spankin' new machine, with all the typical perks that only a new recorder comes with, for about 20 bucks per month, for life. That's how I look at it and have no problem with shelling out the bucks. It's a long term, headache free investment in your musical future.

If one has the budget, I say go for a brand new recorder and don't look back because, believe me, it's not a pretty scene otherwise.
 
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And here I was minding my own business, perfectly content with my TSR-8. Now thanks to you two I have to start thinking about a new Otari or a wider track classic M-79 with ceramic capstan. :D

This is good though… this is a sign of a healthy analog community when we can set aside our analog vs. digital differences and dig into a good old-fashioned analog vs. analog one… just like the old days. :p

The more diverse our approaches, the more viable we are as a species (borrowing a bit from biology here, but I think it'll do).

Dan will check out the new stuff, Otto will hotrod the classic 79’s for the same price or less, and I will hold down the fort Keeping my TASCAMs running with paper clips and duct tape. Together we will keep analog in all its glory alive into the foreseeable future…. Amen?

And I'm sure we can all agree any of the above would be better than the alternative, eh? :)
 

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Beck said:
And here I was minding my own business, perfectly content with my TSR-8. Now thanks to you two I have to start thinking about a new Otari or a wider track classic M-79 with ceramic capstan. :D

This is good though… this is a sign of a healthy analog community when we can set aside our analog vs. digital differences and dig into a good old-fashioned analog vs. analog one… just like the old days. :p

The more diverse our approaches, the more viable we are as a species (borrowing a bit from biology here, but I think it'll do).

Dan will check out the new stuff, Otto will hotrod the classic 79’s for the same price or less, and I will hold down the fort Keeping my TASCAMs running with paper clips and duct tape. Together we will keep analog in all its glory alive into the foreseeable future…. Amen?

And I'm sure we can all agree any of the above would be better than the alternative, eh? :)

Agreed on all counts! I was just going to add that in Dan's situation, or Otari would not be building these new machines. I'd like to see them build a new wide track 8, too!

Cheers,

Otto
 
Actually, I would be completely satisfied with an M-79 1" 8 track for my studio. That format is plenty quiet and far cheaper. It probably will need to have 2" capstan, rollers and idler, because those are still made and available, while the 1" parts are no longer made and very hard to find.

Turns out the guy who paid $6000 or so for the rebuild on the 2" 8 track had bought his own 2" head stack and paid about that much for it (which is actually fairly cheap), so the whole machine cost about $12K, which is about what I would have expected.

The thing I'm really more interested in pursuing at the moment is a portable multitrack recorder. Four tracks would probably be enough. About the best tape option I can come up with at the moment is fixing up my rack mount M-23 to be either a 2-track or 4-track by getting a 4-track headstack and 2 more electronics channels. I suppose an Otari 1/2" 4 track would be another option for me to check out.

Cheers,

Otto
 
Beck said:
And here I was minding my own business, perfectly content with my TSR-8. Now thanks to you two I have to start thinking about a new Otari or a wider track classic M-79 with ceramic capstan. :D
Same here. I've just come into some money so I could technically afford it, although keeping it as savings would probably be a far better idea, the prospect of getting a brand new 5050-8 is a tempting one.
 
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