Please recomend a good mixdown deck...

  • Thread starter Thread starter Rickson Gracie
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Rickson Gracie

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i have a TSR8 with a pretty decent pro tools setup but want to be able to keep thing completely in the analog domain as well for maybe a 7 inch vinyl record i would like to make someday.

i guess i would need something like a 1/4 inch two track that is readily available on ebay. i would like to keep my expenses low if i could:)
 
15ips 1/4" rack mountable vertical type machine I'd say. 7 1/2ips are common and cheap but usually consumer rather than pro. I think most here would say if you're going reel then go 15ips. So a Revox B77 or PR99, Otari 50-50, Tascams 32's-42's et-al. I'm sure others will chime in with their preferences for you so you should ge a comprehensive view from us.

All would do the job nicely. Sometimes you see the bigger horizontal type Studers and Otaris (they can go 30ips and 1/2") going cheap but you have to have the room for them. I'd love one and a 1/4" Otari 30ips machine went on eBay here a couple of weeks ago for $150 but I just didn't have the room for it. They'd probably be an overkill off a 1/2" TSR-8 though.

We track our band live to our Revox PR99 two track then master it off to our Otari 50-50 two track for vinyl cutting and cassette dubbing, all at 15ips +4db. It all works nicely for us.

Usual advice with carefully checking that the heads are okay before you part with your dosh - or buy from a bonafide source that you trust if you're using a merchant. Then again, I'm sure you know that already.

As an aside, my first reel machine was a TSR-8 which I upgraded to an MSR-16. I wish I still had that TSR, it was a honey of a machine.

Jed
 
thanks for the info - i just found a 22-2 locally on craigslist and im awaiting his reply to my email.

how does that compare to the models youve mentioned?
 
The 22 series was like a more consumer-grade 30-series...comparable to the 32, but maximum reel size is 7 inch...electronics are a little different, but all in all the 22 is kind of a sleeper IMO...meaning it is underrated. Not sure if it'll do 15ips...can't remember. Anybody?

What are they asking for it?

Don't forget about the BR-20...can't wait to get mine going...last half-track made by Tascam...the market seems to be around $300 for a BR-20...dunno what your budget is, but add it to your list.
 
The 22-2 has 7-1/2 and 15 speed, sweetbeats is right it's a good model for 7 inch size.
In my book same sound as the bigger 32 models.;)
 
As far as I know, the 22 does do 15ips, but you'll only get about 16 minutes of recording time. For a full album at normal 15ips speed, you need two reels of 10.5" tape, which won't fit on the '22.

The '32 is essentially the big version.
 
here is the ad:

"tascam 22-2 great reel to reel. 2 channel recorder mix-down/mastering deck, works perfectly. uses 7" reels or 5" reels in excellent condition, will include 1 sealed reel tape and one take - up reel

asking 140.00 obo "

so if i get this will i be hoping for something better in the future? should i be looking for 1/2 inch instead? im thinking about offering $100

thanks:)
 
he also has a mint Pioneer RT-701 deck for $150 that he says is better than the Tascam but I dont know anything about that one.
 
Rickson Gracie said:
here is the ad:
so if i get this will i be hoping for something better in the future? should i be looking for 1/2 inch instead? im thinking about offering $100
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I don't know what kind of music you're doing, but if you are into art-rock do be aware that you won't be able to mix a 16+ minute track on that machine unless it's done in low speed mode. The longest track I've ever done is about 26 minutes.

Also, you won't be able to buy 'hub' format tape, which is cheaper - for those, you need a 10.5" capable machine to spool it onto empty 7" reels. It could be done by hand I suppose, but ugh...

As for 1/2", I look at it like this... if 1/4" was good enough for Dark Side of the Moon, it should be good enough for you :D
 
yeah most of my songs are around 3 minutes long so im not too worried about that. OK so 1/4 inch should be fine:)

im going today to go look at it. i will offer him $100. thanks for your help.
 
jedblue said:
Sometimes you see the bigger horizontal type Studers and Otaris (they can go 30ips and 1/2") going cheap but you have to have the room for them. I'd love one and a 1/4" Otari 30ips machine went on eBay here a couple of weeks ago for $150 but I just didn't have the room for it. They'd probably be an overkill off a 1/2" TSR-8 though.

I wish I still had that TSR, it was a honey of a machine.

Jed
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If you read Beck’s post at the end of this thread https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=249218 regarding the track tape width per channel of the TSR-8 compared to 24 track 2” machines you might be surprised!

Personally I much prefer the sound of 16 track 2" to 24 track 2" but that might be controversal!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Rickson Gracie said:
he also has a mint Pioneer RT-701 deck for $150 that he says is better than the Tascam but I dont know anything about that one.
Click to expand...
Pioneer RT-701 is a four track two stereo deck (quarter track), not a half track, and has two speeds, 3.75 and 7.5 ips. The RT-707 is the same but it has another head for reverse playback and EQ and BIAS switches, and the RT-701 doesn't have them.
 
What's wrong with the TSR-8 as a mixdown deck? I use mine for that and I've mastered a few songs to tape on it as well.
 
$140 isn't bad for the 22. What does he want for the RT-701? Those are very nice sounding decks, and you may find it works fine as a two-track mixdown deck - I have used my RT-707 many times over the years for the purpose. I can also recommend the Tascam 32-42 series. I DON'T recommend the Revox PR-99, that unit was really designed as a playback deck for radio stations and I really was unimpressed with the recorded sound. YMMV, as we all have different ears and different preferences. If you do end up with that Pioneer RT-701 let me know I can get you the Owner's manual and service manuals.


AK
 
analogkid said:
$140 isn't bad for the 22. What does he want for the RT-701? Those are very nice sounding decks, and you may find it works fine as a two-track mixdown deck - I have used my RT-707 many times over the years for the purpose. I can also recommend the Tascam 32-42 series. I DON'T recommend the Revox PR-99, that unit was really designed as a playback deck for radio stations and I really was unimpressed with the recorded sound. YMMV, as we all have different ears and different preferences. If you do end up with that Pioneer RT-701 let me know I can get you the Owner's manual and service manuals.


AK
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He wanted $150 for the Pioneer but the fact that it was only 7.5 ips and i wasnt really sure of how the tracks worked so i passed on it.

BUT i went there to pick up the 22-2 and i guess on my way there he set it up to show me that it works and the output was a whiny hum that almost sounded like a motorcycle when the output knob is turned.

he said that something might of spilled on it when he wasnt home.

he ended up giving it to me for free for my troubles.

i am about to open it up to see if i notice anything amiss inside.

anyone have any ideas what could be wrong with it??

thanks
 
analogkid said:
$140 isn't bad for the 22. What does he want for the RT-701? Those are very nice sounding decks, and you may find it works fine as a two-track mixdown deck - I have used my RT-707 many times over the years for the purpose. I can also recommend the Tascam 32-42 series. I DON'T recommend the Revox PR-99, that unit was really designed as a playback deck for radio stations and I really was unimpressed with the recorded sound. YMMV, as we all have different ears and different preferences. If you do end up with that Pioneer RT-701 let me know I can get you the Owner's manual and service manuals.


AK
Click to expand...

Ah, sorry analogkid but the Revox PR99 was a pro market targeted +4db balanced IO version of the Revox B77. Their reputation, as with most of the Studer / Revox kit, is not as you describe. There was a playback version only of the PR99 that was clearly designed for playback only but the great majority of them were recorder / reproducers.

Maybe you just heard a bad deck? I surely wouldn't write them off.

Jed
 
i took he 22-2 apart and noticed that dust on the circuit boards looked like they might have had a spill on it but i didnt notice anything too bad. i couldnt get to the bottom boards.

i tested it again using the headphone jack and i even recorded a little with a mic and it worked for about a minute or so then the bad sound came back. no matter what switch i pressed (besides power) the noise stays and the meters show the noise as well. like i said when i move the output knob the noise changes sounding like a mororcycle engine.

i would really like to get this to work:) any help is appreciated.
 
Record the sound and post a clip for us to hear. Bad caps make noise, PS make noise - let's hear it.

Oh, Congradts on the deck! Might not bee to hard to fix...

-Ethan

PS you said that it is in both channels?

Rickson Gracie said:
i took he 22-2 apart and noticed that dust on the circuit boards looked like they might have had a spill on it but i didnt notice anything too bad. i couldnt get to the bottom boards.

i tested it again using the headphone jack and i even recorded a little with a mic and it worked for about a minute or so then the bad sound came back. no matter what switch i pressed (besides power) the noise stays and the meters show the noise as well. like i said when i move the output knob the noise changes sounding like a mororcycle engine.

i would really like to get this to work:) any help is appreciated.
Click to expand...
 
mamm7215 said:
What's wrong with the TSR-8 as a mixdown deck? I use mine for that and I've mastered a few songs to tape on it as well.
Click to expand...

The problem with a tsr 8 for a mixdown deck is that you are not going to be able to send the tape somewhere for mastering or duplication.

And the tascam 22-2 is a nice no frills mixdown machine that can be had cheap. They are light and easy to handle. Parts are not that hard to find and the tape is cheap for it. And most of all they sound great!
 
Wow! That was really nice of the guy to give it away!

Yeah, that's right...the 22 has most of what the 32 has except the larger reel capability.

you did good, and hopefully together we can get it working right for you. ;)
 
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