reel to reel

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barnabytweed

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hate to ask such a broad question but I'd like to buy a reel to reel to record vocal and acoustic guitar, maybe double bass aswell. what would be a decent one to get? I really know next to nothing about these machines. Is the Akai 400OD good? they seem to be a cheapish buy on ebay etc. I dont mind paying more for a good recorder. Sorry for the boring questions but if anyone can point me in the right direction I'd appreciate it,
Your faithful hound,
Barnaby Tweed
 
Dear Mr. Tweed...

Well, here's the thing...do you want a tape machine that you can record on and then take the tape to a friend's house and play on their tape machine kind of like a cassette?

There are two camps of open-reel tape machines: consumer format, and mastering format. The consumer machines are typically stereo on two sides of the tape, like a cassette...tape gets to the end of the reel and you flip the reels over and hit play and head back the other way.

That's not what folks in the studio record to or master to. Those machines record in only one direction and use the full width of the tape for either multitracking (i.e. 4, 8, 16 or 24 tracks in one direction...those are the most common formats) or for mixdown (i.e. two tracks across the full width of the tape).

Does that make sense? That Akai is a consumer format machine. You can record stereo to it but I'm not sure if you can record one track and then record another track on the second channel while listening to the first track.

Would you like to be able to multitrack?

Have you done any multitracking before? Like have you recorded to a digital portastudio type machine or to a computer?
 
The Akai 4000 is a stereo consumer-grade recorder. They're cheap and cheerful, but with two main hangups:

1. The main control system is driven by a cam shaft made of very brittle metal. If it's broken the machine will be unable to enter record or play mode and fixing it will be a very interesting challenge.

2. The 4000 doesn't have a speed switch. To change speed you have to put a little shim around the capstan which usually gets lost. The machine is only able to work at low speeds anyway.

Realistically, this is probably not the machine you're looking for. It's nice if you want to transfer recordings, or if you want a machine for casual listening (try and find the GX version with the glass heads, though). It can even be made to work as an echo unit, but it's definitely not a studio machine.

For what you're planning, a 4-track or 8-track deck is a better bet. A TASCAM 22-4, Model 34, a TEAC A3340 or something of that kind.
This does only give you four tracks, though. If you need more, you either have to start mixing the tracks together, or upgrading to an 8-track machine.

For 8-tracks, the TASCAM 388 is popular, other machines using 1/4" tape include the Fostex Model 80 and the R8. There are a number of machines using 1/2" tape (The TASCAM 38, 58 and TSR-8 spring to mind) but these are more expensive and have a higher running cost.

Note that even for a 4-track machine you will need some kind of mixer as well (only the 388 has a built-in mixer section).
Something like this would work reasonably well for an 8-track setup:
http://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/link/106344
...there is also an MG102, but it has a few too many stereo tracks for my liking.
 
I did have tascam porta studio which i used for multi tracking but now I'd like to record straight with no overdubing so I think what I need is a four channel machine? or is a two channel OK and then i have the option of overdubing two new tracks? I will have a look at the links you gave me.
Thanks for your time, Im sure im not the first to ask such basic questions, or am I?
 
i had a look at the Tascam 22-4 and Thats the sort of thing im looking for. Are these kind of machines good for recording straight into or would I need to start thinking about mixers and pre amps etc.?
 
You can't record a mic or guitar straight into a tape machine. You'll need a preamp, direct box, or a mixer.

When you start into the analog world, just accept the fact that a tape machine is only half the package. The mixer is the other half.

There are ways around it, but it's a PITA. Avoid the frustration and just plan on buying a mixer. You may get the signal in without a mixer, but how are you going to combine, level, and process all the tracks without one?
 
So, theres the mixer and the machine to think about. What about mic that wont cost the earth. A friend mentioned the akg 414 but thats out my budget. Is the tascam portastudio 424 vastly inferior?
 
Compared to eight track half-inch, yes.

Start with an SM-57 and work your way up. There are a lot of good inexpensive mics on the market. I'll let someone else recommend those to you except for the 57.
 
I bought two of those RODE NT1A large-diaphragm condensers a while back for use as drum overheads, but honestly they sound great on vocals, IMO. When I got mine they were somewhere like $179 a piece, which isn't super cheap but definitely not what a 414 would cost you...
 
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