Studer or Otari?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Muckelroy
  • Start date Start date
M

Muckelroy

Member
A band I'm in will have an opportunity to record an EP at a studio here in Austin that has both a Studer A827 2" 24 track, and an Otari MTR-90 II 2" 24 track.

2" tape is killer expensive, so we will probably be able to use some extra tapes at the studio (maybe ones that have only been used for a session or two). The plan is to track to 2", and when we're happy w/ it, dump all 24 tracks individually down to Pro Tools (I know. Sigh........) as the mixdown/mastering stage must be done with Pro-Tools. (Budget thing. I'm fighting to change that!)

But we can at least track to 2" tape, which is awesome. This will be my first time to spend more than a few hours with 2" tape in a session. Anyone here have any opinions which of the two machines are better suited?
 
Go with the Studer!! The 827 is killer!! Not that the MTR-90II is a bad machine, but Studer is the Cadillac of analog tape machines. You'll love the way it sounds and you'll love the way it works. I had a Studer A800-III about 16 years ago and it was incredible! I had replaced my old Otari MX80 with it... and was so happy I did! Have you also considered running at 15IPS? You will probably find that you'll get a better low end response then at 30IPS and you'll have twice as much tape to work with! I have done a few things from tape to ProTools and it does make a bit of a difference. But the last time I did this... about 2 1/2 years ago, I swore would be my last. Too much hassle for such a minimal (in my particular situation...) return. I'd be curious to hear what you think about it after you track. Have fun!!

P.S. Make sure the "used tape" you are using is not too old. If it is, it will "shed" and fall apart... the emulsion will flake off the backing. It will be a real mess and look like someone took a brown Crayon to the record and playback heads! It will also cause your master to be destroyed. I have used stuff up to 6 or 7 years old with no problems, but it was stored very well. Run a quick test and see before you start recording!
 
Ask the engineers at the studio...I'm sure they know best which deck is functioning the most optimally, as neither deck is a brand new, out of the box machine (which if they were, then yeah, Studer).
 
is a bad machine, but Studer is the Cadillac of analog tape machines. You'll love the

soundtips said:
Go with the Studer!! The 827 is killer!! Not that the MTR-90II is a bad machine, but Studer is the Cadillac of analog tape machines. You'll love the way it sounds and you'll love the way it works. I had a Studer A800-III about 16 years ago and it was incredible! I had replaced my old Otari MX80 with it... and was so happy I did! Have you also considered running at 15IPS? You will probably find that you'll get a better low end response then at 30IPS and you'll have twice as much tape to work with! I have done a few things from tape to ProTools and it does make a bit of a difference. But the last time I did this... about 2 1/2 years ago, I swore would be my last. Too much hassle for such a minimal (in my particular situation...) return. I'd be curious to hear what you think about it after you track. Have fun!!

P.S. Make sure the "used tape" you are using is not too old. If it is, it will "shed" and fall apart... the emulsion will flake off the backing. It will be a real mess and look like someone took a brown Crayon to the record and playback heads! It will also cause your master to be destroyed. I have used stuff up to 6 or 7 years old with no problems, but it was stored very well. Run a quick test and see before you start recording!
Click to expand...

This studio almost exclusively tracks at 15 ips with +6 dB tapes.

And I will certainly check out the tape before using it. Maybe we can even degauss it before putting it on, if they have a bulk eraser handy.
 
I'll second the "ask the folks at the studio which is better" suggestion. An Otari MTR90 with fresh heads will sound better than an A827 with heads that need relapping.
 
Raw-Tracks said:
I'll second the "ask the folks at the studio which is better" suggestion. An Otari MTR90 with fresh heads will sound better than an A827 with heads that need relapping.
Click to expand...

That is true! My Studer needed the heads to be relapped... with all the tech fees, shipping costs, etc., I spent almost $4,000.00!! My Soundcraft MKII machine actually sounded as good or better until we got this work done on the Studer!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top