which reel to reel

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daddyK

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I know this thread has prob come up a 1000 times before (I have been through google - trying to find results - but to no avail)

I have about £500 ($1000)

I currently have a Tascam T38 and really really need 16 tracks to avoid bouncing down to much!

I dont have room for a studer or anything washing machine size (any one in that kind price range is prob knackered anyway)

I have been on the hunt for a 1/2" 16 track and come across a fostex B16 - what can people tell me about these? Would i be right in thinking they are belt driven? is this a problem? surely a direct drive on a E16 or G16 would be more reliable?

I Know everyone states a fostex is more electronically sound and a Tascam (MSR) more Mechanically sound - but what does that mean? If the Fostex breaks you have a nightmare to fix but if a Tascam does you can just get out a Soldering Iron

HAs anyone had both machines - What are your thoughts?

Are there any other machines i'm overlooking?

I'm recording old 60's/70's Soul & Funk

Any feed back would be greatly recieved!

Many thanks

K
 
daddyK said:
I currently have a Tascam T38 and really really need 16 tracks to avoid bouncing down to much!

I have been on the hunt for a 1/2" 16 track and come across a fostex B16 - what can people tell me about these? Would i be right in thinking they are belt driven? is this a problem? surely a direct drive on a E16 or G16 would be more reliable?
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Yes, also the B16 will be considerably older. I think an E16 or G16 is probably your best bet, although I don't have any direct experience of these machines. My reasoning is thus: the E16 has been used by a number of budget studios in the 90s to create many commerical albums, so its track record is fairly proven. It is, I've heard, impossible to get parts for, but there are a lot of the machines around so you shouldn't have too many problems getting a spare or parts machine if one of the motors dies.

You will have to be careful about the heads, though - unless you can persuade Phi Magnetics or someone to make you a compatible part (at tremendous cost), you won't be able to replace it except from another machine. Incidentally the same goes for the Tascam MSR-16 from what I've heard - CHS certainly don't stock them (and the price exceeded your total budget even when they did). This makes the 'parts' gap between Tascam and Fostex rather narrower, and remember there aren't anywhere near as many MSR16s as there are E16s and G16s.

I Know everyone states a fostex is more electronically sound and a Tascam (MSR) more Mechanically sound - but what does that mean? If the Fostex breaks you have a nightmare to fix but if a Tascam does you can just get out a Soldering Iron
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Apparently the Fostex has problems with the tension arms. If you load the tape wrong it can snatch it and bend them, or so I've read.
 
BRDTS said:
You don't show your location in your profile, so assuming you're here in the U.S-
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He said pounds, so I'm assuming he's in the UK.
 
yep I'm uk based (southeast) thanks for ur reply - its just I know of a reasonable b16 & msr but I guess I'm better off waiting for a good 'e' to turn up! - suppose I'm just impatient! I do know of a e16 with good heads but a bad motor so maybe I should try to also pick it up for the parts if I can get him down on the price! many thanks for your reponses guys! does any one else have any input or should I take it as this is the general feeling on the subject then? peace
 
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