My new (for me) toys

pwalters3

New member
I am an old school Engineer who hasn't recorded a note in 25 years since I left the L.A. scene and that insanity of the late 80's. I got the itch to record again and am going old school with what I remember. I am building a fully analog studio and picked up an MSR-16 and a ATR-80. I know the MSR-16 has its detractors but I had a wonderful experience with it and it is what I remember. It's in immaculate shape came out of a home studio (owner passed) Been running perfectly and sounds great since we picked it up in December. The ATR-80 we just got and it's not in as good of shape as I was hoping for but that's what you get when you buy vintage gear. My biggest issues the lack of info on this deck online, that was something I was not expecting. I have been souring the internet looking for the manual first and then a parts source second. I have a line or two working right now for both but it has been the biggest unexpected issue so far. I was looking for an Otari but the ATR-80 came up and I jumped20190320_103517.jpg20190320_103907.jpg20190320_103517.jpg20190320_103907.jpg
 
I wish you well.

Like my kids hs teacher said - you can never go home again.

Old tape is not worth the effort.

I loved tape. Used it for 45 years.
But now it is all digital. More fun fewer hassles.

Do not put money into this you can not afford to lose.
And be flexible. When it does not bring back everything you remember and hope to recapture then
say good bye fondly and go digital.
 
Nah, Digital isn't for me. These analog decks will do what I want and it will be a blast doing it

You might still want a two channel interface for mix down if you ever want to distribute.

But that Tascam looks like a really nice piece of equipment.
 
Welcome.
To hell with the detractors. ;) The msr16 is a great machine. I've done countless recordings on it as well as doing 3 commercialy released albums.
Still have one and use it, but have incorporated protools also.
In this day and age, all analog may give you some hurdles, but plenty still love it.
Artists as well as producer/engineer types.

Welcome and have fun. :D
Ps. I escaped LA too, held out a bit longer than you, but eventually escaped. :)
 
Digital like some tape deck brands promise a lot more that it delivers. There is a lot of cheap junk out there and all that digital stuff is full of low value power supplies and cheap parts just to make profit. The true Tascam died back when the good units they made stopped. Now there are just marketing people selling all this Chinese junk for high profit under the once good Tascam name. In my shop, if you want to deal with digital, you are on your own. It is also more complex to learn and can lose files very fast causing sometimes months of work to be lost. You can not convince some people that it is junk as they have to learn the hard way. Digital users and sheeple are in the same group- they probably all have I phones too.
 
Hmm........ok....so you repair tape decks for a living. So...no surprise about your disdain for the DAW world. Couldn’t disagree more......but this forum has done this dance too many times. As for your thumbs down on I phones? All cell phones are digital of course. Do you not own one? Why is the I phone such an issue?
 
Digital like some tape deck brands promise a lot more that it delivers. There is a lot of cheap junk out there and all that digital stuff is full of low value power supplies and cheap parts just to make profit. The true Tascam died back when the good units they made stopped. Now there are just marketing people selling all this Chinese junk for high profit under the once good Tascam name. In my shop, if you want to deal with digital, you are on your own. It is also more complex to learn and can lose files very fast causing sometimes months of work to be lost. You can not convince some people that it is junk as they have to learn the hard way. Digital users and sheeple are in the same group- they probably all have I phones too.

I just know that Tascam is not what it used to be.
Montebello closed down, and one year at Namm I was in the Gibson booth and they had Tascam products. Talked to the rep and he was so proud of Gibson aquiring Tascam. My reaction was more like a death sentence had been signed :D
There's plenty of old Tascam gear still in service. Time will tell how the 'new' Tascam holds up.
Just like Jaguar being aquired by Ford, I feel Tascam is now just in name, and a shell of it's former self.
 
I just know that Tascam is not what it used to be.
Montebello closed down, and one year at Namm I was in the Gibson booth and they had Tascam products. Talked to the rep and he was so proud of Gibson aquiring Tascam. My reaction was more like a death sentence had been signed :D
There's plenty of old Tascam gear still in service. Time will tell how the 'new' Tascam holds up.
Just like Jaguar being aquired by Ford, I feel Tascam is now just in name, and a shell of it's former self.

Actually I understand when Ford acquired Jaguar, it actually became a better product.
 
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