I just got a free R2R! Anyone record with an Akai GX-747?

[ysmgj]

Earlier today I spotted a tape machine in a small neighbourhood appliance store so I popped in to have a look,.... I started chatting to the owner about it, in my broken Japanese, and we spent about 15 minutes chatting about its functions, and how tape would have to be ordered in, and i mentioned i did some recordings every now and again, etc, etc.

Then he asked if I wanted it, to which i laughed and said I probably cant afford it.

Then says that if i have a use for it he would give it to me...... to which i told myself that i need to improve my crappy japanese so that i dont mistake people offering me free stuff.

but no, dude was serious!

so after lugging a 20kg tape machine half way across the city, on foot, ( i am going to be so sore tomorrow).... I now have a 1980's Akai GX-747 (dbx?) sitting in my living room.

What I've found out so far,...

it has a dodgy on switch but it switches on, it takes 7 1/2 ips tape, it doesnt play right now but it did in the store so maybe i banged it a little on the way, there's not a scratch on it, its got a line in and a mic in with nice fat volume knobs for both, and it just looks gorgeous. i would be quite happy just having it sit there looking pretty.

i dont know much about these machines, and from what little i've seen online, this isnt a pro studio machine, but rather a high end one, at the time.

So has anyone used one of these things to record at all?

[psykostx]

SICK!!