Best analog 4 track. Best analog 8 track.

[eligit]

what's your guys' experience? whatever tape format that comes to mind. obviously since SQ is important 1/8inch of tape width per track would be nice.

best sounding 4 and 8 track machines are.....?

reasonable used prices are.....?

anyone?

[eligit]

bump....

nobody has anything to say about tape machines (that are not 2" 24tr)??

c'mon, i know some of you guys has some good info.....

[chetatkinsdiet]

I'll jump in....since you've not given many parameters and just asking for the best....
I'd think that an old Scully or Ampex 4 or 8 would be high on the list. If more modern is what you're looking for, then maybe an MCI or Otari would be a nice compromise....and cheaper and much easier to find.

m

[Fletcher]

ATR Service "108c"... 2" 8-track deck with Aria [designed by Dave Hill] electronics. Best sounding machine on the fvcking planet.

Next question?

[eligit]

Originally Posted by chetatkinsdiet

I'll jump in....since you've not given many parameters and just asking for the best....
I'd think that an old Scully or Ampex 4 or 8 would be high on the list. If more modern is what you're looking for, then maybe an MCI or Otari would be a nice compromise....and cheaper and much easier to find.

m

i was looking at the scully 280...but i think there are just too many issues of age/wear in general.

any particular MCI or otari you have heard good things about SQ/reliability wise?

[eligit]

Originally Posted by Fletcher

ATR Service "108c"... 2" 8-track deck with Aria [designed by Dave Hill] electronics. Best sounding machine on the fvcking planet.

Next question?

haha....ok, i should have added to "best".....not THAT best.

when i make that first million tho....

i can maybe narrow it down to 1" 8 track perhaps.

[corn55]

Fostex E-22, 2 track.

David Grisman used one on his "Tone Poems Vol. 1" acoustic album and the "Pizza Tapes" with Garcia, if you wanna hear how it sounds.

On his "Tone Poets" album he used an Ampex 2 track.

[Silvertone]

Originally Posted by corn55

Fostex E-22, 2 track.

David Grisman used one on his "Tone Poems Vol. 1" acoustic album and the "Pizza Tapes" with Garcia, if you wanna hear how it sounds.

On his "Tone Poets" album he used an Ampex 2 track.

Sorry with the Pizza Tapes, David used a 3M 1" eight track machine. Les Paul told him that was the best 8 track machine ever build. I'm also very fond of the Ampex 1" eight tracks and the later MCI/Sony 1" eight tracks.

[dbbubba]

For availabilty of parts the MCIs are still quite serviceable.
The Ampex decks might be a bit harder to find parts for.
The Sculleys I understand have many parts that are just not available any longer.

I knew some guys that had a nice 1" Studer, but I have no idea where it is now.

The MCI 1" 8 tracks are of the JH-110 series and there are lots of those around in various stages of repair as 2-track decks.
I used to use one daily, but I can't recall have different the transport is from a 1/4" or 1/2" JH-110 series transport. I am sure that most everything is the same except for thge take up and supply reel motors.
I have a few JH-110 manuals and they reference the entire JH-110 series including the 8 track decks.

Danny Brown

[eligit]

thanks for the useful info guys!!

[GPl]

Originally Posted by eligit

haha....ok, i should have added to "best".....not THAT best.

when i make that first million tho....

i can maybe narrow it down to 1" 8 track perhaps.

Millions! Instead of buying that new Car this year, treat yourself to something you'll put more hours on

[gevermil]

Scully and ampex parts are not that difficult to get .
head condition and properly set guides is my concern
I have a big junk pile going
I see 2 track ampex alot on ebone
Lots of scully 280b as well
the 280 is the older one tho
g

[eligit]

Originally Posted by GPl

Millions! Instead of buying that new Car this year, treat yourself to something you'll put more hours on

i live in NYC....don't even have use for a car...or a place to park it. ha!

still can't afford that insane ATR tape machine tho. 30K!

i'm thinking more like 1500-3000 used.

[dbbubba]

In my area (Dallas) MCI parts are more available because there were just so many of the machines down here. With the internet I guess parts fro other stuff might be easier to get.

I recently re-built a Studer A810 from stem to stearn and NO ONE and let me repeat that... NO ONE knows anything about those decks! I quit asking because I ran out of people to ask! Even the Studer people in L.A. drew a blank. Most of the Revox/Studer experts don't know that deck enough to give usefull advice. I eventually just got down with the service manual and test gear. It cost less than $30 in parts, but took hours to diagnose a lot of problems. Bad caps were causing a lot of troubles.

If you are in NYC you'll have a good chance of finding knowledgeable people on most all analog decks I bet.

Good condition guides and heads would be the big deal as long as the deck works.

Many 8 track MCIs were used in radio/TV production and got pretty heavy use.

I still think that you'll find more availabilty of parts with the MCI.
There were a jillion JH-110s buila and they are still around.
They are fairly easy to service.
They have lots of grimlins that you learn to take care of.
They replaced the Ampex (there are not that many of the ATR series because they were so expensive!) Scully went out of business, so they went out of pro use.

Good luck!

Danny Brown

[Mike Tholen]

I love the sound of these Studer J37's 1" 4track all tube.

[gevermil]

Wow , Ill bet those things sound great
Did you sync them / how do you use them ?
Nice Coho-steelhead by the way
gary

[eligit]

[QUOTE=Mike Tholen;855733]I love the sound of these Studer J37's 1" 4track all tube.

YIKES! how does the sound compare to later 8 tracks...?

the maintenance must be kind of hellish tho....considering age+tubes etc

[demonfuzz]

The Otari MX-70 (1" - 8 Track) Sounds lovely.

[Mike Tholen]

I can sync them with an oscillator.

One has been serviced by Ollie (TAB-Funkenwerk) and sounds unfvkkin' believable...

I've been mixing to it lately.

[dbbubba]

You sync them the way they did at Abbey Road?
Where you end up with seven tracks?

Danny Brown

[Mike Tholen]

Originally Posted by dbbubba

You sync them the way they did at Abbey Road?
Where you end up with seven tracks?

Danny Brown

YUP!!!

[eligit]

Originally Posted by Mike Tholen

YUP!!!

mmm 2" 7 track.....(or close to that anyway)

that must sound huge.

[Mike H]

Originally Posted by dbbubba

The Ampex decks might be a bit harder to find parts for.

You'll find ATR Services can do just about anything you need for an Ampex deck:
http://www.atrservice.com/