Question about Reel to Reel decks
- Thread starter MikeCh
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Myles B. Astor
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The Otari and the Technics are among the better prosumer machines. Problem is the prosumer machines are always hampered by the electronics that are basically on the level of '80s Japanese equipment.
The good thing about the Otari as compared to the Technics is that it comes with the two EQ curves (NAB and DIN/IEC/CCIR) you need to play back yesterdays and today's tapes. So you can play the new 15 ips/2-track tapes right away and when money and time permits, upgrade the heads, electronics, etc. That's compared to the Technics that only has NAB equalization and thus you must use outboard electronics that have NAB/IEC EQ curves.
You can sit some of the Otari mods on The Tape Project's website (http://www.tapeproject.com/machines/machines.htm).
I think the Technics 1506 (and presumably other 1500 series?) has available IEC EQ if you take the case off and look at the PCB that faces down on the bottom of the deck. In fact there are a whole bunch of record and playback EQ options there. You are still dealing with the stock electronics, though, and I think the Otari's are better. OTOH, when properly refurbished the Technics transport is probably better.
Myles B. Astor
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Have you ever taken the bottom off a Technics deck? What's inside is a nightmare! The couldn't have stuffed one more things in there if they tried!
You may be right but I can't find any mention of anything but NAB in the 1506 owner or service manual. Position 2 is NAB and 1 or 3 boost or cut the eq. But it's certainly not turn key.
It's been about 20 years since the last time, but yes I have looked at and adjusted things on the bottom of my 1506's more than once. I don't really want to do it again, but I was thinking you might, Myles?
Myles B. Astor
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It's been about 20 years since the last time, but yes I have looked at and adjusted things on the bottom of my 1506's more than once. I don't really want to do it again, but I was thinking you might, Myles?
Not any more. The electronics in my machine are totally disconnected.
I'm interested in how you did it though. From looking at the circuit board, I expect you had to change resistors. It would also seem that you could have one eq or the other but not both.
I have two decks.
One is Technics 1506 which has been modified both mechanically and electronically by Bottlehead (5 years old). All the electronics are bypassed (including the meters!) to a Bottlehead prepro which has a switch to change from NAB to CCIR EQ. When I bought my machine (toward the beginning of the Tape Project) there were really no competitive after market prepros that I knew about. Charles King, Doshi, Havilland? all came later. Bottlehead did all of the work including providing the deck. They disabled the record electronics and replaced the record and erase heads with dummies. It also has a very cool remote control so I can play, stop, ff, rewind all from my listening chair.
The second is an Otari MX-5050 BIII (not II) that I bought used, but in quite fine condition. As Myles stated, there is a switch in the back to change EQ. It also has balanced in and outputs only, with pin 3 hot - the Japanese convention, most balanced electronics are pin 2 hot. The BIII can take the standard reel hubs, while the BII is a bit of a pain to mount and dismount big reels. The mechanics were in very good shape and it came with a 2 track record and playback. I bought a replacement head block which also has a 4 track playback only. John French relapped the heads. If I need to record 2 track, then I use the Otari.
I never heard the Technics electronics so I cannot comment on those, but my Otari definitely has good enough electronics to be a starter deck for people who want to play Tape Project and the other newly recorded 15ips, 2 track tapes that are becoming more common. You can upgrade the electronics as your budget allows.
The Otaris are quite easy to get and don't have the cache of the Technics (nor do they look as nice - no fancy closed loop capstan). But they are quite sturdy and I got mine locally for less than 10% of the price I paid for the Bottlehead Technics. I saw the ad for it on the internet, but drove down with a couple of test tapes to see it and actually play it before I bought it. Many (most?) of the used tape recorders are really beaten up (the guy who sold the Otari to me had bought out the inventory of a radio station that was closing.) I think he had 4 or 5 tape recorders including a 5050 BII which was well worn. I could have bought it for $150 or so. I stuck with the BIII which was less than $500.
Not sure whether Otari is still making the 5050, but it was until a few years ago. I remember a price of about $5000, but I could be wrong.
Larry
One is Technics 1506 which has been modified both mechanically and electronically by Bottlehead (5 years old). All the electronics are bypassed (including the meters!) to a Bottlehead prepro which has a switch to change from NAB to CCIR EQ. When I bought my machine (toward the beginning of the Tape Project) there were really no competitive after market prepros that I knew about. Charles King, Doshi, Havilland? all came later. Bottlehead did all of the work including providing the deck. They disabled the record electronics and replaced the record and erase heads with dummies. It also has a very cool remote control so I can play, stop, ff, rewind all from my listening chair.
The second is an Otari MX-5050 BIII (not II) that I bought used, but in quite fine condition. As Myles stated, there is a switch in the back to change EQ. It also has balanced in and outputs only, with pin 3 hot - the Japanese convention, most balanced electronics are pin 2 hot. The BIII can take the standard reel hubs, while the BII is a bit of a pain to mount and dismount big reels. The mechanics were in very good shape and it came with a 2 track record and playback. I bought a replacement head block which also has a 4 track playback only. John French relapped the heads. If I need to record 2 track, then I use the Otari.
I never heard the Technics electronics so I cannot comment on those, but my Otari definitely has good enough electronics to be a starter deck for people who want to play Tape Project and the other newly recorded 15ips, 2 track tapes that are becoming more common. You can upgrade the electronics as your budget allows.
The Otaris are quite easy to get and don't have the cache of the Technics (nor do they look as nice - no fancy closed loop capstan). But they are quite sturdy and I got mine locally for less than 10% of the price I paid for the Bottlehead Technics. I saw the ad for it on the internet, but drove down with a couple of test tapes to see it and actually play it before I bought it. Many (most?) of the used tape recorders are really beaten up (the guy who sold the Otari to me had bought out the inventory of a radio station that was closing.) I think he had 4 or 5 tape recorders including a 5050 BII which was well worn. I could have bought it for $150 or so. I stuck with the BIII which was less than $500.
Not sure whether Otari is still making the 5050, but it was until a few years ago. I remember a price of about $5000, but I could be wrong.
Larry
One or the other not both is correct. I'm going on memory here, but IIRC there is a labeled place on the bottom of the deck with "NAB 15 ips" and an arrow, "NAB 7.5 ips" and another arrow, and the corresponding two for IEC/DIN. Needless to say, all 4 arrows pointed to different places on the PCB.
Myles B. Astor
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Interesting. I've spoken with two people who work on Technics and they haven't seen that. But one has seen pins on the bottom circuit board they hypothesize might be for EQ cards to be added.
I'll try and reach Jeff Jacobs to see if he has any insight on the matter because it's not noted on the machine's schematics.
