1/2 Track Deck With a 1/4 Track Head Too

[e.maynard]

Hello.

I'd like to pick up a 1/4" half track that has a quarter track head as
well. I think the Technics 1500's had that... right? Are there others?
I'd like it for transfers and as a 2 mix deck for some things.


Many thanks for your help

[Scott Dorsey]

e.maynard > wrote:
>
>I'd like to pick up a 1/4" half track that has a quarter track head as
>well. I think the Technics 1500's had that... right? Are there others?

Any machine with interchangeable headstacks can be configured this way,
although it might take some additional money to have a quarter track
stack made up for you.

>I'd like it for transfers and as a 2 mix deck for some things.

What is your budget and is playback or record performance more important?
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Mike Rivers]

e.maynard wrote:

> I'd like to pick up a 1/4" half track that has a quarter track head as
> well. I think the Technics 1500's had that... right? Are there others?

Lots. You could get an Otari MX-5050 that way, and I have an Ampex
AG-445 (playback only version of the AG-440) and Otair MX-55, and a
TEAC 6100 all of which have both half-track with switchable quarter
track heads. The TASCAM 25-2 (same as the Ampex ATR-700 and TEAC 7300)
also had a second playback head.

The Technics 1500 series was most common as a quarter-track version
with half-track playback but there were some made wiht half-track
record heads. That's a very good transport - low flutter and gentle at
handling tape, but the electronics are so-so. If you're looking at
using it for mixdown, I'd look for an Ampex AG-440 or better.

[e.maynard]

Scott Dorsey wrote:
> e.maynard > wrote:
>> I'd like to pick up a 1/4" half track that has a quarter track head as
>> well. I think the Technics 1500's had that... right? Are there others?
>
> Any machine with interchangeable headstacks can be configured this way,
> although it might take some additional money to have a quarter track
> stack made up for you.
>
>> I'd like it for transfers and as a 2 mix deck for some things.
>
> What is your budget and is playback or record performance more important?
> --scott



Record performance would be more important. Many of the older recordings
I need to transfer were done on Akai GX-4000 type consumer decks. But as
I got to looking around for a deck to transfer all of this stuff, the
tape sentimentality kicked in and I got to wondering how some of my
mixes might fare coming off my console into a 1/4" half track at 15ips.

I don't have the space for a huge machine. Will I pay a penalty
sonically for the smaller machines?

[e.maynard]

Mike Rivers wrote:
> e.maynard wrote:
>
>> I'd like to pick up a 1/4" half track that has a quarter track head as
>> well. I think the Technics 1500's had that... right? Are there others?
>
> Lots. You could get an Otari MX-5050 that way, and I have an Ampex
> AG-445 (playback only version of the AG-440) and Otair MX-55, and a
> TEAC 6100 all of which have both half-track with switchable quarter
> track heads. The TASCAM 25-2 (same as the Ampex ATR-700 and TEAC 7300)
> also had a second playback head.
>
> The Technics 1500 series was most common as a quarter-track version
> with half-track playback but there were some made wiht half-track
> record heads. That's a very good transport - low flutter and gentle at
> handling tape, but the electronics are so-so. If you're looking at
> using it for mixdown, I'd look for an Ampex AG-440 or better.
>


I've found a TEAC A-7300 2 Track for sale. What would you think it's
worth? (It's a "Make Offer" type deal).

[Harry Lavo]

"e.maynard" > wrote in message
link.net...
> Hello.
>
> I'd like to pick up a 1/4" half track that has a quarter track head as
> well. I think the Technics 1500's had that... right? Are there others? I'd
> like it for transfers and as a 2 mix deck for some things.

Teac 7030, 7030SL

7.5-15ips, 2-track 1/4" rec-playback, 4-track 1/4" playback.
Measured freq response: 35-23,000hz -2db.at 15ips; 30-20,000hz at 7.5ips.
S/N about 60db 15ips; 58db 7.5ips.

[Roy W. Rising]

"e.maynard" > wrote:
> Hello.
>
> I'd like to pick up a 1/4" half track that has a quarter track head as
> well. I think the Technics 1500's had that... right? Are there others?
> I'd like it for transfers and as a 2 mix deck for some things.
>
> Many thanks for your help

Look around for an Ampex ATR-700. It's a 2x Half Track format with an
added 1/4 Track playback head. There's a switch on the back of the head
cover. It also has switches for track 1 and track 2 "sync/repro".

It was near the end of the line for Ampex audio tape recorders. Ampex
designed it and Tascam built it. It's the same as the Teac 7030 and Tascam
25-2. In all, it's a very nice machine.

--
~ Roy
"It's NOT the mic, it's NOT the preamp!"

[Harry Lavo]

"Roy W. Rising" > wrote in message
...
> "e.maynard" > wrote:
>> Hello.
>>
>> I'd like to pick up a 1/4" half track that has a quarter track head as
>> well. I think the Technics 1500's had that... right? Are there others?
>> I'd like it for transfers and as a 2 mix deck for some things.
>>
>> Many thanks for your help
>
> Look around for an Ampex ATR-700. It's a 2x Half Track format with an
> added 1/4 Track playback head. There's a switch on the back of the head
> cover. It also has switches for track 1 and track 2 "sync/repro".
>
> It was near the end of the line for Ampex audio tape recorders. Ampex
> designed it and Tascam built it. It's the same as the Teac 7030 and
> Tascam
> 25-2. In all, it's a very nice machine.

Right, forgot about that one. It has same indestructible mechanics as the
Teac, but with better electronics. Good choice, but pretty rare...even on
eBay.

[Scott Dorsey]

e.maynard > wrote:
>
>Record performance would be more important. Many of the older recordings
>I need to transfer were done on Akai GX-4000 type consumer decks. But as
>I got to looking around for a deck to transfer all of this stuff, the
>tape sentimentality kicked in and I got to wondering how some of my
>mixes might fare coming off my console into a 1/4" half track at 15ips.

I would tend to recommend something like an Ampex 440, if you can find one
in good condition. The 440 can be found in a rollaround cabinet which takes
up a lot of space, but it also can be rackmounted into a shallow rack. This
makes editing a lot more difficult but it will save a lot of space.

>I don't have the space for a huge machine. Will I pay a penalty
>sonically for the smaller machines?

You'll pay either sonically or financially.. the smaller high grade machines
are a whole lot more expensive than the larger ones for the most part.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Scott Dorsey]

In article >,
Harry Lavo > wrote:
>
>"e.maynard" > wrote in message
link.net...
>> Hello.
>>
>> I'd like to pick up a 1/4" half track that has a quarter track head as
>> well. I think the Technics 1500's had that... right? Are there others? I'd
>> like it for transfers and as a 2 mix deck for some things.
>
>Teac 7030, 7030SL
>
>7.5-15ips, 2-track 1/4" rec-playback, 4-track 1/4" playback.
>Measured freq response: 35-23,000hz -2db.at 15ips; 30-20,000hz at 7.5ips.
>S/N about 60db 15ips; 58db 7.5ips.

The thing is, with machines of this age and quality, it's not worth putting
a couple thousand dollars into cleaning up a machine that is worth a couple
hundred at most in good shape.

And a lot of these machines have not been well-kept. You need to make the
measurements on the actual machine you want to buy. See that the heads are
in good shape. Expect to replace the pinch roller and all rubber parts and
on Tascam gear of this era probably do some resoldering work on the PC boards.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Rick Ruskin]

On 30 Jan 2007 18:17:40 GMT, Roy W. Rising >
wrote:


>
>Look around for an Ampex ATR-700. It's a 2x Half Track format with an
>added 1/4 Track playback head. There's a switch on the back of the head
>cover. It also has switches for track 1 and track 2 "sync/repro".
>
>It was near the end of the line for Ampex audio tape recorders. Ampex
>designed it and Tascam built it. It's the same as the Teac 7030 and Tascam
>25-2. In all, it's a very nice machine.

Actually, Tascam designed it. Their deal with Ampex was that they
wouldn't make the same machine as the ATR 700 so the 25-2 went away
and the Tascam 35-2 was introduced. I've had both and the 25-2 is a
far better machine.



Rick Ruskin
Lion Dog Music - Seattle WA
http://liondogmusic.com

[Mike Rivers]

e.maynard wrote:

> I've found a TEAC A-7300 2 Track for sale. What would you think it's
> worth? (It's a "Make Offer" type deal).

That's a tough call. The seller probably can't get any offers. So
either he'll take $150 (a fair, even rather generous offer) or he'll
decide that if that's all he can get for it he'll keep it until he
dies and his estate hauls it away. But unless it's close enough for
you to pick up, you'll take a big hit in shipping and a big risk that
the seller doesn't know how to pack it.

And before you decide that it's worth anything at all, you should get
some confidence that at least the heads are in decent shape. They can
be refurbished or replaced, but that will cost more than you should be
paying for the machine. This involves running a standard test tape on
it and checking the frequency response and stability.

[e.maynard]

Rick Ruskin wrote:
> On 30 Jan 2007 18:17:40 GMT, Roy W. Rising >
> wrote:
>
>
>> Look around for an Ampex ATR-700. It's a 2x Half Track format with an
>> added 1/4 Track playback head. There's a switch on the back of the head
>> cover. It also has switches for track 1 and track 2 "sync/repro".
>>
>> It was near the end of the line for Ampex audio tape recorders. Ampex
>> designed it and Tascam built it. It's the same as the Teac 7030 and Tascam
>> 25-2. In all, it's a very nice machine.
>
> Actually, Tascam designed it. Their deal with Ampex was that they
> wouldn't make the same machine as the ATR 700 so the 25-2 went away
> and the Tascam 35-2 was introduced. I've had both and the 25-2 is a
> far better machine.
>
>
>
> Rick Ruskin
> Lion Dog Music - Seattle WA
> http://liondogmusic.com




Where does the Otari MX-5050 fit into the scenario sonically?
The 1/4" machines seem to come with the half track & quarter track
playback heads.

[Scott Dorsey]

e.maynard > wrote:
>Where does the Otari MX-5050 fit into the scenario sonically?
>The 1/4" machines seem to come with the half track & quarter track
>playback heads.

I believe that there are actually three very different machines which
are all called the MX-5050. However, if you have the room for a 5050,
a JH-110 or Ampex 440 isn't much larger.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Harry Lavo]

"Scott Dorsey" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> Harry Lavo > wrote:
>>
>>"e.maynard" > wrote in message
link.net...
>>> Hello.
>>>
>>> I'd like to pick up a 1/4" half track that has a quarter track head as
>>> well. I think the Technics 1500's had that... right? Are there others?
>>> I'd
>>> like it for transfers and as a 2 mix deck for some things.
>>
>>Teac 7030, 7030SL
>>
>>7.5-15ips, 2-track 1/4" rec-playback, 4-track 1/4" playback.
>>Measured freq response: 35-23,000hz -2db.at 15ips; 30-20,000hz at 7.5ips.
>>S/N about 60db 15ips; 58db 7.5ips.
>
> The thing is, with machines of this age and quality, it's not worth
> putting
> a couple thousand dollars into cleaning up a machine that is worth a
> couple
> hundred at most in good shape.
>
> And a lot of these machines have not been well-kept. You need to make the
> measurements on the actual machine you want to buy. See that the heads
> are
> in good shape. Expect to replace the pinch roller and all rubber parts
> and
> on Tascam gear of this era probably do some resoldering work on the PC
> boards.

Well, perhaps I've been lucky, but just last month I recorded on a 7030SL
that I bought in 1970, and which has sat idle several times over the last
fifteen years for two-three years at a time. The machine has never needed a
repair, and still runs and records beautifully. Dollar for dollar it may
well be the best recording investment I ever made...better even than the
Ampex 440 and Scully 280B workhorses I used to own.

[Geoley]

On Tue, 30 Jan 2007 19:33:33 -0500, Harry Lavo wrote:

>
> "Scott Dorsey" > wrote in message
> ...
>> In article >, Harry Lavo
>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>"e.maynard" > wrote in message
link.net...
>>>> Hello.
>>>>
>>>> I'd like to pick up a 1/4" half track that has a quarter track head as
>>>> well. I think the Technics 1500's had that... right? Are there others?
>>>> I'd
>>>> like it for transfers and as a 2 mix deck for some things.
>>>
>>>Teac 7030, 7030SL
>>>
>>>7.5-15ips, 2-track 1/4" rec-playback, 4-track 1/4" playback. Measured
>>>freq response: 35-23,000hz -2db.at 15ips; 30-20,000hz at 7.5ips. S/N
>>>about 60db 15ips; 58db 7.5ips.
>>
>> The thing is, with machines of this age and quality, it's not worth
>> putting
>> a couple thousand dollars into cleaning up a machine that is worth a
>> couple
>> hundred at most in good shape.
>>
>> And a lot of these machines have not been well-kept. You need to make
>> the measurements on the actual machine you want to buy. See that the
>> heads are
>> in good shape. Expect to replace the pinch roller and all rubber parts
>> and
>> on Tascam gear of this era probably do some resoldering work on the PC
>> boards.
>
> Well, perhaps I've been lucky, but just last month I recorded on a 7030SL
> that I bought in 1970, and which has sat idle several times over the last
> fifteen years for two-three years at a time. The machine has never needed
> a repair, and still runs and records beautifully. Dollar for dollar it
> may well be the best recording investment I ever made...better even than
> the Ampex 440 and Scully 280B workhorses I used to own.

I too owned a Teac 7030GSL that I bought back in 1973 and did a lot of
two track recording with no problems. I later sold it when I bought an
Otari MX5050 in 1975. I liked the fact that the Otari had balanced inputs
where the Teac had unbalanced inputs but otherwise did a fine job of
recording pipe organ music using 2 Sony C500 mics. Just my 2 cents
George

[Patric Doyle]

e.maynard wrote:
> Hello.
>
> I'd like to pick up a 1/4" half track that has a quarter track head as
> well. I think the Technics 1500's had that... right? Are there others?
> I'd like it for transfers and as a 2 mix deck for some things.
>
>
> Many thanks for your help

The Otari 5050's have a 1/4 track playback head.
They sound good and are work horses that almost
every radio station I've ever been in uses. I still
have 2 of them and they are great. The 5050B is the
one to look for. It is the Verticle standing deck.
The mkII and mkIII are horizontal decks. They
align easily with standard MRL tapes.

I still have my 5050 mkIII 8trk also. That also
has been a great machine.

[Mark & Mary Ann Weiss]

"e.maynard" > wrote in message
link.net...
> Hello.
>
> I'd like to pick up a 1/4" half track that has a quarter track head as
> well. I think the Technics 1500's had that... right? Are there others?
> I'd like it for transfers and as a 2 mix deck for some things.
>
>
> Many thanks for your help


Otari 5050BII has 2T and 4T playback heads, switch-selectable.

[Jay Kadis]

In article >,
Geoley > wrote:

[snip]

> I too owned a Teac 7030GSL that I bought back in 1973 and did a lot of
> two track recording with no problems. I later sold it when I bought an
> Otari MX5050 in 1975. I liked the fact that the Otari had balanced inputs
> where the Teac had unbalanced inputs but otherwise did a fine job of
> recording pipe organ music using 2 Sony C500 mics. Just my 2 cents
> George

You know, those XLRs on the 5050 are unbalanced. At least on the
5050BQII. And pin 3 hot to boot.

-Jay

--
x------- Jay Kadis ------- x ---- Jay's Attic Studio ----x
x Lecturer, Audio Engineer x Dexter Records x
x CCRMA, Stanford University x http://www.offbeats.com/ x
x---------- http://ccrma.stanford.edu/~jay/ ------------x