Someone locally has a 4/2 track MKIV that has external mic preamps. The
preamps(dual 2 channel modules) are 19in and have standard ins and outs, but
is hardwired into the machine.

The preamps are also sitting vertically, really tall ya dig?

I thought the MK3 was the latest version. He's asking $400 which seems like
a decent price. I'd be using it as a mastering deck, but I'm also thinking
I'd use these 4 channels of pres as well for various purposes.

In article writes:

Someone locally has a 4/2 track MKIV that has external mic preamps. The
preamps(dual 2 channel modules) are 19in and have standard ins and outs, but
is hardwired into the machine.

The preamps are also sitting vertically, really tall ya dig?

Sounds like he's put together a kludge. There isn't room in the
overbridge rack to add anything else, so he hung them on the side
rather than just stack them on top.

Take a good look at it and see what you're really getting. Read the
markings on the chassis. Read the manual. Is it a 1/4" or 1/2"
machine? They made 5050's in both configurations, though I'm not sure
they ever made a 1/2" 4-track. There were a lot of specials, though.

$400 is an OK price. You might be getting OK mic preamps for free, or
you might e getting crap for free. I don't recall Otari ever making
stand-alone preamps, so they're almost certainly something else.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me he double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

Interesting. If you wanted to see a pic. Check this out:
http://www.nicenelly.com/images/otarimk4.jpg

That's it. According to him, it's connected via a proprietary wiring bundle.
He seems to think it's stock, but judging by your comments, and the fact
that the preamps are literally sideways, it's some odd mod.


Otari MX 5050b-IV 10" 2 or 4/trk with outboard mic pres and i.p module; can
be made into 1/2 trk new heads, exellent condition.$399.00

That's his official add for it. I'm about 1.5 hours away, so I only want to
check it out if it seems like a good deal.

Dan



"Mike Rivers" wrote in message
news:znr1081091148k@trad...

In article
writes:

Someone locally has a 4/2 track MKIV that has external mic preamps. The
preamps(dual 2 channel modules) are 19in and have standard ins and outs,
but
is hardwired into the machine.

The preamps are also sitting vertically, really tall ya dig?

Sounds like he's put together a kludge. There isn't room in the
overbridge rack to add anything else, so he hung them on the side
rather than just stack them on top.

Take a good look at it and see what you're really getting. Read the
markings on the chassis. Read the manual. Is it a 1/4" or 1/2"
machine? They made 5050's in both configurations, though I'm not sure
they ever made a 1/2" 4-track. There were a lot of specials, though.

$400 is an OK price. You might be getting OK mic preamps for free, or
you might e getting crap for free. I don't recall Otari ever making
stand-alone preamps, so they're almost certainly something else.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me he double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

In article writes:

Interesting. If you wanted to see a pic. Check this out:
http://www.nicenelly.com/images/otarimk4.jpg

That's it. According to him, it's connected via a proprietary wiring bundle.
He seems to think it's stock, but judging by your comments, and the fact
that the preamps are literally sideways, it's some odd mod.

Those aren't preamps, they're two sets of Otari 5050 record/playback
electronics. They made these machines in several different mechanical
configurations and it appears this one has the transport and
electronics in two separate cases. It might have originally been on a
floor or table mounted stand with a "bridge" that attached the
electronics assembly to the transport. The only odd thing is that he
has the rack containing the electronics standing on end on top of the
transport. You could make it look normal just by picking it up and
turning it 90 degrees. You'd want to leave a little air space for the
transport to radiate heat, since its motors are right up there at the
top.

I'm not sure they ever got to Mark IV, but it might be a Mark II-4. One
configuration was in two portable cases, so that's what you might be
looking at. Generally when it's used as a portable, the electronics are
placed next to the transport rather than above it (since they're not
tied together by anything other than the wiring harness) and I suspect
that the seller just didn't have room on his table to put the electronics
anywhere other than on top of the deck.

There was also an "integrated" four track model, the 5050-BQ, which
had all four channels of electronics on a single panel. The one you're
looking at is a typical broadcast studio machine of the 1980's.

I'm sure it's all standard Otari parts, 4 tracks on quarter-inch tape.
It's probably worth $400, but it's heavy. Since it's close enough
to pick it up, that's a good thing. It's certainly worth the trip to
look it over. In order to check it out thoroughly, though, you really
need a standard alignment tape, or at least a secondary reference tape
so you can check it for excessive head wear and gross problems. If it
needs new heads, that will cost you more than the machine. It it can
get away with a head refurbishment, that will probably be around $250,
and if it's good enough as is, that's a good deal. But you really
won't know until you run some tape through it. It would be a good idea
to have someone go along with you who knows about analog recorders and
can take some test equipment.





--
I'm really Mike Rivers )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me he double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo