New song to Tape Akai MG1212

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j.harv
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New song to Tape Akai MG1212

Post by j.harv » Sun Mar 05, 2017 3:45 pm

I'm usually posting songs I do on a Tascam 388, but I recently got an Akai MG1212 12 track and just whipped this kinda sloppy song up today.

https://soundcloud.com/jasonharvey/lay- ... kai-mg1212

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markjazzbassist
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Post by markjazzbassist » Sun Mar 19, 2017 5:01 am

how do you like the akai compared to the 388? i've always been interested in them since they're contemporaries. seems like the akai's are all broken everywhere and no one wants to fix them.

j.harv
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Post by j.harv » Sun Mar 19, 2017 6:29 am

markjazzbassist wrote:how do you like the akai compared to the 388? i've always been interested in them since they're contemporaries. seems like the akai's are all broken everywhere and no one wants to fix them.
I like it. It's similar to a 388 workflow wise. The 388 will always be my main machine, but this one is fun to mess around with. Finding the tapes is the hard part. And when you do, they go for ridiculous prices. I found 3 new sealed tapes for a good price and got 5 used tapes for a reasonable price.
As for repairs, mine was not functioning when I got it. But I like to tinker so I broke out the screw driver and dived right in. The main transport problem is usually a hardened idler tire. It's an easy fix. The powersupply board has a small battery that's prone to leaking. I fixed that also.

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Post by markjazzbassist » Sun Mar 19, 2017 8:47 am

j.harv wrote:
markjazzbassist wrote:how do you like the akai compared to the 388? i've always been interested in them since they're contemporaries. seems like the akai's are all broken everywhere and no one wants to fix them.
I like it. It's similar to a 388 workflow wise. The 388 will always be my main machine, but this one is fun to mess around with. Finding the tapes is the hard part. And when you do, they go for ridiculous prices. I found 3 new sealed tapes for a good price and got 5 used tapes for a reasonable price.
As for repairs, mine was not functioning when I got it. But I like to tinker so I broke out the screw driver and dived right in. The main transport problem is usually a hardened idler tire. It's an easy fix. The powersupply board has a small battery that's prone to leaking. I fixed that also.
hmm good to know. are they 15 IPS or still 7.5? i believe the tape width is a little larger right? 1/2" but 14 tracks? so just a little wider than 388. i believe the head on those akai are built for life, like they never wear because they are super glass?

i've done a bit of research on them but that repair stuff is what has scared me off.

do you feel the bass response is similar to 388? worse or better? their specs only have 50 hz as the lowest freq whereas 388 goes to 30 hz.

j.harv
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Post by j.harv » Sun Mar 19, 2017 11:19 am

markjazzbassist wrote:
j.harv wrote:
markjazzbassist wrote:how do you like the akai compared to the 388? i've always been interested in them since they're contemporaries. seems like the akai's are all broken everywhere and no one wants to fix them.
I like it. It's similar to a 388 workflow wise. The 388 will always be my main machine, but this one is fun to mess around with. Finding the tapes is the hard part. And when you do, they go for ridiculous prices. I found 3 new sealed tapes for a good price and got 5 used tapes for a reasonable price.
As for repairs, mine was not functioning when I got it. But I like to tinker so I broke out the screw driver and dived right in. The main transport problem is usually a hardened idler tire. It's an easy fix. The powersupply board has a small battery that's prone to leaking. I fixed that also.
hmm good to know. are they 15 IPS or still 7.5? i believe the tape width is a little larger right? 1/2" but 14 tracks? so just a little wider than 388. i believe the head on those akai are built for life, like they never wear because they are super glass?

i've done a bit of research on them but that repair stuff is what has scared me off.

do you feel the bass response is similar to 388? worse or better? their specs only have 50 hz as the lowest freq whereas 388 goes to 30 hz.

It runs at either 7.5ips with the 10 minutes of recording time or 3.7ips with 20 minutes.

The bass response on the 388 is a little beefier but the Akai handles it well. The song I posted above had another mix with louder bass. I though it was too much but after hearing it again it sounds good.

Over all, it's a cool machine. And yes, 1/2 inch tape. 14 track total. 2 of the tracks are for sync tone and a control track. So you have 12 tracks to record with. You can push it into the red quite a bit without getting too much noise so you can run it pretty hot.

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markjazzbassist
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Post by markjazzbassist » Wed Mar 22, 2017 8:09 am

very cool man thansk!

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Gregg Juke
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Post by Gregg Juke » Fri Mar 24, 2017 8:51 am

Woh! Beck meets Pink Floyd! Whodda thunk it?

I like the simple texture and the contrast between the distorted vox and the harmonies. What was the vocal chain like?

This was recorded years ago in a friend's studio that had the Akai 12-track as the center-piece:

https://soundcloud.com/nocturnal-produc ... w-you-care

GJ
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Post by shedshrine » Fri Mar 24, 2017 10:48 pm

Gregg Juke wrote:Woh! Beck meets Pink Floyd!
So cool that you have one of those up and running and know how to keep it so.

As you say, new cassettes for these Akai's are basically unobtanium and expensive when found.
I have seen an article somewhere where they were talking about how to load the cassettes with fresh
1/2 inch tape as a nice option to just having to set it aside or having to tape over a treasured project.

I guess high res dubs at this point would free up cassettes with much less hassle,
as cool as a little library of 10 minute 12 track tape reels might be.

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Post by Gregg Juke » Sat Mar 25, 2017 12:34 am

Hey shed, long-time no-communicate-via-tomb;

Just a correction-- I don't have the Akai unit, the OP does. But I did post a recording made on one (in the 90's!)...

GJ
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Post by shedshrine » Sat Mar 25, 2017 3:34 am

And Hello yourself as well!

Well sir, I used your quote as an intended "plus one" of your summation of jharv's tune.
Beyond that it was always intended for Mr. Harv.

There was one of those Akai's set up right next to a Tascam 388 when I bought my 388. At the time I picked forty minutes of 8 tracks on conventional reels over 12 tracks for 10 minutes on proprietary tape cassettes, though it was an extremely cool device. It wasn't a quick decision though.

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Post by Gregg Juke » Sat Mar 25, 2017 8:37 am

That's the trouble with some of the awesome stuff by companies like Akai and Roland; all of these proprietary ancillaries.

I like the Alesis approach-- one power supply runs about 80% or more of their gear!

GJ
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j.harv
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Post by j.harv » Mon Mar 27, 2017 4:27 pm

Gregg Juke wrote:Woh! Beck meets Pink Floyd! Whodda thunk it?

I like the simple texture and the contrast between the distorted vox and the harmonies. What was the vocal chain like?

This was recorded years ago in a friend's studio that had the Akai 12-track as the center-piece:

https://soundcloud.com/nocturnal-produc ... w-you-care

GJ
Thanks.
The distorted vocals were sung through an old phone that I turned into a mic. It was plugged into a guitar POD with some drive,reverb and a touch of delay.
The other vocals were through a cheap MXL condenser going into an ART Pro MPA preamp.

I really like the sound of the recording you posted. Very clean and punchy.

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Post by Gregg Juke » Mon Mar 27, 2017 8:20 pm

Thanks to you too, my good man. I was the producer on that track, but not the artist/songwriter (a fine musician named Bruce Rounds).

Where is Cambridge, Ontario? (I suppose I could look at a map). I'm just south of Fort Erie/Niagara Falls in Buffalo, NY.

GJ
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Post by j.harv » Tue Mar 28, 2017 2:38 am

Gregg Juke wrote:Thanks to you too, my good man. I was the producer on that track, but not the artist/songwriter (a fine musician named Bruce Rounds).

Where is Cambridge, Ontario? (I suppose I could look at a map). I'm just south of Fort Erie/Niagara Falls in Buffalo, NY.

GJ
Cambridge is about an hour west of Toronto. 1 hour 20min to Niagara.

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Post by Gregg Juke » Tue Mar 28, 2017 8:49 am

Ah, love the GTA. Haven't been up there in awhile; thinking about going on a weekend with the Mrs. for some crate-digging, music venues, and probably this movie: www.icalledhimmorgan.com . I suppose I'll have to find something for my wife to enjoy as well...

GJ
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