Otari MX-7308 1" 8 Track Reel to Reel

[tablebeast]

I bought one of these Otari MX-7308 machines recently from a friend and I'm looking for more info about it. I'm a digital baby through and through so this would be my first serious multitrack tape machine. I have the deck with nice heads (really nice), a manual and a take up reel. I'd like to know about known issues with these decks, parts sources, reviews of sound quality, etc. Tahnks for the info. Oh, and before you ask I bought it because the rpice was so cheap I couldn't help but get it. I want to use it as the front end AND mixdown deck and weave it into my otherwise all digital setup. Thanks in advance.

Jesse

[tactics]

Otari MX 7300...Is this what you have?

[I'm Painting Again]

are they still making 1" tape?

[tablebeast]

Otari MX 7300...Is this what you have?

Yes, it looks just like that one. It says MX-7300 on one part of the machine, but then it says MX-7308 on another part. The previous owner said that parts for the two models were probably interchangeable and its a bit of a Frankenstein now. I'm just torn as to whether I should keep it or flip it and make some money. It has been used a lot in the past year and the heads are gorgeous so it may be worth the trouble if it sounds incredible. I was just curious as to experiences as the only Otari multitrack I have ever heard was the MX-5050 mkIII 1/2" 8 track. The electronics look far more advanced and if it wasn't the last peice of gear sold from this guy's studio I could have heard it set up prooperly. AAnyway, any advice, online info, parts sources, etc. would be helpful.

Jesse

[tactics]

I had one of these for a few years.Picked it up from a local studio that bought it new in the 70's and had only used it for advertising jingles and voice overs.It still had the Otari factory test sheets etc in the manual.
I ended up getting sick of having no inbuilt tape counter (mine had an external one that didnt count in seconds) on the machine and the limitations of 8 tracks.The micpres sound great on those machines.Only 1/4" inputs though.No 30 ips (Not that i would have used it anyway).
A weird mix really, a 1" 8 track machine, no 30 ips, no tape counter,1/4" mic inputs, what were they thinking when they built this deck? It's a mix of a great format/electronics without the other "professional" features you take for granted on most other multitracks.To be honest though i could analyze the arse out of this machine but in reality i had nothing but good times with it. It never broke down and always sounded good and taught me alot.
In the end i upgraded because of the need for more tracks.

[tablebeast]

Well, this one DOES have 30 ips and the same weirdo 1/4 mic pre inputs. I have an Altec 1599B with modified (more gain) 1588B mic pre modules with peerless transformer balanced inputs and direct unbalanced outputs (another mod) that I planned on using for the pre section. I figure between the two gain stages I can get a lot of different distortion characteristics. It also has balanced line inputs and outputs on the Otari so my main use was going to be for live band tracking to tape, dump to DAW and then do overdubs directly to DAW so that the tape would just be live performances. Once I'm done editing and mixing within the box I will send stem mixes out to a summing bus down and run a 2-track mix to another reel of tape, using just two channels for the mixdown (but I could also run a stereo and 5.1 surround mix to the same reel of tape). Anyway, thats the plan. One quirk about the machine is that it has one channel devoted specifically to bass guitar, someone modified it years ago and it really does kick major ass on bass, I heard a finished recording done with the deck and the bass was just monstrous.

Jesse

[Knights Who Say Neve]

Good Lord, some else owns one of these.

I have one but haven't had time to really mess with it as of yet.
Otari didn't have the manual. I just got a manual for it (one
week ago!).

Please keep me/us posted about your progress. I'll help you if
I can!

[the brill bedroom]

I've just done most of an album on the 1/2" version of that (The standard 5050 Mark 3 ) and I'd totally recommend keeping it. The resale value will probbaly lower than the potential for great sounds on your end. I did almost all the music on the 8 tracks and the instruments sound great. The only drag is that you don't have XLR inputs. Use it in conjunction with your didgital gear and you'll be very happy.

Now, what is this "limitations of 8 tracks" someone was speaking about? I haven't run in to that yet.

[Westland]

I've had a 7308 for a long time and I must say, it produces a punchy recording. Its really good for 4 piece bands. I'd put kick on Ch1, Bass on Ch 8, and the stereo drum mix across 3 and 4. That leaves 3 and 6 to bounce guitars and keys around and then use 2 and 7 to bounce background vocals down to 7, and then put the final lead vocal back on 2. Like any analog deck, the best bass response is on the 2 outside tracks, and the best treble is in the center, so this layout takes advantage of those strengths. I did add a cooling fan under the deck because i thought the capstan motor ran hot. Mine does 15 ips and 30 ips, but despite the improved s/n at 30, I really like the better, smoother bass response you get at 15 ips. The only parts failure I've had was an electrolytic in the power supply that died.

I have an 8 channel dbx 410 noise reduction that I use with it sometimes. I don't use noise reduction on those two outside bass tracks though. I don't like what companders to to bass instruments.

Back around 1990 I built a timer/counter for it, which I have improved over the years. I added a microcontroller to it in the early 2000s to make it stop on 0. This year I've decided to make these timer counters available to other 7308 owners plus I've developed an autolocator that piggybacks onto the timer/counter to allow it to search 10 timer locations, do loop playback, and punch-in punch-out operations. I'm manufacturing these this month and should make them available soon.