tape deck + pre amp recos

charlie banger · Post by **charlie banger** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:55 pm

so a chunk of change just fell into my lap and i'm looking to invest in a tape deck + decent pre amp and could use a little help...

i'm not too familiar with tape decks, but have done some work on 1/4" in the past and after doing a bit of research have my eye on a tandberg td-20a se or possibly a sony tc-880-2 if i can find one for the right price. i may bounce a few tracks on tape, but will be loading into pro tools le for the most part for the edit. i'm also interested in potentially stepping up to a 1/2" tape deck, but am not sure about the availability of tape stock. pretty sure it's going to be tough to find 1/4" tape stock as is. any thoughts on decks or stock?

as for the pre amp, i've had my heart set on a ua audio 2-610 dual channel pre and figured i would run it directly into pro tools, but now i'm thinking it's probably the analog tape sound i'm really longing for so why not save on the pre and pick up the tape deck as well. since i'll only have about 1K to spend the 2-610 is out of the question, but after reading up on the hamptone pre amps in the latest tape op gear review i'm thinking about picking up a soldering iron and putting one together, or just paying the extra $300 for assembly. not sure which i'd go for yet, but since i like color and distortion i'm guessing the hjfp2 is the one for me.

right now i'm working with a 414, a couple sm57's, and a d112 and have been focusing on recording melodies with my acoustic and fleshing them out with a bit of electric guitar backed up by an acoustic drm kit. still don't have a bass, but i've managed to work in some good pads by experimenting with alt guitar tunings etc.

k, all that being said any advice you have would be much appreciated for this aspiring musician/recording engineer.

best,
ctb

jpmorris · Post by **jpmorris** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 4:46 am

Tape stock shouldn't be a problem. RMGI, ATR and Zonal are all making 1/4" tape (though the latter is difficult to obtain outside the UK).

As for the machines, it might be an idea to obtain something a little more mainstream in terms of parts. A semi-pro deck like the Tascam 32, BR20 or the high-speed Revox B77 (or PR99) would be worth looking into. Another possibility is the Otari MX5050. Ideally you'd want a 2-track deck with 15IPS capability - all the machines I've listed fall into that category (unless you get the low-speed B77 by mistake).

charlie banger · Post by **charlie banger** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 8:51 pm

thanks for the info. did a bit more research regarding the decks you mentioned and it looks like the revox pr99 is the way to go since it seems to be the only one recording at 15 ips with stereo xlr inputs to top it off. let me know if i'm mistaken, but the others seemed to have rca inputs and a top speed of 7-1/2 ips. not sure how much difference the tape speed will make, but the xlr inputs will come in handy. now the trick is to find either the mkII or mlIII. looks like they don't last long on ebay and tend to be a bit pricey.

charlie banger · Post by **charlie banger** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 9:02 pm

if you have a moment let me know what you think of this guy...

http://cgi.ebay.com/REVOX-PR99-MK11-PRO ... dZViewItem

jpmorris · Post by **jpmorris** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 2:58 am

1/4" tape at 15ips with 2-track stereo was the standard mixdown format from something like the mid-sixties to the mid-nineties or so. 7.5 might be okay, I haven't really tried it, but 15 was the standard.

And yes, the PR99 mk2 or mk3 is probably the best plan (barring a Studer or some other large machine). The mk2 adds a digital counter and Return-To-Zero functionality, which the B77 (and PR99 mk1) lack. And yes, if you need XLR, your candidates would be the PR99, The Tascam BR20 or the Otari MX5050. I'm not sure if they're fully-balanced, though.

The machine you're looking at on Ebay seems okay from the photos. A closer shot of the heads would have been nice. It looks like they have a bit of wear - either way it might be worth getting it checked out if you spring for it. I wouldn't know anything about that seller as an individual since they're on a different continent.

It's best to collect the machine if possible, if not, this is a handy guide for packing it safely:
http://homerecording.com/bbs/showpost.p ... stcount=79

Beneficial · Post by **Beneficial** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 12:55 pm

I was in the same boat as you not too long ago. I went with a Sony/MCI JH110C 1/4" 2 track deck that runs at 7.5/15/30ips. Got the 6176 channelstrip... and have now also got the Vintech x73i. If you're going to be editing and mixing in the box... tracking through a good analog preamp to a well calibrated tape machine makes a HUGE difference. Best investment I ever made. Be prepared to possibly spend some money on having a tech go over the deck at some point if you really want a great setup.

jdm5149 · Post by **jdm5149** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 2:13 pm

hi. i'm loctaed in the bronx. i'm selling my otari mx5050 1/2" 8trk. it comes with a new pinch roller plus a spare. also a spare audio card and stand. if interested in it my # is 917-596-4228

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tape deck + pre amp recos

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