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Otari or Technics Reel-to-Reel ?

Hi.
I am thinking about getting one of those in the future. I am sure I would want Studer but they are too expensive for me. I want the deck to be able to record on 7.5 and 15 and to play on 3.75, 7.5 and 15, both half-track and quater-track tapes.
I would be recording from vinyl making compilations and listening to studio recordings whenever I could get them.
I would be prepared to pay to have it properly cleaned aligned and calibrated.
I actually never delt with RTR, but in my heart I am a tape man not vinyl man.
What would your recommendations and advice be? I would appreciate any input based on knowledge and experience.
inna
dopogue
1,773 posts
 
Good thinking, Inna. Except that those Last tapeproducts are, to me, ungodly expensive. I have both and reserve them for stuff like fixing squealing tapes. Which is not to say they don't work.

Incidentally, in my Otari comments I should have noted that they apply to my own deck (Model MX-5050 BII-2) and maybe not to other models.
inna OP
7,296 posts
 
Dopogue, that's most likely the Otari that I will get.
Expensive, well, it depends on how much you need. But nothing good in this hobby is exactly inexpensive.
Servicing and shipping RTR deck will be quite expensive too.
Five years ago I sent my Nakamichi 682ZX to Willy Hermann for big service. It cost me about $650 including shipping both ways. Bought it used for $450 15 years ago. Is $1100 for fifteen years a lot? I don't think so. Otari will be more expensive , I guess, but it will sound much better! And will be more fun.
inna OP
7,296 posts
 
' Make sure you're not thinking about anything else when you record.'
This is an excellent advice, I fully agree. I do exactly that when recording. And to continue along the line - do not listen to the music while recording, just monitor, listen to later.
orpheus10
8,668 posts
 

Correction: Demagnafication is after each recording session, which will be more than one reel. Here is something that can easily slip your mind; your recorded tapes must be a good distance away from the demagnetizing process, or those tapes will be damaged by the demagnetizer. It's little things like this that require planning, meaning that you might walk through your recording session the night before.

I played some tapes this evening, and rediscovered they are well worth the effort.
inna OP
7,296 posts
 
Of course, they are worth the effort. Speaking of nights, I can only record between about 2am and 5am because this is the only time interval when the wall current is okay.
Yes, sometimes while recording, you get a tick or something in the middle of the track, then you have to re-record this track or sometimes the entire side. And sometimes, you have to figure out how to find a few extra seconds of the tape to record a particular track in particular order. Etc.
Still, it is all worth to me.
I'll keep in mind what you said about the demagnetizer, thank you.
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