Otari MX5050BII main speed switch

[Listens2tubes]

I say main meaning the Hi - Low switch seen through the back of the control board. The one that makes the front panel speed switch either 3 3/4ips - 7 1/2 ips or 7 1/2ips - 15ips. The rub is that when you want to change the nature if this machine from pro to sumer you are instructed to remove the back cover and switch the deck from one to the other. Well on my HD I used a chassis punch to make a 1" hole in line with switch to eliminate removing the back. Great right? Well not really. What I really want to do is make a lever that moves the switch which would pivot at the hole in the board and protrude thou the back so I can just reach back when I want to listen to a 3 3/4ips tape. I could make a prototype using plasticlay, then fab out of aluminum. The pivot could be flattened on the ends and epoxied to the back of the board. Of coarse I understand that the switching would be reversed. Seems like a good addition to the mods being done to any 5050.

Your thoughts?

[Ki Choi]

Be careful... since the deck is calibrated for one set of speeds (with trim pots)..., if you change the speed set, ideally you would need to recalibrate the machine - at least its repro section.

Ki

[Listens2tubes]

Be careful... since the deck is calibrated for one set of speeds (with trim pots)..., if you change the speed set, ideally you would need to recalibrate the machine - at least its repro section.

Ki

I would be using the Low setting to play a couple 3 3/4ips tapes once in a while. As for recording, I will mostly be 3600 ft tapes @ 15ips. So the deck will more than not be set to Hi on the control board. It's just for convenience.

[Ki Choi]

Neal,

The issue is that when the deck is calibrated with its factory default 7.5/15 ips mode - for HI speed, it will be for 15 ips and the Lo speed will be for 7.5 ips.  The moment you switch the deck into 3.25/7.5 ips mode, your HI speed is 7.5 and Lo is 3.25 ips.

The MX5050BII's EQ calibration is done by adjusting various pots for either 7.5/15 or 3.25/7.5 but not for both...
So it is mostly likely that when you play 3.25 ips tapes, you will be playing with EQ adjustments for 7.5 ips.

Ki

[Listens2tubes]

I understand that but I only have a couple tapes at 3.75ips. I actively avert 3.75 ips tapes for 7.5 ips versions. I have my machine in my system and so far have played lots of tapes with not one being 3.75, I just like having the option for times when I want to on the fly play Mahler on Angel, which is the only one I have in my collection. For the more findable 3.75 ips rock tapes I opt for rarer 7.5 when finally found. The Mahler was part of a big score way back and I had read it was a decent sounding tape at this speed, so kept it. Anyway I'm not worried about this, so why are you? I have a 5050HD you could buy and not set to Slow of you like.

Thanks Ki, for the decimals instead of fractions, I seem to have forgotten them.

[Red Grant]

Why go through all this hassle just to play low speed pre-recorded reels?

Just get yourself another low speed machine,  it's not worth the potential hassle of degraded performance and degraded reliability.

[Listens2tubes]

I've got 5 5050s 3 BII-2s no room to set up another. But! As I typed this I thought, I could finally get the Ampex F-44 Fineline up here for this purpose. Now where to put it? 8)

[Red Grant]

I've got 5 5050s 3 BII-2s no room to set up another.

Wow!   So you're a hoarder.      I only have 2 Pioneer RT-2022, and 4 Beocord 2000 deluxe as far as RTRs are concerned.   

But! As I typed this I thought, I could finally get the Ampex F-44 Fineline up here for this purpose.

F-44 is a good sounding machine, but perhaps, a little 'too loose' when it comes to bass for my ears.   Still, I can see why some might dig it, especially for non-rock, and non-classicals.

Now where to put it? 8)

Have you ever considered, IKEA STOLMEN, ISS Shelving Compression pole shelving, or Rakks Compression Poleshelvings?

[steveidosound]

Started another thread about this.
http://www.tapeproject.com/smf/index.php/topic,2200.0.html

I've got 5 5050s 3 BII-2s no room to set up another.

Wow!   So you're a hoarder.      I only have 2 Pioneer RT-2022, and 4 Beocord 2000 deluxe as far as RTRs are concerned.   

We could start a  new thread for number of R2R machines currently owned or owned in one's lifetime.
I might win the prize for sheer numbers of machines on this forum.
I actually have lost track of how many I have. Now, as to their _working_ condition, that's another story....