John C,
Might I ask how things are coming along with the Studer Revox PR99? Tell me please John, do you have the MK 1, 2 or 3? I have been looking at a MK 2 because of some updates from the 1 and its digital readout.
Does this machine have an easy means of switching beteen NAB and IEC? I wold also be interested in whether you've already purchased another deck? Thanks much John. I really appreciate you're sharing with me.
Bob W.
Hi Bob. I purchased a PR99 Mk.II. It does NOT have an "easy" way to switch between IEC and NAB eq, although it isn't that hard: the PR99 has cards that fit into a main bus for all the major electronics (e.g., repro amp, line output amp, input amp, record amp, sync amp, etc.). Changing to IEC eq requires taking off the back cover, taking out the NAB repro amp card and popping in an IEC card, which takes about 10 minutes. Eventually, I'll probably use this deck with the external Bottlehead Seduction tape head amp, but right now I'm still getting it in tip top mechanical and electrical shape.
I did buy a second deck, a Tascam BR20 (the successor to the Model 32). It DOES have switchable eq. and will be the deck I'll use for the Tape Project tapes initially. The one I got appears almost new - the heads didn't even have a shiny spot across the gap. I checked out the electronics and mechanics, and it seems to be virtually perfect in all respects.
Both machines have the digital readout (an "autolocator" is what it seems to be called); the BR20 has the advantage of being able to store 3 different memory locations in addition to return-to-zero. I've done some test recordings on both, and I think that I like the sound of the PR99 a hair better than the BR20, but Doc's external repro amp will likely put both of them to shame.
John C.