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Author Topic: otari mx5050 model ??  (Read 14575 times)

Offline chris857x

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otari mx5050 model ??
« on: May 12, 2008, 06:58:13 PM »
I was wondering if someone could help me try to identify what version of the otari mx5050 is featured in these pictures that I linked. I ordered this product recently and the previous owner is uncertain as to which model it is. Thanks.
Otari pic 1
Otari pic 2

Offline jcmusic

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Re: otari mx5050 model ??
« Reply #1 on: May 12, 2008, 09:40:38 PM »
Hi Chris I am not 100% sure, but I think it is an original MX 5050.

Jay
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Offline ironbut

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Re: otari mx5050 model ??
« Reply #2 on: May 12, 2008, 10:26:25 PM »
I'm not super familiar with Otari's but because of the counter it looks like a Mk l transport only. It could be one of the models that normally would have sat in a roll-around with a meter bridge with the record/playback electronics in the bridge. Or depending on the head configuration, they made a 4 channel 1/4 inch model that looked like that. It had a a module with the 4 channels of electronics that was free standing with those funky rubber feet too.
Mostly guessing just from the looks though.
« Last Edit: May 12, 2008, 10:46:56 PM by ironbut »
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Offline STUDER

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Re: otari mx5050 model ??
« Reply #3 on: May 14, 2008, 01:30:51 AM »

Offline ironbut

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Re: otari mx5050 model ??
« Reply #4 on: May 14, 2008, 05:56:45 PM »
I think it's more like this one;
« Last Edit: May 14, 2008, 06:24:39 PM by ironbut »
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Offline chris857x

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Re: otari mx5050 model ??
« Reply #5 on: May 14, 2008, 06:55:33 PM »
thanks for all of the help guys. Another question I have is what these weird connections are, that are on the back. I wondering how I am going to record something with it with a preamp. I thought it would have normal XLR connections but I guess I was wrong. Here are some more pics. Thanks again.

Otari 3
Otari 4

By the way, Otari is still being shipped (but should arrive tommorrow) so I can't examine it much in detail.

Offline ironbut

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Re: otari mx5050 model ??
« Reply #6 on: May 14, 2008, 07:57:57 PM »
Hey Chris, sorry to be the bearer of bad news but the label on the back of that machine does show that it's like the one in my picture (QXHD I think it is). It's a high speed 1/4" 4 channel machine and those connectors are made to hook up with the electronics package shown next to the machine in my picture. The plugs are wired to the record and playback heads so if you don't have the electronics package, you'll either have to find one or adapt another one in it's place. If you think of a turntable, that's what you have. It's a transport only and maybe the module for powering the erase head. What you need is the equivalent of a phono stage (but for tape) to equalize/increase gain the signal from the playback head. On the record end, you need the opposite plus meters to set levels, and the electronics to power the record heads.
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Offline chris857x

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Re: otari mx5050 model ??
« Reply #7 on: May 14, 2008, 10:08:47 PM »
That sucks. Do you know where I can get one of those electronic packages or where I can get one to adapt in it's place? Do they sell those anymore? Thanks.

Offline ironbut

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Re: otari mx5050 model ??
« Reply #8 on: May 14, 2008, 11:53:29 PM »
You might as well check with the person you got your half of the deck from. If the half you have is useless without the other, the other half is uselesser! Since they didn't even know the model number which was printed on the back of the machine, they probably don't even realize what the other half is. Of course the electronics package could have been lost or seriously damaged and tossed, but if the transport works, it's most likely that the other half would as well. It's all solid state and Otari's were built to take it.
If they don't have the unit, it's going to be a nightmare to find one. The picture that I posted was from a mid '70's Otari ad and I've never seen one of those decks before yours. From the configuration and timeline, it looks like it was designed to compete with the Teac 3340s which was a favorite 4 channel deck for home or small studio overdub work. It depends on how you plan to use the deck. If you wish to use it for live recording at home or a permanent location, it might be worth pursuing. If you want to listen to prerecorded tapes, the only ones that will work on that head configuration will be 4 track (Quad) recording which could be fun, but there were very few ever made. You might have to compete with collectors to buy any of these. You could have all new 1/2 track or 1/4 track heads installed but you'd still need to get a repo amp to listen to it.
If you're interested in recording, you'll need a record amp too. You may be able to adapt an old pro audio recording unit like from an Ampex 440, but you'll need 4 channels (if that's how you want to configure it) and while you can sometimes pick these up for a song (under $500 for 4) you might have to do some mods for it to interface with your deck. You may also need a power supply for them (I think it was part of the transport on 440's). Either  way, you're looking at pretty close to a grand and that's if the transport works correctly.
The best case is if you want to use it for playback only and the transport is in good shape. One of the requirements for this "best case" is that you're like me and you consider the basic machine as a jumping off point to be molded and configured the way you want it. The stock repo amp would have sounded pretty awful anyway and the heads probably need replacing too. I you don't need the record head, you could have a 1/2 track and a 1/4 track head installed with a switch to chose which head you want to listen through. As far as a repo amp goes, you could get one of Doc's repo amps, build and modify a Seduction phono amp or use one of a couple of other choices (one is to design and build your own as several on this forum have). Believe it or not, there are folks here that are looking for a way to get exactly what you have as far as a back panel connection wired directly to the playback head.
So, the most important thing is to decide how you want to use the deck. The better deck designers realize that there are lots of different applications that tape machine can be used for. If they were seriously into building tape machines and not necessarily into audio, there could be lots of different configurations ( slow speed for data/security, high speed for scientific app.'s, instrumentation recorders and the list goes on forever) and they might not be easily adapted for different purposes.
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Offline chris857x

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Re: otari mx5050 model ??
« Reply #9 on: May 15, 2008, 12:52:57 AM »
Wow, that sounds like a lot of work. I am a young audio engineer that mainly works in the digital domain and I wanted to get some exposure to how reel to reel analog machines work for recording (I know very little obviously). I was wondering why I got the unit for so cheap! :(. I emailed the seller about the other half and I am expecting his response by tomorrow. If he doesn't have the other half, then I might as well resell it to get my money back and hopefully find one that is not half missing. Thanks for all of the help though. I really appreciate it.

Offline rbwtapeinterlink-Bob

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Re: otari mx5050 model ??
« Reply #10 on: May 15, 2008, 04:14:20 PM »
Hello Sir,

I am just noticing your post. As I observe pic 1 & 2 it's obvious the electronics are missing. This is a real shame because this particular deck requires the mating electronics which includes the VU meters as well. Is this a case or fraud???? It may be that the person who sold you this unit did not know it lacked the very important electronics, however, I find it hard to believe.

Can you post the Ad that enticed you to purchase this tape deck? I am sure that some of us would be interested in seeing what it said. Sir, welcome to our family.

Bob W.
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Offline JUUD

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Re: otari mx5050 model ??
« Reply #11 on: May 15, 2008, 08:15:01 PM »
Recently, one Otari monitor set was on Ebay and ended with decent winning price. Look like the one which will work with this deck.
http://cgi.ebay.com/OTARI-PLAY-RECORD-LINE-CONTROLLER-REEL-TAPE-PLAYER_W0QQitemZ350054663436QQihZ022QQcategoryZ3278QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
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Offline ironbut

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Re: otari mx5050 model ??
« Reply #12 on: May 15, 2008, 09:23:37 PM »
No Way! Yes, it does look like the right one (has those funky rubber/block feet) but only the numbers on the back panel would say for sure. Without a service manual, it would be hard to tell if it's the exact one that Chris would need (latter models might need some adapting, but maybe not). There are lots of decent machines out there that can be had for a song if all you're looking for is an educational tool. If I were you I'd look for a refurbished unit that will be much less trouble and more plug and play than most of the decks that you'll find on eBay or other auction sites. Give these guys an email, tell them your price range and see what they can come up with. Both of them rebuild r2r decks and sometimes one will  not sell for no good reason. Both of these guys are audio pack-rats (meant in the best way, but you know what I mean,.. floor to ceiling stuff). You might be able to make a trade for the Otari transport too.
BTW, if your interested in running your mixes through analog tape for the natural compression it offers, you'll need a pretty good deck that's in excellent working order if you want good results.

http://www.vintage-electronics.cc/index.html
http://www.angelfire.com/electronic2/vintagetx/
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Offline chris857x

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Re: otari mx5050 model ??
« Reply #13 on: May 15, 2008, 09:38:05 PM »
Here is the ad that was posted on ebay:
ebay ad
When he said preamp not included, I thought he was referring to a mic preamp or something. The ad said fully functioning though.
When I asked about the other half of the unit, this was his response:
Chris, there were no amps Included when I purchased it. The transport deck only. The amps do come up for auction on eBay occasionally. Thanks.
If I were to get another deck, what would you guys recommend as a good starter reel to reel unit (2 track or 4 track @ 15ips). It would be cool to do some recording with it if it is of good quality, but I mainly want one for educational purposes if it would be cheaper. Thanks!

Offline ironbut

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Re: otari mx5050 model ??
« Reply #14 on: May 15, 2008, 10:49:00 PM »
It looks like a good buy for what it is. The major question when buying any electro-mechanical device which is at least 25 years old is it's current running order. I would guess that 75% of the open reel machines you'll find on auction sites will need some basic cleaning/replacing rubber parts and lubrication to run correctly. Just because it was running perfectly when it was boxed up and put in the attic doesn't mean much,time will have taken it's toll. Rubber gets hard or can turn into goo, grease hardens and freezes bearings or leavers and sometimes, the heads will rust. That's OK if you're like some of us who can't keep our hands out of the workings of even a perfectly working machine. That's why I'd suggest getting a deck that's been gone through already.
There are lot's of decks that make perfectly acceptable recordings. Teac's, Sony's, and Akai's are plentiful to the point that many machines can be had for under $200 when their new price may have been closer to the $5-800 mark. There are things that add to the price, high speed decks (like yours), 4 head configurations (will play 1/2track and 1/4 track) and professional features such as overdubbing capabilities. There are more 1/4 track machines out there than 1/2 track so 1/2 track can raise the price. The less tape "real estate" that is recorded onto (1/2 track 15 ips) the less tape hiss (sn ratio) and for the most part, the better the frequency response. The ability to play 10.5 inch reels raises the price quite a bit too, so if you don't plan to record at 15 ips or make long tracks you can really cut your cost by omitting that. The larger reels require a more robust transport also and a new tape is pretty expensive today.
I've never owned an Akai but there are a lot of fans of these decks out there. I still have a Teac and I can say that it's a very well built machine. There are a few Teac's that are limited to 7 inch reels that are excellent for the money. I've used an X-10 and thought it was an amazing value. I think that they also made other machines in the X series (some of their last decks) and you might be on the lookout for one. On the other hand, I think that the Sony's sound was a tad better, but there are some design features that make buying an old one more of a crapshoot.
« Last Edit: May 15, 2008, 10:52:19 PM by ironbut »
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