Tape Project Forum
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: uraldurusu on July 28, 2009, 06:14:58 AM
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Hello, I decided to buy a brandnew OTARI MX5050 BIII 2. I am still using a Technics RS1500US and I have many reels recorded with this machine. New OTARI machines are not equipped with NAB and DIN switch like the old versions. New ones have only one standard NAB or DIN. So which one is preferable? Thank you.
Regards.
Ural
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It depends on what you want to use the Otari for. If you have a stock 1500US, then I believe that is only NAB and not IEC. So to play TP tapes you would need an IEC (DIN) machine. That means that you would not be able to play any of your Technics recorded tapes on it, but that is why you have two machines. Also if you wanted to dub tapes from the Technics to the Otari or vice versa, then having two machines with the same EQ would be useful. Finally, if you bought a nice condition older 5050 BIII, then you would have the EQ switch and could do both. Larry
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Why TapeProject chose DIN instead of NAB what is the advantage of DIN over NAB?
Ural
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Hi Urai,
I think the better question is why the industry in general never switched from NAB?
The NAB standard was created back in the '50's and was tailored to the heads and tapes of that time. By the late 60-70's tape formulations and heads design had advanced enough that a change in eq standards would have seemed to be warranted. This is reflected in the eq standards which were designed after NAB such as IEC. There was less need for low frequency eq so it wasn't included and the center frequency and curve of the high frequency eq was changed to reflect the tape/heads and the playback equipment that was used by then (early playback gear with 15KHz extension was considered very good).
Of course, a lot of water has gone under the audio bridge since the adoption of the current IEC standard in Europe and folks like Jay McKnight have championed an even higher standard since then. This is just a gross overview but if you wish to learn more from someone that I consider the Dean of magnetic tape, read the articles that Jay has available on his website. They can be pretty technical but each time I read them, I glean a little more of what he's talking about. Well worth the effort if you really want to know what's going on with magnetic recording.
http://home.comcast.net/~mrltapes/
So, to answer your question, even though IEC still doesn't take full advantage of what current tape/hardware is capable of, it's much closer than NAB and is an accepted standard within the community.
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Actually the IEC curve is almost as old as the NAB curve. We have a little news article about why we use IEC.
http://www.tapeproject.com/March2007/March2007.htm (http://www.tapeproject.com/March2007/March2007.htm)
As to why we stopped there instead of using some other EQ, well, if we incorporated every "best format" idea we kicked around when we first thought of this we'd be putting out 1" 2 track 22ips tapes with our own custom EQ. And nobody but us would have a machine that could play them.
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Thank you for all the information supplied. I will read the articles you have advised me. So I will chose OTARI with DIN standard.
Regards.
Ural
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I think you would be better advised to find a used BIII with BOTH curves. I have two B3's and they have the switch right on back. Without sounding rude, are you "anti-used" or something?
One of them I picked up for around a hundred dollars locally. It is in mint shape, like brand new. Probably had 200 hours on it, total. I have a friend who picked up two BIII's still in the BOX and never opened!! I think he paid around $600 the PAIR!
Just trying to help out. The new versions are several thousands of dollars more and you will not have (to me) what is a HUGE selling point of the deck (among the other dozen selling points of it)----the switch that goes between NAB and IEC (DIN)!
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Hey Joel,
Could you outline the changes made from the B2 and B3?
Thanks
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Hi Steve,
IMHO, the two Otari's (BII and BIII) are very close to each other and I believe to be some of the best in the world---now or "ever". I have a few of each example that are all tuned up to comare back and forth. Also---Ki Choi can confirm the merits of the Otari's, as you know he has just about every deck ever made---Studers, Sony's, Technics, Otari's, you know the routine-----
The BIII is slightly better then the B2, in these areas:
1) Is slightly smoother and quieter as a transport (better at searching too---see "logic" below)
2) Sounds better stock and records better stock (I use my BIII for all live recordings and dub recordings over a BII)
3) Has better logic controls (a few more settings and is "smarter")
4) Just "feels" more refined (think "Studer" vs. your favorite vintage deck) and is laid out better and is more "user friendly"
Both are great decks and as 80% of the parts interchange between the two (even the whole headstacks!)---- it makes them extremely worthwhile!! Very easy to get parts too.
The thing is you have to be PATIENT when searching for one. There are SO MANY. And the difference between a pampered BIII and a beat up BII is lightyears.
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Cool, thanks Joel. That's exactly the stuff I was wondering about.