CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

Moose · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 788 Location: Minnesota

I have claimed once in a while when people extoll the "virtues" of vinyl that the real hi-fi analog format and the only analog competition to digital was reel-to-reel. So now I have put my money where my mouth is and bought an Otari MX 5050 that I found locally. Damned heavy. I wanted 2-track with the ability to read 4-track tapes and the Otari will do that. It was in very good condition - not perfect, minor wear on the case but nearly perfect heads. So now I want to do something with it. First of all, it didn't come with anything, not even a take-up reel or a power cord. Or tape. Other than Ebay, where can I get decent tape and what tape should I get? Are there any guides on the internet or books that describe and rate recorded reel-to-reel tapes? What should be used to clean the heads and tape path?

Also, as this is a professional machine, the nominal level is +4dbu vs. the -10dbu of consumer equipment. I assume this will be a problem. I am aware of devices, active and passive, that will interface between the Otari's XLR connections and consumer equipments' RCA and match levels. Rane makes a couple interesting transformers, the BB 22 and the one I will need, the BB 44x, which will handle stereo out and stereo in (and is expandable). I prefer transformer over active to avoid adding noise. Anyone with experience with these or others? I'll need XLR cables, which I already know where to get. Geez - now that I start totalling everything, I'll be spending probably twice as much as I paid for the Otari before I can begin to use it. I hadn't considered that when I bought it - dumb!

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 8:02 am Post subject:

If it's for home use, simply make cables up. Short pins 1 and 3, that's the shield going to an RCA connector, pin 2 is hot.

Mint blank RTR tape is going for a small fortune since Quantegy shut down manufacturing a year or two ago. Rumor has it someone is making tape again, but I was told that the bias required varies from batch to batch. Not good.

Check eBay, eBay is your friend.. Smile

I've been blowing off my old tapes, but am hanging onto the good non shedding backcoated stuff, dumping the older light brown oxide stuff at $1.00 a reel.

zaphod · Joined: 16 Jun 2006 Posts: 2002 Location: Cloverdale

alan - did you not get the cable diagrams that i emailed you a couple of days back?

as for tape supplies, check out http://www.usrecordingmedia.com/ for blank stock and cleaning gear. take up reels can be found on ebay.

Moose · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 788 Location: Minnesota

Yeah, got it. Very interesting but I'm more likely to buy some already made RCA-to-XLR cables. The cost savings of homemade isn't significant enough to me.

Thanks for the link - that's what I'm looking for.

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 4:44 pm Post subject:

Damn, I've got a bunch of good 1/4 phone to RCA on eBay right now..