MX-5050BII-2-8 rotten pinch roller
Goodday, fellas,
been a loooong time since my last post - always only reading, ha, ha.
Now this comes from Germany, where in my rehearsal studio stored away is a defunkt MX-5050BII-2-8 because of rotten pinch roller and rubbers.
I'd like to get this marvel back to work, but still found no source for these totally worn parts. If any of you guys could come up with some adress, I'd be too glad. Thanx.
Dunno how to insert pics, sorry.
Anyone out there? No fellow Otari owners? Just Crickets..
Last post unless someone is actually interested.
Goodday, fellas,
been a loooong time since my last post - always only reading, ha, ha.
Now this comes from Germany, where in my rehearsal studio stored away is a defunkt MX-5050BII-2-8 because of rotten pinch roller and rubbers.
I'd like to get this marvel back to work, but still found no source for these totally worn parts. If any of you guys could come up with some adress, I'd be too glad. Thanx.
Dunno how to insert pics, sorry.
Athan makes pinch rollers for most Otari models, and there are a lot of parts available on eBay.
3 of my 4 Otari decks have Athan pinch rollers on them.
I would start with a gentle recap on the logic board and move on to the audio PCB after that.
I own an MX-5050 BII-2 as well as a MKIII-2 and two MX-50s.
3 of my 4 Otari decks have Athan pinch rollers on them.
I would start with a gentle recap on the logic board and move on to the audio PCB after that.
I own an MX-5050 BII-2 as well as a MKIII-2 and two MX-50s.
WOW!! I had no idea that George was still in business!! His (Athan) products were (are) TOP NOTCH. Back in the day, I used many of their products for pro audio, pro video, and telecine, and they were always a step above the manufacturer's originals. Good to know!!
I like his pinch rollers because they use ball bearings and run much more quietly and more accurately than the old bushed pinch rollers - which surprisingly are often are still serviceable if just in the short term.
I most recently installed one on the MX-50N which is my daily driver, a very nice sounding and running if somewhat cosmetically challenged machine I got on eBay at the beginning of summer. (Yeah there was a lot of work involved, and scrounging the depths of the internet for parts which are hard to find for this machine.)
The MX-50N II will also get one in the course of its overhaul.
I purchased another master tape on eBay this morning and should have it in about 3 weeks.
I most recently installed one on the MX-50N which is my daily driver, a very nice sounding and running if somewhat cosmetically challenged machine I got on eBay at the beginning of summer. (Yeah there was a lot of work involved, and scrounging the depths of the internet for parts which are hard to find for this machine.)
The MX-50N II will also get one in the course of its overhaul.
I purchased another master tape on eBay this morning and should have it in about 3 weeks.
I think his pinch rollers are BETTER than the ones originally on the machine.
"Master Tape".....do you mean an alignment tape?
Wow! Didn't know of their availability! Who's the artist, and how much $$$? 15 ips two-track?
Hi folks,
thank you very much indeed for the info. I'm up for ordering an Impedance Roller and Pinch Roller With Dual Bearings 1/2" --- but
take a look at the pictures of my machine and tell me, if it'll be worth the expenditure. This machine was out of service since 2013. I took the risk and plugged it in the other day: NO explosions, no noises (headphone), no smoke! Alas, I still don't know if I'm not opening a case of worms.
thank you very much indeed for the info. I'm up for ordering an Impedance Roller and Pinch Roller With Dual Bearings 1/2" --- but
take a look at the pictures of my machine and tell me, if it'll be worth the expenditure. This machine was out of service since 2013. I took the risk and plugged it in the other day: NO explosions, no noises (headphone), no smoke! Alas, I still don't know if I'm not opening a case of worms.
It's definitely a slippery slope.. Noting that dotneck owns an 8 track MX-5050 and can probably provide even more encouragement than me.
I will observe that Otari decks generally are pretty reliable and respond well to good maintenance and some refreshing here and there.
All of my decks were practically speaking dead when I got them, except for one awaiting my ministrations they're all running well now.
Noting that dotneck owns an 8 track MX-5050 and can probably provide even more encouragement than me.I will observe that Otari decks generally are pretty reliable and respond well to good maintenance and some refreshing here and there.
All of my decks were practically speaking dead when I got them, except for one awaiting my ministrations they're all running well now.
There is a fair amount available if you know where to look and know other hobbyists who collect master recordings. eBay is a good source, but many of the recordings sold there may be of questionable provenance.
I bought a 15ips 2 track stereo master of a Getz/Giberto album from a private collector in the EU. It was shipped a few days ago, but I will not see it for several weeks.
It may indeed be a can o' worms. Only exploration of its condition will tell. But it looks like you have a very fine machine there----Otari 8-tracks were far superior to the widely-used Tascams of the day and are professional machines. Not an Ampex or Studer, mind you, but the next best thing. (I own one Studer, one Otari, and two Ampexes). I would encourage you to restore it as best you can. Use as many of Athan's replacement parts as needed. This assumes, of course, that you are an analog tape nut like most of us on this thread. Nothing better!
Well, well, around here some 1800 LP vinyls pile up, two Tandberg TD20A (one of them High Speed) and a wonderful Akai GX-625. Several vintage tube RTRs, namely Telefunken A10 Master including their tube and SS amplifiers! Not to speak of a Studer G36 and a number of cuddly little tube Grundigs, Philipps and again Telefunkens to play them very old gritty brown BASF tapes, ha, ha.
Does that answer your assumption?
I've had several Tandbergs, both the crossfield solid state recorder and one of the tube jobs as well as several Ampex single motor tubed machines. I no longer remember the model # of any of the above. They were fun, but ultimately mediocre performers.
I've also owned a G36MKIII which I installed 2T heads on, but ultimately wasn't satisfied with the performance and gave it to a friend.
I've also briefly owned an MX-55-T-D (time code, Dolby HX and up to 30ips) - it took up way too much space at the time, had it been on a cart like the MKIII it's likely I would still have it.
My return to tape 9 months ago started with a broken MX-5050BII-2, followed by an MX-5050MKIII-2, and finally the two MX-50N. (None of these decks were in good running order when I got them, to my surprise I discovered I actually like working on Otari tape decks.)
For me the MX-50 is the pinnacle in the MX line, but what I would really like is an MTR-15N, I am unlikely to see one, even rarer than the MX-50 which is quite rare and it's priced at or even above A810 territory. I'm not going to afford one if I am smart.
I've also owned a G36MKIII which I installed 2T heads on, but ultimately wasn't satisfied with the performance and gave it to a friend.
I've also briefly owned an MX-55-T-D (time code, Dolby HX and up to 30ips) - it took up way too much space at the time, had it been on a cart like the MKIII it's likely I would still have it.
My return to tape 9 months ago started with a broken MX-5050BII-2, followed by an MX-5050MKIII-2, and finally the two MX-50N. (None of these decks were in good running order when I got them, to my surprise I discovered I actually like working on Otari tape decks.)
For me the MX-50 is the pinnacle in the MX line, but what I would really like is an MTR-15N, I am unlikely to see one, even rarer than the MX-50 which is quite rare and it's priced at or even above A810 territory. I'm not going to afford one if I am smart.
Ahhm, the G36 is modded and performed pretty well doing a nice job in our band rehearsal room. In terms of ultra mechanics the Telefunken A10s with butterfly heads are hard to beat! Thay are converted ba the way from direct wheel drive to belt drive, which makes a huge difference in terms of tighter, noise reduced bottom end. the high speed Tandberg (36ips, not many of those around) is a differnet beast compared to the consumer model 'A'. Still I ponder getting the 8 track Otari back to work, considering the cost of 1/2" tape these days.
Out of curiosity, I looked up the Studer G36---I hadn't heard of them before. Interesting. Basically a Revox machine, all tubes, eh? Included a power amp, too. Was there an on-board speaker? My very elegant Studer A-810 has a speaker as well---I find it to be quite useful---I even wish my Ampex ATR-100 had one! Question, though---the brochure I found says "Price: England, 1963: 124 gns in Portable Case" What the hell is a "gn"??
