I am looking for a VCR deck — nothing came up on the search button.

Here is my needs list —

* HQ
* Hi-Fi stereo — good audio section
* MINIMAL features OK!
* Really good build quality in mechanics, electro-servo gear and electronic parts
*4 heads minimum (2 video, 2 audio)
* Used would be nice (budget)
* No VHF/UHF/TV provision is necessary

What I am hoping to find is a high-end VCR in good condition which was built during the golden age of VCR — assuming there was such an age. I went shopping today and the only VCR decks available appeared to be cheap, lighweight fluffy things with all sorts of glittery icing on top and do-dads and gizmos I don't need. It put me right off. I know that there are risks involved with used VCR, but I'd rather work with a really good piece of engineering that may need some attention than live with the fragile, throw-away garbage I saw today.

So my question is, if I look for a used unit, what should I look for? Now, I am living in Japan, and almost certainly specific model references will not mean much or anything here. But I could use some help as to who was doing the best building and when they were doing it .... and what are good guidelines for VCR high-end?

WHY? you may ask. (1) Japanese video rental still has huge inventories of analogue. (2) I wanna experiement with 120 minute recordings of LP vinyl on audio tape using the azimuth Hi-Fi tracks and possibly stabilizing the feed with black (monochrome) video (although I have not worked out how I might do it yet.) Yeah, I have been reading up, but not much has come up about what is good and what ain't.

All suggestions welcome — Thanks.

I have an old Zenith HiFi stereo 4-head bought new in 1986. It's a bit odd in that the cassette loads sideways. Someone once saw the VCR and thought it was an 8-track player!

It's pretty well built and has an excellent audio section. Indeed, it's labeled on the front "Hi-Fi Audio/Video Recorder"... they were serious about that. It has served me well since 1986 ( our main deck 'til last year) and still serves well for audio. I can dig up the model and/or post a photo if you're interested.

The early Sony Hi-Fi units were nice (and expensive)... and the Beta Hi-Fi units even better!

I think JVC and Mitsubishi made some nice decks in their prime, too.

Thanks mrh. No hurry for either the model # or pic, but I am sure curious considering how serious it appears that Zenith took the audio section in your deck. I'll be on the outlook for something similar here. I am perhaps more likely to run into a Sony.

For me, a large part of any movie is the soundtrack. Anyone who has the opportunity to A/B the linear track and the buried azimuth track (the Hi-Fi) will testify to the huge difference :hdphones: :jawdrop:

I know that one...I've got an SLP-305 that I'm just starting to fiddle with...it's down in an AK Classifieds post (click to go to that post) (http://audiokarma.org/forums/showpost.php?p=243867&postcount=25) or scroll up and find our leader a Beta...

I have a very nice, old Sony Beta Hi-Fi deck, but it has... issues. :-(
Doubt it's worth fixing(?). It's at my father's, and could be reclaimed if someone were interested enough. Again, I can get the model no. if it's of interest to anyone. All I recall is that it's built like a tank and the front panel is anodized bronze rather than silver.

They are well made, and, with rubber replacement, and caps in the switching power supply replaced, it should not be hard to get WELL over 20 years out of one. (I am talking about Panasonic MADE units(This INCLUDES Magnavox, Quasar, and a few others).

They are well made, and, with rubber replacement, and caps in the switching power supply replaced, it should not be hard to get WELL over 20 years out of one. (I am talking about Panasonic MADE units(This INCLUDES Magnavox, Quasar, and a few others).

After(and during 1987,) however Panasonic started using a cheap, flimsy loading assy, that will NOT stand up as well, as the prior ones will.

I will definitely second the motion about the older Panasonic machines. In my neck of the woods they were branded National and they are the best machines around in my opinion, especially ones made around 1985. Around here they didn't have switch-mode supplies until later on. This makes them even easier to keep going.
I haven't restored a HiFi unit of the vintage yet but i have one waiting for when I get the time.
The later Panasonics with the G-mechanisms (produced after 1987) weren't as good on the durability but compared to a lot of other brands at the time were still quite good.
Parts availability would also influence any decision, Panasonic parts are easy to come by and usually well priced, you can often get maintainence packs from the manufacturer. JVC machines are usually easy to get parts for and are often solid. Some brands like Sharp/Philips and Mitsubishi are starting to be a problem for parts availability, each update of my suppliers catalogue has fewer parts available from these manufacturers.
I would stay away from smaller names with smaller production runs too. Often they used somebody else's mechanics but it can get hard to cross-reference parts
Hope this helps
Tony

Lorne;

As you are in Japan you should be able to find the JVC's and Panasonics previously mentioned plus the under-rated Akai VHS Hi-Fi VCR's.
Back in the late 90's these were often the VCR of choice for those who wanted better than average sound.

Bear in mind a used VCR from the Golden Age will porbably need some work done on it like new drive belts, lubrication and audio.video head replacement.
Some of the more desirable models may no longer have any service or parts support.

This is a link to details of the TOTL 1995 Akai VS-X1000, excellent sound and picture, with an excellent full load tape transport; ignore all the Nicam/PAL stuff, there were domestic Japanese versions too.

http://www.planet3000.com/MSVCR_AKAI_vs-x1000eg_DTL.shtml

http://www.planet3000.com/images/MSVCR_AKAI_vs-x1000eg.jpg

Thanks everyone for your suggestions so far. The parts availability issue is a point well-taken. The downstairs rig my wife and son use has a late 80's Mitsubishi model. About 7 years ago, a tech told us that Mitsubishi had already curtailed it's committment to supply parts for it. (This is a Japanese domestic, upscale Hi-Fi stereo TV tuner combo with VERY good sound. It's pretty rugged, but it did bake out its power supply one time. It's cabled to a Sansui AU-alpha 707Extra integrated amp.)

I'll troll some more resellers while taking these suggestions. Micheal W.'s idea about some late 90's models has given me more scope as well. I welcome any other ideas too.

BTW: Just so you'll know what I am doing: whatever unit I get will be on a steel cabinet with casters. I'll be able to trundle it to any part of my retro audio collection to record source. The cabinet currently stacks a small Trinitron, an old AR integrated amp which will be adapted to headphones, a step-up transformer for the AR (100VAC-120VAC) and a Sony TC-K333ES cassette deck for audio-taping screen plays. (Isn't this fun? :banana:

Sorry, Lorne, that I originally missed that you were in Sendai :-)

Nonetheless, tonight I de-installed my ol' Zenith VHS Hi-Fi VCR from a temp install in the bedroom. I dubbed another 14 hours (!?!?!) of Christmas music this season from LP's (dump, fleamarket, and thrift finds). I now have 10 VHS tapes (8 x T-120 and 2 x T-160) with VHS Hi-Fi dubbed Christmas music at EP (ca. 64 hours).

Anyway... the only real point to this post is I snapped a few photos of my workhorse self-proclaimed VHS Hi-Fi "Audio-Video Recorder". This is a Zenith VR-2300, purchased new by me at the "Stereo Discounters Hi-Fi Show and Sale" in Timonium, MD, in 1986 (cheapest Hi-Fi deck at the show that year!). It's had intermittent hard use in the ensuing almost 19 years and required only two repairs (one under warranty) in all that time. It still records excellent audio.

Note the oddball sideways tape loading. The fluorescent display includes nice peak-reading meters for both channels (not seen here as there was nothing playing when I snapped the photo).

Perhaps you'll see this model sporting another brand name in Japan?

Here's the back connections (FWIW):

... another photo of the front, with the main control panel (all the membrane switches visible in the first photo) flipped down to reveal the secondary controls.

The input levels are adjustable, with an ALC setting (detent) at midposition. As heretical as it seems, I do most dubbing with the ALC. Contrary to one's expectation, it works great.

It has several audio modes (incuding a Hi-Fi overdub for pre-existing video). We used the latter feature to overdub Strauss' "Blue Danube" waltz on some video micrography of swimming paramecia for a school project of my daughter quite a few years ago.

The meters can be used for peak or average levels, or to visually set the Hi-Fi tracking (peak level). This is the best means I've ever seen to accurately adjust playback audio/video tracking.

It also has a 1/8" headphone jack and level control.

I've used this deck with a small mixer for live recording (string quartets) and it performed admirably. Recorded tapes seem to be holding up fine so far.

I know you mentioned VHS, but if you have not yet made your selection, I want to put in a kind of off the wall suggestion. Since it seems to me your purpose for this tape machine is to transfer audio, there is no better VCR for audio than Sony Professional Betacam...period. They use blanced connectors and have the best audio reproduction available on the rust ribbon.

"But Manny", you say, "Isn't professional Sony equipment very very expensive?"

Yes...the new stuff. But you can get a professional Sony Betacam SP deck for peanuts these days....the TV industry is moving to digital and the Betacam SP (the golden age of analog pro-beta was the mid 90s to early 2000) decks that were bought by virtually every TV station and post house are now seen as boat anchors.

Take a look on e-bay or B&H Photo (in the used section) and you will see.

Actually, I take it back about the money....they are still expensive on the online sources. If you are lucky enough to live near and have access to, a TV station or post house, that is where you can get the bargains. They often donate or even throw away perfectly good machines that have become outdated.

I was able to pick up a BVW-70 for 200 bucks recently from a station that was upgrading to Digibeta.