Best introductory 15ips 1/4" reel to reel recorder?

B77 was/is fricking beautiful, to boot.

yonder said:

You may do well to contact Tinman. I believe he has an extra machine or two. Any tape deck from him would be the one to have. Messing with changing XLR cables is unnecessary if you run them into an matchbox hd which I did after Tinman's recommendation. This will allow you to get extra long XLR cables giving you more options on where to place the tape deck using short rca cables to the amp/stereo.

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I looked up this Matchbox HD thinking it might have a switch that inverts phase (otaris that need switching pins 2-3) but didnt see a switch on the unit.

What is best swapping pins in an XLR adapter or the machine's connectors??

Thanks for all the great responses. I've taken notes and am getting much more of an idea of what would be best for me.


As for the recording question, it would be ultimately used for recording my music. Not a designated recorder, but more of a supplementary recorder. I do a lot of noise/ambient stuff and mainly want it for high input drum recording, clipping and all. As well as tape degrading loops. I'd also probably run my mixes put to the tape and back into my DAW. Just semi experimental stuff.

I also do music and I'm currently working with guys doing more of a joy division vibe, but I'm heavily inflicted by Eno, Jon Hassell, sakamoto and such. I'll send you a PM

You need to check the MX 50/50 to see if the pins have already been switched. I have run across many that are already rewired. I wonder if some sellers were doing that as part of their set up?

revox-b77 said:

You need to check the MX 50/50 to see if the pins have already been switched. I have run across many that are already rewired. I wonder if some sellers were doing that as part of their set up?

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How do you check to see if pins are switched and what happens if there not? I'm running standard mic cables XLR in and out to Aphex 10/4 model 124A, but I want to hit tape from my DAW and that will be 1/4" TRS to XLR and bypass the Aphex.

I really like my Teac A3340S does 7.5 and 15 IPS

It will playback almost any kind of recorded 1/4 inch tapes:

4-track / 4 channel.
4-track / 2-channel.
4-track / mono.
2-track stereo.
2-track mono and fulltrack.

http://www.angelfire.com/electronic2/vintagetx/TeacA-3340S.html

Thanks for posting a link to my 3340S webpage, but in this case if the OP wants a 7-1/2 and 15 speed the newer 3440 or Tascam 44OB would be a better option.
3340 S is a great machine but most need major overhaul inside.
Just my 2 cents

I installed a 1/4 trk play head on my 2 trk HS B-77 Revox with a micro switch to select between play heads. Its a great machine. In addition I replaced the fixed tape guide spacers with roller bearings to reduce tape issues passing through the entry and exit guides. Is the machine as good as my 300 with 354 electronics, no, is it as good as a my Ag 500-2/4 no, is it as good as the Ag 440's Audio classics has for sale, no, is it as good as my AG 300-2/4 no. But for a consumer machine it does a great job. But If I had a choice, I would have either a ATR 104 ampex or a MR-70-2. The MR-70 could capture sound that tube folks really could love, where the ATR series reduced W&F and speed accuracy were fantastic. The SS state sound wasn't that bad either, in fact it was superb.

There are some Crown 800 series for sale from time to time and they do a great job, too. You just have to realize they use DC applied to the RW and TU motors as braking so just pray you don't have a power issue with the brakes applied or in the FF or RW modes, because the tape will either spill all over the floor or stretch and snap in a fraction of a second.