Otari MX5050 Reel-to-Reel Question

So I'm looking into getting a used Otari MX5050 and I was wondering what place I should take it to get serviced if need be. Is there even a place like that that exists?? What should I be aware of and look for when taking a look at the R2R? Also, how do you tell if the tape heads/rollers are worn out? I appreciate the responses!

 

Contact Audio Video Choices. There is a guy named Cornelius that Sean and Blake use. I believe that Cornelius is the tech's name. I cannot find his business card at the moment. He is in Phoenix. He does excellent work. I had a Marantz 2220b and a pair of AR 6's restored by him. Another audiophile in Phoenix ! Pleased to meet you !

 

Look for damaged, glazed, and flattened rollers. Tape head wear is harder for me to describe. Look for roughed up uneven surfaces.

 

I have 4 Otari MX5050 and helped 3 of my friends buy theirs'. Every one of them has been made right by the man I will recommend below. Even the one that a friend bought under the expectation it "worked perfectly" needed some major repair to sound and operate correctly.

The problem with buying a used Otari that the seller advertises as in "excellent condition" is that it never really is. They always need work of some kind. So to pay $1500 to $2500 for one that you expect to start using immediately, and them finding out that another $400 to $800 will be required to actually make it work and sound right, is very disappointing.

I recommend you buy the cheapest possible Otari Mx5050 B2 or Mk3, that has good cosmetics. Cosmetics are easy to evaluate by eye and are the most difficult to fix later. It should only cost $250 to $400, not working. Then send it to Adrian ProAudio in Van Nuys, CA. I will help coordinate, if you would like. His shop ONLY works on reel-to-reel tape decks for the Hollywood and Burbank studio industry.

Adrian tells me that the later models of MX5050, the B3 and Mk4, are more complex, so there is more to go wrong, and are usually more expensive to restore.

For a nice looking but inoperable B2 or Mk3, with worn-out heads, a bad motor, damaged capstan, and a few electronic problems, Adrian will charge between $800 to $1000 to completely restore it to like new. New heads, and most other parts are still available. Plus Adrian has a large parts inventory in stock. Of all the tape decks he services, Otari is his favorite, because he worked at the Otari USA service facility. He loves Otari decks more than any other.

 

I trust you have seen this: Machines | The Tape Project

 

A friend of mine restores and repairs reel-to-reel tape machines for a local shop as a hobby. He really likes the Otari MX 5050 because of its extremely rugged build and reliability. He says it is better built than most of the other premium home models from Revox, Tanberg, Technics and Akai. But, they were also much more likely to be used professionally, so many of the machines available have more mileage on them than machines from other brands.

 

Adrian, near me, told me the same things. The others you listed here were marketed to consumers. The Otari was exclusively marketed to studio professionals. So, they were built to be used heavily, and designed to be easily repaired/adjusted/maintained etc.

Plus, the Otari decks have all the test tones and adjustments to easily calibrate for any type of tape. The others need to be opened up, and using outboard test equipment, adjusted for just one tape formulation.

The only negative for Otari, is that they are not as cosmetically beautiful as the others. They were made to perform, not to look sexy.

 

First of all I want to thank everyone for responding and giving me some really good advice! This is what makes these forums great! So as of right now I'm looking into a MX5050 B2 and the B2HD. the B2HD is from 1979 and the other B2 is from 1989. I'm trying to figure out which one to get. The 79 model is missing a reel hub and has a mechanical counter but cosmetically it looks decent and I think I can get it cheaper than the 89 model. The 89 model is newer of course and it has a digital counter and the EQ is on the front. The only thing I know about the 1979 model is that it powers on. conversely, the only thing I know about the 1989 model is that the transport mode works and the meters show movement. What would you guys suggest I go after? I know that no matter what I'll have to spend money to get it fixed but I'm trying to figure out if it's worth spending more now so that repairs won't be as much or if I should go for the 1979 model that would be cheaper but might cost more to fix. What's better about the newer one besides the digital counter? Is it worth spending more for it.

 

I have no doubt his work is exceptional, but dang, that's a lot of money to pay for a repair. I guess it depends on how seriously you want to get into it.

The MX5050 is definitely a superb machine. I used to have a 1/2" 8-track and currently have a 1/4" half-track needing some attention. (It plays fine but won't record.)

 

Otari MX5050s were just about never used gently in their professional studio use. They were used heavily and regularly, so their heads and guides are generally very well worn. Then they sat around for years, until the studio finally decided they are exclusively digital now anyway. That is when an audiophile gets to buy it and take it home. From then on, it probably will see only gentle and infrequent use.

Sellers generally charge $1500 or more for an Otari that they say works and sounds excellent. Then, when you get it home, it turns out to be not operating correctly at all. So then you will have to spend no less than $300 to fix it. That adds-up to $1800 or more. Usually more. Furthermore, after this $300 repair, you still have heavily worn heads and guides that will need to be replaced someday, to get the sound quality you expect.

But sellers who admit their MX5050 doesn't work (but looks nice) will only charge $300 to $500 for it. Then, after you have sent it to Adrian and payed him $800 to $1000 to truly make it run and sound like new, you have spent a total of $1100 to $1500 for a deck that sounds great, works perfectly, and has a warranty. Plus either replacing or lapping the heads is included in his work. He checks EVERYTHING carefully, and guarentees that all operation and sound is like factory new.

Which seems like a better way to buy an Otari?

 

What this all points to is...

This ain't no toy!

 

Well, it's a big boy's toy. Complex mechanical and electrical toys tend to need very specialized work occasionally, particularly when you buy it used from someone who doesn't want to play with it anymore.

Again I offer, no charge, just from my personal enthusiasm for Otari MX5050s, Adrian, and this website's group of people: If anyone wants me to coordinate the repair/restoration of an Otari MX5050, send it to Adrian, and tell him you want me to be involved.

There are some optional modifications that I have worked-on with Adrian, which he added to some of my Otari decks, such as both RCA and XLR inputs/outputs, a mono playback head (instead of 4-track), easy access to the internal (now external) 3-3/4 speed switch, alignment/calibration for a particular tape, etc. So I can chat in more detail about why and how, more than Adrian cares to offer. He just thinks a stock Otari is perfect, so doesn't really discuss modifications beyond bringing it back to factory original specs. But he will do them if requested to do so.

We even did one with no input or output electronics at all. When he was done with it, it was only the transport section with RCA outputs for direct connection from the 2-track PB head to an external Tape Head Preamp. The Erase head, Record head, and 4-track PB head were all removed and replaced by simple guides.

 

i am backing away slowly without establishing eye contact with any of you, because everything in this thread fires all the synapses in my brain that say BUY ONE RIGHT NOW.

 

I love this.

 

very nice machine

 

(Ahem)...I'm a couple of years late to the party, but for posterities sake let me add some good bad and ugly to this Otari love-fest,

-Sturdy as hell, you got that right they feel VERY solid and rugged compared to others,

-BEWARE on a lot of the earlier models the headroom is CRAP in the preamps, now see why this is bad...You want to absolutely curb stomp your drums to tape right? Smother your bass with a pillow into that smooth natural compression? Well, how are you going to feel when the INPUT starts distorting right around the time you start "riding the reds"? This is something to consider, maybe there are mods available for this now, unfortunately, I haven't lived in L.A for a few years now and the one guy who works on tape around these parts is an *******.

-BEWARE also on early models (Maybe later ones too, I don't know when or if they EVER fixed the headroom issue, or this next issue) the XLR I/O is PIN THREE HOT! What does that mean? It means get ready to make your own cables there porn star, cause your "BEST BUY" Monsters ain't going to work.

For tape saturation, you are better off with a Tascam 38.

 

Much of the cost goes into new heads or relap of the existing heads. The performance of a reel to reel begins at the heads. Wear reduces tape to head contact, reduces hf response, causes erratic/unstable tape transport across the head. (skewing) I have restored several reel to reels, including tube models.. One has no idea how many manual hours go into a refurb job, and getting the machine up to spec and then run reliably for many years to come.

 

Wait a minute, there's a 3.75 ips switch inside??

 

Which is correct. An Otari is a tool, a workhorse. They excel at being superb, reliable machines in the toughest environment on tape machines ever. That being the AM/FM broadcast station. Where heads get cleaned at the beginning of every shift, where the machines get used countless hours a day. And often maintenance as necessary but often ran until there's a problem. The Otari wasn't bought for looks, it was bought because of those reasons. And the fact that failure wasn't an option.

 

I might have mentioned this already up-thread (two years ago), but my Otari was a freebie, and as received was covered with dust. I have no idea how many years, if not decades, it say idle.

I dusted off the outside and cleaned the heads, and its playback was flawless. A rugged machine, indeed.

 

Yes, kind-of. It requires a complete recalibration when you switch a machine the from High speed mode to Low speed mode though. So its more involved than just flipping s speed switch.

 

Aw poop.

 

I can ask my Otari tech what is involved. Maybe it is good enough to simply adjust the bias and level using the front accessible alignment calibration pots.

 

As I think about it more, I'm realizing that if one is just using it for playback a 3.75ips, this should not actually present a problem. It's really the recording-end which would be impacted. And as you rightly pointed-out, the front panel calibration controls are probably sufficient for that too.