Conference mr1pst::music

re: .0

I can't help you with your recorder, but I can suggest two other conferences:

	CAFEIN::HOME_STUDIO

and

	IMDOWN::COMMUSIC

-Hal

P.S.  I'll bet Brian Rost knows what your recorder is...he seems to
know darn near everything. :-)

    Re: .0
    
    On those old Akais, the track switch is for doing *mono* recording.
    
    The idea is that a stereo program uses either tracks 1 and 2 or tracks
    3 and 4.  The switch allows you to do *mono* recording on track 1, and
    play this track back through *both* outputs of the machine.  So on a
    given reel you get four "sides", two mono programs in each direction. 
    
    While the tape indeed has four tracks, this is not a "four-track"
    machine in the sense of multi-track machines meant for studio use. 
    That's because it is still a *stereo* machine.  Four-track open reel
    machines for multitrack use are quadrophonic.
    
    Most Akai decks *did* allow overdubbing, though with a method called
    "sound-on-sound".  This means you record on track 1, then play back
    track 1 and mix it together with a new signal on track 2. Then you
    bounce track 2 back to track 1 while mixing in a nother new signal,
    etc.  This method works, but the results are in mono, the noise
    increases with every bounce, and you cannot fix parts that have been
    bounced.  Multitracking uses the so-called "sound *with* sound" method,
    which was found on some reel decks (Sonys for example) but not Akais.
    
    Look for a switch labelled "sound-on-sound" or perhaps "SOS" on your
    machine if you want to pursue this.  This is what home recordists had
    to do until 1973 when Teac introduced the first home multitrack
    machine, the TCA-43.  I used sound-on-sound myself for many years, and
    if your machine supports it, your budget is low, and you can live with
    lower quality sound, it can get the job done.
    
    Re: .1
    
    Yes, I do remember that deck, in fact I almost bought one once.  It
    combined an open reel recorder and an eight track recorder in one box. 
    You could dub from reel to cartridge (but not vice versa) ala today's
    cassette dubbing decks. It was for enthusiasts who wanted to make their
    own tapes for the car.  Akai later offered a quad version, as well as a
    stereo machine with reel, eight track *and* cassette in one box.  
    
    In a similar vein, Sony introduced a reel/cassette combo and Panasonic
    jumped in with a cassette/eight track machine as well.  None of these
    were a big hit and by 1974 or so these things had vanished from the
    market.
    
    								Brian

    Thanks Brian.
    
    There is no SOS option on the machine.  
    
>    The idea is that a stereo program uses either tracks 1 and 2 or tracks
>    3 and 4.  The switch allows you to do *mono* recording on track 1, and
>    play this track back through *both* outputs of the machine.  So on a
>    given reel you get four "sides", two mono programs in each direction. 
    
    I am lost here Brian.  The switch options are 1,4 and 3,2.
    
    Which make no sense to me.  I read the specs on a RS reel to reel and
    it shows the following configuration for a fixed head.
    
    tracks
    
      1  - left channel 
      2
      3  - right channel
      4
    
    When you reach end of tape and flip the reel over tracks 2 and 4 now
    become tracks 1 and 3.  I believe this is just like a regular cassette
    deck.
    
    Back to the Akai config.  Why 1,4 and 3,2.  Seems weird to me.  When
    you turn the switch the head moves position.  You say it is for mono
    recording and playback on 2 channels.  Still not clear on this.
    Given the above which position do I use for standard stereo recording?
    
    Sorry if my comprehension is lacking here but I am really "green" on
    this subject.
    
    Thanks, Mark
    
    

    >I am lost here Brian.  The switch options are 1,4 and 3,2.
   > Which make no sense to me.  I read the specs on a RS reel to reel and
   > it shows the following configuration for a fixed head.
   > tracks
   > 
   >   1  - left channel 
   >   2
   >   3  - right channel
   >   4
   > 
   > When you reach end of tape and flip the reel over tracks 2 and 4 now
   > become tracks 1 and 3.  I believe this is just like a regular cassette
   > deck.
    
    Nope. Cassettes use *adjacent* tracks (1&2, 3&4). That way the tapes
    you record on a stereo cassette deck will play on a mono (two track)
    cassette machine, and vice versa.  Two and four track open reel tapes
    are not compatible at all...in either case you will get half of one
    side of the tape playing alongside half of the other side!  
    
    >Back to the Akai config.  Why 1,4 and 3,2.  Seems weird to me.  When
    >you turn the switch the head moves position.  You say it is for mono
    >recording and playback on 2 channels.  Still not clear on this.
    >Given the above which position do I use for standard stereo recording?
    
    No, the head physically shouldn't be moving.  Did you actually *see*
    this?  That would be extremely weird.  The head for the *eight-track*
    section should move, though, when you switch programs. 
    
    Isn't there a third position (probably marked "stereo")?.  Think of the
    switches as "left-both-right".  If in "1-4" (left), the unit only
    records or plays on track 1.  If in "3-2" (right) it only records or
    plays on track 3.  So you have "dual mono".  The problem with this is
    that there is some crosstalk between tracks (you mentioned you could
    hear at a low level when in the "wrong" position).  You can hear this
    on badly aligned cassettes, too, where in spaces in the music you can
    hear the program from the other side, backwards, at a low level.
    
    Now, imagine you had two parallel programs, Elvis on track one and
    Mozart on track three. How do you listen to just Mozart?  Well, you
    could listen over only one speaker by adjusting the balance on your
    reciever, or you could yank a patch cord out of the left channel of the
    deck (so only a right signal arrives at the receiver) and hit the
    "mono" switch on your receiver (if it has one!), *or* you could have a
    switch on the deck to route the oputput from one track to *both outtput
    jacks*.  That's what that "1-4/3-2" switch does on playback.  On
    recording, it also locks out recording on the *other* track, so
    recording Mozart won't erase Elvis.
    
    If I could see the machine I'm sure I could explain to you what's going
    on.  Oh well, good luck....I think the bottom line is you cannot do
    multitracking on this Akai.  
    
    							Brian

    Brian.
    
    Yes it is hard to explain/understand.  There are 3 heads on the unit.
    Two on top that I can see physically moving towards me and then back
    when the head cover is off and I rotate the 1,4 and 3,2 switch.
    
    The head on the bottom is stationary.  I do not know what the purpose
    of the 3 heads are.  I would imagine one each for recording, playback,
    and erasing?
    
    Not sure which one (function) is the stationary.  
    
    Yes it is pretty tough to go on without physically seeing the deck.
    
    You are correct about the bottomline which is no SOS or multi-track.
    
    We were not able to record SOS when we record on 1,4 and then on 3,2. 
    The 3,2 recording erased the prior 1,4 recording.
    
    Can't recall a a "stereo" setting, but I will look next time.
    
    At any rate, the machine does record in stereo which we did, and was
    (to my suprise) able to drive a Peavey 2x12 stereo cab on playback
    under its own power.
    
    It sounded pretty good played back thru the PV.
    
    How would you recommend running a line out of the Sustainer unit which
    has one 1/4 output jack.  I could go thru a mixer (but I don;t have
    one).  I was thinking to split the single line out of the Sustainer
    to L and R line into the tape deck.
    
    Cheers, Mark
    

    
    I'm wondering if this unit has the famous Akai cross-field heads. Does
    it have a big "X" on the head cover or maybe on a large knob on the head
    cover?

    --Ron

    Got myself a bit more info yesterday.
    
    The unit is an Akai X-1800SD, 4 track stereo/mono reel to reel.
    
    The 2 way switch I spoke of is actually 3 way.  Looks like middle is
    stereo and up is 3-2 and down is 1-4.  Not sure what the up and down
    are doing yet but it IS the X crossfield a few of you referred to.
    
    Swith kind of looks like this...
    
    
                 3-2        <-- up position
      	ST.=  X             <-- middle position
    		 1-4        <-- down position
    
    Mark