Discovering a Vintage AKAI 4000DS Mk-ii Reel-to-Reel Tape Recorder
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- Опубліковано 3 гру 2024
- I test an AKAI 4000DS Mk-ii reel-to-reel tape recorder, vintage 1979, that I picked up at an estate sale. I test it using a tape that I recorded when I was a kid, and a couple of surprises ensue.
I have the Akai 1800-SS which is also Quad. the controls are arranged a bit different on the front, and it also has an 8-Track player built into one side.which I assume is also Quad. there are also L/R speakers on each side, which is the front channel, and two Phono jacks on the back for L/R Rear Channels. and also there is a slide switch on the back to turn the internal speakers on/off. on mine the DIN jack on the back is the same as all the inputs and outputs on the back, but in one cable. I have an adapter with the Male DIN jack at one end that terminates into 4 female RCA connectors. on your model it might the same, or maybe some kind of wired remote?. . . not sure. .
S.O.S.=Sound On Sound so you can record over a previous recording without erasing the previous recording (invented/discovered by Les Paul. Yes, THAT Les Paul). S.O.S. 'on'=eraser disengaged to record new sound WITH previous sound, 'off'=eraser enaged to record new sound while erasing previous sound. Careful with THAT axe, Eugene ;) My boss gave me one of these on Wednesday so I found your video to make sure I got the tape routed correctly before I gamble with the tape he included, 8 hours of, presumably, west-coast radio from the '80s that he'd occasionally listen to for kicks while working in his wood shop. He also gave me a Pioneer RT-1011L :) My Akai's a slightly different setup with rubber stoppers to hold the reels on instead of the built-in, spring-loaded retainers, all grey 'record' button and your 'low noise/wide range' switch is my 'normal/s.r.t.' switch. Not sure how long it would've taken me to figure out the 'speed selector' lol The multi-pin port on the back is possibly MIDI as its advent was right around '80, if I recall. Or maybe for some other outboard control/clock or sync for an additional deck...? Clean the heads with denatured alcohol (which I call ill-natured alcohol because fun) and see if the heads need reglazing for optimal sound quality. Nice find! I'm off to clean mine and get some big, pushed drum sounds :) Thanks for the tour!
so... let's say you record a drum track once, you can then engage S.O.S. during a second pass through and record the same drum track... will it create a BIGGER sound? or, a Delay? or, ...just sound Muddled?
I imagine this S.O.S. function has some interesting EFX-like usage, somehow. Have you tried recording the same source over it again in this way, or somehow differently?
@@lashtal Simple enough question, but hard to give any definitive answer. Basically, yes, doubling a track should make it sound bigger, but there are a lot of factors. I'd recommend experimenting a lot and getting as weird as you can with it. Run the clean sound through any strangeness you can think of and add that back to the clean sound playing with different blending proportions (more clean/less effected, more effected/less clean, both equal...) I made a reverb chamber from a high-school locker.
One big bonus when it comes to tape is that you can push the volume and get a pleasant distortion that can be useful (think Flaming Lips, for example). Digital clipping is not such a team player ;)
Just out of curiosity, how are you recording your drum tracks? How many mics, etc...?
@@nathanielnicholson559 not a drummer myself, so all drum tracks I make are programmed digitally, via device like the AKAI MPC ... so I wanted to get a physical tape machine to bounce the drums and bass to... in order to sound more organic, deeper and wider (i.e.- "less digital")
Here's a great example of the sound I'm going for, as far as bass and drums are concerned: ua-cam.com/video/yAG0uV_ZphQ/v-deo.html
Mac DeMarco would be another example: ua-cam.com/video/0HQqXllXpfQ/v-deo.htmlsi=9RMMx1I-mUT11KeK&t=457
This'd be another example, and I think you get the picture crystal clear: ua-cam.com/video/Lzi7ljJiLJQ/v-deo.html
@@lashtal Tape is possibly the pinnacle of diminished return. It's costly, high maintenance.and finicky compared to other media, but I, for one, am all about the less-traveled path and using anything available if it adds something special so I say go to town with the thing and have a blast, but learn about tape-baking and head cleaning/glazing just so you know what you might be getting into. Better to avoid problems than have to solve them lol especially since problems seem to arise at the worst possible moment. Considering the examples you shared I'd be stoked to hear what you're working on :)
Also try this… Put a speaker and a mic or two in your bathroom (or some spot with nice reverb), play the drum track through the speaker and record it. Moving the speaker and the mic(s) around will give you different results. This may be what you’re looking for, but by all means have fun with that reel to reel ;)
I have a unit like this. would like to use it for dictation recording. Can you explain the procedure to connect a mic? Would a little mixer be needed perhaps?
You got to pull the capstan sleeve off it has a screw you turn to get it off then it will play at slow speed
What’s The Going Price For This Reel To Reel? I Have Same One In Great Condition, Early 70’s & They Are Selling From $300 To $500
Just got a working one from the thrift for $200, but yes I'm also seeing them for 300-500 in my area
Akai ....pull the cover off and check the play and FF cams as they are prone to pot metal cancer and they crumble apart ... but a company does make printed replacements....