Cover & The Sensible Alternative

OTARI MX-5050 COMPACT PROFESSIONAL TAPE RECORDER↑ TOP

⤢ zoomThe MX-5050's front panel and reels stacked in a collage under the orange masthead

MX-5050 COMPACT RECORDER↑ TOP

THE SENSIBLE ALTERNATIVE IN COMPACT RECORDERS

Otari's new MX-5050 Compact Recorder is a full capability two or four channel professional machine scaled down in size and price, but not in performance, features, or reliability. Make no mistake about it—the Otari MX-5050 is not a hi-fi recorder with a few professional features tacked on.

Instead it's a creative production tool for the professional and semi-professional recording engineer. It's also a natural for the musical group that wants to produce its own audition or practice session tapes but can't afford a larger, more expensive machine.

Where can you use the MX-5050? It will handle a wide spectrum of professional recording and production assignments with ease: audiovisuals, broadcast recording of all types, musical groups, high school and college bands, church and religious recording, motion picture sound, drama classes, and local theater groups, to name a few.

Look at the creative production features and exceptional performance the Otari MX-5050 has to offer. (While you're at it, compare these with your typical large tape machine costing two to three times more.) Whether you're an old pro or just getting started in the business, we think you'll find that the MX-5050 is the sensible alternative in compact professional recorders. It's got everything you need to produce tapes of true professional quality.

PROFESSIONAL FEATURES AND CAPABILITIES↑ TOP

• Motion sensing.
• Front panel edit and adjustable cue.
• Synchronous reproduce for overdubbing.
• Exceptional signal-to-noise, headroom, and crosstalk.
• 600 ohm, +4 dBm output.
• Front adjustable bias, equalization, and reference level.
• Bias adjustable for new high energy mastering tapes.
• Test and cue oscillator.
• Hysteresis synchronous or variable speed dc capstan servo.

Professional vs Consumer. What separates a professional machine from a hi-fi recorder? First of all, performance, but not just performance alone. As many of you are aware, performance specifications are often quoted differently in the professional and the consumer worlds. On the surface, some hi-fi specs may seem superior to the more realistic and conservative specifications of the professional machine. Regardless of the numbers game being played, professional specifications are better. And, equally important, they are long term specifications. This is another way of saying that professional machines are more reliable under conditions of continuous heavy-duty usage.

Aside from better specs, an important difference is in the creative production features that a recording engineer takes for granted on a professional machine he uses day in and day out. Basically, these features allow him to handle the tape more easily and naturally.

When comparing a professional and hi-fi recorder, look for things like edit and cue controls, front adjustable bias and equalization, record safe position, selective reproduce for overdubbing, XLR connectors, built-in test oscillator, and motion sense. Let's take a look at these and other features in detail.