ANALOG MULTITRACK RECORDERS

ANALOG MULTITRACK RECORDERS

by George Petersen

Otari's MX-5050 Series use a time-tested transport that easily interfaces to external synchronizers and a number of optional remote controllers. All are three-speed machines, with 3.75/7.5/15 ips in user-selectable pairs, and feature 10.5-inch reel capacity, ±7% varispeed, a three-head design, XLR-type unbalanced inputs/outputs with switchable -10dBV or +4dBm operation, headphone output monitoring, internal 1kHz/10kHz oscillator, real-time LED tape counters with return-to-zero function, and compatibility with dbx noise reduction systems. The MX-5050 MkIII-8 ($5,495) is a 1/2-inch 8-track in a tabletop, overbridge VU meter configuration. In a similar overbridge package is the MX-5050 MkIII-4 ($5,935), a 1/2-inch 4-track, which, like its MX-5050 BQ-II cousin (a compact 1/4-inch 4-track priced at $4,345), includes mic preamp inputs and onboard line/mic mixing.