Otari 2-Track Bound for Seoul

Otari 2-Track Bound for Seoul

by Tom Burrows Industrial Sales Engineer Otari Corp.

Belmont CA . . . It would be a fair assessment to say that one of the goals any manufacturer of professional audio equipment strives to attain is to have its products recognized within the industry with respect to the quality of performance, reliability and value.

Otari has been fortunate to have the MX-5050 series of products perceived in such a favorable light since they were first introduced.

One of the more notable successes has been with the 2-track products. The first in the line was the MX-50502SH, which was introduced in 1975.

Next, in 1978 the MX-5050-B and MKII-2 were introduced as the "new workhorse." The "B" was a standard upright configuration while the MKII-2 was a console with overbridge version.

Over the next five years, some nine thousand of the "B" machines were sold.

The current edition of the "B" machine, now called the MX-5050BII, was introduced in 1983 with the MKIII-2 console version soon following.

With updated performance and features, users demanded them for their ease of use and the quality of material they produced while the engineers servicing the machine appreciated the high reliability and ease of service.

As a result, there have been over 17,000 of these recorders purchased to date.

These machines offer three speed operation (3.75, 7.5 and 15 ips), 10½" reel size capacity, active balanced inputs and outputs and front panel record adjustments.

Other features include elapsed tape time counter (in hours, minutes and seconds), switchable IEC/NAB equalization, switchable ±4 dBm/−10 dBV operating levels, built-in test oscillator, vari-speed and headphone output among others.

These recorders have found popularity in mobile as well as fixed installations. A case in point is the utilization by Westwood One of twelve MX-5050 series two tracks for use at the Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.

Separate production/editing facilities are set up and are used for the assembling of material for broadcast.

Program from a variety of sources, such as announcer microphones, satellite feeds and roving reporters, is edited on open reel recorders and then bounced down to carts for eventual playback over the air.

For such an event as the Olympics, the equipment is kept in constant use. It is not unusual to clock eighteen hours of use per day of an event.

In selecting Otari machines, Westwood specifically cited their high performance value and reliability, compact design and affordability.

The first trial Westwood One put the machines through was the Democratic National Convention, where seven of the machines went virtually straight from the box into use. They performed without a hitch.

To date, Westwood One has expressed nothing but a high level of satisfaction in its choice of tape machines.

Otari is glad to be part of the team.