Identifying the MARK IV
How to recognise one↑ TOP
- Desk-top. Otari's 1991 configurations table heads every MARK IV column — MKIV-2, MKIV-2E, MKIV-4 and MKIV-8 — "Desk Top", against "Upright" for the B-III (MX-5050 Series data sheet OA-321C, p.3).
- A direct-drive, brushless capstan. The same sheet gives a "D.C. brushless type quartz PLL servo-controlled capstan motor" for every model (p.3) and describes it as direct-drive (p.1); the MKIV-2 manual lists "DC brushless PLL servo motor" for the capstan (OS3-298, PDF p.91).
- Half-inch for four and eight channels. The MKIV-4 and MKIV-8 run ½″ tape; the MKIV-2 and MKIV-2E run ¼″ (OA-321C, p.3).
Read the rear plate↑ TOP
| Machine | Plate reads | Suffix | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKIV-2 | MX-5050 MKIV-2 | ¼″ 2-channel, NAB | |
| MKIV-2E | MX-5050 MKIV-2E | DIN | ¼″ 2-channel, DIN |
| MKIV-4 | MX-5050 MKIV-4 | ½″ 4-channel | |
| MKIV-8 | MX-5050 MKIV-8 | ½″ 8-channel |
No suffix variants have been found for the MARK IV in any Otari paper, so the plate does not give the speed pair — and Otari's own paper disagrees about the MKIV-2: the 1991 sheet says "B-III & MARK IV-2 models offer 3 speeds" (OA-321C, p.4, note 1), while its manual says it "cannot be changed to Low Speed" (OS3-298, PDF pp.23 and 32).
When it was sold↑ TOP
By 1991. The earliest dated MARK IV paper is the MX-5050 Series data sheet OA-321C, ©1991 (OA-321C, p.4).
Sources↑ TOP
- MX-5050 Series data sheet OA-321C — ©1991. p.1 (direct-drive capstan), p.3 (configurations table and capstan motor), p.4 (speed note and date).
- MX-5050 MKIV-2, BIII-2 operation and maintenance manual, OS3-298 — PDF p.15 (the four MARK IV models), pp.23 and 32 (the MKIV-2's fixed speed pair), p.91 (capstan motor).