audio studio equipment

Using the right audio archiving equipment is essential for our work and we love older gear! We spend (possibly) more time than we should making the machines work 'as good as new,' so they deserve to be mentioned here...

reel-to-reel tape

¼ inch stereo

  • 3 x Sony APR 5003 with a JRF Magnetic Sciences modified head assembly for 4 track and 2 track 1/4" stereo tapes
  • 2 x Studer A80 RC with a JRF Magnetic Sciences modified head assembly with DIN (butterfly) and NAB repro heads also drilled for easy azimuth adjustment
  • Studer A80 R customised for winding and cleaning of fragile tapes with no fixed heads or guides
  • 2 x Tascam BR20 stereo decks

¼ inch multitrack

  • Tascam 34 / Teac 3440 4 channel multitrack 1/4"
  • Fostex Model 80 - 1/4 inch, 8 track multitrack (7" cine hub, small reels)
  • Fostex E8 - 1/4 inch, 8 track multitrack (10.5" NAB, large reels)

½ inch stereo

  • Sony APR 5003 1/2" head assembly for 1/2" stereo masters

½ inch multitrack

  • Teac 80-8, ½ inch, 8-track multitrack
  • Otari MX5050 ½ inch, 8-track multitrack
  • Fostex B16 ½ inch, 16-track multitrack
  • Tascam TSR8, ½ inch, 8-track multitrack

1 inch multitrack

  • Tascam MS16 - 1 inch, 16-track multitrack with external dbx decoders
  • Tascam MSR24 - 1 inch, 24-track multitrack with internal dbx decoding

2 inch multitrack

  • Otari MTR90 MkIII 2 inch 24-track multitrack

analogue cassette tape

compact cassette stereo / compact cassette multitrack

  • Nakamichi RX505 3 head deck
  • Nakamichi 680 3 head deck with half and normal speed options
  • Nakamichi 670 3 head deck
  • 4 x Marantz PMD 502 with balanced outputs
  • Tascam 122 Mk III 3 head deck x 7 with balanced outputs
  • 4 x Tascam 130 3 head deck
  • Tascam 133 Multi Image 3 head deck
  • Tascam 134 4 track multitrack deck with Dolby B / C
  • 2 x Tascam 234 4 track multitrack deck with dbx
  • Tascam 238 8 track multitrack deck with dbx
  • Tascam 238S 8 track multitrack deck with Dolby S
  • Teac C-3X 3 head deck with normal and double speed options
  • Teac MR-40 Cassette Data Recorder

noise reduction

  • Dolby A-301
  • Dolby 330 stereo Dolby B encoded / decoder
  • 2 x Dolby 361 units
  • 2 x Dolby 365 stereo Dolby A
  • Dolby 363 stereo Dolby A / Dolby SR / Telcom C4 cards
  • Nakamichi NR-200 external Dolby B and C encoder / decoder
  • Bel BC3 16 channel
  • Tascam DX-4D x 2 dbx units

digital formats

DAT

  • 3 x Fostex D5 DAT
  • 3 x Sony 7030 timecode DAT
  • Sony 7040 timecode DAT
  • Sony TCD 10 portable DAT recorder
  • Sony EVS 700 - 8mm video deck with PCM multi audio
  • Tascam DA30 MkII DAT
  • Tascam DA40 DAT
  • Tascam DA45HR High Resolution 24 bit DAT
  • Tascsam DA60 MkII Timecode DAT

DTRS / DA-88

  • 2 x Tascam DA78HR DTRS 8 track digital multitrack tape
  • 3 x Tascam DA98HR DTRS 8 track digital multitrack tape
  • 3 x Tascam DA88 DTRS 8 track digital multitrack tape

ADAT

  • Alesis ADAT XT
  • Alesis ADAT M20
  • Alesis ADAT LX20

MiniDisc

  • Denon DN-990R Broadcast MiniDisc Recorder
  • HHB MDP-500 Portadisc MiniDisc Recorder
  • Sony MDM-X4 4 track multitrack MiniDisc Recorder
  • Sony MZ-NH600D HiMD Minidisc Recorder
  • Tascam MD-301 MkII MiniDisc Recorder
  • Tascam MD-350 MiniDisc Recorder
  • Tascam MD 801R MiniDisc Recorder

 

  • Denon DN-951FA Broadcast CD Cart Player
  • HHB CDR-850 CD recorder
  • 3 x RME Hammerfall DSP 9652
  • 3 x RME HDSP 9632 analogue and digital audio interface cards
  • RME Fireface 800 firewire interface
  • MOTU Digital Timepiece
  • MOTU 2048 Mk 1 8 channel Interface
  • MOTU 2048 Mk 3 8 channel Interface x 2
  • Midiman Digipatch 12x6
  • Benchmark Media Systems ADC1 2 channel 24bit 192 kHz A/D converter
  • Lavry Engineering AD10 2 channel A/D converter
  • Benchmark Media Systems DAC1 2 channel 24bit 192 kHz D/A converter
  • Sony PCM-701ES (PAL / SECAM based recordings)

patching / metering / monitoring

  • Balanced B-Type patchbays for analogue audio
  • Rane BB 44X 8 channel transformer based unbalanced <> balanced converter
  • Alice Broadcast Solutions Matchpak x 2
  • BES BNC / Musa Patchbay for S/PDIF Digital Audio
  • DK Audio MSD 200 analogue / AES audio meter, vectorscope, spectrum analyser
  • RTW 1206D
  • RME DIGICheck metering software
  • Tektronix 760A Stereo Audio Monitor
  • Tektronic 764 Digital Audio Monitor
  • Adcom GF-545 power amp
  • Quad 405II power amp
  • Quested VS2205 active studio monitors
  • Genelec 8020B active studio monitors
  • AR 18S passive loudspeakers

test / service tools

  • Nakamichi T-100 Audio Analyser
  • Leader LFM-3610 Wow / Flutter meter
  • Philips PM3055 Dual Trace 50MHz Oscilloscope
  • Lindos LA101 Audio Oscillator / LA102 Audio Measuring Set
  • Information Terminals M-300 cassette gauge
  • Tentelometer tape tension gauges
  • Various Spring Gauges
  • MRL 1/4 test tapes
  • Teac / Nakamichi / Abex cassette test tapes
multiple reel-to-reel tape recorders in sound studio

Clockwise from top left: Studer A80 RC, Fostex Model 80, Sony APR 5003s, Studer A80 RC head assembly, Fostex B16, Otari MTR-90III reel-to-reel tape recorders at Greatbear

sound studio: racks of analogue audio cassette machines and digital converters

Clockwise from top left: Lavry AD10, Nakamichi RX 505E, Nakamichi 680 & 660 ZX, Tascam 234, Tascam 134, Tascam 238, Tascam 238S, Tascam 133, Benchmark ADC1, Sony SL-HF150 Beta hi-fi, Tascam 122 MKIII

tension gauge, Dolby noise reduction machines, XLR cables and patchbay diagram, hand holding circuit board removed from tape machine, patchbay terminals, tape transport alignment gauge in wooden box.

Clockwise from top left: tape tension Tentelometers, Dolby 365 && Dolby 363 noise reduction processors, XLRs & audio patch bay wiring plan, fixing a Tascam BR20 circuit board, patchbay terminals, Information Terminals M-300, cassette tape transport alignment gauge

sound studio: racks of digital audio cassette machines and waveform monitors

Clockwise from top left: Sony PCM 7040, Sony PCM 7030, studio monitors, Fostex D5 DAT, Alesis ADAT LX20, Alesis ADAT XT, Tascam DA-45HR, Tascam DA-60 MKII, Tascam DA-98HR, MOTU digital timepiece, Sony SL-T50ME, Sony SL-700ME, Sony PCM-701ES