chakster, I see. $1k should buy RX-505 in excellent condition. |
Ralph, why do you look at these things ? I mean, heads for Nak decks. You have Studers, that's real tape machines. |
Ralph, I see. Helpful warning. But still..I would only consider three heads decks. |
For type II tape Maxell XLII-S and for metal Maxell MX-S is what I would use if I wanted to just record something. To go higher you would need TDK MA-XG or older MA-R. Top level is Maxell Metal Vertex, that is what I use exclusively. RX-550 is not really a recording deck. You would do better with 680ZX, 682ZX, ZX-7 and ZX-9. All of those have classic Nakamichi sound. |
Oh, forgot to mention interconnect cables. They are very important both for the recording and the reproduction. I currently use Wywires Diamond for both. Step down for me would be Purist Neptune. Wywires Platinum is excellent too, better for reproduction than recording in my system. Purist is equal for both, maybe very slightly better for the recording.
They say vintage analogue sources are less particular about cables. Yes and no. If you want the best sound there is no way around it. |
chakster,
I have a small quantity of sealed Vertex tapes that I bought years ago for about $50 a piece. Still a lot.
I never tried Teac cassettes. I do prefer, generally speaking, Maxell to TDK, though as I mentioned TDK MA-R and MA-XG are excellent, newest green case MA-XG sounds best with my deck, which is not calibrated for particular tape formulation.
Yes, all decks that I recommended have calibration. It is important if you want the very best recordings.
RX-505 is a good deck.
I send my deck to Willy Hermann every 3-4 years for service. If nothing is broken it doesn't cost much - about $350 or so plus shipping both ways, But the first time, which was years ago, when I sent it to him it was something like $650 plus shipping, but he did partial overhaul.
As a new client you would have to wait for months before he has time to work on your deck, at least it was last year when I asked him. This doesn't apply to old clients. |
A few considerations when recording.
Take the signal directly off the phono stage. Usually there is more than enough gain.
Turn the volume of the system way down - you want as little external vibration as possible.
Isolate deck with some cones or pads or whatever, just as you isolate turntable. What works with table should work with deck too in my experience.
Clean the heads, the tape path and pinch rollers, of course. 99% alcohol is too aggressive for pinch rollers but fine for the heads and tape path. I would take 75% for rollers. Well, I use 99% for everything but I have some experience with how to apply it without dissolving the rollers.
I clean everything before each recording and after 10-15 hours of play.
I also use LAST Factory tape head preservative and apply it before playing each cassette. It takes only a few seconds and it works great. I have thousands upon thousands of hours of play on my 682ZX and there is virtually no head wear. Confirmed by Willy.
I really like tape. Actually thinking of getting reel to reel deck in a few years. Studer is too expensive for me. I'll get Otari two track. Otari will also play four track tapes. |
Well, twenty years ago I bought my Nak for about $450 in near new condition. It should cost two-three times more now. That would be fair price. There are fewer of them and more people become interested.
RX-500 in excellent condition should probably be around $1k or so. I tried Sony top tape years ago and was not impressed. Might be different with some other decks. I tried everything, including top Denon and couple of others. With my deck Maxell Vertex is untouchable. By far. |
Fast forward and rewind your MA-XG before recording. Also, try to record a few minutes of something with clear high frequencies. If the sound is muffled the tape might've been magnetized. May not be a problem. Record once and then record again, it may sound as it should the second time. I had it with sealed tapes once or twice.
100 minutes tapes are not reliable because they are very thin. Buy only 90 minutes or shorter cassettes unless you just need 50 minutes each side. 90 minutes cassettes usually have a little more time than 45 minutes per side, often 46-47 minutes, which might be very helpful. And 60 minutes are also more than double 30 minutes. |
I never tried Dolby S. Dolby C is terrible. Dolby B might make some sense in rare cases. |
Yes, he made a mistake, I never mentioned TD700 or I would've responded.
Regarding deck servicing, I would think that there should be some very qualified people in Germany and other European countries, though I don't know anyone, it is just a thought. Willy Hermann's service is in a very high demand.
chakster, I of course record without any Dolby. More noise but much more music too. |
chakster, again just a thought. Decks with reverse, like RX-505 and Dragon, might be less reliable and more expensive to service. So if you want ’cool’ stuff then yeah, but if you want better and more reliable deck then it is among those that I mentioned. They are not quite equal and there are those with automatic and those with manual calibration. It is more a matter of taste. Personally, I don’t care. 682ZX is better than 680ZX. 682ZX and ZX-7 ?.. I don’t know, I heard two opinions : one is that they are equal and another is that 682ZX does have an edge. ZX-9 should be better than 682ZX in terms of dynamics and resolution but 682ZX is a forever classic Nak. |
Ralph, I see. I would need a pro grade outboard Dolby S unit to experiment with it. I don't think I would want to go in this direction. |
People like Willy Hermann are capable of lapping the heads, or whatever it is called, and they often have used spare heads in good condition. That's what Willy once told me.
Buy three heads deck even if there is a slight risk of extra expenses. |
