Ampex AX-50?

[kerble]

Hey All,

I just got an Ampex AX-50 reel-to-reel for $25. Neat. It's a 1/4" machine, methinks. I've never owned a reel-to-reel before. I found a bunch of stuff on ampex machines in the forum (not necessarily related) and have been able to find little about them online.

here's a picture of one in the movie Casino:


Are these any good? (vague, I know). I read that they were the "home" models and may not be that great overall, but I'm excited to learn how to use it. any advice for what to do to make sure it's running optimally? links to appropriate threads would be cool, too. There are two pages of ampex threads, but most of the stuff relates to larger machines.


thanks!



Faiz

[goosman]

Yeah, the AX-50 isn't from the pro line. It's a 1/4", quarter-track recorder. So it has four tracks on the tape, and you can record two at a time, then flip the tape over at the end and record two more tracks. If you're looking for a mixdown deck, this probably isn't what you want.
Ampex 440B's are a nice place to start, although they are likely more than $25.

[kerble]

Thanks, goosman. I figured it'd just be fun for home recording, learning, etc.



Faiz

[goosman]

Thanks, goosman. I figured it'd just be fun for home recording, learning, etc.

Sure thing, it's a fine place to start. Should be a fun way to learn how to bias, set EQ and levels, use for delay, make loops, etc.