Members elamberth Posted June 24, 2006 Members Share Posted June 24, 2006 I recently bought an Otari MX 5050 2-track for mixdown off of ebay. I know, it's risky, but I have had good experience in the past. Anyway, it will fast forward and rewind OK, but not play or record. With the tape not threaded, and by lifting the lever on the right, it seems the right reel is trying to go clockwise and the left reel will try to go counter-clockwise. I downloaded images from the otari MX5050 II (the closest I could find) to see the tape path, and I think it's OK. Am I doing something wrong? Is it defective, in which case I should work at getting a refund. It was billed as in good working condition. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cage77 Posted June 24, 2006 Members Share Posted June 24, 2006 Great deck...and if you don't mind, how much did you pay? I have one, but I got it for free out of a radio station. Now onto your questions. It is normal for the two reels to go in opposite direction. They should move freely under their own control. You mentioned that the left reel "will try to " go counter clock wise. Have you tried taking the take up reel off of the deck and see if that helps? It is possible that it might be binding. Hope this helps... Brandon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members elamberth Posted June 25, 2006 Author Members Share Posted June 25, 2006 Thanks for your help! I paid $155. Actually, with a touch of the reel, it started playing, but it speeds up and slows down considerably during playback. The line inputs don't work, and recorded material plays back way too fast without changing the tape speed controls. I think I'm asking for a refund. Looks like it was once a good deck... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted June 25, 2006 Share Posted June 25, 2006 Two things off the top of my head... It might be the puck's (rubber idler wheel, just to the right of the headstack) worn out. Also, the lever that is supposed to move the capstain (spinning metal pole) and idler wheel into contact with each other might need lubrication. I would strongly recommend you have a good tech go through the deck and check everything out, do a bias and alignment, etc. etc. Pay them extra to have them teach you how to DIY. You'll also need to spring for a test tone tape, some cleaning supplies, manual, etc. You got a good deal on a good deck - congratulations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members elamberth Posted June 26, 2006 Author Members Share Posted June 26, 2006 Thanks for the reply! So you would keep the deck and get it serviced?How much does that cost? I live in the Philadelphia area, and how would I go about finding a technician? Thanks for the help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cage77 Posted June 26, 2006 Members Share Posted June 26, 2006 For $155, you got a great deck for an incredible price. Were you able to get the remote too??? I would second the calibration and repairs. Ask your local guitar shops if they do repairs. More than likely, if they can repair amps and such, they should be able to fix your deck. If that doesn't work, check out your local electronics repair shops. These guys tend to be old school and came up from repairing televisions and radios. These guys are usually pretty honest about things and know if they can't fix something. If they can't, they should be able to recommend someone. FWIW, here are a few useful links - For a great pdf file showing exploded view diagrams - http://www.otari.com/support/pdf/mx5050biii-partslist.pdf This is a pdf of the decks cut sheet - http://www.otari.com/support/pdf/litsheets/22091.pdf I'm still looking for a manual to describe some of the features. If you find one on line, please let me know.... Hope this helps... Brandon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 Another place to call would be the larger studios in town. They may have maintenance engineers who might be willing to take on a side job. Ditto that for the local radio stations - MX5050's were broadcast workhorses for years. Even if they don't have anyone on hand who can, or who would be willing to do the work, chances are they can refer you to someone in your area who can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members elamberth Posted June 27, 2006 Author Members Share Posted June 27, 2006 Thanks! I'll definitely look into having someone go over the deck. Sorry, I have not found a manual yet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members umkcprof Posted June 27, 2006 Members Share Posted June 27, 2006 I used to have one of those puppies. . . MX-5050B. . . way back in 1981. It was a fine deck back then, but I'm not sure if I'd want to mess with all the hassles now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members daklander Posted June 27, 2006 Members Share Posted June 27, 2006 Yes, unloaded and unthreaded, the reels will go in opposite directions if you lift the right hand takeup lever and hit play. They should spin quite fast though. If not, there is a drive problem of some kind. If it's a BII series, here is a Parts Breakdown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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