Akai 4000DS Recording Demo

[@listenupmusicpeeps]

For such a young person to have an incredibly passionate interest in vintage stereo, and a reel to reel at that, is very heartening. I used to own heavy stereo equipment in the 70’s and 80’s when I was a very young man. They were proper audio equipment, with lots of knobs, VU meters, and some came with wooden cabinets! I’m now in my early 60’s, and own a micro stereo equipment which is half the size of this Akai. I just happened to stumble upon this video, and I thoroughly enjoyed being taken back to my carefree years. Thank you for posting the video. Keep up your interest in these vintage wonders. These days, it’s tiny stereos, and Bluetooth, MP4 and such. Not proper stuff. By the way, does anyone reading this, remember 8-track stereos?

[@tristanmackid4953]

Thanks very much for the nice comment sir. Although there aren't many people my age interested in vintage audio, I do know a few like myself that try to keep it living. Since I made this video I've added a few early '70s Marantz units to my collection which I have gotten a great deal of joy from using them on a daily basis. There is a certain charm about these old machines that simply can't be replicated by the newer systems you mentioned. Hope you are doing well and staying safe! Tristan

[@Mandoline2007]

I just bought myself this reel to reel and what a surprise to see that a young man can give me such relevant recommendations. This video is already 4 years old and I hope you have always kept this passion for the sound and quality of analog recordings. Many thanks for your passion for music.

[@tristanmackid4953]

Thanks for your comment, I hope you enjoy your Akai. Four years later and mine is still working as new. Just cleaned the heads a few weeks ago because I felt I should do something despite how fantastic it was still sounding without a head cleaning in who knows how long. I would recommend staying away from the 3M tapes I used in the video as some of them have suffered from the sticky shed issue. I have been using Maxell UD 35-90 for the last few years and those are phenomenal reliable tapes. Best of luck with your machine!

[@donaldlampert331]

Yours sounds great. At playback, I noticed an improvement in the audio quality over even the tape monitor while recording! Cool!

[@brendan8915]

What legend! I can't believe you dont have 100k more subs mate. Bless your passion. Keep up the love of sound brother. We're all tryna keep the music alive

[@tristanmackid4953]

Thanks man! I very much appreciate the nice comment.

[@josemiranda1241]

As a DJ in the 70's and a Sound Engineer with 50 years of experience is great you are enjoying this. We recorded in 15ips and 30ips. The analog have a warm feeling and the "color" of sound. Check your source, analog can support some peaks over 0db's since they are just peaks not continuous signals so you can setup properly your levels. Remember the signals to noise ratio and enjoy the sound! I have a very look alike your machine. An Akai GX-210D with auto reverse, a little beast!

[@stavrin]

Excellent presentation :) love to see young generation interested in this music format :)

[@anthonyvee]

Hello there and I'm very glad that a young person as yourself appreciates machines that I grew up with. (And still have...) Stay well.

[@tristanmackid4953]

Thank you Anthony, hopefully we can keep the passion for vintage audio alive!

[@anthonyvee]

Amen to that! Stay well.

[@ThurmanBrasher]

Tristan, you are spot on recommending Dire Straits recordings as something to put on reel to reel. "Brothers in Arms" is a great recording, but their "On Every Street" album is even better. I use the song "Iron Hand" off of that CD as my go-to recording to demo my reel to reels (I have five of them). Glad to see someone of your generation appreciating and understanding this older but superior technology. Keep up the good work.

[@tristanmackid4953]

Thank you for the comment Thurman. I will definitely try and find a CD of that album. I currently only have "Brothers in Arms" and their self titled album which are both so impressive I'd be very interested to hear the one you mentioned. Currently looking for a pioneer RT-901 to add to my system so maybe I'll get to demo it with "Iron Hand".

[@djrussellevans]

Excellent tutorial Thank you for the upload Maximum respect from Manchester UK

[@tristanmackid4953]

Thanks man! I love the name by the way. One of my all time favourite movies is The Shining.

[@donaldlampert331]

Just picked up one of these for $10.00. lots of cleaning later, needing to hook it up and test! Thanks for the demo!

[@psicoloramarockprogresivop6209]

Magnífico video. Desde España, sigue con tu pasión por la música y el Vintage

[@johnnysjamstudio1607]

Been fiddling with a Sony reel to reel from the late 60s..gonna try your suggestions

[@johnlomasney]

Love the reels

[@coldginuk1]

Hi, I have basically the same model but mine is very slightly older. What I've found is if you get a really good source hi res 24/192 and record that on to tape it sounds freaking awesome. 1800 ft of tape at 7 1/2 inches per second, you should just about get a 45 min album on. I have Dark side of the Moon on one side and Wish You Were Here on the other. Not sure how close it would be to a studio recording but I reckon it's pretty much so.

[@ksztyrix]

Very nice gear. I feel growing urge to buy reel to reel deck. I know I shouldn't but it's so tempting...

[@tristanmackid4953]

Thank you! It's definitely an expensive and tedious category of the audiophile world, but I'd 100% say that the best sound I've ever got through my system was with my reel to reel seen in the video. The only thing I'd caution you on is finding high end tapes. Although they're expensive, they're worth it. Good luck!

[@TomOHara72]

Thank YOU! Took me back to my H.S. class 1972..Best sound ever; Abbey Road....I Must get one..AND how could I EVER find the lost tapes...Beatles , Moodies, Nilsson..

[@larryavila5927]

Nice demo on how to record.

[@gfonzy]

My Mom had that same until in the early 1970s. It sounds great.

[@absolving]

Great vid. I'd love to record on one of these

[@tristanmackid4953]

Thank you! It is a satisfying process for sure.

[@vivalavida1152]

Merci, je cherchais à savoir comment on pouvait enregistrer sur cet appareil que j ai trouvé chez mon vieil oncle . Cool de trouver tes explications. 😊

[@BeauTylerMakesMusic]

Great video, man. very helpful. Do you know where we can get the "hub caps" for the reels by any chance? I just picked one up but it doesn't have it and I'd prefer not to lay it on its back. Hope to hear from you, but either way, thanks for posting!

[@Tony-uq4ig]

Reel to reels make the best recording that nothing else can compare to not even a cd-recorder

[@tristanmackid4953]

Hi Sergio, I agree! I couldn't believe the first time I used this how many minor details came to life that I was missing on what I thought to be a very good CD.

[@HzofArt]

Man thank you I’ve had this for 10 years and never used it. thought it was broken

[@robertnatiello3814]

It is interesting how the CD was what was being recorded on the reel to reel yet the reel to reel revealed the depth of the music from the CD.

[@tristanmackid4953]

Robert Natiello yes I find it very interesting as well. Out of all the formats I have experienced, Reel to Reel is without a doubt the best. It's amazing all the subtleties you can hear on one of these even when recorded from something like a CD or a record. It makes it extremely hard to go back to a simpler format (never mind an MP3) once you've heard the potential the track or album has when played on a reel to reel. Just the other night I made a tape of the Supertramp album 'Breakfast in America' from my LP, and was blown away with how well that one sounded.

[@gillsimo5610]

Well...may I suggest `really` blown away...try that with Crime of the Century by Supertramp, vinyl or cd.. An album I've always loved above any for its sound production alone, I did try it...same Akai, same tape...from cd...played through Audioengine A5+ powered speakers & S8 sub. I can't actually listen to it too often...the experience/pleasure is so overwhelming that I'm transfixed from start to finish & always, always, come the fade out, sobbing, shaking & exhausted both mentally & physically..and I'm not even a fan of Supertramp's music although I find this album by far their best, musically speaking.Give it a go & come back & tell me it isn't so please.

[@coldginuk1]

@@gillsimo5610 like you I'm not a huge fan of Supertramp but Crime of the Century is a classic along with Dark side and Rumours. That period of 1973 to 1978 created some of the best rock music ever.

[@Hammerman48]

I grew up with reel to reel.....it’s hard to beat the warmth you get from tape. 15ips on a Revox twin track is amazing. I love the convenience of digital...but I miss the tactile nature of tape.....it looks like you have discovered that!!

[@tristanmackid4953]

Hi Keith, thanks for the comment. I agree, it's impossible to beat that crisp but natural sound of a reel to reel. It's the perfect combination of the clarity of a CD with the less restrictive sound of a compact cassette.

[@petergazdag3020]

Thank you for this detailed video man! :)

[@tristanmackid4953]

No problem, glad I could help!

[@robertnatiello3814]

I see 1 dislike. I cant imagine how you dislike a factual straight out test A to B. That's like saying I dislike like air.

[@tristanmackid4953]

Robert Natiello thanks man. Glad you liked the video!

[@stavrin]

At 19.5 cm, you can sefely peg the indicators at +3dB, there will be no distrortion, you will only improve S/N ratio :)

[@BigTrouble324]

At 7 / 1/2 ips there will be some loss, but when you record at 15 ips the recording will always sound better than the digital source. There are still some Revox A-77's available at a decent price. They have a nice warmth and a sparkly top end.

[@joea6296]

❤ cheers , i have adopted an akai 4000db ,mint almost but the sound isnt there if sounds super muffles and no treble any idea on what that might be ? Thanks 🙏😊 7:12

[@villavilla4798]

Hi. Nice video. Is that Akai restored or is it so good it's still working without restoring ? Are those tapes still available ? Greets from Holland

[@tristanmackid4953]

Hi there, greetings from Canada! No, the Akai has never been restored and works like a charm in it's original condition which is sure a testament to the build quality Akai had in the 70s. I believe the tapes I used in the video were last manufactured around 1994 however I would not recommend them. Though they do sound wicked, they are extremely prone to the "Sticky Shed Syndrome", which means that a super high pitched screech comes off the tape due to a chemical on the tape failing I believe. It's a real pain and I've only ever been able to record about twenty minutes maximum on each one. I have heard that the old Maxells are very well regarded. I'd love to get my hands on a few of those.

[@villavilla4798]

@@tristanmackid4953 Thanks for your reaction Tristan. I saw one in a local 'dumpstore' here in Holland. I don't know if it's working properly and restoration is expensive and difficult I think ... Can't do it myself anyway ... Groetjes

[@filippanjkovic1725]

Thenks

[@deletedaccount]

hi, can you do multi track recording with this one ? as recording with different input at same time ?

[@jurgitab]

I got one of this units, but when I compare the source vs the tape recording, the tape sound much brighter and thinner than the source, that has not any sense right? It would sound warmer and a bit darker I guess. Do you know which could be the problem?

[@anthonymatthew7824]

I have always loved 80s music ever since I was little one of my favourite singers is Sheena Easton, I have an cassette and record player in my bedroom to listen to her music. Never seen this format of music player before until I watched an movie called Gorillas In The Mist (The Adventure of Dian Foosey) then it got me curious to know what this is! Because I love 80s 90s movies, music etc Even one time I watching an movie called Past Midnight (1992 film) and that had an video project and player and that got my attention to! ❤️👍📼📽📼

[@jerrytate9394]

I can't find a capstan sleeve for my Akai 4000DS to change speeds HELP!

[@FUNKYSTATORS]

Have this gréât machine till 35years and always make ma pleasure 👆😉✨👌

[@note_finger]

how do you use these bad boys for instrumental recording?

[@pablobaldomir9430]

Esos grabadores tenian muy buen sonido

[@walkersmith8276]

stupid question alert: do I need a blank tape in order to record? I just bought a GX 4000D and it appears to be working fine but I can't get anything to record on the tapes that came with it

[@tristanmackid4953]

Hi Walker, I apologize for the delay. I think there is likely something wrong with your deck. Any tape can be re-recorded over and over (taping over the old recording).

[@nikolaykartavnev1111]

Молодец парень.

[@kurtremislettmyr7108]

i dont get it, a recording can never be better than it's source, yet I think I heard greater detail when you played the tape at the end.

[@andreaschristodoulou4274]

Hi there... i bought one those recently but mine, the pitch roller (its fine i guess)won't go close to the capstan when, i turn the play lever (the first one) rewind and fast forward are working perfect, any idea ???

[@bachelorgamer8001]

Is it possible to change the record speed

[@tristanmackid4953]

Hi, yes it is possible by removing the capstan sleeve.

[@TameToothSGA]

this is an old video but this is so sick

[@pablobaldomir9430]

Pero es muy bueno

[@pablobaldomir9430]

Saludos

[@VAMIRACING]

a like from me for choosing pink floyd AND being into old tapes!

[@pablobaldomir9430]

Es mejor poner pausa antes de bajar la perilla de rec ..osea no aserlo directo sino antes poner la palanca de pausa..

[@pablobaldomir9430]

Eso en los qe traian amplificador..

[@pablobaldomir9430]

I algunos modelos de akai traian bafles

[@pablobaldomir9430]

El tuyo nose si tiene amplificador

[@sen5908]

My dad had one of those for years, I wish he hadn't sold it

[@pablobaldomir9430]

Se yamaban jet stream sistem i eran mui buenos

[@saam6768]

i would like to extend a thank you to Pink Floyd for allowing this young man to use their music for this demonstration.

[@oscarkorlowsky4938]

Have I found another audiophile that's my age? Let's be friends

[@tristanmackid4953]

Hi Oscar, we are certainly few and far between these days. Hope you are doing well and keeping the vintage audio alive!

[@РоманНикитин-ъ3х]

Звук чистейший

[@nativeaf7126]

I got 2 for selling

[@leathandrubb]

SOUNDS EXACT TO ME.MY 4000 DB DOLBY DOESN'T QUITE MAKE IT BUT IT IS THE TAPES THAT COULD BE THE PROBLEM.I DON'T SUPPOSE THEY MAKE TAPES ANY MORE.ANYWAY I WILL PUT MY AKAI ON HERE AND HOPE THE SONG DOESN'T GET BANNED.

[@skinnyhastrup4614]

Please do line out to your soundcard next time. Speaker to room to microphone listening is pretty useless imo.