Akai MG614 Four Track | First Impressions

[@dylonbangss2804]

Never heard of this machine this is really cool. Also I got my buddies 244 from destroying tapes to a fully functional machine with ur help. Thank you for the wealth of knowledge. Love from Florida USA

[@Tetrakan]

Glad to help, happy recording!

[@kardoplay]

Nice portable cassette recorder from 1985 approx. I have one myself and have had it since it was new when it hit the market. think it is the finest copy in the world I have as the plastic is still on it, the packaging is still there as it is now in it.😂 It was the king of all cassette recorders at the time and sounds very good. better than Tascam in my opinion, especially when you bring over 3 tracks to the 4. You should preferably have the right cassette tape for it ie chrome cassette tape! Normal cassette tapes gave more noise and metal tapes were too treble. This device has a big brother, it has 12 channels and is called MG 1212 which also sounds good but was more for professional recording as it was expensive at the time. Funny that it's still out there 👍🏻

[@BogoEN]

Awesome - two paws up from Willow, nothing to sneer at. Hopefully Adrian finds a donor unit. Sorta seems ultimately like a 246 competitor, save for the dual stereo fx returns. Only other four track I’ve used with that is the MT3X. And that doesn’t have bus groups. Cool not-so-little unit 😎

[@philf4018]

Nice! Looking forward to the teardown video! I have 2 of those machines and neither works 100%. In my experience they are super hard to fix because there is a lot of stuff in it. If someones need the repair manual I can upload that and post a link here.

[@Tetrakan]

The one here has a very corroded transport. But I'm pretty sure that I could fix a less corroded one. There might be a deal to be done here, I fix your best one in return for parts from your worst one? Location might make this prohibitive, though. I'm in the UK. Please message me via Facebook or Instagram if this is of interest....

[@rayfinkle4086]

Repair manual would be so appreciated @philf4018 !

[@spookylaundry3326]

Very cool, excited about this. I had a broken Akai mg1214 siting in my basement for far too long. Sadly never got it fixed but hopefully the person that I sold it to will. It takes a proprietary tape format. The thing was beautiful but so damn big.

[@Tetrakan]

I'm aware of the 1214 and nearly pulled the trigger on a couple of ebay lustings, but I was wary of the format. I'm in a Facebook group now, and the few folks who have working units seem to get a lot of requests to digitise old demoes before the supply of tapes and working units fizzles out completely. As obsolete formats go, cassette is in better shape!

[@theprogrammerrolandmc3039]

@@Tetrakan Hey scottish bro i found a fostex x 18 on reverb for you go have a look £36 free postage i am not the seller

[@BalBaaBart]

I had a 1214 once including tape cartridge, but the tape mechanism was dead and there are no spare parts for it anywhere. Lots of cabeling inside, not a pleasure to take apart. Huge, heavy beast. Got rid of it. The few 614's that are put on sale go for ridiculous high prices. I wonder if they are worth it. Like your presentation

[@Tetrakan]

@bartkloosterboer Agreed - the prices are completely divorced from actual sale prices of equivalent units by other brand. For instance, there's a faulty one on uk eBay right now for £750. I figure a serviced one might fetch a little over £500, since that's what I'd sell an equivalent unit like the 246 for after servicing it...I can see some arguments for them going worth a little more money than the tascam, but 2x? 3x? Sellers just trying their arm..

[@theprogrammerrolandmc3039]

@@Tetrakan You have to remember as well alot of these sellers find them in Bins 'recycle centers and charity shops.

[@buckheadshaman]

Would love to see more content on this unit

[@RiccardoPetracca-zt1fx]

Hi, you create some very useful and interesting content. I found a cheap akai mg614 but the owner explained to me that the recorder part doesn't work properly. when you turn on the capstan it starts spinning without stopping, if you press the stop or pause button it continues spinning until you turn off the mixer. In your opinion, how could I solve this problem, could it be an electronic or lubrication problem? he's selling it for €150 and I'm completely in love with it, hope you can help me, thanks!

[@Gezira]

Seems a good machine, I'm curious about the innards and sound of course.

[@Tetrakan]

It's in that elliptical zone of a Venn diagram where builds quality and poor access overlap. It's also comically corroded to a point where I gave doubts about being able to get it working again... watch this space!

[@producer21207]

Wow.I owned one back in the day.Made lots of hit songs with that.

[@Tetrakan]

Links please 🙏

[@Allious131]

Yea I wanna hear those hits please do a link?

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Hey Calum, great to see your first impressions video of the MG614, and thanks for agreeing to take a look at it! I’m on the case searching for spare parts or a donor machine, but no joy so far. If it proves to be unfixable I think it deserves a sea burial 🪦 😅.

[@Tetrakan]

In principal, Willow might want to buy it, but since I don't give him any pocket money, his best offer is probably half a dead mouse and a plastic bottle cap?

[@wehappyfewmusic]

@@Tetrakan haha, seems like a fare offer from a cat, and Willow does seem very taken with it! 🐈‍⬛ 😂

[@travisraab]

@@wehappyfewmusic i recently collabed with dead mouse glad to read all this

[@wehappyfewmusic]

@@travisraab Dead Mouse as Deadmau5 the electro music producer?? That’s very cool if so😎! Or just a Dead mouse 🐭😅?

[@travisraab]

@@wehappyfewmusic no a dead mouse

[@johntammaro]

I like the dual bus and also has tape sync. Quite a good little unit all being said. I guess the only thing it's "missing" is the full range eq of low mid and high. I have to say, I'm now wanting one of these and blaming you entirely 😂

[@Tetrakan]

Im in the middle of tearing this down, and the experience is damping my enthusiasm somewhat. It's not quite as big as a 644, but it's definitely as heavy and as awkward to take apart. It's also got crazy rust on the transport, I may not be able to salvage it, sadly.

[@shawnlennon1947]

I’m new to these machines. And midi gives me a headache as is. can’t imagine even trying to understand how to work midi into my tape machines work flow. And is the machine always accurate with the midi info? Asking something with a mechanical counter to deal with midi seems like pushing it 😂

[@shawnlennon1947]

Also don’t blame him. You know it was the kitty that sold it!

[@johntammaro]

@@shawnlennon1947 I bought a Smart Sync box but in truth it's more hassle than it's worth and you loose a 4th channel for the majority of your mix

[@Tetrakan]

@@shawnlennon1947 I think the idea is the midi tempo fluctuates to match the inconsistencies in the motor. I have wondered if this would’ve been a good way to humanise hard quantised MIDI data back in the day? But I’m in no hurry to try those integrations, the hassle/reward ratio seems unappealing.

[@travisraab]

Hi can does this machine acceptable for recording indy lofi musics? thanks from europe

[@Tetrakan]

Hello sir. Only drug addicts and idiots use this technology. If you are having problems, hit the side of the unit three times and buy a demagnetising wand.

[@morbidmanmusic]

or.... you can just buy a phantom power supply for the mic. no pre amp needed if you do that. also, and4 that that has effect send has stereo returns. Never seen it not that way.

[@shawnlennon1947]

I love mpc. Biggest regret is selling my mpc live for weed. It went to a good home though. The guy was a music teacher at his church and was real excited to get one to teach the kids about electronic music and sampling. That’s a cool ass music teacher.

[@Tetrakan]

REFFRAME: Imagine you'd never smoked weed! Those memories are forever, bruh.

[@oinkooink]

One just came up in my area for $400 Australian dollars.

[@Tetrakan]

Thats cheap!

[@foldingthemap3823]

A @wehappyfewmusic crossover! I just got his tape a week or so ago, which is fantastic, and I love that you guys are connected!

[@Tetrakan]

Nice. I fixed Adrian's MT8XII recently, too - I'll be releasing a couple of videos featuring that unit shortly.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Hey glad you liked the tape! Calum, if this turns out to be fixable how do you fancy recording two track of a song, then I could finish it off?