TEAC A-3300SX 2T reel to reel can play also 4 track 7ips?
- Thread starter lioraclev
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
Research suggests that the 2T\high speed version lacks the option for 1/4 track playback.
lioraclev
Active Member
But i see its support 7 ips
Yes 7.5 and 15ips
lioraclev
Active Member
so . its can't play 4 track also 7ips?
Correct-a few 1/2 track decks had an optional 1/4 track playback only head in the tape path, switchable from the front of the machine, to play 1/4 track tapes. The Teac lacks this option.
nope. It only has 2 tack heads; no quarter track heads. It will play 7 1/2 ips half track tapes. If you thread a 7.5 ips 1/4 track tape on it you will get a mix of the forward and reverse tracks at the same time. As @oldvinyldude mentioned no provision for 1/4 track tapes. I have two of the machines. If you want a deck that will do both, look for a Tascam 35. It plays and records in half track but also has a 1/4 track playback head for playing 1/4 track tapes.
The Otari MX5050 series has this option-on most of that model's decks.
That tells you speed alone (it's actually 7.5 ips). Leaving out low-cost speech-recording decks, almost all the well-known consumer decks from the main manufacturers support 7.5 ips. Commonly a consumer deck has two, or in some cases three, selectable speeds, in any of the following combinations (ips):
3.75, 7.5
7.5, 15
3.75, 7.5, 15
For good hifi recording, many people will say you need 7.5 ips as the minimum. That can be 2-track or 4-track, although 2-track is generally said to give better quality than 4-track.
I don't know if your question relates to a deck you own, or one you are considering for purchase, but as the TEAC 3300 takes 10.5" reels, it can make 2-track recordings of decent length (I assume 7.5 and 15 ips are its speeds) and great quality, as long as the heads are good and the machine is calibrated. Unlike with many other TEAC models, you wouldn't be able to play 4-track stereo prerecorded albums, if that's your interest. But nearly all tape decks lack the capability to play certain types of externally sourced tape recordings. It's all going to depend on how your available speeds and head configuration match up with those used by whoever recorded the tape.
There are some decks that cover a lot of options. The Technics RS1500 allows two-track recording only, plus playback of course, at any of 3.75, 7.5, and 15 ips. Usually people recommend not to record on this deck at 3.75 (waste of two-track capability), but hey, it doubles or quadruples recording time - or if you prefer, halves or quarters tape cost. This Technics also allows playback (but not recording) of 4-track stereo tapes. Quite handy. However, the Technics decks are pretty expensive to buy these days, and someone who wants to cover all options might more cheaply be able to do it with two separate tape decks, as long as they have the space for them both.
Last edited:
