The Timeless Resonance: OTARI MX5050 S2, an Audio Relic from the 70s.

Some real legends in our lives have proof of their success from the beginning. For example, the iconic Volkswagen Beetle holds the record for being produced for the longest period in automotive history. The original Beetle, often referred to as the "VW Bug," was first introduced in 1938, and its production continued until 2003. The title for the airborne legend produced for the longest period in history goes to the Lockheed C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft: first entered service in 1956, and it has been in production for over six decades.

Determining the specific reel-to-reel tape recorder produced for the longest period in history can be challenging because many manufacturers produced various models over the years, and production timelines for specific models varied. If we do not take into consideration various models of the Ampex 600 series, in my own opinion, the title should go to the OTARI MX5050 Professional Tape Recorder. The MX-5050 series was introduced in 1975 and remained in production with various versions up to 1999, the whole quarter of the century.

The OTARI MX5050 tape decks are commercial-grade RTR devices aimed at radio stations, television networks, and recording studios. These decks were not designed for the home audio market, even though many of them are discovered in systems belonging to audiophiles due to their exceptional dependability and great performance.



As for the mine treasure, the OTARI MX5050 S2, it was made in the late 70s – beginning of the 80s. While the exact year of its production eludes me, a capacitor bearing the insignia of 1976 hints at its vintage. The deck has a control under the head cover to switch to a ¼ track playback head so that you can play back ¼ track tapes as well as play and record in ½ track mode. The deck comes with 7 ½ and 15 IPS speeds and has three direct drive motors, which simplifies the transport significantly. The MX5050 uses balanced XLR input and output connectors. This option can result in no audio on occasion, while most other equipment assigns pin 2 as hot. If you run balanced to balanced cables, then you should have no issues, but if using balanced XLR to unbalanced RCA cables, these will occasionally need to be rewired at the XLR end so that pin 3 goes to the center RCA connector pin.

The MX5050 has a very useful feature where a little screwdriver can be used to alter the bias, EQ, and tape recording level on the front panel. This enables you to tailor these changes to the particular brand of tape you're using. This proved to be quite helpful in the past when radio and television stations used various kinds of tape.

Overall the MX5050 series and all OTARI decks are very reliable, as they were designed to be powered on 24/7 in radio and TV stations worldwide. We are very proud that one of these legendary tape decks arrived at the Retro Audio Museum in full working order, and we can put it on active display to demonstrate its fantastic sound to our visitors.