Akai MG614/1212/1214 Multitrack Recorders

Retro Styles wrote:So 300 euros would be quite expensive I guess

That a good, fair price.

OK then
That's the auction I'm seeing but I'm afraid of the shipping costs
Can you estimate how much cost to deliver it to Greece?

This was the listing for the one I bought, it was in showroom condition.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Akai-MG-614-4 ... 7675.l2557

To estimate shipping costs, the unit itself without packaging:

MG614 Size: 55.6 cm x 47 cm x 15.7 cm, Weight: 14.5 Kg

Often described as the "ROlls-Royce" of four-tracks, the MG614 is built like a tank and slightly larger in stature than the MPC60.

MPC60 Mk1 Size: 49.5 cm x 47.1 x 12.7 cm, Weight: 10.5 Kg

I just copped a 614 as well. Posting pics soon.

I finally took the plunge and decided to buy an MG614. I've been after one for over a year now. It needs a bit of work before it'll be 100% functional but it should be a fun summer fix up project nonetheless. I can't wait to set it up next to my MPC60. I swear they both look like they were made to compliment each other, but I suppose that was probably just the styling that Akai was using on their equipment at the time.

A closer look at the flagship MG1214.

This particular machine was NOS from 1988, for sale in 2013.

Original retail was $9000.00 (see review/link below).



http://www.preservationsound.com/wp-con ... 9_0001.pdf

Clint wrote:Any usage tip's, tricks, advice for the MG614? Surely there must be more than two or three people here with this dope four-track...

Clint have you had a chance to compare it to any other four tracks or have any four tracks that you are familiar with the sound of that you feel the MG sounds better than?

The MG614 is the first, and possibly the last, four track I've had the urge to buy. I also had a nice MG1214, but it took up way too much space for me to keep it. There are particular Tascam multi-track recorders that do interest me. To be honest, I only copped as the MG614 is ideal with an MPC60 or SP1200. Part of a genuine late 80's semi-pro recording set-up. I'm a total novice with multi-track recorders, but there is a growing market for them so it's in my interests to 'wise up' while they can still be found cheaply.

Tascam 688



or better still, the Tascam 388 Studio 8

Theres a decent MG614 on ebay.co.uk now, just down the road from me as it happens. The guy has been trying to sell at this price in various places for a couple of months. Same price at £270 whether its private or ebay, he's just not willing to budge. Still a fair price.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AKAI-MG614-Vi ... 3a9643dd18



He's offering international shipping, so be aware it is heavier than an MPC60...

all of these are done with the mg614

Hi folks,

I read over at gearslutz that this guy put taps off each of the faders and installed 1/4" outputs for all 6 channels. Might have to talk to my repair guy to see if he do the same for my unit. https://www.gearslutz.com/board/low-end ... order.html

has anyone else tried this?

Thanks

Sounds a cool mod to get direct outs, try it and let us all know how to get down!

Hey! new to the forum, had made an account about four or five years ago when i was about to purchase a 2000xl for my 16th birthday (absolute best decision ive made in my twenty years lol) and ended up learning some tidbits from mpcstuff.com's tutorial ebook, and just good ole trial and error (luckily i was a quick learner, and once an understanding of the hardware was in place, my sampling intuition went wild).....(id like to think lol)

so i hope to not ramble to much here, but i just wanted to introduce myself and ask some questions (which do pertain to this thread!) i have seen such a vastness of knowledge and compassion from this forums members and think its time i finally take my part in it.

so on to the question!

I have always sampled either from vinyl (from my technics sl-d2, through my rane ttm-54i master output, to my focusrite usb interface, recorded into cakewalk sonar program) OR if i feel my vinyl copy of a potential sample is too damaged / the sample was never pressed to vinyl i will simply load a WAV. file into propellerhead "Recycle". Either way i have ALWAYS used the recycle program to chop samples. I have always felt odd about not utilizing the chopping abilities within the 2000xl but felt it was confusing and touchy, and feel that recycle does the same thing (and more!!) with a hugely larger view for accuracy, quickness of workflow, etc.. Any comments on this are welcome!

So my actual beat making setup consists of an MPC2000xl, focusrite USB interface, Propellerhead REcycle, cakewalk sonar producer x3, KRK Rokit 6s (felt that the 8's had too much low end), and a KRK 12s sub.

OKAY now i promise the question is coming (just wanted to give background to give a better idea of my situation)
Ive always considered my lack of pre-amps/standalone mixers etc. etc., i feel as though many producers are able to color the sound of samples (namely vocal samples and those warm kicks and snares!) beyond just messing with high and low end. I know some producers tricks (namely 9th wonder, my biggest influence, cant deny it lol) are based largely in a master knowledge of compression (another thing that plagues my brain, i have close to zero understanding of this and its application.) LET ME KNOW IF YOU DO! (=

Basically, i am pretty darn happy with my sample choices, chops, sequencing, etc. BUT im getting to a point where im strongly considering trying to color up my samples.

Is the MG614 the answer ive been looking for? Ill admit the seemingly endless functions and numerous potential issues from age are a bit daunting, but i think i have drive to figure it out. Im just wondering if the pre-amps/parametric eqs on this unit will really provide a noticeable difference in the tone of my productions. I really want my drums, samples, bass, scratches to all mesh in a warm way (seemingly impossible through simple volume and eq adjustment both on the mpc and in software.) Im extremely curious if the warm sound is a result of the mixer or the recording onto tape. IF I USE THIS AS A STANDALONE MIXER FOR MY MPC INTO USB INTERFACE, WILL I GET THE WARMTH, OR WILL I HAVE TO UTILIZE THE TAPE RECORDING?

Im intrigued by the claims of being able to find a sweet spot in which the signal is overdriven and results in an unsurpassed warmth.

All comments, info, discussion of any kind extremely appreciated.

Hi Dreddz, I think it may have been me that made mention of a 'sweet spot'. Please forgive me for introducing such subjective terms into this discussion!

All I was really getting at is that the MG (like any other instrument) has its own character. My advice would be: whatever instrument you have, (old or new, crappy or sublime), embrace its particular character and your music will sound better for it!

I tend to think of studio kit less like a tool, and more like a collaborator. In the same way that you'd embrace a collaborators strengths and steer away from their weaknesses, do this with your instruments. Avoid the trap of thinking that you need a certain piece of kit to make your tunes sound better. - From your description of your approach it all sounds very promising and legitimate! I personally bought the MG614 because it was £60, and let it shape my ideas.

You mentioned wanting your tunes to 'mesh in a warm way'. Perhaps its worth considering introducing an analogue component to the signal chain? This could be at any point, and it will hopefully have the kind of effect your talking about. For example, you could run everything through an analogue desk at the point of sampling it. Or you could master it to cassette tape before recording it to your DAW. I vaguely recall that on their second album Portishead were recording themselves on reel-to-reel, and sampling these tapes. My instinct would be to experiment with outputting you tunes to a cassette deck (onto type II or IV tape). It should cost you very little money, and you may find that forcing your music down this funnel will make it mesh in the way your looking for. The result will be a technically degraded version of the digital version - but you it may sound a lot warmer, more personal and more characterful.

On a sidenote regarding 'character' - character is usually the consequence of what are technically limitations. - What we tend to call 'warmth' is really a form of distortion - its pushing at the parameters of what the instrument was designed to do. In an analogue medium, this distortion tends to happen on a gradual curve, so initially you can be pushing a signal into the red, but up to a point this hot signal sounds (subjectively) pleasant. Its for this reason that VU meters on analogue mixers have a red zone. Its roughly somewhere around this red zone that the signal starts to distort, but its only approximate. In contrast, there is not this No Mans Land in the digital realm - its either clean or there is strong and unpleasant distortion pretty much immediately. Many of the aural aesthetics of electric guitar music come from this approach of ignoring the limitations of what the contemporary valve amps were meant to do. Greg Milner's book 'Perfecting Sound Forever' is really insightful on this stuff - and is written from a general 'history of recorded music' perspective, rather than as a technical manual.

I hope my long and rambling response is of some help. Keep doing what you're doing, and if you do decide to experiment with an analogue component in the chain, don't go thinking you have to spend a lot of money. The MG sounds great to my ears but you can get character from countless other mixers, preamps, tapes, reel-to-reel decks and you don't need to spend much to do so!

Anybody need/want photos of the inside of an Akai MG614? I'm in the process of installing a spare "Mecha Block" (as Akai calls it) as well as a tape sync board into one of my MG614s. I took some photos for reference so that way I know where all the internal cables go. If anybody wants me to post them let me know. I haven't seen any other photos of the inside of an MG614 anywhere on the internet yet. Also if anybody has a PDF copy of the service manual for the MG614 I'd really be interested in a copy.