MX5000 mkII

About the MX5000 mkII

The Otari MX-5000 mkII is a professional quality two-speed 1/4 inch reel-to-reel tape recorder designed for optimum performance and durability. It supports tape speeds of 7.5 and 15 inches per second (ips), with an option to switch to 3.75 and 7.5 ips on some models. The deck features three direct drive motors simplifying the transport mechanism, with digital tape counters displaying elapsed time in hours, minutes, and seconds, including a memory function for auto-stop. It has active balanced XLR inputs and outputs, with pin 3 designated as hot, which may require special cable wiring when interfacing with unbalanced equipment. Front panel adjustable controls allow precise setting of record bias, equalization, and levels to match different tape formulations, facilitating professional calibration without external test equipment. Additional features include selective reproduction, motion sensing, edit control for spilling, adjustable cueing for monitoring during fast forward and rewind, built-in low distortion test and cue-tone oscillators, and a computerized elapsed time indicator with LED display. The MX-5000 mkII is known for its robust build, precise calibration capabilities, and suitability for professional audio recording and playback applications.