Goddamn! Would you look at that thing! Peavey built and sold a small number of these US-made uber-4-tracks in the late 80s. They were referred to alternately as the MCR-4 or the System 1. I have personally never seen one, but I love that tape-machine-overbridge layout… makes me wanna buy a Tascam 234 and a little rack-mount 80s mixer and cart it up like that… I know I poke fun at Peavey quite a bit, but my hat is off to them for this thing. To build something like this in the US in the 1980s must have taken incredible effort. To learn more, check out this thread at Tape Op.
27 replies on “The AMR “System 1” 4-track cassette recorder of 1986”
Holy crap. Peavey? Really? Yeah, they’re totally fun to make fun of and laugh about, but they have made some really great stuff over the years. Our board endured more abuse than should’ve been possible. And the basses they made in the ’70s are still great.
I have one I bought new in 88 or 89 from a local music store.
Great machine! I made several recordings with. Haven’t plugged it up in many years. Might have to hook it up again.
As a Canadian, I must say lotsa respect is due to Peavey. All the Peavey gear I’ve owned since the late 70s still works. Their ‘product support’ dept. is always helpful. I have ‘smoked’ quite a few Marshall-Mesa-Fender dudes on the jam stage with my old Peavey Duel 212 guitar amp. Cheers.
I remember these. They would have been out in 1988 or 1989. I remember it was the first four track I ever saw or heard of.
I was buying a Roland TR-505 drum machine and the salesperson asked me if I had a 4 track. I didn’t know what that was, so he showed me one of these. The one I saw I remember being white (my memory could be wrong) but the store (Luca Music in Providence, RI) was huge and a Peavey dealer.
I ended up buying a Fostex X-26 used in ’90 or ’91 and that was $350. People don’t realize how good they have things these days.
I have one of these if anyone is intersted in buying it. It’s in great condition, just not using it anymore. Downsizing.
How much are you asking?
Do you still have the AMR recorder? Call me 225.620.2320
I have one…
Do you still have your AMR 4 track recorder and mixer ?
Glenn Landry
Ph- 225.620.2320
glennlandry@bellsouth.net
How much? I owned one once. It broke and disapeared.
I have one…
would love to buy it
Contact me!
Is the AMR still for sale?
You still selling the AMR System 1?
I was given an AMR 64 mixer by a dear friend. I use it with my 4trck reel to reel. I love this board! I always have been amazed by its functionality and I am still learning it’s capabilities. Having seen this article, I now realize how advanced this board really is, even by today’s standards. Mix down and overdubbing are still things I’m trying to wrap my brain around, but I’ve got a good machine to teach me. I found the user manual online. I’ve never seen the cassette that accompanies this board, so this article does “tickle me”.
My late husband was a career Navy musician and he ususally acquired the best sound toys of the times. Now downsizing and want to sell his (c. 1986) AMR 42 4-channel mixer and AMR MCR4 synch. cassette recorder. Can’t find comparables. Could anyone help with values? Anyone interested in the pair?
I bought mine on ebay two years ago for $100 with the better model 64 AMR mixer.
Bella, did you end up selling the cassette deck? If not I’m interested. Email me at
benjaminprossermusic@gmail.com
I had one I bought new around 1986 from a music store in Spartanburg, SC.
Loved it !!! traded it some years later for a marshall 100 wt. half stack and a Marshall Major head !! Miss that deck. I still have recording mix down tracks from then. It was COOL !!!!! 🙂
Have one here in California if anyone wants to make an offer ..
Contact me at johnjay26@gmail.com if interested in selling one of these. Thanks!
I just picked up the mixer part it looks pretty tattered is missing a couple knobs, but so far everything functions as it should. I might use it with my four track or as multiple pre amps there should be at least 6 separate channels even if I have to use the inserts. There is an optional 4 inputs for line mixing as well, to mix up to 10 channels. Three band EQ with a mid sweep and each channel has a mute function, unfortunately no phantom power. I wonder how difficult it will be to find the tape deck. Thanks for the article, you swayed me to buy the unit.
Man, I had forgotten that I have one in storage. It was an amazing recorder in the 80’s. I stopped using it because the pitch adjustment went out on it and I couldn’t get it right. I did try to get it repaired with Peavy, but like always they said that it was no longer being service and that it was obsolete. But I used it for live recording on 4 sub board. Awesome!
nojrgarcia, TX
Noe, is yours a complete System 1?
HEY noe do you still have this?
I have this system for sale with all the components cables and footpedal and I’ll throw in a microphone for free if anyone has questions or inquiries, you can email me jgonthenet91@icloud.com, musicfordesertisland@gmail.com