Give JRF Magnetics a try

http://www.jrfmagnetics.com/

Using the analog machine with protools is definitely a good marriage. I usually like to use the tape machine for drums, bass and guitars....aw hell ....on everything that'll fit! You just got to be mindful of your clock source and positional reference in protools...... the wrong combo will definitely wreak havoc. If you have protools clock source set to LTC and positional reference to LTC you'll be golden, assuming of course that you have a usb or sync I/O.

Actaully just got my Otari MX5050 MKIII back from JRF yesterday. First off they do an excellent job, I learned alot from them, they have very good rates. Just to add the owner John French actaully designs and sells 2" 8 track, and 1" 2 track heads that can be fitted on existing Studers, Otaris and Ampeg machines. I actaully got to here a song that used the 2" 8 track, it was huge, and very dynamic with a nere digital signal to noise ratio. I recomend using JRF.

was it on the A827? Doesn't that machine sound deadly? Best sounding 8track machine I ever heard!

Off a Studer A800, holy shit, big big big. Very very quite too. Its the best 8 track I've heard though thats the only one I've heard regarding the 2" 8 track on a Studer. When budget permits I need to have one of these machines, I love recording drums and by far this is the best medium for them.