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Post by 405x5 on Oct 21, 2022 12:44:34 GMT -5
This is only a test. Ordered the wrong caps for most of the power supply. DOH!! But reassembled and testing anyway. Stairway to Heaven does not sound like Foster Brooks singing it. We’ll see how it goes. I get it (Foster Brooks) me thinks! I had a beloved Tandberg that started to fail in the motor department….could no longer maintain speed. They used to have authorized service in Armonk NY and I brought it in twice ages ago for other things. Finally gave up on it. Fortunately I had a buddy who worked for Cablevision at the time and he loaned me a Sony from the Studio (don’t tell LOL) so I could finish up a project I was working on. |
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Post by vcautokid on Oct 21, 2022 13:00:35 GMT -5
Wow that is very cool 405x5. Much of the Sony professional came from MCI. Yeah that MCI. The communications company. Even a guy here in West Nashville from his studio Welcome to 1979. He restored MCI based machines then calls them Mara Machines. Chris Mara and his wife runs the studio, but the Reel to Reel restore is all his. maramachines.com/ |
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Post by vcautokid on Oct 21, 2022 20:09:08 GMT -5
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Post by vcautokid on Oct 23, 2022 14:39:20 GMT -5
I don't have the capacitors needed for the bias oscillator board and the record and playback boards, so removed all the boards, pretty easy back plane connection type. Kind of like the Otari MX-5050B series. Flushed the boards with contact cleaner. They were gross. cleaned the headers with de-oxit sparingly. Reinserted and now recording pretty nicely.
UN-Expected.
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Post by leonski on Oct 25, 2022 15:34:00 GMT -5
EXCELLE NT job. I wish I still had my DBX Compresorr /Expander to send to you. MIght give a few extra DB of SNR and would definately reduce tape hiss.....
But? Where you going to get a bunch of ONE tape type to do the final bias adjustment? And 10" reels of it, to boot....
I remember Scotch 2.....something....? 203? 201? Even a black tape with NO shine on the 'drive' side.......some kind of coating......
I wish I still had my TEAC A-4010s......3 motor with line-mic mixing and a superb performer.....
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Post by leonski on Oct 25, 2022 15:47:24 GMT -5
This is only a test. Ordered the wrong caps for most of the power supply. DOH!! But reassembled and testing anyway. Stairway to Heaven does not sound like Foster Brooks singing it. We’ll see how it goes. I get it (Foster Brooks) me thinks! I had a beloved Tandberg that started to fail in the motor department….could no longer maintain speed. They used to have authorized service in Armonk NY and I brought it in twice ages ago for other things. Finally gave up on it. Fortunately I had a buddy who worked for Cablevision at the time and he loaned me a Sony from the Studio (don’t tell LOL) so I could finish up a project I was working on. I may STILL have my Tandberg around here.....A single motor / crossfield head model with 'backspin' to the feed reel....not just tension. I was a lower end machine....but STILL a Tandberg and very fine..... I gave away my SONY TC355, an Akai, a TEAC but would not part with the Tandberg....which needs help. Yours for shipping........ It looks a LOT like the 1700, with the single joystick control BUT had a pair of small VU meters and NO amps /speakers. |
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Post by 405x5 on Oct 25, 2022 16:28:28 GMT -5
I get it (Foster Brooks) me thinks! I had a beloved Tandberg that started to fail in the motor department….could no longer maintain speed. They used to have authorized service in Armonk NY and I brought it in twice ages ago for other things. Finally gave up on it. Fortunately I had a buddy who worked for Cablevision at the time and he loaned me a Sony from the Studio (don’t tell LOL) so I could finish up a project I was working on. I may STILL have my Tandberg around here.....A single motor / crossfield head model with 'backspin' to the feed reel....not just tension. I was a lower end machine....but STILL a Tandberg and very fine..... I gave away my SONY TC355, an Akai, a TEAC but would not part with the Tandberg....which needs help. Yours for shipping........ It looks a LOT like the 1700, with the single joystick control BUT had a pair of small VU meters and NO amps /speakers. That model sounds VERY close to the Tandberg I used for years….though admittedly “stolen” from my Dad (sort of LOL) for continual use….with his blessing. It had the joystick and the dual VU FLUORESCENT meters and it did have built in stereo speakers. The only thing I’ve got left are the Tandberg TM 4 mikes that came with the deal WAY back when.  Series 12 is what it was with those built in speakers. Now I’m shocked about the passage of time as the most important thing I recorded with it was in 1972 at the ripe old age of 17! |
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Post by vcautokid on Oct 25, 2022 19:40:18 GMT -5
  Time for the 10.5 NAB reels, empty take up and Maxell UD-180 3600 ft. Tape. Now ongoing the restoration as we go. Deck records and plays, now just recap the remaining boards as we go along vs. the oh my gosh, what the heck happened to this poor thing. Proves TEAC knew how to build these even with all the abuse and neglect, it plays today. From 1973 at my place making it the oldest playing machine in the house. Yes the original TZ-612 NAB Hub Adapters I already have too. |
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Post by vcautokid on Oct 25, 2022 19:48:52 GMT -5
EXCELLE NT job. I wish I still had my DBX Compresorr /Expander to send to you. MIght give a few extra DB of SNR and would definately reduce tape hiss..... But? Where you going to get a bunch of ONE tape type to do the final bias adjustment? And 10" reels of it, to boot.... I remember Scotch 2.....something....? 203? 201? Even a black tape with NO shine on the 'drive' side.......some kind of coating...... I wish I still had my TEAC A-4010s......3 motor with line-mic mixing and a superb performer..... I want to get a dbx type 1 NR for the machine too for that death and jet black background for dynamics and signal to noise. When all is said and done a dbx will join the TEAC X7 and the A-7300. The older TEACs were the better performers than the X series, some claim the electronics were better and that the process of cost cutting was not present on the older series of TEAC machines. My very first was the 4300, then I went to the 3300S, then on to other machines along the way like the Technics RS1500US, and Otari MX-5050B mk.2, Tascam 52, you can see it at the Emotiva Headquarters now. Then a 2000R, the X-10 and X10R and now the A-7300. The machine I wanted for over 40 plus years. Most machines were natively biased for Scotch 207, but you can align to any tape you want except "EE" tape as that requires much higher bias current than the "Normal" bias tapes call for. Back coating is wonderful and the ultra smooth and dense calendaring process with a strong binder was/is key. I avoid Ampex and Quantegy as these and regretfully some of the Scotch and TDK suffer from the sticky tape shed syndrome. And of course and mostly Thank you Leonski. |
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Post by audiobill on Oct 26, 2022 17:55:00 GMT -5
What are you planning to record?
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Post by vcautokid on Oct 26, 2022 19:12:09 GMT -5
What are you planning to record? Anything except Rap. Learned about some new artists. We'll have to see. |
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Post by leonski on Oct 27, 2022 0:45:04 GMT -5
My 'no-go' would be Gregorian Chant......Or 'Nortenas', which is Mexican style Polka......complete with Accordion.....
I'd probably rather listen to OPERA......But it's a close call.....
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Post by vcautokid on Oct 28, 2022 16:36:50 GMT -5
 2 sizes 7 inch and 10.5 inch NAB reels. |
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Post by vcautokid on Oct 28, 2022 20:49:18 GMT -5
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Post by vcautokid on Oct 28, 2022 21:01:57 GMT -5
 The TEAC F1. 1976-1978. |
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Post by leonski on Oct 29, 2022 1:20:09 GMT -5
I'll need to find my Tandberg to identify the exact model.....though I did find a couple which looked the part....And were 4 head....one being a 'crossfield' head.
Looked up my brother TEAC A4010S and am bewildered by the huge number of models produced.
And SONY, since I at one time owned a TC355 was No Better.
I didn't bother to look at Akai OR Roberts, which I think 'duplicated' some stuff and if true would make identification even MORE difficult.....
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Post by vcautokid on Oct 29, 2022 11:27:01 GMT -5
Between all the different rev models and region,or special editions or what have you, many more reel to reels were made than many will know. Serial number might help if the right people know the right answers. I didn't even know about the TEAC F1 til, I saw it by accident. My other cool machine discovery is the AKAI Pro 100. In the day if you couldn't find the right reel to reel, you may,or may not be from this planet.
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Post by vcautokid on Oct 29, 2022 13:17:40 GMT -5
The main deal with reel to reels is should you get one? What are prepared for. How much will you spend, are you qualified to fix it and bring up to snuff. How easy is to get tapes. Much goes for any tape format today, but reel to reels especially are expensive really fast. Best advice? Buy a Tascam, Zoom, Audio Devices just to name 3 SD recorder and call it a day. SD cards and or flash drives are cheap.
A 10.5 NAB reel of tape is $130.00 for 2500 ft. New! 7 inch hovers are $50.00 or so. Insane money for blank tape. I paid around $15.00 to $20.00 a reel of 10.5 NAB 3600ft tape back in the day.
This is a hobby you love doing, and are cognizant of your costs!
Upkeep.
Tape path must always be clean. Heads demagnetized,pinch roller of the right condition and not cracking or hard as a rock.
Some capstan and reel motors want a touch of light oil for their bearings as does the pinch roller shaft and bearing.
Long term, eventually all the electrolytic capacitors. Your love is forever, these capacitors are not! True of any gear, make no mistake.
Wood cabinets, real ones not a vinyl wrap want some oil too so they don't Crack and lose their luster and character.
Use the dust cover if you have one. Keep the dust bunnies away from your machine. Inside and out.
Use quality tape. I have had great luck with Maxell and some TDK and Scotch Master. Be careful of Ampex and Quantegy tape! Sticky tape shed syndrome is common with many of their formulations. Tape with a good calendaring process and strong binder helps performance over time and keeps your tape path and head and pinch roller clean.
Belts. Don't be afraid to change belts before they are due. A gooey disgusting mess that gets everywhere if you fail to do so. Capstan belt and tape counter belts are common. Some idler drive machines may have more. Watch out for them!
You want a conscientious tech if you are not one, not a lazy tech who is indifferent and knows little about your machines. These are relics of times past, and frankly many just don't know what these are anymore.
Lastly as always on a tall investment like this. Be careful!
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Post by 405x5 on Oct 29, 2022 14:54:44 GMT -5
What are you planning to record? Anything except Rap. Learned about some new artists. We'll have to see. I used to “egg” my daughter along regarding “rap”. The argument I used to get under her skin was when she would refer to it as rap music… I would say to her wait a minute music has definite pitch to it and wrap it’s just talking or poetry. Whatever you wanna call it. Without the notes, there’s no definite pitch. Therefore it is not music. She would get angry enough to throw something at me. |
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Post by 405x5 on Oct 29, 2022 14:57:46 GMT -5
I have to get busy with the Akai that was donated to me from a friend which is the intended Tandberg replacement because it’s free. I better get busy before I get to old to Care my box of 7 1/2 inch reels still beckons to me.
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