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old, crappy tape deck advice...

drjim

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That's a good one. I'm guessing it has to do with L1 and all the switches, but I don't see the active device. Do they use one of the "Play" amp tubes?
 

MakeMineVinyl

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That's a good one. I'm guessing it has to do with L1 and all the switches, but I don't see the active device. Do they use one of the "Play" amp tubes?
I can verify that L1 is the bias coil, but beyond that, It's flummoxed me so far. I've gotten eyestrain trying to figure out the signal path through all those switches and multi-pin interconnecting cables, and figure some mysteries are are never to be untangled. o_O
 
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drjim

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Lacking a Service Manual, it would be a chore to trace out the wiring to figure it out,

Got my 4300 and SX-780 all set up and running beautifully.
DSC_2838.JPG
 

musicforcities

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Is there a concern for how the tapes might hold up? Or special care/procedures that one might think about. One hears horror stories of some m oxides turning to dust as they pass under the play head and such on tapes less old than these.
 
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rdenney

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The two main issues are sticky shed syndrome and brittle acetate for acetate-base tape. Acetate went out of favor in the early 60’s. Maxell has never been subject to either but SSS plagues some old Scotch and Ampex formulations. It gums up the transport and sometimes the oxide will peel off the backing. The old red oxide tapes seem to be fine, but the black formulations with coated backs are notorious. I’ve only had one tape display it so far—an old new-in-box Radio Shack tape from their later production. Those RS tapes were notions for different reasons. I buy old Maxell tapes, but there are a couple of companies still making good tape—Capture and (mind blanked).

Rick “Google will fill in the details” Denney
 

drjim

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The person I bought my 4010SU from gave me two big boxes of tapes. Ampex 341 and 642. They were both "premium" tapes in their day, and show NO signs of either sticky shed or just shedding, and they were made in the mid 1960's. Like Rick says, it's highly dependent on the tape formula and manufacturer.

ATR is the only other company I know of making new tape.

Here's a couple of sites that give a rundown:



- Jim
 

MakeMineVinyl

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ATR is the only other company I know of making new tape.


- Jim

Recording the Masters is the other one of the three. I like either their SM-468 or SM-911. Capture brand is OK but definitely intended for consumer use rather than professional use.
 

drjim

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Recording the Masters is the other one of the three. I like either their SM-468 or SM-911. Capture brand is OK but definitely intended for consumer use rather than professional use.

I've been using Maxell "Improved Low Noise", a Type-II tape, and it works very well in the 4300SX. Muxh better frequency response and dynamic range than the old Type-I Ampex tapes the seller gave me. Those tapes worked very well in the 4010SU, as they were designed around the same time, and quite literally "made for each other".
 

Jim Shaw

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I do appreciate the appeal to sanity, but it's just not working.

I have about 200 tapes--too many to impose on a friend with a working deck, and more costly to hire the service than to put it together myself. Plus, mailing or shipping these tapes is not an option in any of several dimensions. They were part of what I drove back in my car 1500 miles, because there was no other way I was willing to trust.

I'm only approximately a tweaker, but I do enjoy making things work up to a point. I'd certainly rather mess with an open-reel deck than a cassette deck. Which is no evidence of sanity, of course.

Rick "not expecting this to be a permanent part of music listening" Denney
Consider carefully: you probably have more hours of tape than you (or anyone else) will ever find time to listen to.

Lots of options. Another option might be to play them back and make Audacity files of them. Audacity will happily reduce playback speed to 50%. Then let Windows (or MAC) make written text transcriptions. Much easier to deal with than audio -- or also keep the audio files. Purchasing a simple vintage deck that's been overhauled by a craftsman will probably be easier than trying to fix a broken tape machine. They can be devilish to fix, and good parts can cost a ton.
 
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rdenney

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Consider carefully: you probably have more hours of tape than you (or anyone else) will ever find time to listen to.

Lots of options. Another option might be to play them back and make Audacity files of them. Audacity will happily reduce playback speed to 50%. Then let Windows (or MAC) make written text transcriptions. Much easier to deal with than audio -- or also keep the audio files. Purchasing a simple vintage deck that's been overhauled by a craftsman will probably be easier than trying to fix a broken tape machine. They can be devilish to fix, and good parts can cost a ton.

You might try reading through to the end.

Rick “who spent a lot less and enjoyed a lot more repairing an old deck than buying an overhauled deck from a ‘craftsman’, and a Teac is a simple vintage deck” Denney
 

Jim Shaw

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You might try reading through to the end.

Rick “who spent a lot less and enjoyed a lot more repairing an old deck than buying an overhauled deck from a ‘craftsman’, and a Teac is a simple vintage deck” Denney
Well, I did read to the end of your first post. Now, I realize it was more a statement of an annoyance than a question.
So do it or don't; there is no try.
 
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rdenney

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Well, I did read to the end of your first post. Now, I realize it was more a statement of an annoyance than a question.
So do it or don't; there is no try.
The first post was outlining a proposed strategy--establishing a use case--the carrying out which happened after that post. I have ended up with a Teac deck in a state of good repair that I did not buy as a refurbished unit from a qualified tech, but instead refurbished it (actually two decks) myself, telling the story as I went. So, subsequent events have answered the question in the first post--that's why I suggested reading through to the end of the thread.

Rick "tries to read whole threads before responding--not always easy!" Denney
 

Jim Shaw

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T--that's why I suggested reading through to the end of the thread.

Rick "tries to read whole threads before responding--not always easy!" Denney
Jim "no longer expending any effort to read Rick's posts -- always easier" Shaw ;)
 
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rdenney

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Huh? Did I do something to offend you? Was there anything in your post to which I first responded that was not addressed fully in the posts that followed the original post?

Rick "confused" Denney
 
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