Re: [ARSCLIST] 4 track reel machines

["Richard L. Hess" <arclists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Steve,

I'm going to give away some of my trade secrets here...

(1) Forget consumer machines. Use professional machines.

(2) Sony APR-5000 machines run natively at 3.75 in/s and have -50% varispeed.
    With three alignment registers per speed per head block, you can have
    a separate alignment for 1.88 in/s playback.

(3) You can also transfer 1.88 in/s tapes at 3.75 in/s into an 88.2 ks/s WAV
    file and then spew it out at 44.1 ks/s. I play the MRL 1.88 in/s test
    tape and then when I'm playing at half speed re-equalize in Samplitude to
    make the test tape flat.

So here you have a way to do it even with a Studer A810 or A807...or A820
should
you be so lucky (Yes, Parker, I know...)

1.88 in/s was never a hi-fi medium on reel to reel. Even Tandberg with
crossfield heads and later models only claimed something like -3dB at 8kHz at
1.88. Now, contrast that to one of the Nak models that a friend of mine
measured out to 15kHz at 0.94 in/s

One other thing...find the narrowest gap play head you can.

Cheers,

Richard

--

Richard L. Hess
http://www.richardhess.com/tape/


Quoting Steven Smolian <smolians@xxxxxxxxx>:

> The real reel problem is getting one that works at slow and very slow speeds
> and is reliable.  The rubber bands, sometime identified a belts, stretch and
> fall off on the cheap machines- I've just had it (in more than one sense)
> with a Tandburg, trying to get reliable playback at 1-7/8.  Grrr.
>
> Then, as has already been pointed out, there is the matter of getting 2 track
> stereo in each direction or 4 tracks simultaneously in one.   The Aratris
> used to be good at slow speeds with 10" reels but turned unreliable with age,
> including electronic as well as transport problems.
>
> Best bet is to be sure you know what you want, buy tow of the best model,
> identical, have them restored and use one as a back-up for the other when
> parts are unavailable.  And, fer cryin' out loud, find the service as well as
> consumer manual, even if a xerox, so you or your service person can keep it
> running in the future.
>
> Steve Smolian
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: Rod Stephens
>   To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx
>   Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2004 2:59 PM
>   Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] 4 track reel machines
>
>
>   Hello Anat,
>
>   This link will take you to the current Ebay site for reel to reel unit:
>
>
>
>
http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?query=reel+to+reel+tape+deck&sosortproperty=1&ht=1&from=R10&BasicSearch=
>
>   retreat wrote:
>
>     Hi,
>
>     Can anyone give me information where I can purchase a  4 track reel
> player? Or is anyone interested in selling one?
>
>
>
>     Anat Dagan
>
>     Krishnamurti archives
>
>
>
>     -----Original Message-----
>     From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
> [mailto:ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Richard L. Hess
>     Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2004 11:32 AM
>     To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx
>     Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] REVOX A77
>
>
>
>     Diederick,
>
>     It's very hard to say. Check eBay prices and then halve the highest one,
> but there are many issues:
>
>     Mark I, Mark II, Mark III, Mark IV?
>
>     The Mark III and Mark IV have better hum shielding between the capstan
> motor and the play head.
>
>     Mark III and I think Mark IV were available with optional Dolby.
>
>     I've seen Studer A810s and A807s go on eBay for prices similar to A77s,
> and please allow me to suggest that the professional models were worth the
> difference when they were new. You can get good and bad in any flavor.
>
>     I had four A77s and sold my two high-speed models several years ago when
> I started "collecting" Sony APR-5003vs and Studer A810s and A807s. I still
> have my MK III Dolby unit and a beater 1/4 track MK I. I sold the HS MK 1.5s
> (I did some of the MK II-->MK II conversions myself) for $125 each--but that
> was to friends.
>
>     Anyway, it all depends what you want to do. Also, most A77s, I think,
> were sold as 1/4-track units. I converted most of mine to half-track (NAB)
> units. So be aware of what the head configuration is.
>
>     Finally, I do think there is an improvement in sound from the A77 to the
> A807, for example. I re-transferred some tapes I had done on an A77 when I
> got my Sony APR-5003V. (I think the APR and the A810 and the A807 all sound
> great).
>
>     One of the things with the A77 is that the tape path is not as robust as
> the pro machines. One of the things that makes the APR so nice, is that they
> hired someone (as I understand it) from Studer...
>
>     All of the pro machines have flutter idlers which seem to help with the
> "clarity" of the reproduction...although that is still open to debate.
>
>     Also, please check the availability of spare parts in your country (and
> elsewhere--I've bought Studer spare parts from New Zealand, Canada, and
> England, and Nakamichi parts from Turkey!)
>
>     Cheers,
>
>     Richard
>     http://www.richardhess.com/tape/
>     Glendale, California USA
>
>
>
>
>     At 12:04 PM 3/28/2004 +0200, you wrote:
>
>
>
>     Dear Listmembers
>
>     Someone has got a REVOX A77 which he bought in the 1970's that he would
> like to sell.  What do you think would be a good offer to make him?
>
>     Kind regards,
>
>     Diederick Basson
>     Stellenbosch
>     South Africa
>