Re: [ARSCLIST] Repairing (or purchasing) a Uher

[David Lennick <dlennick@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

For all I know, some radio stations may still be using them as loggers.

dl

Steven Smolian wrote:

> I've had success in the past finding 911 logging machines used by law
> enforcement agencies.  I have a Revox that plays 15/16 and has 4 independent
> playback tracks, with switches to in/out any individual track..  This was
> ex-Canadian RCMP.
>
> You'll have to look around some, but they are probably still out there.
>
> If the individual voice quality is important to you, you'll need one of
> these.
>
> Another solution, less precise,  is to devise a network that will
> electronically adjust the equalization to account for the tape speed
> difference, play the tape through that, dub to a hard drive at 1-7/8, then
> reduce the pitch by an octave via the computer program.  Most of the
> professional DAW programs can do this last step easily.  The network will
> take some tinkering, however.
>
> Of the individual voice quality is of no consequence, then there are are
> many shortcuts, some mentioned in other postings on your topic.
>
> Steven Smolian
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Richard L. Hess" <arclists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2006 7:03 PM
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Repairing (or purchasing) a Uher
>
> > Hello, Barbara,
> >
> > Your problem is indicative of the problems we will see more and more as
> > the world of analog magnetic tape spirals down.
> >
> > While I would like to be able to get my Uher 4000 Report S working, I
> > haven't spent the time doing it. The only tape machine with real factory
> > support that I am aware of is the Studer A807 and its factory support is
> > only through 2010. It was discontinued in 2002 or 2003, if I recall
> > correctly.
> >
> > Studer/Harman is being wonderful about this, actually, but repair is not
> > inexpensive by any means.
> >
> > My approach has been to standardize on relatively inexpensive, relatively
> > plentiful, and extremely capable tape machines for my tape transfer
> > business. For reel tapes, I do all my 1/4-inch transfer work on Studer
> > A810s and Sony APR-5000s. The Sony APR-5000 can be coaxed into doing 1.88
> > (1-7/8) in/s. You set it at 3.75 in/s and then dial in -50% varispeed.
> >
> > I have a 1.88 in/s MRL alignment tape, so I adjust tape type preset 3 for
> > 3.75 in/s to have the proper reproduce response for 1.88 in/s. Quick,
> > operation: Dial in -50% varispeed, push tape type 3 on the alignment
> > panel, press play after you start your computer recording.
> >
> > What to do with 15/16 in/s? Simple: Record it at 88.2 ks/s and then play
> > the file back at 44.1 ks/s.
> >
> > At 1.88 in/s and below we're talking voice grade on reels. There isn't
> > much "fidelity" there like there is in cassettes. Response is flat to
> > about 8 kHz on the APR-5000 at 1.88 in/s, and then starts to fall off and
> > is down about 2 dB at 10 kHz if I remember correctly.
> >
> > So, at 15/16 in/s you'll barely get to 5 kHz, but only Nakamichi cassette
> > decks did much better than this at 15/16 (apparently one or two had this
> > speed and did very well with it).
> >
> > One of the problems is optimizing the head for both fast and slow speed
> > operation.
> >
> > Now I do have a Racal Store 4DS instrumentation recorder that runs from
> > 15/16 to 60 in/s in the normal speed steps and its amazing response is
> > here
> > http://richardhess.com/notes/formats/magnetic-media/magnetic-tapes/instrumentation/
> > but its noise performance isn't as good and the normal equalization is not
> > applied, so that would have to be post produced in the computer. "Direct"
> > means essentially no "audio" equalization, just a constant current record.
> >
> > You might find the Racal with computer or outboard EQs to be a good
> > solution to listening to these tapes, but  it has its own problems.
> >
> > One of the reasons that I chose to get into this business is I also do my
> > own repairs on most equipment.
> >
> > I fear the Uhers are an end-of-life product.
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Richard
> >
> >
> >
> > At 04:50 PM 6/13/2006, you wrote:
> >>The University of Chicago Language Laboratories and Archives has four old
> >>Uhers (4xxx models) (used by various faculty in the field). None of them
> >>works, but two of them seemed repairable. I sent them out at the end of
> >>last year and got them back a week or so ago. Apart from personal problems
> >>for the proprietor, there was a delay in getting parts from Germany--and
> >>then only one machine was actually "repaired". I put it that way because,
> >>when it came back, it still did not work properly. Does anyone have any
> >>suggestions as to where I can get this repaired? I need the 1 7/8 ips (and
> >>would like to have the 15/16 and 3 3/4 ips) for some of the tapes in the
> >>archive.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Richard L. Hess                   email: richard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Aurora, Ontario, Canada       (905) 713 6733     1-877-TAPE-FIX
> > Detailed contact information: http://www.richardhess.com/tape/contact.htm
> > Quality tape transfers -- even from hard-to-play tapes.
> >
> > --
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> >