A very interesting and instructive video, sir. Your TASCAM deck looks exactly like my Teac. I use a Teac X-3 open reel deck (purchased on 8-27-1982) and several cassette decks; Akai GX-f31, Yamaha KX-260, Technics RS-M224, Nakamichi BX-1 and a Denon DRM-800A. To clean heads I use isopropyl alcohol (99%) and Q-tips, works great. Like the splicing block on the head housing, nice touch. My X-3 is two speed; 7 1/2 and 3 3/4 IPS. Oops! After closer examination I see separate L/R recording options on the TASCAM and have deduced that the deck is two not four track. As the control layout is almost the same I would think that Teac makes both machines.
I've been told by multiple techs and studio technicians (professional engineers from the 70s) that in most cases, degaussing/demagnetizing is never needed, and *definitely* not every 10 hours of use - especially when it's more likely to cause harm than do anything good. You'll know if your deck needs it, but most never will -- straight from the mouth of one of the most well-respected r2r service techs (he worked for teac making these units back when they were operational and still producing decks; now he works on them doing service and restoration)
Under normal conditions, you're correct. However, all it takes is a leaky capacitor or somebody working on the deck with a magnetized tool to change that. One tech I know said the entire head mounting plate of a machine he serviced was magnetized. Ideally, one should own a gauss meter and measure everything on the machine to see if there's a magnetic field built up on it and then degauss if they find something. However, if you follow procedures, simply degaussing as part of regular maintenance will do no harm.
I have the 34 B. Channel 1 works on SYNC , but not on REPRO 30 years old. It has been as well maintained as the 32 on this video. No rubber gum. No rust
Nice! I'm always glad to about people keeping these machines going. Have you done any troubleshooting yet? It could be something as simple as a loose wire or dirty switch.
I scoped the 4 red [ push pin connects ]. 3 of the signals look like a 1 volt sine. This is the carrier wave ? the 4 white [ push pin connects ] are the 4 playback channels, yes. Signal too small to be seen. I pulled out all 12 [ push pin connects ] , brushed the silver pins with a soldering brush, and re connected. So CH 1 only has no sound in REPRO CH 2 and CH 3 have no sound in SYNC This is the board under the 4 channel cards The main board I re soldered all [ 1ooo] solder points. 30 watt 4 secs each.
@@stonecatssThere's no "carrier" waves per say. If it's in the 160KHz range (if memory serves), that's bias signal. Do you have a service manual? If not, you can get one from TEAC (not TASCAM, they're jerks). Without that, I wouldn't go any farther.
I understand what you're saying but there's virtually no place to put a camera while effectively doing that kind of work on that deck. There's instructions on how to demagnetize heads elsewhere though, plus the text describes what's happening.
Any moving metal-on-metal parts, like: pinch roller axles, capstan rotating idlers, motors etc. I use Triflow personally. Just be sure to clean the tape path well afterwards so you don't get any oil on the tapes.
Calibration is an absolute necessity to ensure proper playback, which is an absolute necessity to ensure proper recording. If you just want to make/play tapes for casual listening, it's not that important as long as you keep the unit clean and degaussed. However, an alignment check is essential for professional use, and one should not only check calibration regularly, they should also print calibration tones to the tape itself to ensure proper playback of that specific tape at a later date or on another machine. Many studios check calibration with an alignment tape daily.
@@jn3750 You use the calibration tape to set up repro and sync output. Now that you can trust repro, you put on a blank tape and set up record. You monitor your record tones off of the repro heads while you record to the blank tape. Without accurate repro, you can't calibrate the recording.
Excellent video! I have a Teac 330010, I notice sometimes the tape slips off the pinch roll, I stop the deck at start it back up and it works. I was wonder what would make it slip off the pinch roller in-ward toward the deck? I notice it does the same thing on my Pioneer RT 701 deck too once in a while. The pinch rollers don't look that bad. Any advice would be great. Thanks.
It's difficult to say without examining it but the alignment of the capstan or pinch roller might be a bit off. Uneven wear on capstan or pinch roller could do it too.
Han-D-Mag. It's the industry standard for good reason. You can get one from ATR Tape for a reasonable price. Don't buy on Amazon as they're overpriced.
@@guyking1 I can't really comment on the E-3 but by the looks of it, I would say it's fine for casual use but if you're wanting to do more professional analogue audio work, you'd probably want something more robust.
@@wado1942 Thanks again! 🙏👍 Does this look right/legitimate? www.ebay.com/itm/Han-D-Mag-Tape-deck-demagnetizer-NEW-Best-price-/301567645147?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292
Sir, when do you need to use MRL tape? One tech I know told me that you onyl need it after a major repair. It is not needed for calibration of the tape.
There's different opinions on that. Some studios run alignment tapes at the beginning of every day but I think that's a bit much for me. I run an MRL tape every time I change tape formulae, headblocks, alignment standard etc. or every month or so. It's the only way to KNOW your machine is playing back accurately. You have to know the playback is good in order to know you're recording accurately. I haven't used my AMPEX in a month or so but next time I do a project, I'll run an MRL tape. Most likely, I'll see that it's totally fine. If not, I'll make whatever adjustments are needed. I'll also record tones on my recording tape first to make sure the recording is correct and so anybody that plays the tape in the future knows if it's accurate or not.
Either way, he asked a similar question on one of my other videos, I asked for clarification there as well and didn't get a response there either. I guess it's not important.
So I foolishly tried demagnetizing my TEAC without reading into it… I didn’t move slow at all… There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong now but how can I be sure?
Regarding the "throw" of the degausser, what is a good distance to observe on other magnetic materials, to keep them safe? I see a laptop on the table during the degaussing, within a few feet of the machine.. later it is moved. I hope it survived!
EMFs fall by a square of the distance. At 4', the influence of the degausser on HDD's data would be far less than the influence of the HDD's own actuator magnets. It was just fine. Great question!
Of course, it's always best to not take any chances. I wouldn't degauss a tape recorder around my office computer or any of my tapes, but the laptop is just for internet and other non-critical stuff.
@@klaasj7808 Maxell hasn't made open-reel tape in decades. If you are restoring a recording made on it, it is what it is. However, I would never recommend anybody record new material on old tape. This is especially true of tape made in the late 1970s-early 1990s, which tend to get sticky over time and not only produce inferior results but can cause physical damage to your deck. Maxell was my tape of choice for cassette, but for open-reel, they were mediocre. The professionals swore by 3M, with AMPEX/Quantegy in a distant second. Now we have ATR, RMGI and Pyral for professional work.
@@stephenbaldassarre2289 It was and still is the best tape ever produced. Production stopped in 2002. No other brand can compare to maxell, not even the now new produced. RMGI are based on chemicals used by BASF but are not identical, so nothing is known what they will do in 20 years. With Maxell is doesnt matter. If you get a Maxell UD from 1978 or a Maxell XLI from 2001. In 200 years they still sound as new and wont sticky. The proofed their quality. Ampex all get sticky. So no, best quality is still Maxell, will always be. Nothing can compare to them. Unfortunately they lost their chemical receipt so they can never produce any maxell tape again. So get them before they get too expensive.
Congrats! That's one of the nicer consumer decks IMO. Clean before every use of course. Use RMGI 468 and don't hit it too hard. I might also consider getting a Dolby B unit for it since it doesn't have a ton of headroom and has narrow tracks.
Thanks a lot! I found the tapes at a very good price on 7 inch reels. I'll look for the Dolby unit. The machine is considered to be very sturdy and durable requiering low maintenance. I still have my eyes on a B77 (consumer 4 track) that has better snr. Once again, thanks!
Hey question for you, I also have a Tascam 22-2 deck that had a gooey capstan belt. I have been through two new belts but they keep walking off and getting caught. Any ideas?
@@coosmac I believe the first belt I had was actually stretched, since when it was delivered to my mailbox on a hot summer day. The 2nd belt was delivered to my climate controlled PO box, so I know the belt itself was OK. I eventually did get the belt to quit walking off. It's been a while, but I thin k just cleaning everything like crazy fixed it.
Yes, I got it from Splicit Reel Audio Products. It's the only kind they carry, which is fine because it seems to be better quality than the white stuff I used to use.
They were originally set up at the factory to common values. In order to adjust them, you need to A. pretty much completely dismantle the machine and do likewise or B. make a tool to give you the reach/dexterity you need. Either option is not easy.
@@copheart Yeah, they didn't make them easy to service. That's the main reason I consider them prosumer devices. 1, they're a pain to calibrate. 2, they don't take 10.5" reels. If you want something for more serious professional work, I might suggest an Otari MX50, MX5050 or TASCAM 32, 42, 52. You can often get AMPEX AG-440 series machines for similar price and they're better machines but huge. I greatly prefer the MX5050 over the 32 because they natively support IEC equalization (lower noise, less LF distortion).
@@wado1942 My next deck will most likely be an Otari, or if I luck out somehow an ATR or MCI. I got this 22-2 for $130 last summer and the mixdowns I've done do sound good, but I wanted to get it calibrated as it's been over 25 years since it was used and I ran into this problem. Why a company would design a deck like that is beyond me. I'm fairly new to reel to reel and this was a disappointment. Thanks again for yr help.
@@copheart The pinch-rollerless ATR s are extremely hard on tape, so beware. The Otaris are workhorses, nothing wrong with them but not the best either. If I'm looking for the best bang for the buck 1/4" machine out there, I'd get an AG-440 variant. They aren't as "pretty" as MCI or ATRs but are rock solid, modular (easy repair & modification) and sound great. Don't pay attention to E-bay prices because they are unbelievably inflated and they generally don't sell at those prices. You might want to get on the AMPEX E-mail group as well. You might even be able to get youself a good deck from one of those guys. I've bought many pieces and parts from the users there, gotten support etc. There's a handful guys there that make new parts like turntable corks and circuit boards as well. Many of them dabble in non-AMPEX recorders too.
It depends on the degausser you have. The Han-D-Mag (like mine), it has a fairly heavy plastic shroud around the magnetic core so it's safe to touch the tape path. With some cheaper models where the core is exposed, you should get close but never touch. Great question.
As I understand demaggers that's right exposed metal should not make direct contact ... if the tip is more like a pencil you can add something like heat shrink tubing or even a soda straw so it keeps direct metal to head contact ... plus it will prevent an accidentally scratching the head too
One reason the 22-2 is inexpensive is they use somewhat under-sized motors for the reels, so it won't FFW and RW as fast as a full professional deck. If it's REALLY slow, you may have a tension issue. I show testing the tension at the end of the previous video if you haven't seen that. Up front, I'd suggest a thorough clean and lube of the motors as grease can get stiff over time. If that doesn't work, you may need to check the value of components against the schematic. The reel tensions are not adjustable so if they aren't within spec, you have a bad part somewhere.
P.S. I forgot to mention the main reason for slow shuttling is sticky tape. Some tapes absorb moisture from the air and get sticky, which is hard on the transport. Don't record on this tape, but if you need to copy something important off of it, you can "bake" it and temporarily treat the stickiness.
Thanks! It seems better with a different tape. Maybe the thickness was wrong. I’ll order some 1mil,tape. I cleaned all the heads and guides too. Now it’s ok. Perhaps I expect too much lol. My other machine is a jh110. The Tascam has slightly shy high end, so I’ll try new tape and perhaps a bit of adjustment. Thx for the tips.
It sounds like you may just have some borderline sticky tape. I wouldn't use 1-mil tape, on anything at all (except maybe dictation for a field reporter): too delicate, too much print-through etc. 468 works quite well on the deck I repaired in this video. I'd stay away from the "hotter" tapes as well because it takes too much bias current to get a good print. It will never be as good as a JH110 of course but I was actually somewhat impressed with the performance on the 22-2.
I've never heard that. You should degauss every 10 hours of tape-to-head contact, but I only wait maybe 10 minutes between cleaning and running the machine (of course you should always use 99% or higher alcohol). One thing you can do is leave your last swab on the deck plate and when it is dry to the touch, you are good to go.
There's nothing wrong with that, but it isn't really necessary as alcohol evaporates pretty quickly (and there's only a microscopically thin layer any way).
@@wado1942 (**). just bought the 22-2. it does not play (heard something running but the capstan rod does not spin). could this be the belt or motor? thanks.
Repairing tape machines isn't my job but I work on them for people of they ask, since I run tape in my studio and had to learn how to maintain the machines myself. The 3340S's were great machines for their day. They were electronically very similar to the AMPEX AG-series electronics. What kind of issue do you have?
I have an A-3340s and just wondering where to get it redone, i saw how quick and efficient you cleaned this one up. also looking to record, and if i don't use this for tape (which i will eventually) how well the preamps sound on this machine. if i just decide to use it for recording out. i also want to eventually remaster my dads old tapes that came along with this.
Ah OK. Unless you live in the Boise, Idaho area, the shipping alone would probably be more than the machine is worth. Otherwise, I'd be happy to take a look at it. The preamps are hohum at best, so I would be inclined to use external preamps or a mixer with it. It is probably worth getting it in shape if you have some archival work to do with it. You are welcome to contact me directly through my website for further discussion; www.gcmstudio.com
Naw, it's standard practice. Bear in mind that's actual tape moving past the heads, not shuttling or idle time. In a full-time professional studio, that's a 2-3 minute operation every few days.
That’s a great mastering recorder, and I really love your track too, has a great mood to it
Ah thanks! I posted the whole album on CZcams, Bacon Chili Jam 😁
A very interesting and instructive video, sir. Your TASCAM deck looks exactly like my Teac. I use a Teac X-3 open reel deck (purchased on 8-27-1982) and several cassette decks; Akai GX-f31, Yamaha KX-260, Technics RS-M224, Nakamichi BX-1 and a Denon DRM-800A. To clean heads I use isopropyl alcohol (99%) and Q-tips, works great. Like the splicing block on the head housing, nice touch. My X-3 is two speed; 7 1/2 and 3 3/4 IPS.
Oops! After closer examination I see separate L/R recording options on the TASCAM and have deduced that the deck is two not four track. As the control layout is almost the same I would think that Teac makes both machines.
finally a song i like.....nice job....really.
Ah thanks! It's part of my instrumental album "Bacon Chili Jam" :D which was recorded almost exclusively on a 16-bit ADAT and mixed to 1/4" tape.
I've been told by multiple techs and studio technicians (professional engineers from the 70s) that in most cases, degaussing/demagnetizing is never needed, and *definitely* not every 10 hours of use - especially when it's more likely to cause harm than do anything good. You'll know if your deck needs it, but most never will -- straight from the mouth of one of the most well-respected r2r service techs (he worked for teac making these units back when they were operational and still producing decks; now he works on them doing service and restoration)
Under normal conditions, you're correct. However, all it takes is a leaky capacitor or somebody working on the deck with a magnetized tool to change that. One tech I know said the entire head mounting plate of a machine he serviced was magnetized. Ideally, one should own a gauss meter and measure everything on the machine to see if there's a magnetic field built up on it and then degauss if they find something. However, if you follow procedures, simply degaussing as part of regular maintenance will do no harm.
I have the 34 B. Channel 1 works on SYNC , but not on REPRO 30 years old.
It has been as well maintained as the 32 on this video. No rubber gum. No rust
Nice! I'm always glad to about people keeping these machines going. Have you done any troubleshooting yet? It could be something as simple as a loose wire or dirty switch.
I scoped the 4 red [ push pin connects ]. 3 of the signals look like a 1 volt sine. This is the carrier wave ?
the 4 white [ push pin connects ] are the 4 playback channels, yes. Signal too small to be seen.
I pulled out all 12 [ push pin connects ] , brushed the silver pins with a soldering brush, and re connected.
So CH 1 only has no sound in REPRO
CH 2 and CH 3 have no sound in SYNC
This is the board under the 4 channel cards
The main board I re soldered all [ 1ooo] solder points. 30 watt 4 secs each.
@@stonecatssThere's no "carrier" waves per say. If it's in the 160KHz range (if memory serves), that's bias signal. Do you have a service manual? If not, you can get one from TEAC (not TASCAM, they're jerks). Without that, I wouldn't go any farther.
too much for email. we can exchange phone privately via facebook. you on facebook ?
yes, I have service manual w/ schematics
or .. just email me stonecatss [ yes, 2 ss's ] at
Brother it would be helpful to actually show what the tool is touching at the beginning..
I understand what you're saying but there's virtually no place to put a camera while effectively doing that kind of work on that deck. There's instructions on how to demagnetize heads elsewhere though, plus the text describes what's happening.
Never did this job
What parts need lubricant? I just purchased one and the manual just says to have a technician do it…
TIA
Any moving metal-on-metal parts, like: pinch roller axles, capstan rotating idlers, motors etc. I use Triflow personally. Just be sure to clean the tape path well afterwards so you don't get any oil on the tapes.
My tech says you do not need the MRL tape for calibration of a tape, only after a major repair...Can you explain why you did what you did?
Calibration is an absolute necessity to ensure proper playback, which is an absolute necessity to ensure proper recording. If you just want to make/play tapes for casual listening, it's not that important as long as you keep the unit clean and degaussed. However, an alignment check is essential for professional use, and one should not only check calibration regularly, they should also print calibration tones to the tape itself to ensure proper playback of that specific tape at a later date or on another machine. Many studios check calibration with an alignment tape daily.
@@wado1942 Do you still need the mrl tape for the Otari mx5050 bii as it has built in tones (oscillator)?
@@jn3750 Yes, the built-in oscillator is only for quickie printing of tones to tape. You still need an MRL tape to calibrate repro.
@@wado1942 Does that MRL tape help with the REC calibration, too?
@@jn3750 You use the calibration tape to set up repro and sync output. Now that you can trust repro, you put on a blank tape and set up record. You monitor your record tones off of the repro heads while you record to the blank tape. Without accurate repro, you can't calibrate the recording.
lol. I would put that pc away from the demag. Of course it's pretty much in a safe distance but I personally wouldn't risk it!
It's also SSD, no magnetic media to get erased.
@@wado1942 that's good to hear! some person on this planet will fuck it up some day haha at least it isn't you
Excellent video! I have a Teac 330010, I notice sometimes the tape slips off the pinch roll, I stop the deck at start it back up and it works. I was wonder what would make it slip off the pinch roller in-ward toward the deck? I notice it does the same thing on my Pioneer RT 701 deck too once in a while. The pinch rollers don't look that bad. Any advice would be great. Thanks.
It's difficult to say without examining it but the alignment of the capstan or pinch roller might be a bit off. Uneven wear on capstan or pinch roller could do it too.
Thanks for the video! Could you tell me.what demagnetizer you are using and if you recommend it? Thanks! I have a Teac E-3 I picked up.
Han-D-Mag. It's the industry standard for good reason. You can get one from ATR Tape for a reasonable price. Don't buy on Amazon as they're overpriced.
@@wado1942 Thank you! I'll try to get one. Do you know about the Teac E-3 demagnetizer? Should it be ok and do the same job as well? Thanks again 🙏👍
@@guyking1 I can't really comment on the E-3 but by the looks of it, I would say it's fine for casual use but if you're wanting to do more professional analogue audio work, you'd probably want something more robust.
@@wado1942 Thanks again! 🙏👍 Does this look right/legitimate? www.ebay.com/itm/Han-D-Mag-Tape-deck-demagnetizer-NEW-Best-price-/301567645147?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292
Sir, when do you need to use MRL tape? One tech I know told me that you onyl need it after a major repair. It is not needed for calibration of the tape.
There's different opinions on that. Some studios run alignment tapes at the beginning of every day but I think that's a bit much for me. I run an MRL tape every time I change tape formulae, headblocks, alignment standard etc. or every month or so. It's the only way to KNOW your machine is playing back accurately. You have to know the playback is good in order to know you're recording accurately. I haven't used my AMPEX in a month or so but next time I do a project, I'll run an MRL tape. Most likely, I'll see that it's totally fine. If not, I'll make whatever adjustments are needed. I'll also record tones on my recording tape first to make sure the recording is correct and so anybody that plays the tape in the future knows if it's accurate or not.
the metal pârt that come after the tape leaves the reel in one side is more high than the other thats a problem or not?
Hello, I'm not sure I know what you mean. Can you elaborate?
I think he means the levers that keep presure on the tape and sense when the tape is over.
Either way, he asked a similar question on one of my other videos, I asked for clarification there as well and didn't get a response there either. I guess it's not important.
So I foolishly tried demagnetizing my TEAC without reading into it… I didn’t move slow at all… There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong now but how can I be sure?
Just go through the process again, following proper procedure, you'll probably be fine. Thanks for posting!
Hi, what about isopropyl alcohol? Or contact cleaner on heads
99.8% isopropyl alcohol is what I use. You don't want to use contact cleaner as it's very harsh and leaves residue.
Regarding the "throw" of the degausser, what is a good distance to observe on other magnetic materials, to keep them safe? I see a laptop on the table during the degaussing, within a few feet of the machine.. later it is moved. I hope it survived!
EMFs fall by a square of the distance. At 4', the influence of the degausser on HDD's data would be far less than the influence of the HDD's own actuator magnets. It was just fine. Great question!
Of course, it's always best to not take any chances. I wouldn't degauss a tape recorder around my office computer or any of my tapes, but the laptop is just for internet and other non-critical stuff.
i want to get a hand d mag...is the one you are using a 115v?
Yes it is. I know they make other kinds but that's the only one I see engineers use.
can you upload the whole song (at the end) please ? it's very good !! :-)
Already done. czcams.com/video/cKSuzc42QSs/video.html
Thank you!
Thanx for the video..
No problem. I hope it was helpful!
Graham Dodsworth XX
Gde mogu nabaviti tako dobar uređaj za upotrebu
Pozdrav joška Srbija.
Za vaše područje nisam siguran. Povremeno se pojavljuju na E-bayu i Reverb.com u SAD-u.
You may say it in the vid but couldn’t watch the whole thing. I’m curious what kind of tape this uses? 407? Maxell ud? Thanks!
RMGI 468. It can use a wide variety of "456-compatible" tapes, but 468 is still being made and seems to be reliable.
Best tape will be any kind of Maxell.
@@klaasj7808 Maxell hasn't made open-reel tape in decades. If you are restoring a recording made on it, it is what it is. However, I would never recommend anybody record new material on old tape. This is especially true of tape made in the late 1970s-early 1990s, which tend to get sticky over time and not only produce inferior results but can cause physical damage to your deck. Maxell was my tape of choice for cassette, but for open-reel, they were mediocre. The professionals swore by 3M, with AMPEX/Quantegy in a distant second. Now we have ATR, RMGI and Pyral for professional work.
@@stephenbaldassarre2289 It was and still is the best tape ever produced. Production stopped in 2002. No other brand can compare to maxell, not even the now new produced. RMGI are based on chemicals used by BASF but are not identical, so nothing is known what they will do in 20 years. With Maxell is doesnt matter. If you get a Maxell UD from 1978 or a Maxell XLI from 2001. In 200 years they still sound as new and wont sticky. The proofed their quality. Ampex all get sticky. So no, best quality is still Maxell, will always be. Nothing can compare to them. Unfortunately they lost their chemical receipt so they can never produce any maxell tape again. So get them before they get too expensive.
Sounds awesome! I have an RT-707. I'll be replacing the caps soon, and I'm purchasing a degausser. What else could I do to improve the sound? Thanks!
Congrats! That's one of the nicer consumer decks IMO. Clean before every use of course. Use RMGI 468 and don't hit it too hard. I might also consider getting a Dolby B unit for it since it doesn't have a ton of headroom and has narrow tracks.
Thanks a lot! I found the tapes at a very good price on 7 inch reels. I'll look for the Dolby unit. The machine is considered to be very sturdy and durable requiering low maintenance. I still have my eyes on a B77 (consumer 4 track) that has better snr. Once again, thanks!
Hey question for you, I also have a Tascam 22-2 deck that had a gooey capstan belt. I have been through two new belts but they keep walking off and getting caught. Any ideas?
Hello; my best guess is there's either some debris that needs to be cleaned off of the parts. There may also be a mechanical misalignment.
Did you find the cause? I am having the same problem
@@coosmac I believe the first belt I had was actually stretched, since when it was delivered to my mailbox on a hot summer day. The 2nd belt was delivered to my climate controlled PO box, so I know the belt itself was OK. I eventually did get the belt to quit walking off. It's been a while, but I thin
k just cleaning everything like crazy fixed it.
@@The_Real_CMA Thank you!
Can you tell me what kind of tape you use for splicing? And where can one find it? Thanks!
Yes, I got it from Splicit Reel Audio Products. It's the only kind they carry, which is fine because it seems to be better quality than the white stuff I used to use.
How does one get at the pots to calibrate this with an MRL tape? I located them at the BOTTOM of the deck and can't seem to get at them
They were originally set up at the factory to common values. In order to adjust them, you need to A. pretty much completely dismantle the machine and do likewise or B. make a tool to give you the reach/dexterity you need. Either option is not easy.
@@wado1942 Thank you for the reply. I'm growing hopeless in calibrating this thing.
@@copheart Yeah, they didn't make them easy to service. That's the main reason I consider them prosumer devices. 1, they're a pain to calibrate. 2, they don't take 10.5" reels. If you want something for more serious professional work, I might suggest an Otari MX50, MX5050 or TASCAM 32, 42, 52. You can often get AMPEX AG-440 series machines for similar price and they're better machines but huge. I greatly prefer the MX5050 over the 32 because they natively support IEC equalization (lower noise, less LF distortion).
@@wado1942 My next deck will most likely be an Otari, or if I luck out somehow an ATR or MCI. I got this 22-2 for $130 last summer and the mixdowns I've done do sound good, but I wanted to get it calibrated as it's been over 25 years since it was used and I ran into this problem. Why a company would design a deck like that is beyond me. I'm fairly new to reel to reel and this was a disappointment. Thanks again for yr help.
@@copheart The pinch-rollerless ATR s are extremely hard on tape, so beware. The Otaris are workhorses, nothing wrong with them but not the best either. If I'm looking for the best bang for the buck 1/4" machine out there, I'd get an AG-440 variant. They aren't as "pretty" as MCI or ATRs but are rock solid, modular (easy repair & modification) and sound great. Don't pay attention to E-bay prices because they are unbelievably inflated and they generally don't sell at those prices. You might want to get on the AMPEX E-mail group as well. You might even be able to get youself a good deck from one of those guys. I've bought many pieces and parts from the users there, gotten support etc. There's a handful guys there that make new parts like turntable corks and circuit boards as well. Many of them dabble in non-AMPEX recorders too.
When demagnetising do you actually touch the tool to the parts?
It depends on the degausser you have. The Han-D-Mag (like mine), it has a fairly heavy plastic shroud around the magnetic core so it's safe to touch the tape path. With some cheaper models where the core is exposed, you should get close but never touch. Great question.
As I understand demaggers that's right exposed metal should not make direct contact ... if the tip is more like a pencil you can add something like heat shrink tubing or even a soda straw so it keeps direct metal to head contact ... plus it will prevent an accidentally scratching the head too
I just got a 22- 2 that seems fine apart from slow rewind and ffw Any thoughts what to look for? Thx!
One reason the 22-2 is inexpensive is they use somewhat under-sized motors for the reels, so it won't FFW and RW as fast as a full professional deck. If it's REALLY slow, you may have a tension issue. I show testing the tension at the end of the previous video if you haven't seen that. Up front, I'd suggest a thorough clean and lube of the motors as grease can get stiff over time. If that doesn't work, you may need to check the value of components against the schematic. The reel tensions are not adjustable so if they aren't within spec, you have a bad part somewhere.
P.S. I forgot to mention the main reason for slow shuttling is sticky tape. Some tapes absorb moisture from the air and get sticky, which is hard on the transport. Don't record on this tape, but if you need to copy something important off of it, you can "bake" it and temporarily treat the stickiness.
Thanks! It seems better with a different tape. Maybe the thickness was wrong. I’ll order some 1mil,tape. I cleaned all the heads and guides too. Now it’s ok. Perhaps I expect too much lol. My other machine is a jh110. The Tascam has slightly shy high end, so I’ll try new tape and perhaps a bit of adjustment. Thx for the tips.
It sounds like you may just have some borderline sticky tape. I wouldn't use 1-mil tape, on anything at all (except maybe dictation for a field reporter): too delicate, too much print-through etc. 468 works quite well on the deck I repaired in this video. I'd stay away from the "hotter" tapes as well because it takes too much bias current to get a good print. It will never be as good as a JH110 of course but I was actually somewhat impressed with the performance on the 22-2.
wado1942 I was told to use 1 mil on my 388 and the same formula for the 22-2 but will check again. RTM LPR 35 seemed to be the one.. Thx for the info!
How long should the heads be allowed to dry after cleaning? I've always been told it was 10 hours.
I've never heard that. You should degauss every 10 hours of tape-to-head contact, but I only wait maybe 10 minutes between cleaning and running the machine (of course you should always use 99% or higher alcohol). One thing you can do is leave your last swab on the deck plate and when it is dry to the touch, you are good to go.
What I usually do is clean each piece with the alcohol damped Q-Tip, then use the dry end to wipe it dry immediately.
There's nothing wrong with that, but it isn't really necessary as alcohol evaporates pretty quickly (and there's only a microscopically thin layer any way).
What is the app in your phone?
It's a guitar tuner app called gStrings
@@wado1942 like a G-string?
@@jn3750 That's the idea but spelled the way I wrote it.
@@wado1942 (**). just bought the 22-2. it does not play (heard something running but the capstan rod does not spin). could this be the belt or motor? thanks.
@@jn3750 Yeah, the drive belt probably turned to goo. You can get new ones off eBay.
good grief you're not disarming a nuclear weapon.
do you service these? and what state if so? Also i have a Teac 3340s
Repairing tape machines isn't my job but I work on them for people of they ask, since I run tape in my studio and had to learn how to maintain the machines myself. The 3340S's were great machines for their day. They were electronically very similar to the AMPEX AG-series electronics. What kind of issue do you have?
I have an A-3340s and just wondering where to get it redone, i saw how quick and efficient you cleaned this one up. also looking to record, and if i don't use this for tape (which i will eventually) how well the preamps sound on this machine. if i just decide to use it for recording out. i also want to eventually remaster my dads old tapes that came along with this.
Ah OK. Unless you live in the Boise, Idaho area, the shipping alone would probably be more than the machine is worth. Otherwise, I'd be happy to take a look at it. The preamps are hohum at best, so I would be inclined to use external preamps or a mixer with it. It is probably worth getting it in shape if you have some archival work to do with it. You are welcome to contact me directly through my website for further discussion; www.gcmstudio.com
Thank You!
Degaussing every 10 hours? that's an awful lot.
Naw, it's standard practice. Bear in mind that's actual tape moving past the heads, not shuttling or idle time. In a full-time professional studio, that's a 2-3 minute operation every few days.