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Author Topic: Just got an RS 1700  (Read 7361 times)

Offline Bguzaldo

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Just got an RS 1700
« on: February 25, 2009, 09:45:41 PM »
I just got into tape recording and a friend of mine told me his dad had a Technics RS 1700 I could borrow for awhile! It was calibrated recently so I'm good there. I looked up the manual online and couldn't find anything useful on the tape bias. I know it takes 1/4" tape up to 10.5" but it offered no suggestions on a brand to which the machine operates well with. I hear quantegy and RMGi are quite popular and I've already had RMGi 911 suggested to me but I'd rather be safe than sorry. So if anyone has this machine or has worked with it and can offer a suggestion on tape I'd really appreciate it!

Thanks
-Barrett

Offline mikel

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Re: Just got an RS 1700
« Reply #1 on: February 25, 2009, 10:08:14 PM »
I just got into tape recording and a friend of mine told me his dad had a Technics RS 1700 I could borrow for awhile! It was calibrated recently so I'm good there. I looked up the manual online and couldn't find anything useful on the tape bias. I know it takes 1/4" tape up to 10.5" but it offered no suggestions on a brand to which the machine operates well with. I hear quantegy and RMGi are quite popular and I've already had RMGi 911 suggested to me but I'd rather be safe than sorry. So if anyone has this machine or has worked with it and can offer a suggestion on tape I'd really appreciate it!

Thanks
-Barrett

Hello Barrett,

welcome to this forum.  you came to the right place to get your questions answered.

although i own a (modified) Technics RS-1700 i'm not really the person with the knowledge to offer much advice. i would recommend two places to look for these answers.

first; there is a sticky at the top of the General Forum here which offers a tuttorial on reel to reel. here is a link;

http://www.tapeproject.com/smf/index.php/topic,595.0.html

second; i recommend looking in the Raw Tape forum for info on tape. here is a link;

http://www.tapeproject.com/smf/index.php?board=6.0

thirdly; the Technics RS line of tape decks (1500, 1506, 1520, 1700 and 1800) are likely the most commented on and used here. so there is likely a thread already started on just about anything you might be curious about regarding the Technics.....like finding a copy of the manual.....

enjoy,

mikel
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Offline ironbut

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Re: Just got an RS 1700
« Reply #2 on: February 25, 2009, 10:10:02 PM »
There's only two reel to reel 1/4" tape brands currently produced, RMGI and ATR Magnetics. Since it's a borrowed machine I think we can eliminate anything that'll require taking it to a tech for biasing. So that pretty much leaves RMGI 911 or LPR35 for new tape. Unless someone has changed the settings, the bias and eq settings on the 1700 should be set at #2 (middle setting). The Quantegy 456 that you see all over the place on eBay is problematic (bad storage could have easily ruined this tape before it could be used) and I'd say that you're taking a chance buying it from anyone. ( you'd never know it was bad until you've used it a few times so the seller would never know for sure either).
You can buy RMGI at US Recording Media;
http://usrecordingmedia-store.stores.yahoo.net/
BTW the 911 is 1.5 mil 2500' on a 10.5" reel while the LPR35 is 1 mil thick, 3600' on a 10.5" reel.
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Offline High and Outside

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Re: Just got an RS 1700
« Reply #3 on: February 25, 2009, 11:14:24 PM »
Quantegy is out of business, so any of their tape you see for sale is old stock with no manufacturer behind it. I would recommend you stay away, for that reason and several others.

RMGI is still supplying, and I would recommend their SM468. It's terrific tape, and it was a current formulation during the years that the Technics was manufactured. I think you'll find one of the settings on your machine that will work well without tweaking.

The ATR magnetics tape is also terrific. I just don't know whether there's one of the settings on your machine that will come close.
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Offline Bguzaldo

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Re: Just got an RS 1700
« Reply #4 on: February 26, 2009, 10:43:39 AM »
Thanks so much guys! I think I'm gonna go ahead and get the SM911, but I'll go with the 7" just so if I don't like it I'll save a bit of money. Thanks for all the help, I can hopefully let you know how the tape works out for me within a few days!

Thanks again
-Barrett