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Author Topic: My Technics went TAC, TAC, TAC  (Read 6292 times)

Offline xcortes

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My Technics went TAC, TAC, TAC
« on: March 18, 2009, 10:47:05 PM »
My modded machine started doing a tac tac tac noise. Very annoying. I have not been able to locate where it's coming from yet. Apparently it is not there when rewinding (although it might just be concealed by the speed). It is definitely not there when "playing" without tape. You can feel some impacts when touching or slightly pressing the reversing roller although the sound doesn't come from there.

Just what I needed. When my system was sounding the best ever! A friend who is the leader clarinetist from one of the most important symphonic orchestras in the country as well as a bottlehead and amp designer heard my system last week (TP 006) and  today sent me an email saying "I think the only comparison I can think of for your analog system is that its like a Porsche 911 GT2".

Well, time to start debugging. Where would you start? (No I won't buy a new Otari and send it to Doc -not yet at least-)

Thanks!
Xavier Cortes

Offline xcortes

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Re: My Technics went TAC, TAC, TAC
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2009, 11:23:01 PM »
I think I got it. After carefully analyzing the noise and movement I noticed that the tape vibrated in synchrony with the noise. It seemed that something was attaching the tape either to the pinch roller on the supply side or to the capstan. The noise and vibration came from the tape dettaching from its captor at each turn! I cleaned both rollers and now I'm listening to a very nice Tchaikovsky quartet without the "clock" ticking.
Xavier Cortes

Offline ironbut

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Re: My Technics went TAC, TAC, TAC
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2009, 12:11:35 AM »
I bet that's a relief! Sometimes if you play old tapes like me, a bit of adhesive from either a sensing foil or splicing tape will stick to the roller or farther down the line. I've even had a bit of cake or some sticky food that was preserved in the tape wrap fall out onto my desk top. Still tasted fine! Just kidding, but I did look at it under a magnifier and it looked like bread or something.
Actually, when I first read this post, I thought it was the phantom ticking that sometimes comes from my reversing roller. You can just barely hear it and it goes away pretty fast. I suspect that my ticking comes from a wear spot on the felt washer that's in there to dampen the spider-spring that pushes the inner section out. But like I said, it goes away after a while.
Well, good deal Xavier,.. I know how that goes, I always think the worse.
steve koto
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