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Messages - Studer Fool

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16
Tape Tech / Re: Cello P603
« on: June 09, 2009, 09:40:59 AM »
Thank-you Charles,

Very interesting stuff you're doing, thanks for posting! 

Of course the next question is which heads do you like best?  I'll go out on a limb and guess Nortronics based on your prior post indicating their usage in Stellavox machines???  (if I got that right)  Or maybe you'd rather not say, lest you get caught-up in controversy?  Or cause a run-up in market value etc.  I'd understand that.  Sorry, I just can't resist asking!

Chris

17
Tape Tech / Re: Cello P603
« on: June 07, 2009, 12:13:02 PM »
Charles,
This is a very interesting statement:  "What I've found matters most is the ability to control head damping (to minimize head bumps without rolling off the lows)"
Can you elaborate?  Is head damping a matter of adjusting the impedance as seen across the head?  Or is it playing with the "Q" of the playback EQ RC time constants or what?  Is a simple variable R involved or do C's need to be adjusted etc.?????  This is a very interesting subject to me. 

I've also noticed that the Studer A80 electronics have jumpers that slightly shift the EQ turnover frequencies slightly up or down.

Thanks!
Chris

18
Service Resources / Re: Studer Tech in San Francisco...
« on: February 07, 2009, 12:44:11 PM »
So, care to give us your subjective sound comparison between your B67 and your 810?

Studer Fools wanna know!

Thanks!
cdw

19
General Discussion / Re: REVOX G-36 REPRO QUESTION
« on: February 03, 2009, 10:18:12 AM »
You are correct, that is for the low speed version with 3 3/4 & 7 1/2 ips.  For the high speed IEC eq see pages 64 and 65 of the Service Manual.

cdw

20
General Discussion / Re: REVOX G-36 REPRO QUESTION
« on: February 02, 2009, 12:24:58 PM »
Mark,

This really is not the best place to put this post as those with a similar question are unlikely to look here. 

That said check out:
ftp://ftp.studer.ch/Public/Products/Revox/Revox_G36/
In particular note the file:Revox_G36_60Hz_Conversion.pdf
at the bottom are the needed circuit changes from CCIR to NAB.  Yes, the CCIR is the same thing as IEC.

I recomend downloading the operations and service manuals as well if you don't already have them.  Especially the service manual.

cdw

21
Ben,

You state: "I would be more concerned about the bias on pre-recorded tape."

You will no doubt be relieved to learn that the bias only matters when recording a tape.  Your bias setting has no effect upon the playback of a prerecorded tape.

cdw

22
Tape Tech / Re: Online manuals
« on: January 24, 2009, 03:25:44 PM »
Thanks Steve!  I finally figured out what to do to fix the above Studer ftp link, so it works now.  For students of the electronic arts interested in tube based tape electronics the C37 (1/4" half track sibling to the famous J37 used by the Beatles) Operations Service Manual is highly recommended.  Checkout the playback schematics for nice cascode design. Also here: http://recordist.com/ampex/schematics/studer/c37/c37pbamp.gif



For those fortunate enough to have an Ampex R2R, and looking for Manuals check out:
http://ampexdata.com/html/legacy_manuals.html

23
Tape Tech / Re: Online manuals
« on: January 21, 2009, 12:12:36 PM »
All Revox and Studer Manuals are available from Studer on their FTP site:
ftp://ftp.studer.ch/Public/Products/

Please respect their Copyright (which they retain) as having such an online source is really a major godsend!  Studer is to be much praised for providing this!  If only all manufacturers would do this!  I would fear disrespect of their copyright might encourage their removal of this site, which would be a sad thing.  The site is a little slow, so what do you want for free?  However, it is a gold mine for Revox/Studer users and students of the audio electronic arts!

24
Tape Tech / Re: Otari mx5050 8 track bypass?
« on: December 23, 2008, 09:02:46 AM »
Tim,
You've checked out the Bottlehead site, right?  See:
http://www.bottlehead.com/et/adobespc/Seduction/bottleheadtapeheadpreamp.htm
You of course would need 4 of these.  May not seem cheap, BUT there is really no less expensive route I know of.

cdw

25
General Discussion / Re: Decent mention in 1/09 Stereophile
« on: December 22, 2008, 05:20:20 PM »
Steve,
Yes, you're exactly right, Revox is the consumer devision of Studer.  Confusing the two is entirely understandable especially for those not well acquainted with tape recorders.  But for those with some introduction to the subject it's a little like confusing a Dodge Neon with a Mercedes Benz, both fine for their targeted market, but quite different to the aficionado.  Hope I didn't come-off like a snob, didn't mean to.

Yes, a Studer is more $, and yes like all R2R they may appear quite exotic at first.  But what price beauty?  These days pro-machines can be had for a fraction of their original cost.  Folks will spend $10K on a turntable or a CD playback setup.  For a fraction of the cost in hardware plus a Tape Project Subscription, one can with pateince and/or money have the best sound still yet available.  The only reason everyone is not pounding down the Tape Projects doors is nearly no folks (who crave good sound) have had the right R2R experience...yet.  Given the cash outlay and learning curve it's quite understandable really.

"what is the exact relationship between Studer and Revox?"
see: http://www.studer.ch/index.aspx?menu_id=1&sub_menu_id=4&url=includes%2fhistory_include.aspx&locale=
There you'll find:

The brief resum? of the company's history reads as a guide to quality audio. In 1948, Mr. Willi Studer founded his first own business in Z?rich with a staff of 3 people, producing special oscilloscopes for high-voltage labs. 

In the following year the company produced the first own designed tape recorder named Dynavox and by the early 1950s a new brand name for amateur products, Revox, was introduced. In 1951 the prototype of the first professional tape recorder, the Studer 27 was used by Swiss radio, making overall recordings of the "Internationale Musikfestwochen Luzern". 

In 1955 a new era of professional studio tape recorders began with the development of the Studer A37 and B37. In the following years the portable compact studio tape recorder B30 and the first mixing console studer 69 were established. The growth of the company continued, and in 1960 a new generation of tape recorders started with the model Studer C37.

In 1963 the first fully-transistorized professional tape recorder, the Studer A62 was introduced and in 1964 the prototype version of the 4-channel studio tape recorder J37 based on the C37 transport was presented. It represented the most complex, tube equipped machine ever, which paved the way for the acceptance of Studer products by recording studios all over the world.

In 1967 Abbey Road Studio used two Studer J37 to record the world famous Beatles production "Sgt. Pepper".

In the same year the well known Revox A77 was introduced, with over 400'000 units sold the worldwide best sold tape recorder of its class. This famous machine was used in nearly every studio worldwide. The completely modular A77 was built in more than 50 versions for applications such as broadcast, voice logging, education etc..

In 1970, the Studer A80 professional studio tape recorder with a complete new design concept followed. Built for every possible use, from 1/8" Quality Control for Compact Cassette tape to 2"- 24-track for music production, A80 tape recorders have been installed in nearly every music or radio studio facility worldwide with an number of more than 11'000 units.
---------------------------------------------------------

cdw

26
General Discussion / Re: Decent mention in 1/09 Stereophile
« on: December 22, 2008, 10:47:19 AM »
Doc asks "Are the facts correct? "

I would say the facts are quite suspect when he gets a machine clearly labeled Studer confused with Revox.  However, the conclusion he comes to IS correct, and well known to those of us with the good fortune to have first hand experience with high-level R2R!

cdw

27
General Discussion / Re: Excellent mention in Jan '09 Audio X Press mag.
« on: December 21, 2008, 04:53:15 PM »
I thought that rather than start a new thread, this seemed a relevant follow on:

Speaking of nice mention of tape project, this is available online at the Audio X Press web site http://www.audioxpress.com/magsdirx/ax/addenda/media/didden_munich.pdfwhere Jan Didden has evidently his first real R2R experience (as he gets the Studer tape machine mixed-up with Revox [Willi Studer would be turning in his grave]):

"But the eye-opener for me was the direct
comparison of the master tape on the
REVOX with any of the digital sources.
The issue was no longer: ?See how far we
got in 30 years with digital audio.? The
issue was: ?See how close we can come to
that wonderful analog tape after 30 years
of hard work!? For that was what it was.
No question, the digital material was
very, very good, very enjoyable, and listenable
for hours on end. But the analog
tape was?how shall I say it??right.? It
simply sounded the most natural, and it
was quite clear which was the original
sound: the tape was. Listening to some
of the digital sources you could say: ?It
sounds very clear, balanced, effortlessly,?
but then changing to the tape some of
that ?clear, effortlessly? was somewhat
artificial. As though ?natural sound? isn?t
supposed to be extremely clear and clean.
Unsettling."


Well worth the read of the complete article BTW.

cdw

28
Service Resources / Re: Jeff Jacobs for Technics repairs
« on: December 13, 2008, 02:44:11 PM »
I can confirm that on a Studer A-80 different (worn vs. new) captan motors sound quite different.  Listening to the cellos on the TP003 Arnold Overtures is where it is easiest for me to hear.  YMMV

cdw

29
General Discussion / Re: Will Fred revive the Studer list?
« on: December 07, 2008, 03:33:35 PM »
Yeah, a bummer if it really was all over.  However, Fred seems to suggest something further coming.  Certainly there have been many criticisms on the list of the technology used and how the same questions get asked over and over again, as there is no easy mechanism to look for earlier answers other than to order & wade through the archives.  Hopfully we're just waiting for a rebirth of the Studer list in new format.

If that doesn't happen there would be a great need to create some substitute.  I have often wished for a nice website to place additional info & tips I learned & collected that the manuals just don't provide.  (like for one example, a static pointer to the Studer list server for all the manuals downloadable in pdf format)

cdw

30
Another terrific post, thanks George!

Looking back to your first post I see that your questions have not been answered.  Sadly, as to the shipping questions I can't really help.  BUT, I did recall a post from Paul Stubblebine (Managing Director, The TapeProject) about the guard band choice that was made (2mm).  It took a little searching but I found the posting at:
http://www.tapeproject.com/smf/index.php/topic,119.msg507.html#msg507

The rational provided therein being that the extra separation is more valued than the small trade-off in signal-to-noise.

Of interest to Studer fools is that as the A80/RC (it appears to me anyway [I am not an expert]) was the more common and popular machine for "butterfly" heads which provide the .75mm guard band, is that it also included circuitry for electronic cross-talk cancellation, unlike the A80-VU.

I would expect your Nagras to be 2mm guard band as they were so often used in film work where a center pilot tone is desired.  But I don't really know but perhaps they could be ordered with .75?  My impression is that most consumer and Revox machines here in the US are 2mm.  Are yours?

Anyway it's an intersting subject.

cdw

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