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Messages - esb1954

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1
General Discussion / Re: Ebay 15 ips tapes
« on: October 09, 2010, 09:00:45 PM »
I have purchased a few tapes from him.  Make sure that you dub them on the first or second listen.  The back coating will make a mess of your rollers, however, they sound fantastic. I am waiting to get my Studer A80 up and running so that I can make a dub of them when I listen for the second time.  Just be prepared to clean your machine.

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Steve,
The tape did not get twisted.  The outside of the one tape is dull black and the inside is shinny brown gray.  Both sides of the other tape are shinny.  The tapes did not squeal and the bulk of the buildup was on the guides that come out on each side of the repro head during rewind and fast forward.  I do agree  that it does not make since because the shinny side is the side that is in contact with the rollers.

Mike

3
General Discussion / Re: The Enactron Truck
« on: June 29, 2010, 01:33:30 PM »
I did a google search for Enactron Truck Ahern and found some information to include this link http://mixonline.com/recording/projects/audio_willie_nelsons_road/
http://www.mileswilkinson.com/

I hope this helps.

4
I have bought some prerecorded tapes that are not getting any better with age and master dubs that are suffering from some SSS.  I would like to preserve the music for my own use and not for resale.  Can I copy these tapes to new tape?  If so, what is the best way to do it?  I have a Studer A807 reproducer and this week I will also have a Studer A80 RC.  Is it as simple as line out from one, to line in from the other machine?  Any help would be greatly appreciated.   

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Reel to Reel Tape Machines / Re: I just bought a Studer A807
« on: April 29, 2010, 01:17:18 PM »
Ki,

Maybe Steve is explaining it to me in laymans terms, since I have no electronics back ground.  All that I can tell is that there are two sets of three wires that come from the preamp and connect to each of the audio cards.  I am trying to come up with a simple way to by pass the audiocard and come off of the heads  (sort of) without having to ship the unit out.  Do you think that smaller card with the pot to decrease the db level from the preamp would work?  That way all wires with there connecters could be hooked to this card.  No wires would have to added and routed. 

Thanks

Mike

6
Reel to Reel Tape Machines / Re: UPS delivered my Studer A807
« on: April 28, 2010, 06:52:16 PM »
Hi Ki,
I have a Studer A807 MKI.  It is a playback only machine.  I talked to Steve Smith and he said the head was wired directly to a preamp which is a part of the head block.  From there three wires lead out to a separate audio card (amp) for each channel.  They plug into these cards.  Near this is a connecter to which the wires from the XLR's plug into the audio cards.  He had the idea of making a smaller card that these same two connecters from each audio card could plug into(and by-pass the audio cards).  I believe the preamp from the heads add 36 db of gain (-54 db at the head and -18 db after the preamp) .  He said a pot could be placed on the card to lower the gain. I just do not know if this would work.  Could you then go into the BH Seduction tape repro and would it sound any better than stock?  The A807 running with its own electronics and through the Foreplay line stage sound better than my Otari 5050BmkII2 with direct head out into the Seduction repro. 

Mike

7
Reel to Reel Tape Machines / Re: UPS delivered my Studer A807
« on: April 28, 2010, 02:20:09 PM »
Ki,

What would happen if you left the preamp behind the heads in place and do not try to go directly off of the heads.  Make a smaller circuit card that you could plug in the cable from this preamp into before where it would enter the audio card. Have a volume pot so you could reduce the output(gain) from the preamp and then hook the cable that leaves the audio card to the XLR output to this smaller card. From what I understand this preamp only adds gain.  The cable from the preamp connects to the audio card near where the cable to the XLR leaves the audio card. This would bypass the audio card.    Do you think I could then go out to the BH Seduction tape head amp?

8
Reel to Reel Tape Machines / Re: UPS delivered my Studer A807
« on: April 26, 2010, 07:20:17 PM »
Ki Choi,

Thanks for the reply.  I believe that jumper JP3 on the audio card can be moved to the B position and this will change the output for audio use.  There is a preamp card behind the head stack.  The cable from this preamp connects onto the audio card (reproducer amp).  Also connected on this card are the wires that go to the audio out xlr.  There must be a way to run a wire with connecters to bridge and connect these wires to effectively by pass the repro amp.  I do not know how the preamp that the heads are connected to would effect the sound?  There is -18 db off of the preamp.

Mike

9
Reel to Reel Tape Machines / UPS delivered my Studer A807
« on: April 25, 2010, 11:53:02 AM »
I watched in horror as the UPS driver cartwheeled the box off of the truck.  The outer box was all torn up with styrofoam peanuts falling from the box.  The inner box with the unit was intact.  The machine appeared to have survived the ordeal.  I put on the side panels and turned it on.  The tape playback mechanism worked like a dream.  Put on a tape and no sound.  Took off the bottom panel and took a look.  One sound card with its numerous pins had fallen out of the sockets.  The other sound card for the other channel was partially out.  The unit must had taken a hard jar or been dropped by UPS.  I put both cards back in.  When putting the unit on it's back to be opened there was still something loose inside.  Could not find anything.  Put the deck back together and I put on another tape to see if it would work and to my surprise, there was music.  All is working.  This is a non modified deck (no direct head out) and is a reproducer with no record or erase head.  I have Tenor 15 wi monoblock amps.  The Tenor is an integrated amp and can also be used in bypass mode.  I wanted to try the Studer using its own electronics first.  I also have a Otari 5050 mxBII 2 with a direct head out to a Seduction tape head preamp to a Foreplay III line stage.  I hooked the Studer directly to my Tenor and it was not as good as the Otari(with the Seduction and Foreplay) playing Tape Project tapes.  I then tried the stock Studer and ran it through the Foreplay to the Tenor (bypass mode) and what a difference.  Much better than the Otari with the direct tape out.  Much more detail.  The only problem is I am at the first click on the volume of the Foreplay and it is at a moderate volume.  Will it hurt anything by going directly out the Studer with its electronics into the Foreplay?  The Studer tape transport is on a whole different level from the Otari.  Now I have to decide if I want to do a direct head out with the Studer. 

10
Reel to Reel Tape Machines / I just bought a Studer A807
« on: April 15, 2010, 04:52:17 AM »
Are there any other Studer A807 owners here that have played Tape Project tapes on one with both stock electronics and then direct tape head out?  If you did the mod, how hard was it to do and how did you do it?  Any information will be greatly appreciated. 

11
Reel to Reel Tape Machines / Re: Modding non technics machines
« on: March 12, 2008, 04:01:04 AM »
Doc, would Otari be willing to build a transport only machine with the play head wired directly out ? 

12
Reel to Reel Tape Machines / Re: which machine to get
« on: February 12, 2008, 02:03:18 PM »
Charles,

Yes, it is the same person.  He told me that he has sold three machines to someone in the tape project.  He recently added the direct tape mod to my Otari.  He went from the back of the preamp board and ran two wires from there to two RCA adapters that he attached to the back of the deck.  That way you can use the deck with or without the preamp.

Mike

13
Reel to Reel Tape Machines / Re: which machine to get
« on: February 12, 2008, 12:46:09 PM »
John, 
There is a guy on ebay who sells a lot of Otari 5050 decks.  He can do the direct tape head out for you before he ships it out to you.  He did it on mine and all seems to work great.  He is from Orlando Florida and is a retired Tech.

Mike

14
Reel to Reel Tape Machines / Re: which machine to get
« on: February 12, 2008, 05:45:53 AM »
As far as xlr to rca adapter cables for the Otari, give Blue Jeans cable a call.  I am sure they can make you up a pair for under $30.  Just tell them which pin is hot.

15
Reel to Reel Tape Machines / Otari MX-5050 series tape head direct wire out
« on: February 11, 2008, 06:25:54 AM »
Has any one done a direct tape head out rewire on an Otari yet?  I took my MX-5050 BII 2 to a tech in the Orlando area who wired it to a pair of rca female connectors that he attached to the back panel.  He wired it from the back of the preamp board, where the wires from the heads connect onto the board.  It took him very little time and about 5 inches of wire.  I can use the onboard preamp or go directly to an external tape head preamp.  I got a chance to see inside the Otari and it looks like it would be easy to get to everything.  Well laid out for a techs point of view to repair it.

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