TP-027, Jerry Garcia / David Grisman wins a Writer's Choice Award from Myles Astor of Positive Feedback Online

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Topics - xcortes

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46
Tape Project Albums - general / Tape shipping and/or carrying
« on: November 20, 2007, 01:01:08 PM »
First I don't know if this is the right category to put this thread.

I live in Mexico. This country has some terrific things and also some terrible ones. Among the terrible ones you can count the postage system and the Customs office. I can tell you many experiences of things either not arriving or arriving damaged due to inspections.

I usually order my audio stuff to a US address I have access to and I go there twice or three times a year and carry my stuff down. Not comfortable many times but so far has proven the safest and usually cheapest way.

My question is: how do I bring my Tape Project tapes down? I am receiving them up there and was planning on putting all ten albums on a box by year end and bringing it back with me after new year. I was told however, that the box containing TP-001 has big legends cautioning against X-ray inspection and I panicked. I thought that x-rays were safe for magnetic recorded media. What do you suggest?

Thanks a lot,


47
Suggestion Box / We need some Wagner
« on: November 16, 2007, 09:44:47 AM »
Since you have access to Decca, the Sir Georg Solti ring cycle is a fantastic piece of recording history and a great musical and sonic achievement. It was a titanic effort for its time to do a studio recording of the complete cycle with the best Wagnerian cast available at the time. The engineers made big efforts to utilize the newly developed stereophonic technology at its best and the recording crew put as much emphasis on the sonics and "special effects" as it did on the music itself. There's a book about its recording but I can't remember its title and google is not helping. Some people swear for the Furtwangler, others for the Karajan and others for the Solti's ring. I've only heard the last (which was actually the first) and I love it.

Ok, so you can't put 15 hours on one TP title? You won't devote the whole 2008 to the ring either? Not even a full opera? Well, even though I usually hate "highlights" records I would be very happy with one. Maybe a selection of overtures and preludes? I'm sure Decca has released such selections during the years.

48
The Number White / TP-001. Has anyone received it yet?
« on: November 14, 2007, 10:25:31 AM »
Mine has a scheduled delivery for tomorrow BUT I won't pick my tapes from my inlaws' in CA until christmas and won't be back home this year so please keep your impressions coming!

49
to match the rest of my system. I like them very much. In the same classy league as our Tape Project tape boxes:


[img width= height=]http://www.geocities.com/xcortes/img_9773a.jpg[/img]


50
Tape Project Albums - general / how about an update? (nt)
« on: July 16, 2007, 01:11:56 PM »
  nt

51
I know that the Dolby NR system curve varies according to the signal level and to get it 100% correct you would need a Dolby processor or chip but what are the thoughts of emulating the curve passively (or actively modifing a tube preamp)? Could it be done? It would be a nice way of listening to Dolby tapes without old SS Dolby units.

Xavier Cortes

52
Reel to Reel Tape Machines / Getting the feet wet with head alignment
« on: February 27, 2007, 12:12:17 PM »
Following a discussion on the prerecorded tapes category I thought I'd start a new thread on head alignment for newbies. I want to get a first grasp of how to align the heads on my RS1500, particularly the 4 track head which is giving me problems with a volume difference of close to 3dB between channels.

Here's what I've learned/understand/think so far:

Azymuth is the most critical of the planes to align on a head. It refers to the alignment of the heads perpendicular to the direction of the tape. If you don't get this one right both tracks will be played out of phase. To adjust azymuth you need three things: an alignment tape with a 16 kHz track, a dual trace oscilloscope to compare the output from both heads using the mentioned track and your deck's service manual to find out what screw/screws to adjust to align the head. The idea here is to get the output from both heads as similar as possible.

If your deck has VU meters you could use both instead of the dual trace oscilloscope to compare levels in case you don't have an oscilloscope (although I'm not sure if the test frequency would be the same). This method being for sure a compromise. Or better yet, you can sum the outputs from both heads creating a mono signal and compare the output level. Since azimuth misalignment will cause cancellation at high frequencies you are aiming to the highest reading.

Zenith is the alignment of the head in the same plane as the tape. If you don't have it right the tape will not contact all of the head but rather will be closer to the top or the bottom part. Here you can use the same test track and you want to maximize output from the heads. Zenith misadjustement should affect both channels equally or in a very similar way if the other planes are aligned.

Wrap  / Head height / Tape-to-head-contact usually don't misalign unless you replace the head so I won't get into them.

When doing adjustments at the tape heads a non magnetic screwdriver is recommended.

Hopefully I'm not oversimplfying things and confusing people here. If I am please forgive me!

Xavier Cortes

53
The manual doesn't say anything but it has feet on the back.

Thanks

54
Reel to Reel Tape Machines / RS1500 hub adapter spacers
« on: January 26, 2007, 12:20:49 PM »
The RS1500 manual mentions some spacers ("Hub thickness correction sheets") when using the Technics hub adapters. I don't have those spacers but without them my newly arrived deck reels are not in line with the head block causing some tape rubbing. I tried some cardboard spacers and voil?. Everything in line and no rubbing with the tape winding in the center of the reel. I have not found any reference to these spacers in the www. Anyone knows about them? Should I worry that there's some misalignment on the deck.

The tech who sold it says that they were perfectly aligned using Teac hubs. Is it that the Technics hubs are shorter?

I wonder how will a 7" reel behave since they don't use the adapters. I have some in their way.

Any advice otr thoughts will be mostly appreciated.

Xavier Cortes

55
Reel to Reel Tape Machines / Technics RS1500 head rewiring
« on: January 19, 2007, 12:09:40 PM »
I've been studying Charles King's and Doc's various posts regarding the rewiring of the RS1500. While I appreciate the beauty of Charles methods of directing the wire to the back I'd like to do this as simple as possible thus I'll take the wire out from the front.

I have one question: when attaching new cables directly to the heads, do the heads retain the old connections? If so, can I assume that you could use the deck either from the new outputs to a head preamp or using the deck's electronics? This would be very cool.

Thanks

Xavier Cortes

56
Suggestion Box / I agree with Led Zep on the rock side...
« on: January 17, 2007, 04:56:13 PM »
Or maybe Hendrix.

On the classic side we need something massive. What about some Mahler or Wagner.


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