Akai 4000DB tape recorder.

[Arpangel]

I picked one of these up yesterday in a charity shop.
It seems to work fine, it plays back OK, but I haven’t any blank tape to check it records properly, all I have are my old 10.5 inch masters, and one 7 inch master.
I need some 7 inch reels of tape, and a couple of empty seven inch spools, these seem difficult to find these days?

[Folderol]

A friend had a DS from new back in the day, but it had to go back for repair. The tape tension was way too high and damaging the tapes. My memory might not be 100% but I seem to remember this was a known fault - don't know if it was a particular batch or what.

[Arpangel]

A friend had a DS from new back in the day, but it had to go back for repair. The tape tension was way too high and damaging the tapes. My memory might not be 100% but I seem to remember this was a known fault - don't know if it was a particular batch or what.

Thanks, it seems to be fine, on playback.
Don’t know of anyone now, that could service it anyway, it was worth taking a risk on, very cheap.
My partner wanted the Lowry organ they had, I had to draw the line somewhere.

[ef37a]

I will have a look Tony, I may have a spare 7" and some tape to spare. Give me a day or two.

Dave.

[Hugh Robjohns]

There are plenty on ebay all the time... but often at silly prices.

And there are these people:

https://www.tapecity.co.uk/acatalog/Open-Reel-Tape-Accessories.html

[Tim Gillett]

A friend had a DS from new back in the day, but it had to go back for repair. The tape tension was way too high and damaging the tapes. My memory might not be 100% but I seem to remember this was a known fault - don't know if it was a particular batch or what.

Yes the felt take up clutch (for record and play) tends to gum up on this and certain other similar Akai's. The problem is worst at the beginning of a tape, on thinner based (longer playing) tapes, with a poor or misadjusted pinch roller, and with inadequate tape back tension. The clutch can be disassembled, cleaned and reassembled but there are other decks without this problem, especially 3 motor types.

We might wish otherwise, but these machines are old and will have probably developed multiple problems, some just sitting in storage.

[Tomás Mulcahy]

Soft and warm sounding machine when it works, quite noisy though. Distorts very gently kinda like a B77. Hopefully someone will make a plugin of it.

[James Perrett]

Hugh got there first - definitely look at Tape City as they have the widest variety of tape in the UK (as far as I can see). RTM LPR35 is probably what you need - it is the old BASF formula with a thinner backing that suits domestic machines better.

https://www.tapecity.co.uk/acatalog/0.25--Tape-1-1.html

I've bought a few bits an pieces from them and they've been fine.

[Martin Walker]

But £12.49 for an empty 7-inch plastic reel?

I'm obviously way out of touch with tape stuff.

Martin

[James Perrett]

Some of the prices are getting ludicrous as people seem to have been listening to reel to reel more over the last year or two. The price of a Revox machine seems to have doubled in the last year. I remember paying £3.50 for a 7" reel of Maxell UD tape back in the 80's.

[Arpangel]

I will have a look Tony, I may have a spare 7" and some tape to spare. Give me a day or two.

Dave.

Thanks Dave!
And thanks Hugh, for that link, I’m hoping this is OK, if it isn’t it’s not a big deal, I’ll have a look myself, nothing to loose.

[Arpangel]

But £12.49 for an empty 7-inch plastic reel?

I'm obviously way out of touch with tape stuff.

Martin

I just called tape city, it’s going to cost me more than I paid for the machine just to test it, £33 for the tape, plus £12 for an empty plastic reel!
I’ve got reels of tape, but they are all masters from the last I can’t record over.
I’m just going to have to go for it.

[Hugh Robjohns]

Yes... running a tape machine is an expensive business...

But hey -- think of the distortion you can create with it!

...assuming it does actually still work.

[Arpangel]

Yes... running a tape machine is an expensive business...

But hey -- think of the distortion you can create with it!

...assuming it does actually still work.

It’s a gamble Hugh, I’ve found another place Protape, and I’m around the corner from them now, I’m going to buy a 7 inch reel, they’ve got empty spools too, £28, not much, but it’s something!

[James Perrett]

It’s a gamble Hugh, I’ve found another place Protape, and I’m around the corner from them now, I’m going to buy a 7 inch reel, they’ve got empty spools too, £28, not much, but it’s something!

Protape have been around for years just off Tottenham Court Road but last time I was after tape they didn't have as wide a selection as Tape City.

[Arpangel]

It’s a gamble Hugh, I’ve found another place Protape, and I’m around the corner from them now, I’m going to buy a 7 inch reel, they’ve got empty spools too, £28, not much, but it’s something!

Protape have been around for years just off Tottenham Court Road but last time I was after tape they didn't have as wide a selection as Tape City.

Yes, I remember Protape, I used to get my cassettes from them in the 80’s, I actually thought they’d gone out of business.

[Arpangel]

Managed to get some sound out of it today, it powers up, all lights working, capstan working, and engages, I just threaded a tape, and pulled it through, got something on the meters, seems like it should be worthwhile getting an empty spool, my masters are stereo half track, but at least I can see if the mechanism is OK.

[Martin Walker]

Promising start Tony!

Martin

[Hugh Robjohns]

I have visions of Tony recording a masterpiece with a coiling pile of tape slowly building on the floor!

[Folderol]

I have visions of Tony recording a masterpiece with a coiling pile of tape slowly building on the floor!

Not a problem if he runs the machine at the top of his tower

[Drew Stephenson]

I was more imagining a spontaneous work of genius emerging to the tempo of the tape end flapping round the reel...

[Arpangel]

I have visions of Tony recording a masterpiece with a coiling pile of tape slowly building on the floor!

Not a problem if he runs the machine at the top of his tower

I’ll give you a mention on the album if it works……….

[ken long]

I have visions of Tony recording a masterpiece with a coiling pile of tape slowly building on the floor!

Not a problem if he runs the machine at the top of his tower

LMFAO

[Arpangel]

Update, surprisingly, it’s all working fine, I got an empty reel, and some master tapes on seven inch reels, I recorded years ago.
They play back fine, although at half speed, as they were recorded at 15ips, on a half track machine, so I had to fiddle around with the head selector switch to get anything out of it.
I found some blank tape, all fine, records well, although the heads need a good clean, and I’ll de-mag them too.
So money well spent.