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?
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.
Folderol wrote: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.
Technical Editor, Sound On Sound... (But generally posting my own personal views and not necessarily those of SOS, the company or the magazine!) In my world, things get less strange when I read the manual...
Folderol wrote: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.
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.
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.
Martin Walker wrote: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.
Technical Editor, Sound On Sound... (But generally posting my own personal views and not necessarily those of SOS, the company or the magazine!) In my world, things get less strange when I read the manual...
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!
Arpangel wrote: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.
