Akai 4000DB tape recorder.

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Akai 4000DB tape recorder.

Post by 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?

:think:
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Re: Akai 4000DB tape recorder.

Post by 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.
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Re: Akai 4000DB tape recorder.

Post by Arpangel »

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.

:)
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Re: Akai 4000DB tape recorder.

Post by 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.
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Re: Akai 4000DB tape recorder.

Post by 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
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Re: Akai 4000DB tape recorder.

Post by Tim Gillett »

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.
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Re: Akai 4000DB tape recorder.

Post by 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.
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Re: Akai 4000DB tape recorder.

Post by 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.
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Re: Akai 4000DB tape recorder.

Post by Martin Walker »

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

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

Martin
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Re: Akai 4000DB tape recorder.

Post by 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.
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Re: Akai 4000DB tape recorder.

Post by Arpangel »

ef37a wrote: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.
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Re: Akai 4000DB tape recorder.

Post by Arpangel »

Martin Walker wrote:But £12.49 for an empty 7-inch plastic reel? :headbang:

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.

:shocked:
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