just picked up a realistic tr-3000

Nice work! Keep 'er clean and watch out for sticky shed tapes, they can burn that capstan motor out pretty quickly. Enjoy! :tresbon:
 
I thought this thread was over with a good ending. However after hooking it up to my Kenwood system, and there's no good way to say this, so I'll just say it... that deck sounds horrible. Unless there is something else wrong or I did something wrong.

Characteristics of the deck itself: has a low hum on fast speed, when switching speeds there is a audible pop, but going into the slower speed the hum goes away. Now having said that, lets talk about the sound quality keeping in mind I've tested for a few hours on a few different reels (scotches, realistic, maxell) all the same outcome. Hard to describe but its sounds shakey or nervous especially in slow speed, but can tell at fast speed also. All the decks I've ever had u could not really tell the difference from a recording from its source, here it is obvious.
So I'm not sure what happen here. -Q
 
To clarify a little more, the fidelity is there. Its like a speed problem, or like what it sounds like if u have your finger on the tape itself against one of the guides pressing slightly but still letting the tape pass. All the mechanical functions work fine.
 
I suspect bad pinch-roller, maybe tape is slipping.
What condition is the pinch-roller ?

These sound excellent when working right.
 
I pushed up hard on the pinch-roller and even went the other way, seems solid to me. I'll try anymore tests. Yea I'm thinking it should sound similar to a rt-707, I just did a recording on a maxell at slower speed ... absolutely horrible .. -Q
 
Also I tried to hold the tape pressing against it on both sides of the pinch roller seems built like a tank....
 
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Doesn't seen its directly centered, anyway a couple pics..-Q
 
Pinch-roller looks OK, when you press play does the tape move in and out on the pinch-roller ?

And the two small black washers on each side of the pinch-roller is there ?

Check tape guides and heads for dirt.

Does the tapes squeal on playmode ?

Can you take the headcover off and snap a picture of the headsection with tape loaded and on playmode showing where tape is located ?

Don't worry, we can figure it out :)
 
If not then maybe:

One of the tapes was bad and contaminated the transport with crud?

Pinch roller mechanism not pulling up all the way?

Grease or oil on the belt or pulleys?

Supply brake not releasing?

Bad capstan motor?
 
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The tape stays in place. Washers on both sides yes. Don't see any dirt. No squeal.
Pinch roller seems snug to me. Grease on the belt is possible, the belt touched the lithium on the back plate.. I cleaned it off with denatured alc.. -Q
 
Thanks for the picture, travelpath looks just fine, thought maybe the tape-lifters were not releasing properly.
So speed issues on both speeds correct ?
When you had it apart, fly-wheel and pulley got cleaned 100 % ?
Does fforward and rewind works good without any tape spilling when you press stop ?
Check the two tension-rollers again without tape and see if they spin freely just with your fingers.
Could of course be the belt has some grease...so after the testing above, I can only suggest taking it apart and check belt + fly-wheel + pulley.
 
Yes got cleaned 100% and no tape spillage, tension rollers are spinning freely. Is there anything else or pics before it comes apart and back to square one with the belt off ? -Q
 
Its difficult to explain. Lets say if u input a 30hz Sinewave, from that source u would hear an even constant tone. When recording it, it will not be constant or even but very shaky, a fast shaky. This make any sense ? lol -Q
 
Try this first before tearing it apart:
Set up the deck for recording.
Speed: 3-3/4.
Press SOURCE and listen thru headphones if both L+R channel sounds OK.
Then Switch to TAPE and listen what difference it produce.
Warbled, flutter or ?
 
Yes that's on both settings although the slower setting its worse.

That's strange if the deck sounds good on playback using previous recordings, but not new material, it's not a speed issue.
Did you test with different tapes, and same result ?
 
Ok, I don't have a pre-recorded tape so I recorded a song on my rt-909 at slow speed and ran it back on the realistic its very much improved. -Q
 
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