Nakamichi RX-505 Issue

[Timothy Flath]

Just stumbled on a nice Nakamichi RX-505 last night from a local fellow here in town and bought it on a whim with an accompanying Nakamichi TA-2A Stasis Receiver. Unit works quite good and sounds very good on playback (although I need a better tape to make that complete assessment - pre-recorded tapes don't count). Went to record a mix tape on it like the old days and when on "Source" the levels incoming read fine. Since it is a 3 Head deck I then poked in the "Monitor" switch (Source/Monitor) using a brand new freshly opened Maxell XLII for a trial (set of course on Type II using Dolby B and then C for separate runs) - the rec levels being read off the tape directly are very very low with right side reading a bit higher than left. Sound is getting imprinted on the tape but extremely weak, lop-sided and poor quality levels. Anyone know if this is a common issue with these? Could it just be a dirty source/monitor switch not letting the sound through (that is my next thing to try is to see if the switch is accessible and if I can hit it with D5 knowing that this beast is getting on in age)? Just going to poke around on HiFi Engine as well to see if I can find a service manual to give me some more insights as to problem areas and where to start troubleshooting. Of course will give the heads a good clean as well.

 

[kfalls]

If the source is good, but the monitor output is muffled and low it could be a record bias issue, and/or bad head tracking (especially since readings are "lopsided'.) You might try adjusting the record azimuth to see if the recording gets clearer, or tracking if recording gets clearer during azimuth adjust, but still lopsided. Willy Herman sells a guide which is perfect for setting the tracking, head tilt, and how deep the heads penetrate the cassette during playback.

 

[MRL_Audio]

Do directions come with that kit? Will it work for any deck? Thanks.

 

[Bynem]

Apologies if this is something you already tried.
A wand demagnetizer (a cassette one doesn't quite get the job done, IMO) may help. If that Nakamichi was stored near a strong magnetic field over a certain length of time, it may need that.

My two cents.

 

[perryinva]

He's talking about an M-300 gauge. Willy does not include directions with his, but they are online in many places. It is of very limited use for head alignment on an RX-505, unless you remove the transport.

 

[Timothy Flath]

Apologies if this is something you already tried.
A wand demagnetizer (a cassette one doesn't quite get the job done, IMO) may help. If that Nakamichi was stored near a strong magnetic field over a certain length of time, it may need that.

My two cents.

Heh, contacted Willie Herman in San Fran. Unfortunately he does not do international work but suggested I give the heads a good cleaning. I did that and it is now sounding sweet!

 

[Timothy Flath]

Thanks all for the suggestions.
Tim