Any advice from vets to a new reel to reel owner?

[c-los]

I finally got a Pioneer RT-707. The first one I had had shipping damages occur. What advice can you give me about owning a reel to reel? Here are some thoughts I have.

1. Find someone that can give it maintenance. Plus do tome calibrations etc.
2. I have the Pioneer PR-85 reel. Is one empty spare enough to have? Why would anyone need more?
3, Just off curiosity, do they make replacement heads?
4. Any accessories I should buy? I've seen demagnetizers and reel pads. They were about quarter size. I'm assuming they go in between player and reel. Anything else?
5. Any advice I can be given to not be caught off guard?

-Rev

 

[oldvinyldude]

Welcome to the irrational wonderful world of R2R

Advice-read, read, read-AK has tons of stuff to help you.

On your specific questions:
1. If you are not game to read and attempt to do basic maintenance, then find someone who knows R2Rs well, and ask them to do a refurb. An honest tech will only suggest items that need doing. The trick is to find someone who is local (if possible-we already know how shipping has it's dangers....), and competent.
2. Another take up is handy. If you troll around on local CLs, you can find groups of tapes for sale. Likely, there will be some junk, and you can pull the tape off and use the reel. No hurry though.
3. OEM heads no longer availble. JRF Magnetics can provide new heads, but they are pricey. The are professionals though, so their stuff is well worth it. Hopefully, your heads are ok. It's somewhat rare to hear of 707 heads that are worn out.
4. Accessories you should keep on hand-Isopropl Alcohol, of the hightst concentration available. Avoid the 70% stuff. You can find 90% at most drug stores. Rubber cleaner for pinch rollers-search for vendors that specialize in R2R supplies. Q-Tips and long handled swabs with tight attachment of the swab tip. Again, R2R specialist supplies companies have these. A demagnitizer is good, but read up on how to use them first-you can cause more harm than good, if missused.
5. Use your machine periodically, even if you don't "need" to. Exercise switches and pots to keep them quiet. Work the transport so relays and motors stay healthy. Your particular deck is one of the best, reliability wise, and a good performer, and gentle on tape. Once it's working correctly, it will only require occasional cleaning. Again, from reading on these and other tape formums, lack of use is the enemy. I hear of folks who have been running theirs regularly for decades with only periodic cleaning and maybe lubrication at a time or two.
5.

 

[c-los]

ok. I'm not afraid of electronics and have fixed things that I am familiar with. Unfortunately I am not familiar with reels so on to youtube I go. There is a guy here in Houston that fixes reels so I may ask him to calibrate the one I have and to give it a good overall checkup. Hopefully he can spend some time with me and go through some things.

thank you for you response.

-Rev

 

[eddisc]

you'd be hard pressed to find better than vintage tx.

 

[savatage1973]

Beyond getting the deck tuned up/set up, now up for buying tape--just a warning--it ain't cheap. Check the databases here and on TapeHeads regarding which ones are subject to SSS--sticky shed syndrome, and which ones are most compatible with your deck (pretty much any deck can be calibrated for a specific tape). If you elect to buy used tapes, expect a few duds, and invest in a bulk eraser to fully clear them before use. I generally use nothing but NOS Maxell and BASF tape, and 7" reels go for about $20 each or less if you get lucky. A couple companies are making new tape, so that is another option. Your deck can only use 7" reels, so you don't need to worry about the 10.5" reels or NAB hubs. A spare takeup reel is always handy, so you can either scrap a junk tape or buy a metal one (they can be pricey though).

As already mentioned, even if you don't use the deck daily, like anything mechanical it is a "use it or lose it" situation. Make sure you "exercise" the deck at least once a month to keep everything operating properly--lubricants get sticky and belts get stiff if they just sit.

If you really get into the hobby, your next investment should be a DBX 224 Type II noise reduction unit that goes in the loop between your deck and pre/integrated/receiver--makes a world of difference. There are stand alone Dolby units as well, but I find the DBX far superior.

Good Luck on your adventure!!!

 

[c-los]

Eddisc, I reached out to vintage tx before I bought my reel so I'll look him up for maintenance. Hopefully he has a good turnaround time.

savatage, thanks for the info. I purchased a Maxell so it's on its way. I'm pretty excited. definitely brings back some old school feelings looking at this deck.

-Rev

 

[savatage1973]

savatage, thanks for the info. I purchased a Maxell so it's on its way. I'm pretty excited. definitely brings back some old school feelings looking at this deck.

I know the feeling--I have two TEAC X1000r decks, and there is nothing like seeing those big reels turning. Digital is cool and convenient, but nothing like watching an lp spin or the big reels turning. I just find it relaxing.

 

[savatage1973]

Update???

 

[c-los]

Update???

The only update I have is me cleaning the inside with a electronic washer spray. My 707 plays well. I am trying to contact a local repairman to see if he can go over the player and give it a good tweaking.
I have to admit - seeing the reels spin brings back some old school memories. My memories are more of break dancing in the early 80's back in Chicago. The look of shiny steel stereos with huge knobs and cassette tapes is what
I remember.

-Rev

 

[c-los]

I perhaps should have started a new thread but I thought I would ask here and hope someone would check on this.

I love the Pioneer reel to reel.Everything seems to be good but I'm going off how if performs. But I have another question:
If I were to record music at perfect levels of 0 db and not going beyond it - what type of playback should a reel give? It's not going to respond back with the same results is it?
I would think it should give a 20% decrease or so. Is it suppose to give back a mirror image of what what recorded?
I recorded some music amnd in playback I saw a 20% drop (im determining this by the way the level meters behaved). I'm sure reel brand and type can also play a factor.

Also, truth be told I haven't played a tape in 25 years that I am spoiled by CD's and audio files - when I hear the tape i totally forgot about the hissing and air in the recording. I realized how conditioned I am to hearing crystal clear audio. It's not a bad thing but different.

-Rev

 

[guest110]

........I recorded some music amnd in playback I saw a 20% drop (im determining this by the way the level meters behaved). I'm sure reel brand and type can also play a factor.Also, truth be told I haven't played a tape in 25 years that I am spoiled by CD's and audio files - when I hear the tape i totally forgot about the hissing and air in the recording. I realized how conditioned I am to hearing crystal clear audio. It's not a bad thing but different.
-Rev

You should NOT be seeing that kind of drop. Nor should you be hearing a lot of hiss. I suspect the tape you are using. A good tape on a properly conditioned deck should yield recordings virtually indistinguishable from the source.

 

[c-los]

You should NOT be seeing that kind of drop. Nor should you be hearing a lot of hiss. I suspect the tape you are using. A good tape on a properly conditioned deck should yield recordings virtually indistinguishable from the source.

I did notice that when I hit record (on pause and no music) and wear headphones that I hear loud air. Not really a ground buzz because I am familiar with that.I may need to take a picture of the heads and have people give a visual opinion. At least it's doing what its supposed to - i suppose it's a matter of zeroing in on what needs tweaking.

-Rev

 

[guest110]

I did notice that when I hit record (on pause and no music) and wear headphones that I hear loud air. Not really a ground buzz because I am familiar with that.I may need to take a picture of the heads and have people give a visual opinion. At least it's doing what its supposed to - i suppose it's a matter of zeroing in on what needs tweaking.-Rev

Well, that is definitely hinting at the deck rather than the tape. On older decks, I would suspect the entire circuit, not necessarily just the record head. It may involve a lot of work to bring up to spec (e.g. recap and adjustments). If you are up to it, there are a lot of Pioneer experts here that I'm sure would be willing to help you dig in deeper.

EDIT: Your mic level is dialed down to zero when you do this record test yes?
Just out of curiosity (as it is unrelated), what are the output levels on the back of the deck set to?

 

[c-los]

Well, that is definitely hinting at the deck rather than the tape. On older decks, I would suspect the entire circuit, not necessarily just the record head. It may involve a lot of work to bring up to spec (e.g. recap and adjustments). If you are up to it, there are a lot of Pioneer experts here that I'm sure would be willing to help you dig in deeper.

EDIT: Your mic level is dialed down to zero when you do this record test yes?
Just out of curiosity (as it is unrelated), what are the output levels on the back of the deck set to?

Your mic level is dialed down to zero when you do this record test yes? Yes. My mic level was set to 0 and Line was set to 6.
Just out of curiosity (as it is unrelated), what are the output levels on the back of the deck set to? I don't know - I didn't touch those. I figured it was line output and did not have spare RCA cables to go into my receiver. I only played back on my headphones.

I may enjoy the reel as it is for a few months and then gut it to replace caps in the summer. I don't mind soldering. I've never worked on a reel so this will be something new.

-Rev

 

[repair_guy]

Your mic level is dialed down to zero when you do this record test yes? Yes. My mic level was set to 0 and Line was set to 6.
Just out of curiosity (as it is unrelated), what are the output levels on the back of the deck set to? I don't know - I didn't touch those. I figured it was line output and did not have spare RCA cables to go into my receiver. I only played back on my headphones.

I may enjoy the reel as it is for a few months and then gut it to replace caps in the summer. I don't mind soldering. I've never worked on a reel so this will be something new.

-Rev

Wow, that's alot of caps! What usually needs attention on these decks is the transistors on the mic/line board near the front on the deck. The transistors get noisy with age. If you have all the levels on zero and the tape\source switch set to source and still hear the hiss noise, that's probably those transistors. They're easy to get general purpose types. I think there was only four or six of them. I replaced mine and the levels straightened out and the noise went to almost nothing.

 

[c-los]

Wow, that's alot of caps! What usually needs attention on these decks is the transistors on the mic/line board near the front on the deck. The transistors get noisy with age. If you have all the levels on zero and the tape\source switch set to source and still hear the hiss noise, that's probably those transistors. They're easy to get general purpose types. I think there was only four or six of them. I replaced mine and the levels straightened out and the noise went to almost nothing.

awesome thanks for the tip. Did you just look at the schematic to get all the information (transistor types and capacitors) of items that you'll order? Has anyone made a web/blog page somewhere listing all component types that can be ordered?
I typically order my things from Digi-key so I may eventually work on a list starting with this mic/line board. Thanks for the heads up.

-Rev

 

[repair_guy]

I inherited a RT-707 and it came with the schematic in the owners manual. I replaced those transistors on mine and wish i did it sooner. All those tapes recorded in the last 20 years or so with extra hiss in one channel.

I was studying the schematic one day and realized the mic circuit was always connected, and the mic control was placed before the mic stage. In effect, amplifying any noise in the mic preamp by a hundred times or so, and the control having no effect on it. Might have been a mistake in engineering the mic circuit, I can't think of why you'd do that on purpose. Kind of surprised they didn't use a low noise op amp ic instead of separate transistors. Oh well, the solution is simple, replace the transistors. The rest of the machine is really well built, and I have never had to do any work on the rest of the machine. The caps and transistors they used on all the other boards are really good quality.

All I did was just look at the board and wrote down the numbers and ordered them. There's nothing special about the parts that would need a special parts list. It's all in the schematic anyway.


Keith

 

[c-los]

I
All I did was just look at the board and wrote down the numbers and ordered them. There's nothing special about the parts that would need a special parts list. It's all in the schematic anyway.
Keith

I apologize for this n00b question: did you totally remove the board from the chassis? I don't know if I can unscrew it and it gives enough slack that I can solder underneath without completely removing it.

-Rev