Got my first R2R - RT-707 - Got an issue with mixing channels on playback

[marini]

Hi all,

After a long time pondering I finally got my first Reel-to-reel to add to my Pioneer stack. It's an RT-707.
It's very clean and got (apparently) everything working.
I've cleaned the heads, re-lubed the pinch rollers and tried to play this tape (link to it in case it's relevant):

https://www.discogs.com/VivaldiVivaldi-Chamber-Orchestra-The-Four-Seasons/release/15082283

I noticed the playback is mixed? I can hear the current direction (track 1) on the left channel and the opposite direction (track 2) on the right channel.
I have no idea what might be wrong. I've tried FFW and RWD multiple times. 2 different reels as the take spool (original Pioneer metal one and an EMI plastic one).

Does anyone have some tips I could use, please?

Thank you very much.

Emerson​

​

 

[elvi]

it is Two track, not 4 track tape.

The heads required to play this are different than what you have.

Reel to Reel tapes can be:

Mono (the entire width for a single channel head, A studio deck or a very early consumer deck)
Two track (Stereo capable, or two track BUT the material in Mono. This is the tape format you have)
4 Track (Stereo, on half of the width. 2nd "side" on the other pair of tracks, the other half of the tape) This is you 707's capability
4Track Quad. Only one set of music per tape, using all 4 channels.

I have a quad deck, and a few stereo decks. I cannot play a single 1/4 track (mono) or a Quad on my 707, but can play stereo on my Sansui SD-5050 AND Quad, if I toggle the Quad\Stereo switch.


Hope this helps

 

[marini]

Hi,

That makes sense now. I'm glad it's nothing wrong with the deck itself.

Thanks for the explanation.

 

[elvi]

No worries.
My RT-707 is "next" on my Restoration bench.
Have a good day

 

[AE Bob]

That tape states " 2 track mono", so you can just turn down the output on the backward channel, and put your amplifier in mono, or Y the correct channel and feed it to both left and right on the amplifier. You will not be missing any signal as the tracks are mono

A 4 track stereo tape (what the RT-707 is designed for) has the forward direction left and right signals on tracks 1 and 3, and the reverse direction on tracks 2 and 4. Your 2 track mono tape has one direction on the equivalent of tracks 1 and 2, and the other direction on the equivalent of tracks 3 and 4. This is why you are hearing side 2 of the tape playing backward in the right channel when playing forward, and hearing side 1 playing backward in the left channel when playing in the reverse direction.

As I said earlier, just turn down the offending output on the RT-707 (which one depends on which direction you are playing), and put your amp in mono when playing that tape.

 

[marini]

Thanks!