Oddity in a recently restored CT-F1000

[Ricktptman]

I recently landed another sample of this classic deck (in good shape) and went through the usual restoration processes. It's been finished and working fine in my "vintage" system for about six months. (All period Pioneer gear.)

But I've noticed that when I switch into play (or record) there's a slight delay in hearing the audio. I see the meters deflect BEFORE I hear the output. My other 1000 ( the other restoration is now in storage, I'm out of room to set them both up) doesn't do it, at least to the best of my recollection. The meters deflect just fine. (Just before I hear the tape.) No tape travel issues. The capstans and wind motors are clean/lubed, belts replaced and the tape slack canceller works as it should. Tension is fine. I can't figure out what the deal is. I don't remember the other 1000 doing it. Maybe I'm just used to the 1250's. (I have four of those, two essentially NOS/restored-also in storage. Two NM and in use.) Has anybody else noticed this latency issue? It "seems" like a "muting" issue, but I'm not aware of a circuit that does that. At least that I can find in the SM. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. It's not a simple oversight. Everything is dead on. To borrow a DeForrest Kelley-ism: "It's not supposed to DO that......". At least I don't think it is. Has anybody else seen it happen? If the meters deflect (switched to Tape) then shouldn't I be hearing the sound of the recorded program? Just...plain....weird. But I will say that the second unit is not quite the same machine as the earlier one. It seems newer and "tighter".
There are subtle differences.(Some small cosmetic differences on the Erase head, for example.) Thanks......

 

[Ricktptman]

Update: It doesn't really present a "problem". I'm just used to (at least THINKING I do) hearing the recording IMMEDIATELY after I press play. The delay is about 1 second. (updated....)

 

[sKiZo]

Just a shot in the dark here ... if it's consistent, I'd suspect a weak cap that needs to charge the audio circuit properly to pass the signal out. If it's just one channel, maybe even something as simple as a dirty jack that has to charge ground potential before it works.

What happens if you hit play, pause once you get the output, then unpause. Or play, wait till you get signal, stop, and immediately hit play again?

 

[Ricktptman]

Thanks for the help, sKiZo. It's consistent. Or at least is now. I'd tried that. (Heck, I tried everything I could think of.....) But I did get the delay and the meters to line up for a bit (still delayed, just BOTH delayed instead of the meters preceding the output) and then (after I applied a tiny bit of lubricant in between the buttons on the transport mechanism) it went back to the consistent "meters first, then sound". I overestimated the delay time though. It's about a second. I just don't remember it being there on my other machines. The first locked up (I lost a capstan motor) in what I suspect (in retrospect) is now what's referred to as the "clutch" issue. I found another original FG motor and it's fine now. I got everything untangled and went into the reel mechanisms and cleaned them up. I guess I can haul it back out. I seal the machines up and pack 'em up tight to keep them clean. They're a pain to unpack. But I might have to just to check 'em side by side.

 

[jeffpaletz]

Given that it's just a second, why not forget about it and just enjoy the deck.

 

[dr*audio]

The distance between the record and playback head is so small that a one second delay would be very unlikely. Say this: one one thousand. There, that was a second. Are you sure it's that long?

 

[Rob DeFries]

Unless it's one channel coming in later, I can't think of anything else than an intended delay.
Some sort of line out muting. Normally the headphone output doesn't have that muting, so you should hear music (as soon as you push "start") on your headphones.