Reel to Reel Tape Rub
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1tumbleweed
Kozmik Kowboy
Fairly common. Some reels are more prone to warp than others. If the tape is scraping against the top inside edge, you can make a spacer to move the reel a bit further away from the plinth; if it's scraping against the bottom, well, there you got me...
some of mine do that, it depends how they pack on the reel. Rewind / fast forward tends to have the tape not lay neatly on mine at least so I get some tape sticking above and below the rest and it makes random scraping noises against the reels. I've been trying to leave things "tail out" after playing since the tape packs very neatly when played. No scraping when the tape is packed neatly like that.
twiiii
Lunatic Member
You always store a tape after being played in the reverse direction. Never after high speed rewinding or fast forwarding. When I played 71/2 inch tapes in one direction. I had a HS revox with a variable speed remote to fast play tape in the reverse direction for storage. If the tapes are 1/4 track stereo you are going to do that anyway if you listen to both directions. As most of my tapes were 2 track I would be take the tape off the first machine and place on the second machine to play in the other direction for storage while listening to another tape on the first machine. The exception was when playing tape with my AG 500-2/4 Ampex. As it had constant tension take up and feed eddy current clutches it wound the tape so smoothly there was never an issue of the tape being rewound in in the fast modes incorrectly. Back coated tapes are less susceptible to the issue. Back when tape was king blank 7" reels from Scotch were cheap. I just through the cheap reels the pre-recorded studios used a way after soaking off the labels. Or I would copythem on a Xerox machine and stick them to the new reels.
Now you know why I gave up on tape many years ago. Dubbed the good ones to CD and tossed or gave away the rest.
Now you know why I gave up on tape many years ago. Dubbed the good ones to CD and tossed or gave away the rest.
Okke 70s
Super Member
If it only happens with some spools, you know it's not the machine.
You could try to find better spools for your pre-recorded tapes. The tape itself doesn't care..
If the tape only barely tips the side of the spool, just the first 5 rounds or so.. Well you could also decide to enjoy "the vintage" of it all.
PS: find yourself a tape to record on to; that's where the real fun of tape starts!
You could try to find better spools for your pre-recorded tapes. The tape itself doesn't care..
If the tape only barely tips the side of the spool, just the first 5 rounds or so.. Well you could also decide to enjoy "the vintage" of it all.
PS: find yourself a tape to record on to; that's where the real fun of tape starts!
If your tapes tend to consistently rub on either the inner edge of the reel, or on the outer edge, you should adjust the reel tables.
Get the service manual from Hifiengine, and look there for how to adjust.
On most machines, it's pretty straight forward. The reel tables are the assemblies that fit on the reel motor shaft on one side(rear), and on the other side(front), where you mount the reels.
There are often holes in the chassis to see the set screws and insert a driver to loosen and tighten them. Rotate the reel tables to move the set screw(s) into position.
There will be 1 or 2 set screws on the rear of the table, and they can be loosened. It's a simple matter of moving the tables out or in, to result in centering of the tape between the flanges as they turn. It might take 2-3 attempts to get thing where you want them to be.(tape centered). Then tighten firmly and you are done.
Of course, if you have warped reels, where the reel sides wander back and forth-there is no solution other than spooling the tape onto a good reel.
Get the service manual from Hifiengine, and look there for how to adjust.
On most machines, it's pretty straight forward. The reel tables are the assemblies that fit on the reel motor shaft on one side(rear), and on the other side(front), where you mount the reels.
There are often holes in the chassis to see the set screws and insert a driver to loosen and tighten them. Rotate the reel tables to move the set screw(s) into position.
There will be 1 or 2 set screws on the rear of the table, and they can be loosened. It's a simple matter of moving the tables out or in, to result in centering of the tape between the flanges as they turn. It might take 2-3 attempts to get thing where you want them to be.(tape centered). Then tighten firmly and you are done.
Of course, if you have warped reels, where the reel sides wander back and forth-there is no solution other than spooling the tape onto a good reel.
dhnash
Super Member
See this thread for more information about how to address this problem.
https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/rt-707-reel-base-height-adjustment.746795/
Thanks. I did make a spacer out of thin cardboard and it works great.
1tumbleweed
Kozmik Kowboy
I do have some new Maxell UD 35-90 tapes. What do you typically record from? Vinyl to tape? Is there any acoustical value to this transfer? I do notice that the pre-recorded tape play back seems to have more bass.
What would be the benefit of recording on blanks? Other than being able to mix and match playlists and/or extended play time to 90 min on a tape?
Thanks. New to the RtR and just trying to figure out where I go with it other than playing pre-recordeds.
1tumbleweed
Kozmik Kowboy
"Mixtapes" were around on RTR long before cassettes existed...at least at my house! Recording at 3-3/4 on 10-1/2" reels meant hours of music at parties without touching a thing.
Bear in mind 7-1/2 usually gives better quality than slower speeds, but eats up twice as much tape. I always dubbed quite a few borrowed LPs to tape to expand my collection. Eventually, I also got a few decent mics and a small mixer to do some live recording of local bands.
Then there's just the visual fun of watching the reels go 'round...even more fun than playing an LP, and LOTS more fun than playing a digital file....
Bear in mind 7-1/2 usually gives better quality than slower speeds, but eats up twice as much tape. I always dubbed quite a few borrowed LPs to tape to expand my collection. Eventually, I also got a few decent mics and a small mixer to do some live recording of local bands.
Then there's just the visual fun of watching the reels go 'round...even more fun than playing an LP, and LOTS more fun than playing a digital file....
Okke 70s
Super Member
Well the fun is mostly in the recording itself, and as you mentioned: you can compile your own list from both digital and analogue sources, Including cross-fades between tracks and such things. You got a good tape there, just start experimenting!
As for the sound, well technically speaking the recording will inherently be of lower quality then the original. However, it can sound more enjoyable at the same time. The colouration that tape gives to the sound works particularly well with electronic guitar. Gives it a bit more GRRRR!
As for the sound, well technically speaking the recording will inherently be of lower quality then the original. However, it can sound more enjoyable at the same time. The colouration that tape gives to the sound works particularly well with electronic guitar. Gives it a bit more GRRRR!
I have a few from my great uncle that are mixed in the most literal sense. Multiple tapes spliced together on a single reel, with obviously different tape stocks used. That machine is only half track and he always recorded at 7 1/2 though so its only about 30 minutes per reel.
markd51
Nyuk Nyuk
You might be able to again make another Reel Table Shim(s), from a more durable material if you look around.
I know back in the day, TEAC provided thin Plastic Sheet Shims with many of their Decks. They were quite thin. Maybe only a few mil or so.
There were some Decks I believe that also had adjustable Reel Tables on them.
MaxxVolume
Lunatic Member
I have factory rubber reel spacers from Pioneer, they are 0.9 mm thick (1 mm = .040 inch)
The lids from those round polyethylene soup containers that you get with Chinese take-out are pretty close in thickness, and can be trimmed with an Exacto knife. With a little practice, you can make something pretty acceptable.
