Dokorder 7100

Sonic Idiot

New member
I've posted several messages on this board seeking advice. Thanks for the help. Now, I'd like to official announce that I completely ignored all of that advice and bought a Dokorder 7100 off e-bay. I did a little research on the machines. Dokorder has been out of business forever, there are no parts for these machines, and when they were new they weren't the greatest in the world. HA! I haven't even seen it yet and I know my Dokorder rules! RULES!

I'm assured the item is in tip top shape from a seller who sells a number of r to r's. I'm not worried that it won't work. I'm not worried about anything. Well, I'm a little worried that if this zit on my nose gets any bigger, I'll have to get fitted for new glasses.

Anyhoo, if any of you would like to comment on how stupidly I've acted, feel free.
 
The very first reel to reel I ever owned was a Dokoder 7140, which was a 1/4", 4 track, 4 channel that ran at 7.5 & 3.75 ips.

I bought it used back then,(about 25 years ago) for 100 bucks, Canadian and I must say in all honesty, it was the biggest hunk of shit that ever graced my humble home studio!

Of course, I'm sure if it had actually worked properly or sounded half decent, I would have been thrilled with it! :D

Your mileage may vary.

Good luck.

Cheers! :)
 
Dokorder

I bought a Dokorder 7140 reel to reel 4 track in 1976. I think it was like $400.00 back then. A FORTUNE! I got it home and laid down some tracks....Then when I went to play them back there was nothing. I tried it about ten times, then in disgust I took it to an authorized repair tech. He promptly cleaned the brand new heads, accused me of being an idiot and said there was nothing wrong with it. I took it back home and tried again. Same thing.... sometimes it would play back mostly not. Finally in utter disgust I took it back to the place I bought it. Biggest piece of junk I ever had. :mad:
 
Oh yeah? Well I bought a Dokorder today, and it rules. RULES!

I'll post an update after it arrives. For $100, if works and does something enough to get a good song out of it--to be inspired to mess with its shit enough to get some kind of unique sound, whether it be the echo or sound on sound effect, weather it be the warbled way it does whatever, whether it be the wonderful way it does whatever--if I generate one lasting idea from this thing, holy shit is that worth more than a $100.
 
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Sonic Idiot said:
Oh yeah? Well I bought a Dokorder today, and it rules. RULES!

I'll post an update after it arrives. For $100, if works and does something enough to get a good song out of it--to be inspired to mess with its shit enough to get some kind of unique sound, whether it be the echo or sound on sound effect, weather it be the warbled way it does whatever, whether it be the wonderful way it does whatever--if I generate one lasting idea from this thing, holy shit is that worth more than a $100.

I did wish you good luck and I meant it in the nicest way possible. :cool:

Just because a few people had bad experiences with their Dokorders is no reason to panic about yours. And, I know you're not panicking, correct?

Welcome to the world of analog. I hope it's everything you hoped it would be and more.

After 25 years of working in that format, I am still a fan and believer in it's sonic benefits and I wouldn't trade my stuff for all the ones and zeros in China.

Cheers! :)
 
I'm not panicking--I know i've got high lemon potential going on here--and I also know you meant it nicely. I'm having nothing but fun with trying this out. If this machine works for a week--long enough to allow me to see what my possibilites are--I'll look for a real reel 2 reel in the future. For now, I'm just cutting my very digital teeth.
 
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I noticed my exceedingly excellent Dokorder 7100 has a switch that toggles between "normal" and "special" tape. Do I use the special setting only when I want the Dokorder to, like, make the best album ever?

But seriously, it's a 1/4" job. I've read a thread on these forums concerning 1/2" tape and how the standard is Ampex 456. Then there was a bunch of business about calibratin' and figurin' and so on. Here's my plan. I'm gong to buy a reel of 456 to mess around with. And then, when I'm ready to stop fucking around and really rock the mic, I'm going to drop a little science and switch to "special"--same tape. In other words, I don't really plan on caring much what special means, but I'm nonetheless curious. What do you imagine special means?

And here's a link to a picture of my superfly Dokorder 7100, or how they used to be branded in the 70's, "The Deck That Kicks Teac's Monkey Ass Up And Down Tokyo."

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5705838086&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOAB:US:6
 
Sonic Idiot said:
...if works and does something enough to get a good song out of it--to be inspired to mess with its shit enough to get some kind of unique sound, whether it be the echo or sound on sound effect, weather it be the warbled way it does whatever, whether it be the wonderful way it does whatever...

If nothing else you can always affix a playing card against the spokes of one or both of the reels with a clothespin. :D
 
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Dude, don't worry,...

that your "Do-Korder" will turn out to be a "Don't-Korder"!!

The unit looks fine, and the seller says he refurbished it himself, which is comforting, indeed. Shipping is always a factor, but by all appearances, it looks like you'll have yourself a fine analog reel recorder,.... eh,... reKorder.
 
Sonic Idiot said:
I've posted several messages on this board seeking advice. Thanks for the help. Now, I'd like to official announce that I completely ignored all of that advice and bought a Dokorder 7100 off e-bay. I did a little research on the machines. Dokorder has been out of business forever, there are no parts for these machines, and when they were new they weren't the greatest in the world. HA! I haven't even seen it yet and I know my Dokorder rules! RULES!

I'm assured the item is in tip top shape from a seller who sells a number of r to r's. I'm not worried that it won't work. I'm not worried about anything. Well, I'm a little worried that if this zit on my nose gets any bigger, I'll have to get fitted for new glasses.

Anyhoo, if any of you would like to comment on how stupidly I've acted, feel free.


Congrats on a fine machine purchase! The Dok is one pro machine that will serve you for many years to come. As you may have read, Dokorder tape machines were the top of the line back in the early 90s. The company felt that they could make more money making bread machines and electric can-openers. They certainly used their talent for those! You have to do the routine maintenence to get the most from your machine. Get hold of a manual and demagnatize the heads and output jacks every 12 operating hours. Cleaning the heads is easily done using plain water and salt solution. Check the heads for tape particles and lap them with ordinary wet/dry sandpaper (400 grit) every year or so. The VU meters are NOT calibrated for mixdown to a CD. This requires the Tape-CD retrofit kit (Part# 177-9TCD) if you can find one on eBay. All in all, you have a fine machine with liberal headroom (30db or so) before noise sets in.

One last thing: You have to oil the motors every day with at least Mobil 10-40. Avoid 50 wgt like the plague!

Good Luck with all that.
 
Micsales said:
Congrats on a fine machine purchase! The Dok is one pro machine that will serve you for many years to come. As you may have read, Dokorder tape machines were the top of the line back in the early 90s. The company felt that they could make more money making bread machines and electric can-openers. They certainly used their talent for those! You have to do the routine maintenence to get the most from your machine. Get hold of a manual and demagnatize the heads and output jacks every 12 operating hours. Cleaning the heads is easily done using plain water and salt solution. Check the heads for tape particles and lap them with ordinary wet/dry sandpaper (400 grit) every year or so. The VU meters are NOT calibrated for mixdown to a CD. This requires the Tape-CD retrofit kit (Part# 177-9TCD) if you can find one on eBay. All in all, you have a fine machine with liberal headroom (30db or so) before noise sets in.

One last thing: You have to oil the motors every day with at least Mobil 10-40. Avoid 50 wgt like the plague!

Good Luck with all that.

You forgot to mention changing the spark plugs!

LMFAO :D :D :D :D :D
 
The Ghost of FM said:
You forgot to mention changing the spark plugs!

LMFAO :D :D :D :D :D

Ghost, I think there's only one plug on the 7100 series (Champion J17LM). Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that an air-cooled, single-cylinder?

Anyway, there's a propane conversion mod that will save on operating costs and be kinder to the environment. Still noisy as hell though.
;)
 
Laugh it up, fellas! when me and my Dorkoder...I mean Dokorder are accepting our Grammy for record of the year, guess who I won't be thanking?

Dokorder rules!

Again, what's up with the "special" tape button. What is "special" tape. And don't reply with some smart ass joke about handicapable children!
 
Sonic Idiot said:
Again, what's up with the "special" tape button.

The special position is for a different formulation of tape.

Keeping in mind that your deck was made in the early 70's, we would have to examine what different tape formulations were hot and new in that era to get a clue as to what exact formulation Dokorder had in mind in this alternate bias and eq position.

Ampex 456 should certainly work well on that machine if it is in decent adjustment from the previous owner.

An owner's manual would be the ultimate answer here but good luck finding a manual for it at this stage of the game.

Cheers! :)
 
The Dokorder 7100, on first glance,...

will NOT do Left/Right-Sync overdubbing.

It will do a Tape-On-Tape "overdubbing", with a generational loss on the first track. This is not as modern or functional as what you'd get on the 22-2 & 32,... & cassettes like the 122, 124 & 133, plus other Tascams.

It should do straight L/R stereo recording, just fine, at consumer grade, 4-track/Stereo, [Sides A & B play individually in stereo, on a 4-track head], at 3-3/4 & 7-1/2 ips, no NR. Not a hifi multitrack, for sure, but probably still a bit better than cassette.

Good luck!!
 
Sweeet...stereo recording is all I want it for anyways--and consumer fidelity will suffice--if not excel--in my case. If this machine works, I'll use it for a number of things, but mainly dirtying up electronic drum dracks and the like. Drums--and most instruments--that are born in a computer case need a lot of help and I've found even dumping them onto cassette and back makes them much more listenable.

My expectations and needs aren't so high and I think this machine will do great. I would LOVE to get a real reel machine and do complete projects on it, but I'll wait to do it right, i.e. save up for quality machine that works properly.
 
Sonic Idiot said:
Drums--and most instruments--that are born in a computer case need a lot of help and I've found even dumping them onto cassette and back makes them much more listenable.

Ah, you hit on a very key point, which is actually a part the digital vs. analog debate -- early digital drum machine performance factored in the affect that tape would have to sweeten and fill in the sound. So the sound quality of an old Linn or Roland digital drum machine is quite different when "captured" on digital. It's literally missing part of its sound.

There are tons of little things like this -- knowledge that is only fully grasped by those of us who lived and learned back in the day.

I don't envy anyone trying to figure out the whole recording thing today. So much of the basics are missing. People are attempting to do calculus without first having mastered basic math.

Trying to evaluate and incorporate vintage equipment is nearly impossible for the uninitiated. But, I guess that's what these forums are for.

:cool:
 
Uh,...

What I don't get, is why tape recording seems like such strange and mysterious thing?

Are people that out of touch? :eek: :confused: :rolleyes: ;)
 
A Reel Person said:
What I don't get, is why tape recording seems like such strange and mysterious thing?

Are people that out of touch? :eek: :confused: :rolleyes: ;)
Probably for anyone who started recording in the 90's and beyond, digital was the de-facto method of tracking.

"Are people out of touch"; Most definitely. :cool:

Oh well. More goodies for us! :D

Speaking of which, I just scored a couple of channel cards for my MS-16 on Ebay for 55 bucks a card! TASCAM parts wants $280 a piece for them.

This should get my 16 track back up to 100% operation now,finally! :D

Cheers! :)
 
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