Audio-Technica AT-RMX64 Cassette 4 Track

I agree with TGC, anything you find used will always need maintenance and maybe a little repair. The question then becomes whether the return of having a perfectly functioning machine is worth it, and that depends on the machine's original performance. This machine is absolutely worth treating it as an investment, as Cobb suggests; I truly believe it's that much better than any other cassette 4-track.

The problems sound like they're in the mixer section. The problem with Ch 1 could be a number of things; things come unplugged in there sometimes after 20 years of jostling around. The 2nd problem sounds like a heavy dose of electrical contact cleaner all over everything but the cassette transport would fix it plus a number of other potential problems.

Like I said, if the cassette mech is good, the rest of it's an easy, easy fix for anyone who currently works on current mixers, since a simple mixer is all that really is. Call music stores or google live sound production and ask around until you find someone who does repair work on analog mixers that's close to your area. A signal path is a signal path; any of those guys who can trace voltage through a circuit with a voltmeter should be able to get that machine back up to spec with relative ease. :)

Good luck, please keep us posted!
 
Thanks guys for the words of encouragement. I understand that older analog gear requires regular maintenance and I will follow up per your suggestions. I will report back with any successes or failures.

I suppose my beef is that I specifically asked the seller about the condition before bidding and he reported that it was 100% functional, like new, etc...:eek: lol imagine my disappointment and surprise upon testing it out! :D
 
The very rough handling likely separated connections internally. I would open up the unit and carefully check all the PCB boards and their connections. I would re-seat / re-plug them and also check for cracks / brakes in the PCB's, traces, solders etc. I would be very surprised if the unit did not sustain internal damage of some type. I actually would bet that it did. Ask yourself: what would happen if you lifted the box overhead, with your 4 track and tossed it to the floor, several times or down a long stairwell? Well, that pretty much simulates shipping scenarios. See, that AT recorder is really well built and may not show its damage externally but internally, that's another story. Lets be real.. It was a shipping casualty.

Stuff like scratchy pots etc.. are all due to non-use / age and working them repeatedly will help. Other stuff like rubber going bad is a real issue too.
 
So...I traded the recorder for some other gear to a guy who could repair it. It is definitely a cool piece but it was such a large and heavy beast that I couldn't find a good place for it. So now I have a Tascam 244 on the way. Supposed to be in great condition with original box, manual etc. We'll see how that does me. I made sure to discuss shipping with the seller in advance...my fingers are crossed! According to cjacek's 50% rule, this one should be OK! ;)

Thanks for all your help and I'm hoping to have better luck with the Tascam.
 
Hey all, I hope no one minds I resurrect this thread...

I just got one of these machines a week ago, a friend gave it to me- he'd found it at a yard sale for $25. Here is it:
AT6-Trk.jpg


But the cassette transport has problems... Play won't work. I'm told I need to find idler assemblies, belts and pulleys for it. I understand, from reading thus far in this thread, that the transport is proprietary. I wonder if one of those on-line antique gear repair shops would handle this? It can't be impossible to fix, right?
 
Chances are it won't be too hard to fix. Can you pop it open so that we can see what it uses for tape transport? I doubt it uses belts (it's direct drive) but will use idlers and maybe pulleys tho I'm not sure on that last one. I think the top pops open? Make some good, close up photos (of the transport) and we can go from there. It's probably off the shelf rubber that can be replaced. So make photos of any idlers, belts and pulley you see. Also one of the pinch roller. BTW, you scored. Those were very expensive back in the day, thousands of dollars.
 
cjacek said:
Chances are it won't be too hard to fix. Can you pop it open so that we can see what it uses for tape transport? I doubt it uses belts (it's direct drive) but will use idlers and maybe pulleys tho I'm not sure on that last one. I think the top pops open? Make some good, close up photos (of the transport) and we can go from there. It's probably off the shelf rubber that can be replaced. So make photos of any idlers, belts and pulley you see. Also one of the pinch roller. BTW, you scored. Those were very expensive back in the day, thousands of dollars.
Click to expand...

Many thanks cjacek, I will take some pix tonight, get 'em up asap- maybe as late as tomorrow. I've written to a couple on-line addresses to see about it, as well as a friend of mine who runs a little studio in VT I recorded at once.

Audio Technica has been no help, they don't carry the parts anymore, nor do they repair this stuff. I much appreciate the help! I'll post again after I get photos.
 
Alright, I know little about any of this, but I took and edited close-ups of the transport, esp the rubber parts. Let me know if I need to take more stuff apart and get underneath all this...

Transport1.jpg
Transport4.jpg
Transport7.jpg
Transport6.jpg
Transport5.jpg


Also, it appears others have been here before me. Some screws are missing that hold down the plastic housing for the transport, as well as two missing from the top panel. And many thanks for the interest!
 
OK, I'll get back to this in more detail but I can see right away that the idler tires need replacing (the rubber tires between the spools). They have pieces missing. They look very similar to the ones I've worked on (on another cassette 4 track). Check out the instructions to replace idlers:

http://www.mzentertainment.com/pics/teac_244/dr_zee_workshop_tascam_244_project_part4.jpg

The above was made by Dr. Zee, an invaluable tutorial on how to replace idler tires. You need to do both of them and be sure the rubber rings more or less fit.

Another thing you need to do (as those pinch rollers are not available from AT) is clean the pinch roller with a rubber cleaner such as Caig Caikleen RBR or one by MG Chemicals. Ask how to apply it correctly, when you get to it.

What I don't see is any belts or pulleys. Can you verify if there are any? I'm not sure how this thing opens but I sure would like to see the back of the transport. Is this perhaps accessed through the bottom of the unit? We need to deal with disintegrating rubber components.

You also should, at some point, do a general cleaning of the tape transport, with brushes, vacuum, 90% or more alcohol and q-tips. Clean the chrome / metal areas where tape go through (heads, capstan shaft etc....).
 
Excellent thread.

But eeeeeewwwwwWWWW!!!:eek:
That corrosion makes the hair stand up on my arms!!!
I'd have a heart attack if any of my transports looked like that!!!:eek:
Ouch! That poor machine looks like it's NEVER been cleaned!

Get that badboy cleaned up! Love to hear what it can do.
I'm jealous! That's a good project score for $25 !!!

Listen to cjacek,..He knows his analog.
If you you follow his pointers,...you'll have that tracker up
and runnin' in no time!!!;)
 
VESSEL2020 said:
That corrosion makes the hair stand up on my arms!!!
I'd have a heart attack if any of my transports looked like that!!!:eek:
Click to expand...

Yup, agreed on that point.:eek: The one thing that makes it easier to deal with is the $25 steal-of-a-deal price but still, it's hard to see a once beautiful piece of engineering look like that... :(
 
Got all that, bookmarking your linked pages and I'll get some more photos up tonight I hope. I know, it's ugly in there... thanks cj, I'll be back!

Note: The link to Dr Zee's Tascam 244 page isn't loading... I'll see if I can find it another way.
 
Say, how does one open an .rar file? I've downloaded the schematic for this recorder at "eserviceinfo.com", and would like to be able to see it! I've had a wrangle with this kind of thing before... I'm not all that functional with some of this stuff. Thanks...

Found some cool linkage.
 
I use Izarc...I think it used to be freeware and now there's a fee. A rar file is a compressed archive file format kind of like a zip file. If Izarc isn't free anymore just Google something like "rar freeware".
 
sweetbeats said:
I use Izarc...I think it used to be freeware and now there's a fee. A rar file is a compressed archive file format kind of like a zip file. If Izarc isn't free anymore just Google something like "rar freeware".
Click to expand...

Thanks.

It may seem a tad lame of me from time to time to not be evidently using my own noggin, but truth is I'm a family dude and we have quite a lot of activity here- not the least of which is work-related. It doesn't really slow down much, and I get to this stuff when I can. Sometimes I space a thing out, or just don't have the time to let my head unwind- and think! :rolleyes: Os I appreciate the patient help!

I'm picking up a micrometer over the weekend and will get belt sizes together and ordered. That idler-wheel band is apparently busted, and might be tough to size once it's off the wheel... and more pix later tonight, of behind that back plate of the transport.
 
sloom said:
Note: The link to Dr Zee's Tascam 244 page isn't loading... I'll see if I can find it another way.
Click to expand...

Try this and click on replacing idler tires: http://www.mzentertainment.com/studio_workshop_tascam_244.html

sloom said:
Thanks.

will get belt sizes together and ordered. That idler-wheel band is apparently busted, and might be tough to size once it's off the wheel... and more pix later tonight, of behind that back plate of the transport.
Click to expand...

Yup, rubber is usually the culprit here. You will def need to change the idler tires, belts (if any) and either clean or have the pinch roller re-rubbered (I'd first try cleaning the PR tho). NOTE: The Caig RBR, IMHO, might be a tad weak so you might wanna try the MG Chemicals version. That thing is very strong so use caution and have a lot of ventilation. I'd also thoroughly clean all the parts the bad rubber sits on now before putting new one on. Looking forward to more photos. Take your time.
 
cjacek said:
Try this and click on replacing idler tires: http://www.mzentertainment.com/studio_workshop_tascam_244.html



Yup, rubber is usually the culprit here. You will def need to change the idler tires, belts (if any) and either clean or have the pinch roller re-rubbered (I'd first try cleaning the PR tho). NOTE: The Caig RBR, IMHO, might be a tad weak so you might wanna try the MG Chemicals version. That thing is very strong so use caution and have a lot of ventilation. I'd also thoroughly clean all the parts the bad rubber sits on now before putting new one on. Looking forward to more photos. Take your time.
Click to expand...

Yeah I admit I'm in no hurry! Also I'm subject to the pace of the money-flow, which is presently quite weak. But it's gonna happen. And thanks for the additional linkage...
 
Dr Zee still not showing up... I get a column of thumbnails on the left side of my monitor, blank page otherwise...
 
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