ADAT ate my tape

[ADATlove]

Anybody out there still using the old ADAT machines? I am in quite a pickle right now. My machine started giving me some noFo messages, which I suppose can be attributed to dirty heads. Am I right on this? Anyway, in trying to trick the machine into working during a mix (probably a mistake) I ejected it and the machine decided it wasn't ready to part with my tape. So it scuffed it up a bit and now I can't even get the thing to read but I imagine I am royally screwed. Am I correct or is there anything I can do to fix this eaten tape?

As a side question, why does god hate me?

[phaqu]

I have 3 ( 1 that works). The NoFo error means no format. Look for the "lead" and "data" displays on the screen. If its a blank, try hitting the format button and then record. I havent have a tape with anything recorded on it give me that error. I had a pinch roller problem with mine when it ate a tape.Im not sure if theres a quick fix for that.
As far as eaten tape.............I dont know.

[ADATlove]

Thanks for the help. I know the noFo means thte machine doesn't see data on the tape and that's usually caused by formatting on a dirty machine. But this tape has worked fine for weeks and is just now giving me guff. I played back the eaten portion of tape and got digital garbage...am I screwed?

[orksnork]

sounds that way
clean your damn heads!

[Track Rat]

If the heads are dirty you can get that error code as it can't read the data through the dirt. Have it cleaned.

[kid klash]

http://www.tangible-technology.com/h.../swabbing.html

[aarowsmith]

Originally Posted by ADATlove

Anybody out there still using the old ADAT machines? I am in quite a pickle right now. My machine started giving me some noFo messages, which I suppose can be attributed to dirty heads. Am I right on this? Anyway, in trying to trick the machine into working during a mix (probably a mistake) I ejected it and the machine decided it wasn't ready to part with my tape. So it scuffed it up a bit and now I can't even get the thing to read but I imagine I am royally screwed. Am I correct or is there anything I can do to fix this eaten tape?

As a side question, why does god hate me?

You need to not play the tape again through the damaged area otherwise it will dirty the head again, best thing to do is copy the tape to another ADAT machine ASAP, throw away your damaged tape, then clean your heads correctly (look online on how to properly clean your ADAT rotary heads) very important to clean the rotary ADAT heads properly or you can damage them and bend them out of alignment, it is very expensive to have them replaced and or re-align the heads!!!

Then you should clean all the transport rollers that touch the tape, and also clean the rubber idler wheel, idler capstan knurled brass shaft and the fast forward and rewind plastic spools where the brake touches, clean the plastic roller for rewind and the idler wheel again and the other fast forward plastic roller, clean both plastic rollers. Clean them with 99% Isopropyl Alcohol and cotton Q-tips.

Finally swab on some Rubber Renew by Chemtronics, use this chemical only on the rubber idler wheel and the rubber capstan wheel, do not get it on any of the plastic rollers or any plastic parts. wait for it to all dry at least ten minutes. Rubber Renew is only for rubber and can melt plastic so be careful, works great on rubber to bring it back to a new supple soft state, like brand new rubber hence Rubber Renew!!!

Then test a SVHS tape you don't care about. Test it in play/record format/rewind/fast forward and eject etc. If it stills eats tapes, then make sure idler wheel is clean of any grease residue and clean it again and again any metal or plastic rollers the idler wheel touches, clean it again with 99% alcohol. If it still eats tapes then you may have to replace the rubber idler wheel. It is cheap and easy to replace.

If it stills says no format error after the heads are properly cleaned, then some one screwed up the head alignment, and you will have to take it in to a technician for head alignment and or replacement. Or just use the machine for ADAT parts.

This happened to me with a brand new ADAT machine, the technician did not know how to clean the heads correctly and so he bent or chipped off several of the rotary heads and gave me the machine back, so now it will not record format or payback. What a idiot technician!!! So make sure you have someone or yourself clean the heads correctly and knows what they are doing, or you will have an expensive paperweight and an extra parts machine.

And no God does not hate you and sorry I posted this so late, I did not see this forum until now, wow three or four years later you get my answer'.

[ibleedburgundy]

damn, that's a great post!

Warning: Years of ADAT rage feed into this post.

Buy some new equipment. I currently use the ADAT to convert signals from analog to digital. I like it just fine for that purpose.

I bought an ADAT a long time ago and I think the damn thing might have worked properly for about 3 Months. Sound quality was fine. Reliability was awful.

[aarowsmith]

ADAT is reliable if you do complete machine maintenance, about every 1,000 head hours you should completely oil/lubricate the transport, motors, and clean and check all rubber parts/belts.

The only problems you may have is if you use crappy SVHS tapes or the rubber idler wheel may need cleaning or replacing from time to time, other than that they are very reliable machines and can be used for up to 6000 hours including the original rotary heads, they can last that long!!! I never came across a used machine with anything over 1,400 hours on it, so plenty of life left in them.

If you keep it lubed and cleaned the ADAT transport and heads, you should have a very reliable machine, don't get a rip off don't know what they are doing technician to work on your ADAT machine. Your ADAT will have a very short life.

Very rare do you have any problems with heads, motors, transport and or electronics ever failing on these ADAT machines. I have an old black face ADAT that looks like it went through Vietnam and it records and plays perfectly, it was owned by a Heavy Rocker dude that played drums and he used to control the ADAT buttons with his drum stick from across the room by hitting the ADAT machine pretty hard with his drum sticks, yep the machine is all beat up and it still works perfect today after I cleaned it and lubed it.

I like to use hardware that works everytime, instead of computers and software that sometimes works when it wants to.
I just love anything hardware, and I despise computers for anything other than the usual necessary stuff you have to use computers for..........

[vincedog3]

That Idler wheel is common cause of Nofo,Full,Er7,Er8, and Er9 error code messages. The wheel will eventually need replacing. Alesis part kit #8-50-0053 for the newer XT models and #8-50-0028 for the original black faced units.
M20 Adats are Direct drive Panasonic I.Q. transports and do not use the idler wheel part.

[SonicLife]

I had the same problem once, but i belive it was down to the tape itself. It completely chewed the tape up, however i tried it with a fresh tape and it worked completely fine and has done since.

[retronoodle]

Hey guys - wow Im glad i found you all!

I have a used fostex rd-8 that I just got, and it eats tape when you hit stop.

If you were looking into the machine with the top off, from the front, the take up spool on the right stops spinning when you hit "stop", but the little black rubber spool on the right doesnt always disengage properly so it keeps pulling tape, causing it to eat the tape.

If I push enter twice, no problem. This fully disengages the tape, but as i am sure you know, this isnt ideal for alot of reasons.

If I push enter once, about half the time, the black rubber wheel doesnt seem to move as much as usual and it eats tape.

Is this a cleaning issue?

Or does the black rubber wheel need to be replaced?

Thanks!

[aarowsmith]

Originally Posted by retronoodle

Hey guys - wow Im glad i found you all!

I have a used fostex rd-8 that I just got, and it eats tape when you hit stop.

If you were looking into the machine with the top off, from the front, the take up spool on the right stops spinning when you hit "stop", but the little black rubber spool on the right doesnt always disengage properly so it keeps pulling tape, causing it to eat the tape.

If I push enter twice, no problem. This fully disengages the tape, but as i am sure you know, this isnt ideal for alot of reasons.

If I push enter once, about half the time, the black rubber wheel doesnt seem to move as much as usual and it eats tape.

Is this a cleaning issue?

Or does the black rubber wheel need to be replaced?

Thanks!

It sounds like a lube, clean and replace idler wheel maybe, try cleaning the path of the idler wheel and use rubber renew, as I mentioned above in my earlier post. Also check all brake pads and make sure they are not dragging or are worn out, make sure all brake paths are clean.

If this does not work try a drop of Marvel Mystery oil on the rewind spool shaft and fast forward shaft, you may have to replace the rubber idler wheel if it still does not turn right, catches and slips. Rubber idler wheel is worn out.

Also check the rewind and fast forward motor and lube it with a few drops of oil. Also check all drive belts below the transport underneath, check and clean them with "Rubber Renew" or in a pinch "Formula 409".

Remember to keep the knurled capstan shaft and all that the rubber idler wheel touches very clean, clean them of all oil and residue, as I described in my earlier post above.

Good luck.........

I believe the Fostex uses the same internal parts and are made by Alesis/Panasonic. And since Panasonic makes the S-VHS internal deck transport parts, all these brands are the same I believe internally with the transport.

All except the Alesis M20 and a few other Brands that call their decks ADAT are not the same inside. They use a hybrid Pro Panasonic SVHS transport instead. I am not familiar with these decks, but these pro decks are most reliable in the ADAT format and need very little maintenance.