TSR-8 Playback Problem

[omanrock]

Hello all - great forum. Just got a used TSR-8 and cannot get playback to work. FF and Rew work fine, but when I hit Play, the reels move like a centimeter, then stop. I plan on bringing it in for service next weekend, but has this happened to anyone else or does anyone know what would possibly cause this? I'd like to get an idea of what I'm in for before I bring it in. Thanks in advance...

[jpmorris]

Is the capstan turning? The silver shaft to the right of the head stack, just above the rubber pinch roller. It should rotate when the tape is laced up (the right-hand tension arm has a switch that activates it).

The other chief possibilities are that the tape is sticky, especially if it's old Ampex 456 - or that you have somehow laced the machine up incorrectly. I did that once with similar results...

[omanrock]

JP - Thanks for the response. The capstan does not turn at all on its own. The tape is 456 from '97, so it should be OK (unless someone knows someone I don't?). The tape is laced correctly according to the manual. Uh oh...

[jpmorris]

Originally Posted by omanrock

JP - Thanks for the response. The capstan does not turn at all on its own. The tape is 456 from '97, so it should be OK (unless someone knows someone I don't?). The tape is laced correctly according to the manual. Uh oh...

Right. It gets a bit messy now. The prime suspect is the capstan belt, which has an unfortunate tendency to rot. Can you hear any whirring inside the machine when the tape is laced up? If so, it almost certainly means the belt has gone.

If not, either it means you can't hear it (I've never tried running with the belt off) or the motor is dead for some reason.

If you're not getting the whirring and you have a multimeter (or any other kind of continuity tester) it's easier to check the fuses, though, so I'll tell you how to do that first - as I say, it's more likely to be the belt, though.

Fuses

The fuses are located at the top of the machine, in a small, easily-accessible circuit board. You have to remove the outer casing first, though. This is fairly straightforward - there are about three screws down the side. You remove those and the case should lift off.

You should see something like this:
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k2...tape/unit2.jpg
Don't run them with the lid off - it's not a good idea
(Actually strike that - don't power them up at all unless they're plugged into the mixer. They seem to have a high voltage on the chassis unless they're earthed via the mixer. Maybe a design fault.)

Anyway, you should find a PCB with four or five fuses in it. Test them all, just to make sure. If one is blown, find a replacement and see if that helps.

Frankly, it's more likely to be the belt, though.

Belt

For the belt, the next step is to remove the front cover of the machine, which will require a set of allen keys. You'll also have to remove the reels (obviously), the two tension rollers and the pinch roller - the caps unscrew and the rollers should just lift out.
Then you'll need to remove the head cover, which should lift off and out (make sure the tabs go back in when it's replaced or the tape will scuff the plastic - I did that first time).
Finally (I think), you'll need to unscrew the allen bolts around the edges (I think there are six) and after that the cover should just pull off.

I think you should be able to see if the belt is on at this point, although you'll have to remove the head assembly to get to the point where you could change it. (This is fiddly but is fairly straightforward - obviously you'd need a replacement belt before you get that far).

I'll try and get a picture up of the machine apart, I don't have one online, though.

[omanrock]

Thanks again for the great info - I really appreciate it. I will give this all a shot when I get home later this week. Off the top of my head, I don't recall any whirring noises coming from inside the machine when play is engaged.

[jpmorris]

Originally Posted by omanrock

Thanks again for the great info - I really appreciate it. I will give this all a shot when I get home later this week. Off the top of my head, I don't recall any whirring noises coming from inside the machine when play is engaged.

It's likely to be quite quiet. As I say, I've never run the machine with the lid on and no belt so I don't know how audible it is in that condition...