Got my TSR-8, but uh-oh...

mamm7215

mamm7215

Member
This is a continuation from this thread: https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=257332
I thought I'd start a new thread as I'm reporting on the unit and there are issues. Much to my chagrin and inline with the warnings from Cjacek, I discovered the unit wasn't paletted though I specifically asked. Sinking feeling #1. Got the box home and found that while not paletted, it was wrapped pretty good. Unit covered in poly/plastic, then wrapped in 3 layers of large bubble bubblewrap, then boxed, then in a larger box with styrofoam sides and completely stuffed with foam peanuts. And it came with another box of 8 reels of 1/2" tape including 2 new ones, 2 open but unused and 4 slightly used. Quantegy 499, GP9, and 456. So I set it up. Transport works fine. Found a tape with some music still on a few tracks, seems to playback fine tho I can't test all of them. Thought I'd try to record. Here's where the problem starts. Track 1 seems ok, records but plays back slightly lower levels, 2-6 all record ok, at least on the meters (so the machine is seeing an input) but playback is WAY lower, to varying degrees. Tracks 7 and 8 record levels seem ok but nothing on playback. The heads looked in good shape with little wear but there was a LOT of shed. Very little dirt/debris on all the rollers, didn't clean the rubber on the tach and pinch rollers but they aren't in bad shape. Rubber is very good. Almost no wear on the guides near the heads. I DID clean the heads with 99% alcohol before turning on, cleaned out the shed and the heads themselved left very little residue when cleaned. So my quandry is this...what's up with the playback levels. I haven't received my degausser yet so I can't do that. I don't think I need to reseat the PBR cards as is the record levels seem good and the tracks that already have music play fine...any suggestions?
Oh and the unit was very clean coming out of the box.
 
Clean the heads (in the direction of tape travel) with 90% or higher % isopropyl alcohol and those 100% cotton pad makeup removers or alternatively with something similar, like a soft, lint free cloth (something that won't scratch), applying reasonable pressure as you clean (not too much pressure though - err on the side of gentle but firm). Clean the heads until they're absolutely clean. It's more than likely that you have a lot of oxide (some possibly hard / caked in) on the heads. That would easily explain the low playback levels. Do that first. SNAP BEFORE AND AFTER PICT of the heads, clear, closeup picts and post here and let us see what's up. What's more, snap a couple of additional photos of the packing / box / recorder (although that's optional ;) ).
 
It's gonna be a bit with the pictures but yikes, I just turned the unit over to snap some shots and guide rollers now have a LOT of magnetic particles hanging off of them. Much in the direction of the tape travel. And there does seem to be some dark buildup at the bottom of the playback/record head. If the bottom is track 7&8, that may. I also haven't reseated the cards but I'm definitely gonna have to reclean this right now.
 
K I just found another tape with tracks 2-8 recorded on HOT! so playback of already recorded material is fine.
 
Success!! Seems like the 2nd cleaning did the trick. I'm about to take the tape off and see how much more magnetic residue/shed is there. It's not sticky or gooey, more hard/flaky. I'm SURE this hasn't been demagnetized in a long time...thoughts?
And thanks Cjacek for weighing in here...
 
I recall a deck I bought several years back. It had a very little amount of wear, certainly under 100 hours BUT the previous owner never, ever, cleaned the tape path. The oxide was actually hardened and caked in. It took about a dozen of those cotton make up remover pads and 99% alcohol to get it all out. (Those q-tips are useless for this purpose). I used this method for the heads, tape lifters, and all stationary and rotating guides, every area in the tape path. For the rubber parts, however, I've used a lint free cloth and warm water (excess squeezed out). Needless to say, it took a while to clean but you need to make absolutely certain that every bit of oxide is cleaned off. Even a tiny caked in speck on the heads will cause audio problems. Don't re-seat the cards yet. Make sure you just concentrate on cleaning the tape path, over and over if you have to. As for demagnetizing... Make sure you have the right demagnetizer and, more important, you know exactly what to do with it. (Unless you know what you're doing, don't). Otherwise you can cause more problems and actually harm the heads. Again, don't do that yet, other than cleaning, cleaning, cleaning, cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning....
 
Great advice, I'll take it. The demag is a Han-D-Mag so it's a good one. I have some experience with degaussing. I put what appears to be one of the new reels of 499 that came with it and after multiple recording tries, there's no slough off or residue. I'll keep trying and cleaning though. I'll try to get pics up, I'll have to link to my own server. The tape wear on the heads is good, but a hair wider at the bottom than the top so there could be an alignment issue as well. Otherwise, it really does seem to work flawlessly now.
I'll get those pics up tonight or tomorrow...
 
Good news on the demaging side...:)

499 is a good 'test' tape but I'd use nothing higher than 456 (or RMGI SM911) on this, as a regular recording tape. Anything higher is physically harder to pull and wears the heads faster.

Additionally, 499 needs a different bias to 456 / SM911 and, unless you know the seller didn't play with the calibration / bias controls, you'll need to check and possibly reset the machine to 456 / SM911. Plus, 499 is a +9 level tape so you need to know it wasn't reset to that level.

If the wear patters is not straight (as you indicate), prior to serious recording, you really must align the heads as to not make it worse. [In addition to any recalibration / biasing].

I'd do the calibration / biasing straight from your manual or have a tech do it. It's much harder with a 2 head deck.

Actually, ASK THE PREVIOUS OWNER if he ever re-calibrated or reset the recorder (to a different tape) or had it serviced, and for what. (Hopefully he was the only owner). If you know he didn't fiddle with it, then you're possibly spared from having to re-calibrate it. But you need to use the correct tape and most definitely you have to align the heads.

Looking forward to picts.:)
 
Yeah there's 3 456, 3 499 and 1 GP9. I'll message him tomorrow and find out what he's had done, if anything. It sounds like he's just a guy who had an 8 track and bought what he thought was the best tape, or maybe got it from previous owner (he's 2nd owner). There's a Tascam service center in Langley, B.C. so I'll likely just take it there to have it gone over. I phoned and asked them already and they have a Tascam specialist they call in for all this stuff, dunno if I want to try biasing and all myself, tho I've got all the gear at work to do it...I will do some testing and stuff for now while I wait for a bit more gear to complete phase 2 of my evil plan...I mean studio...
 
Oh, that's right, I forgot you were in the area... Sounds like a good plan on your side. Do let me know how that 'specialist' turns out, as I may need someone too.
 
K here's the pics:
http://www3.telus.net/msong/TSR8-1.JPG
http://www3.telus.net/msong/TSR8-2.JPG
http://www3.telus.net/msong/TSR8-3.JPG

There looks to be a small scratch seen diagonally across track 6 I think, but you can only see it when the flash exposes it in the picture, I can't for the life of me see it in room light or with a flashlight, I don't think it's hurting anything, though, doesn't seem to affect playback or recording. Cleaned again after a bunch more playing and recording test tracks and basically no residue so that's a great sign...
If you goto the Tascam Canada site, I think that's where I found the authorized dealer in Langley. I have the link on my computer at work, I can post it tomorrow.

I also did a test erasing some tracks. Erased pretty good I think but I can still hear some very faint remnants of previous recording, not on all test tracks, only some. Some erased completely. Is this normal or do I need to have it adjusted?
Thanks again.
 
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Thanks for the picts. You really need to clean the tape lifters and guides better and use a lint free, cotton cloth to really get it all off. (Don't do the q-tips). There's tons of caked in oxide in there. It's hard to tell if the rec / play head has even ware or not (perhaps not even) but I'd def get it all aligned. I'd venture to say that this is not a low use recorder as evidenced by the flat ware on the heads and also tape lifters. I'd definitely get it all serviced.

About the tech, yes, I know about the place in Langley but never used them. There's also backline musician in downtown and they're great but last I've heard they don't have any 1/2" alignment tape as their stock went bad. Anyway, if you use that Langley tech, let me know how he is.
 
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