Help with my MS-16, Please.

[q1w2e3r4]

I've been using the machine for a few months. Nothing so heavy, two sessions, two tapes each, 15 IPS.

I was doing some overdubs a few days ago and noticed that the levels were getting lower on the machine's VU meters occasionally. I would notice a severe decrease in volume for a few seconds. Then it got more frequent. Now, when I put a tape on, the level plays at normal volume for a split second, then back down to being soft, and it stays there.

I clean the heads regularly and degaussed for the first time tonight and it's the same. Any ideas? How do you know when it's time for a re-lap or new heads?

Thanks much.

 

[The Ghost of FM]

I have owned my MS16 for several years and been around the forums here and there for quite a while and I have never heard of any other MS16 users having this same problem.

If it is happening globally to all the tracks then the problem has to be something common to all the channels like somewhere on the motherboard that all 16 channel amp card plug into or in the power supply for the motherboard in the amplifier unit.

It's not the heads. They would degrade in frequency response and noise levels as they wear down and they wouldn't pop up and down in volume. At least I don't think they would?

Find a qualified service technician who has actual working experience on the machine and get an estimate!

What part of the planet are you from?

Good luck

 

[longsoughtfor]

I had similar problem recently with my MS-16. In my case it turned out to be the guide post just before the heads, the one with the set screw. The screw had come loose and the post would slowly drift enough to move the tape vertically on the heads. Check that the set screw is tight on that post.

Cheers
Kevin.

 

[The Ghost of FM]

I had similar problem recently with my MS-16. In my case it turned out to be the guide post just before the heads, the one with the set screw. The screw had come loose and the post would slowly drift enough to move the tape vertically on the heads. Check that the set screw is tight on that post.

Cheers
Kevin.

That's a great find!

I had never even thought of that as a possibility but, yes. That could do it but that should have affected the recordings too, no?

If the tape skewed up during recording and then skewed again on playback, shouldn't the reverse problem happen where there would be low sound at the beginning and then the sound coming back up after a few moments?

I would assume too, that anything done on the machine under those conditions would have to be re-recorded and the tape would also have to be bulk erased to catch the guard banding in-between the tracks.

Cheers!

 

[regebro]

If the tape skewed up during recording and then skewed again on playback, shouldn't the reverse problem happen where there would be low sound at the beginning and then the sound coming back up after a few moments?

Yes and no. The more the tape moves, both during recording and playback, the more "dropouts" you will hear. WHEN they happen is "psuedo-random". The recordings you have done with the tape moving will therefore, indeed, be useless. And you can't use them to check if the fix is working either, you'll have to do fresh recordings. Luckily, recording a test tone one one middle track should be all it takes, so it's not hard work.

the tape would also have to be bulk erased to catch the guard banding in-between the tracks.

Hmmm. You may have a point there. There is a definite risk of getting weak signals from the other recordings, yes. Especially when you switch machines.

 

[q1w2e3r4]

Thanks for the ideas. I think I found the problem. You're right, Ghost, it's not the heads. Longsoughtfor's idea had me performing some tests.

I recorded something new (I had been listening to pre-recorded tapes only since discovering the problem), and it was fine. I then took a brand new reel, fast forwarded a bit, then rewound it and saw that the tape was winding back in a different spot. I also noticed that the tape on the supply side was hitting the outside of the reel.

I read in the manual that if this was happening, to adjust the height of the reel table. I did it and it's fine now.

Thanks again for your help. You saved me a real pain-in-the-ass trip, bringing this to a tech. It's heavy.