Problem With Tascam 122MKIII

[kfalls]

I work for a company who performs archiving for college media collections. We have several Tascam 122MKIII players. I've performed alignments using Gennlabs 1KHz level and 10KHz Azimuth alignment tapes. Part of out procedure is to also use the 10KHz tape to set the high frequency output. I have all four player aligned almost identically and calibrated the VU meters to read 0 at our reference output. However on one when I listen and view recorded music the right channel reads approx 3db-5db lower than the left. It reads the same on our digitization recorder. The same tape reads fine on our other players.
All I can think of is the playback head may be worn resulting in an imbalanced EQ, thus off balanced VU readings. I'm trying to find multi-frequency cassette EQ tapes like the old TEACs I used to use, but can't find what I need from MRL or GennLabs. Any ideas what is causing the VU imbalance when Level, Azimuth and High-End are aligned? Any help or comments would be appreciated.

 

[Findlay]

Not sure this is much help but is there a low reading at both 1kHz and 10kHz? I'm a bit confused how you are calibrating the VU meters. Presumably you've adjusted the playback level pots? There may also be an eq pot the playback board - the 244 has them at least!

 

[sweetbeats]

Not sure I follow what you are experiencing, but you might think about doing your response calibration at a lower level on ultra narrow format machines like a cassette deck. Even on an 8-track 1/2" machine 10kHz at 0VU reference level on track 7 (for instance) will cause the track 8 meter to go nuts even though there's nothing on track 8. It's a resonance issue. That's why calibration is done (on the Tascam 1/2" 8-track machines) at -10dBV...on the 1/4" 8-track Tascam 388 Studio 8 response calibration is done at -20dBV...and the track width and gaurd bands on a consumer stereo quarter-track cassette deck like the 122 series are even slightly smaller than the 388. I don't know if this helps at all, but it's what popped into my head with what I gathered from reading your post.