ampexatr700

  • Thread starter Thread starter JustinBell
  • Start date Start date
I figured as much (that I threaded it incorrectly)
Im gunna try and find an owner/service manuel right now. thanks
 
Here ya go. This is the proper tape path. Lift the head cover and make sure it goes between the rubber wheel (pinch roller) and the capstan shaft. What great art work. ;)
 

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thank you thank you thank.
I messed with it and that seemed preety logical, than saw you post and confirmed it. the person I toook it to to look over it had threaded it an different way
 
JustinBell said:
thank you thank you thank.
I messed with it and that seemed preety logical, than saw you post and confirmed it. the person I toook it to to look over it had threaded it an different way
Click to expand...
So let us know how it works. :)
 
Hey, sorry its been awhile.
so I tried dumping some digital stuff onto the atr and watched the levels which were going into the red of course at times, so I just thought at worst when I play this back its going to be distorting and sound bad at times. whatever, just a test.
so I play it back through my mixer and theres almost NO volume!! ahh
I had to craaankkk the output on the atr to even hear what I just just recorded on it. so could that be a problem with the outputs? any ideas? did I over look something stupid? thanks
 
JustinBell said:
Hey, sorry its been awhile.
so I tried dumping some digital stuff onto the atr and watched the levels which were going into the red of course at times, so I just thought at worst when I play this back its going to be distorting and sound bad at times. whatever, just a test.
so I play it back through my mixer and theres almost NO volume!! ahh
I had to craaankkk the output on the atr to even hear what I just just recorded on it. so could that be a problem with the outputs? any ideas? did I over look something stupid? thanks
Click to expand...

Check all the little things first. Is the tape threaded properly? (Oxide in and actually contacting record & playback heads?) What position is the monitor switch in? You want it in "tape" sometimes called "repro" for playback. Check your output connections as well.
 
thanks. I just checked the tape and made sure its contacting all three heads. and the oxide side of the tape is touching the heads (the lighter side of the tape, right?) and yes when I moniter it I have it set to tape. so I tried dumping some digital on it a few moments ago, played it back and it was a million times better when playing back but the volume is still very low, and whenever I turn the volume up on my mixer it just gets hissy (is that a word? hah) the outputs are going xlr out from the atr to xlr in on the mixer.
any other suggestions?
 
JustinBell said:
thanks. I just checked the tape and made sure its contacting all three heads. and the oxide side of the tape is touching the heads (the lighter side of the tape, right?) and yes when I moniter it I have it set to tape. so I tried dumping some digital on it a few moments ago, played it back and it was a million times better when playing back but the volume is still very low, and whenever I turn the volume up on my mixer it just gets hissy (is that a word? hah) the outputs are going xlr out from the atr to xlr in on the mixer.
any other suggestions?
Click to expand...

What mixer and input on it are you using? How are you getting into the ATR when you transfer from digital? When was the machine last calibrated. What kind of tape are you using and is it new or old?
 
when I say mixer I mean Im using the mixer built into my mrs 1608, its like a siab but the only thing I use it for is as a recorder now that I have a nice preamp, and the stuff I record requires very little eq'ing. so let me put it this way, I got my stuff recorded on this machine, and it only has rca outs, but theres 1/4 headphone outs, so I ran a short 1/4 cable from the phone out into the in on a DI, then and xlr out from the DI into a preamp, then xlr out from that to the imput of the atr. then when I play back I use the xlr out of the atr to the one of the xlr ins on my machine.
 
Your head select switch should be in repro. The deck will not record if they are in sync.

output level at 3 o'clock position (this is the calibration point)

What do you hear through the headphone jack?

the xlr out is +4 dBm balanced (through a transformer)

PS just saw a manual on eBay for $10. It is gone now....

--Ethan
 
JustinBell said:
when I say mixer I mean Im using the mixer built into my mrs 1608, its like a siab but the only thing I use it for is as a recorder now that I have a nice preamp, and the stuff I record requires very little eq'ing. so let me put it this way, I got my stuff recorded on this machine, and it only has rca outs, but theres 1/4 headphone outs, so I ran a short 1/4 cable from the phone out into the in on a DI, then and xlr out from the DI into a preamp, then xlr out from that to the imput of the atr. then when I play back I use the xlr out of the atr to the one of the xlr ins on my machine.
Click to expand...

From your description above, it is no wonder that you are having problems. Given the gear at hand, I'd go from the rca outs of the 1608 to the DI and then into the line input of the Ampex. Using a headphone out is a waste of time.
 
JustinBell said:
Hey, sorry its been awhile.
so I tried dumping some digital stuff onto the atr and watched the levels which were going into the red of course at times, so I just thought at worst when I play this back its going to be distorting and sound bad at times. whatever, just a test.
so I play it back through my mixer and theres almost NO volume!! ahh
I had to craaankkk the output on the atr to even hear what I just just recorded on it. so could that be a problem with the outputs? any ideas? did I over look something stupid? thanks
Click to expand...

When you say that the meters (on the atr700 It appears) are going into the red this tells me that whatever signal chain you have you are getting a strong signal to the deck.

With the monitor switch of the deck set to input you will be passing whatever signal that comes into the mic/line inputs to the phones and output jacks. Use this for initial level setting.

There are 2 channels on this deck with a built in mixer allowing 2inputs per channel. You can switch the inputs between mice levels and line levels. Given that you have the meters going into the red and not pegging the meters I would suspect that you have got this right enough. Ditto master level and output level.

So you have something that should be able to go onto tape.

To record set the head select switches to repro, set the ready/safe switched to ready for both channels and then start recording by pressing the record and play buttons at the same time.

You should be able to hear the recorded material through the phones jack (with headphones of course) Adjust the output level to 3 o'clock for standard calibration.

Stop, rewind and try playing that back. You should hear it from the phones and it should also be on the line outs.

Regards, Ethan
 
RRuskin said:
From your description above, it is no wonder that you are having problems. Given the gear at hand, I'd go from the rca outs of the 1608 to the DI and then into the line input of the Ampex. Using a headphone out is a waste of time.
Click to expand...

see if I go RCA out from the 1608, the the cable would have to have either an 1/4 at the other end to go to a di then xlr to the atr, or just an rca end with xlr striaght to the atr from the 1608. wouldnt that only record on half of one channell though on the atr?
 
JustinBell said:
see if I go RCA out from the 1608, the the cable would have to have either an 1/4 at the other end to go to a di then xlr to the atr, or just an rca end with xlr striaght to the atr from the 1608. wouldnt that only record on half of one channell though on the atr?
Click to expand...

The rca outs on your 1608 are left/right for stereo, correct? Chain should be:
left out of it - a DI - left in of the Ampex
right out of it - a DI - right in of the Ampex.

You do not need a preamp anywhere in this chain.
 
ok thanks, see my di has no internal power supply, it doesnt plug in a wall, and for some reason the only way I could get it doing it things was to have a pre in the signal chain. but Im gunna try it like you said.
post soon with resluts! thanks everyone for their help
 
JustinBell said:
ok thanks, see my di has no internal power supply, it doesnt plug in a wall, and for some reason the only way I could get it doing it things was to have a pre in the signal chain. but Im gunna try it like you said.
post soon with resluts! thanks everyone for their help
Click to expand...

Line level signals don't need preamps after them. You need to study up on signal flow. It will save you a lot of trouble down the road.
 
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