AMPEX 950/1260 project (for DIY guys)... done with it

[Dr ZEE]

Exemplary work, my friend… Inspirational!

As for the adjustable delay time without changing speed, perhaps the play head could slide along a curved guide or rail of some kind (fashioned form a cartridge clip from an M1 or SKS)… or you could add a head or two like the old space echo with a switch labeled for different speeds. However, changing speed in real time can create some pretty awesome effects so you may want to have it as an option.

~Tim

Tim, thanks for thoughts and all
Tape speed is always an option...well, it's there. The problem is - to get longer delay time you need to really slow down the tape and the result is getting , well, how should I put it - 'interesting' ..heh heh.., but not always desirable. My delema is also that I don't want to get too invasive and too destructive to the machine.... another words not to completely redesign the heads/tape path and as the result ... the chances are I may just screw up everything
So that's why I was thinking about something like a 'non-destructive' add-on-mechanism which I could mount if needed - remove when using the machine as 'regular recorder'. Yeah, that's an easy idea, but to actually make it - that's a different story I was puzzling around with it and I must say it's pretty tough tight spot there for any kind of "craftmanship"
I was thinking of creating some kind of 'platform/base' with two stationary roller-guides and one movable/sliding guide so I could mount that mechanism between the R and the P heads, pass the tape through and by moving 'movable guide' adjust the "tape loop" between the heads (distance / delay time). See attached picture... easier to see than to describe. Now , practically I think I can handle the craft part, but I am not sure it will work well at the end.... the tape may be getting 'unstable' and I'll just get ton of bad play-back crap. It's all blah blah untill I get my hands on it actually trying and see how it goes. I hope I find time and energy playing with it.
here's the pic:

 

[Dr ZEE]

I just took my Sony deck out for tape echo recently and have been using it on vocals. I like the idea of being able to adjust the speed. I wonder if I could fashion a guide for the play head.

Zee, what are you doing to the drums and what kind are they?

Hi, Steve...
What drums? Do you mean some dums you've seen at the site?
I've just done couple of projects... I'm not really into it specifically. I've kind of restored/rebuilt some old ugly red-wine drum kit (I belive originally it was some japanese chipo kit... I completely skinned/stripped it down and made it all natural/golden stain/clear gloss finish... put some old pearl hardware on (just lugs and crap) ...so that' about it. I love it... it sounds like old cheap drums... I guess, lol ... which is perfect for me I have another Forum kit also ... arghh it's ok. some other drums.
I'd say my only real rescue/restoration project was 1953 gretsch floor tom... it was almost trashed... I really picked it up for nothing (for a "Thanks for picking up our trash" ) and it was all brutally spray-painted flat-black ..., man, I've spent so many hours (actually days) taking paint off spot by spot, scratch by scratch... ended up pretty shiny polished White Marine pearl.
Well, again, Steve, nothing serious here... just another hobby segment.

 

[cjacek]

Very nice Doc!

 

[SteveMac]

Mike, how is your tape loop? Do you get a seamless sounding loop or does it bump each time around? What's the trick?

 

[Dr ZEE]

Mike, how is your tape loop? Do you get a seamless sounding loop or does it bump each time around? What's the trick?

Steve, mine is 'seamless' because it's not loop I just run the tape r-t-r regular way, also I am not sure what is the purpose/reason of making tape loop when using r-t-r machine for tape delay effect ...other than not wanting to use the whole reel of tape and having to 're-start' the "system" when the tape runs out ...
As for making a 'perfect joint' ..I may be wrong, but I don't think it is possible, at higher speed I think you can get nearly seamless result, but at lower speed tape-joint's 'mechanical effect' still can be audibly noticable (well, it can be ignored, I guess, if the loop is relatively long, so the joint hits the heads not very often, like in roland space echo machines). I never had roland machine in my hands, but I was talking with guys who used them alot in the past, and I've heared that even when using original roland's loops (which must be "perfect" ? right? ) , you still can hear a little bump when the loop's joint passes the heads. Don't take my word on it, though... I don't really know for sure.
**********
Daniel! Hi! and Thank YOU!