Any MCI tape machine users here?

  • Thread starter Thread starter briank
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briank

briank

analog for the people!
This definitely seems a pro-Tascam bunch, but I was curious if anyone here uses (or knows) MCI gear?

I'm in the process of getting an MCI/Sony JH-110C 1" 8-track back in service, learning as I go (and what a learning curve it is!)...got to wondering if there's anyone around to trade war stories (or tech questions) with? :cool:
 
well

I would expect that you should pose your MCI question and see who responds. Or perhaps even post where you are in your MCI quest.

Regards, Ethan
 
There are several...yeah lots of Tascam mainly because that's the majority of what's out there but, hey, put up some pics of your MCI.

Post your questions. Let us have it!!!
 
sweetbeats said:
There are several...yeah lots of Tascam mainly because that's the majority of what's out there but, hey, put up some pics of your MCI.

Post your questions. Let us have it!!!
Click to expand...


Cool! (and GCalo, that's a great link you posted!) This is an ongoing project "but I'm getting close!" I will probably suck it up and subscribe to MCI phone support to get talked through the final niggles preventing me from setting up the audio and recording with this bad boy.

Probably the only questions I have right now are where can I find a set of turntable shims for it, why are the reels wobbling (I don't suspect warped reels since the problem is occurring similarly on both sides) and what implications there will be as a result of a pinch roller set with too much force--and why the tape stops when I manually force the pinch roller off the tape as it plays (might be related to pinch roller, just waiting for a sufficient spring scale to come in so I can check it--also may be a capstan tach problem, but that's less likely as it measures out pretty much as it should). The main problem is that the tape tension is out of spec across the tape path, and especially too light to the right of the capstan/pinch roller. Secondary problem is that the right reel brake won't adjust light enough to be in tolerance according to the manual even though I've got the adjustment spring as light as it will go. At this point I suspect a compound problem, as you can see.

Here's a pic of it snapped while being worked on (DC offset nulls being checked by the looks of it--a common chore, especially with the tension issues).

I'll have more (better) pics and some video of it as I get it back in service. Pardon the messy studio in this one! The machine is handsome in a "70's brown" sort of way and provides a great tactile experience--feels tank-solid, very chunky, switches and buttons give a satisfying "click" when operated, and it looks really purty all lit up! I believe it's one of the last 110C 8 tracks, 1985, with a Sony badge at the front of the deck. Can't wait to hear it in action! We have a couple rolls of NOS Quantegy 499 to use up on it, then will give the latest and greatest ATR Magnetics stock a try! Part of my master plan will also be to get a "matching" JH-110 2-track machine for mixdowns, especially to mojo up ProTools projects!
 

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Nice pic. I owned 5 MCI decks for a short time earlier this year. 3 decks were 2 track 1/4" and two were 1/2" 4 track. I was so excited to get them until I started looking at the manuals and found I didn't have the knowledge to fix them and keep them up and running. Sadly I sold them to a guy on the MCI site. I hope he has the best of luck with them. Their are a few MCI users over at gearslutz so you should check them out as well. 1 guy I'm thinking of has turned his VU meter lights to blue LED's it looks very cool.
 
Cory, do you think Dave Dinten would have the pads? He has the ampex pads but I wonder how similar they are.
 
Steve...you talking about the reel table corks? I'm pretty sure that A. Dave Dintenfass only has corks for the Ampex 440 series but its worth a shot and B. I'm not certain that's what Brian is needing...Brian, does your MCI have a thin cork surface on the reel tables? You can always check with Dave Dintenfass (Google Full-Track Productions in Seattle), but I'm pretty sure he just works with Ampex.

Brian, are there factory shims that go on the MCI that are missing? Does the wobbling happen with heavy-flange precision 6-screw reels or just the standar 3-screw flanges? Can you put up a closeup pic of a reel table with the reel adapter?

BTW, nice MCI. I can empathise with your plight and excitement/enjoyment. Presently going through my Ampex MM-1000...look for my thread on it here. I'd win in an open reel crash derby though...Mine's bigger :D.
 
sweetbeats said:
Steve...you talking about the reel table corks? I'm pretty sure that A. Dave Dintenfass only has corks for the Ampex 440 series but its worth a shot and B. I'm not certain that's what Brian is needing...Brian, does your MCI have a thin cork surface on the reel tables?
Click to expand...

It does, but...

Brian, are there factory shims that go on the MCI that are missing?
Click to expand...

Yup, MCI did spacer shims that go under the tables that are color-coded (blue, brown, yellow, with blue being the "shortest" and yellow being the "tallest." I should have two sets of three each, but all I have is one blue and two yellows and I think the 'tables need to be boosted up a little more than I can get them. I could probably fabricate some, but precision cut factory shims would be the ideal.

Does the wobbling happen with heavy-flange precision 6-screw reels or just the standar 3-screw flanges? Can you put up a closeup pic of a reel table with the reel adapter?
Click to expand...

It's with 3-screw flanges (Quantegy 499s, FWIW). I don't know if I have any 6-screw at my disposal. I'll get those pics next time I'm in the studio; maybe a little video of the reels in motion would help too.


BTW, nice MCI. I can empathise with your plight and excitement/enjoyment. Presently going through my Ampex MM-1000...look for my thread on it here. I'd win in an open reel crash derby though...Mine's bigger :D.
Click to expand...

Wuho-ho, now there's a big-boy machine! You win! :D

The MCI actually belongs to my studiomate who bought it for a good price in decent order, did a project or two with it until it develop the inevitable gremlins and he focused on ProTools work instead. The Machine sat in the corner for several years until I decided to take it under my wing and learn a thing or two (or a few hundred) along the way of getting it working again!
 
Brian, not trying to take advantage, but if you want to try the precision 6-screw reels I have a healthy number of them I would sell you for cheap. Its all I use. the hubs are thicker and that may take care of your problem. Send me a private message if you are interested.

That MCI is indeed very nice. Very sturdy. I'm sure you're going to love it. Keep us posted huh?
 
briank said:
It does, but...



Yup, MCI did spacer shims that go under the tables that are color-coded (blue, brown, yellow, with blue being the "shortest" and yellow being the "tallest." I should have two sets of three each, but all I have is one blue and two yellows and I think the 'tables need to be boosted up a little more than I can get them. I could probably fabricate some, but precision cut factory shims would be the ideal.
Click to expand...


The tables on my Ampex 440 needs to come up too, but apparently their never were shims in the 440. I'm using double pads but it still could come up a little. :confused:
 
Might want to check and see if the reel motors were shimmed between the motor and the transport plate...that would effectively lower the reel motor.
 
BrianK,

I have gone through the same process you are going through. Love the MCI's, but there is a lot to learn. I had a 1/4" and now have a 1" 8 track in a Russ Lang cabinet. I made some posts here and these guys are great. You'll learn from them. I got the 1/4" going after learning some stuff from here and eventually getting a hold of Steve Sadler's service. He's the man if you want it done right. It's $200.00 for yearly service but it's so worth it. He used to work for them at MCI and was the head tech there. I can help you or just talk with you if you'd like. PM me. There is a few things I'm still tweaking with my 8 track, nothing wrong, but want it in perfect condition, but it's working. I love the machines. I have a bunch of spare parts, you mentioned shims. I might be able to sell you/give you parts depending on what you need. Good luck with yours.

Best regards,
John
 
Cheers John, good to hear from you and thanks awfully for the offer to help--may have to take you up on that ;) There's definitely a learning curve to these puppies! I've learned a lot but still so much to understand. When I get a 2-track mixdown deck I want it to be another JH110 just so I don't have to "learn" a new machine! Could see adding a JH24-16 down the road too if this analog thing turns profitable!


How many Molexes have you cleaned/re-seated/re-soldered? :D


Right now it's looking like my main problem is in the vicinity of the phase locked loop board/capstan tach--got jerky playback and tension problems.

I'm too new with oscilloscopes--can't figure out how to check and set the phase locked loop board gain (test point 3 and R42)--just don't know how to set up the 'scope (it's a Tektronix 2235A if any of you guys know these 'scopes...). The manual says: "attach a scope to test point 3 and select a vertical gain of 2 V/cm and adjust the gain pot (on the MCI) for a duty cycle of +30%, -70%. Might as well be in Japanese :o
 
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briank said:
SNIP!


Right now it's looking like my main problem is in the vicinity of the phase locked loop board/capstan tach--got jerky playback and tension problems.

I'm too new with oscilloscopes--can't figure out how to check and set the phase locked loop board gain (test point 3 and R42)--just don't know how to set up the 'scope (it's a Tektronix 2235A if any of you guys know these 'scopes...). The manual says: "attach a scope to test point 3 and select a vertical gain of 2 V/cm and adjust the gain pot (on the MCI) for a duty cycle of +30%, -70%. Might as well be in Japanese :o
Click to expand...

Where are you located?

Setting the vertical gain to 2 volts per division is easy enough. THe scope is marked with the gain in the Y axis. This is a dual trace scope (I think) so you will need to select single channel operation (not chop or alt) and select the input that your probe is going to. Be ware that if you use a 10X probe the probe divides the input by 10. Most tek scopes will light up the correct vert gain.

You should select a timebase sweep speed that shows you the complete waveform. this is the X axis. Remember a scope is nothing more than graph paper with selectable voltages on the Y axis and selectable times on the X axis.

I'll have to dig out my manual and perhaps even hook up a scope to this test point so that I can show what to look for. I'm assuming that you are to adjust the pot so that the positive going part of the cycle is 30% of the total time of the cycle with the negative portion the remaining 70% of the time. something like:

+++............+++.......
|...|...........|...|
.....+++++++....+++++++

Just ignore the dots.

Ask questions and post photos.

REgards, Ethan
 
Thanks, Ethan! This helps me understand it better. You are correct that this Tek is a dual trace scope. My probes are switchable 1x/10x but I've been keeping them on 1x.

I'm located in eastern Wisconsin...


evm1024 said:
Where are you located?

Setting the vertical gain to 2 volts per division is easy enough. THe scope is marked with the gain in the Y axis. This is a dual trace scope (I think) so you will need to select single channel operation (not chop or alt) and select the input that your probe is going to. Be ware that if you use a 10X probe the probe divides the input by 10. Most tek scopes will light up the correct vert gain.

You should select a timebase sweep speed that shows you the complete waveform. this is the X axis. Remember a scope is nothing more than graph paper with selectable voltages on the Y axis and selectable times on the X axis.

I'll have to dig out my manual and perhaps even hook up a scope to this test point so that I can show what to look for. I'm assuming that you are to adjust the pot so that the positive going part of the cycle is 30% of the total time of the cycle with the negative portion the remaining 70% of the time. something like:

+++............+++.......
|...|...........|...|
.....+++++++....+++++++

Just ignore the dots.

Ask questions and post photos.

REgards, Ethan
Click to expand...
 
Too far to drive....

Let us know what you are seeing on your scope and the settings for it if you get into trouble. In general use 10X if you can as that at 10X the probe has a higher impedance and thus loads the signal down less.

-Ethan
 
Just dug out my manual

Sadly, my manual is just a collection of xerox copies. And I have a JH-110A. Be that s it may. It shows this as setting the PLL (phase lock loop) gain by adjusting the signal between TP3 and ground to have a 30% (on) duty cycle.

THe deck should be in play. The vert gain is just a starting point and is not important. Just set the gain to give a good view of the waveform. Because they want to set the on vs off periods to be 30% : 70% the actual time is not important. So you can set the timebase such that the waveform cycle time (positive going edge to next positive going edge) take up 10 divisions in horizontal. You can use the variable time adjustment to get it to 10 divisions as well as the horizontal position. This way you adjust R42 so that the positive portion takes up 3 horizontal divisions and the negative the rest (7 of course).

REgards, Ethan
 
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