finally came up on a (modest) reel to reel

[DuddyGuy]

Last week i was working out of state and we had to clear out a garage to get access to a pressure regulator... and i happen to glance a teac machine buried among the rubble. Naturally I question the owner at first opportunity and then come into possession of what appears to be a very well preserved teac a-2340 (no s, no x, no r, but it is a simul-sync machine) for a modest price of forty dollars. All transport functions operate smoothly and the heads show medium but even wear, all lights work, and signal passes and registers through the vu meter, and all the rubber on the machine looks brand new. (thanks to everyone for the help in what I should look for in a deck).

Now the bad(which hopefully isn't too bad), no hubs or reels were included, and one of the track arm switches on the [head encasing?] is broken off, but a screw driver works fine to switch back and forth. No manual or any form of document is included. Judging by the even wear of the heads I have to assume the machine has been maintained fairly well in the past. The record button does not stay down... but I'm thinking when set in play mode if it is held down and the forward button is pressed that's how you tell it to record? It also seems that if I am in adjust mode regardless whether I am going forwards or backwards the counter continues to tick upward, normal?

A friend is sending me some NAB hubs,two 10.5in reels, and some lightly used tape. Which he assured me would work, upon measuring and doing some research I have determined that although the hubs will attach just fine, 7in reels are the largest I can fit on here(anyone want to trade straight up for some standard hubs and 7in reels?)

Anyone have any suggestions as to what else I can do to check functionality or begin restoration process while I'm waiting(searching) for hubs and reels?

I'm back in state at the moment but out on a job about six hundred miles away from home, so I don't have access to the machine right now. When I get back I'll post some pics as I am curious as to what you all would have to say about it.

 

[cjacek]

Wait, wait, hold it! The 2340 does NOT take reels larger than 7" and no hubs are required.

Second: screwdriver to track arm... Hey, it works and you're not bothered by it, why not.

Third: I'm not sure what you're saying about the record button and such... Does yours have the slider for fast / pause / play or is it all push button? If it's push button then you usually go into record by pressing play while holding down the record button. If you have the slide control, then I dunno.

I don't know what you mean by "adjust mode". If you going FF / REW the counter should go both ways.

Post some photos, also incl the heads. 40 bucks bought you a real nice machine.

Don't do anything, other than cleaning the tape path, until you have some tape to test it properly, record test tones etc... But, of course, you can do other things without tape like familiarize yourself with it, pass signal through it, even switch it through all the modes, listen to it purring etc...

 

[DuddyGuy]

Wait, wait, hold it! The 2340 does NOT take reels larger than 7" and no hubs are required

yeah i realized that after he had sent them... he must have been confused and thought it was a 3340.. although I had assumed i still needed smaller hubs, what your saying is that I just need a 7" reel with the correct locking pattern?

Second: screwdriver to track arm... Hey, it works and you're not bothered by it, why not.

I may not have been too clear on that, I was referring to the switches on top of the box that covers the heads, by where it says simul-sync and the model name, and the switch mechanism is intact, its just that the part that protrudes is broken off, and I am definitely bothered by it... but like you said for the moment it works. Im thinking now that these probably aren't the arm switches and probably are the simul-sync controls (correct?)

Third: I'm not sure what you're saying about the record button and such... Does yours have the slider for fast / pause / play or is it all push button? If it's push button then you usually go into record by pressing play while holding down the record button. If you have the slide control, then I dunno.

Mine is of the slider variety. I guess my concern was that once pressed I was expecting it to lock into place... and not un-press until the stop button had been hit. Currently (and maybe correctly) if you press down on it, it just pops right back up. All my experience is with digital machines and cassette portastudios so my assumption on how it should work may be just that.

I don't know what you mean by "adjust mode". If you going FF / REW the counter should go both ways.

I'm sorry alot of the words printed on the faceplace are worn off and I was just sort making up names for functions whose labels have long been lost. What I was referring to (this I now know, thanks to your previous question) is when the slider is set to fast.

Post some photos, also incl the heads. 40 bucks bought you a real nice machine.

Don't do anything, other than cleaning the tape path, until you have some tape to test it properly, record test tones etc... But, of course, you can do other things without tape like familiarize yourself with it, pass signal through it, even switch it through all the modes, listen to it purring etc...

Ill throw some up as soon as I resolve a problem I'm having with the location of the card reader I need to get them on my laptop. Thanks for the help!

 

[cjacek]

what your saying is that I just need a 7" reel with the correct locking pattern?

The reels need to have a small hub, which is common for recordable blank tapes. No need to buy any hubs. The locking mechanism is already present on your 2340.

Im thinking now that these probably aren't the arm switches and probably are the simul-sync controls (correct?)

Yup, I think these are simul-sync controls.

Mine is of the slider variety.

Hmm, then I'm not sure about the record function.

 

[dodgeaspen]

Congrats! After I PM'd you a week or two ago I seen a Tascam 32 go for 168.00 Looked to be nice but I didn't have the cash. Good find on this one. I hope you can get up and running with little or no money. Keep us up to date.

 

[DuddyGuy]

well finally got some pic

My room-mate in my absence has apparently taken a bit of an interest in my machine and sent me some pics to upload for you all... he also apparently came up on a 2 track akai machine that came with 52 reels of scotch 203 (all labeled dynarange so from what i understand it could be decent), a lot of the reels have music recorded on but he says about 20 are unopened... which seems sweet(he says i can pay him for all these "unauthorized purchases" when I get back) oh well at least he got a deal, if the tape pans out it will be worth the small amount he spent plus a free deck.

 

[DuddyGuy]

and

some more pics

 

[sweetbeats]

Aw that is just cool!

Good deal for $40 for sure!

I didn't realize how much the 2340 was like the 3340...similar in cocept to the relationship between a 30 series deck and a 20 series deck...the 20 series are really underrated and I'd guess it is the same with the 2340...the contros and features look so much like the 3340, which nostalgically is one of my favorite open-reel decks.

Neat. So what helps do you need at this point?

Wish I could find a manual for you. I thought I had found a download at one put but alas 'tis not so.

 

[DuddyGuy]

Aw that is just cool!

Good deal for $40 for sure!

I didn't realize how much the 2340 was like the 3340...similar in cocept to the relationship between a 30 series deck and a 20 series deck...the 20 series are really underrated and I'd guess it is the same with the 2340...the contros and features look so much like the 3340, which nostalgically is one of my favorite open-reel decks.

Neat. So what helps do you need at this point?

Wish I could find a manual for you. I thought I had found a download at one put but alas 'tis not so.

Hey thanks for looking for the manual, ill probably just order one from tascam (im assuming they will reprint teac man's too) as i still need to get one from them for my m520. In terms of help with it, unfortunately I'm still not home so I havent had a chance to play with it but a couple of issues the room mate told me (may not be issues but am unsure) are:

The pinch roller does not engage or disengage on its own, so it has to be manually raised and lowered... is this normal behaviour or is something non-functional?

Fast forwarding is fine, but when rewinding once the stop button is pressed the tape will lose tension and unthread, Perhaps someone could verify the tape is threaded correctly from one of the above pics? I havent been inside it yet but my assumption is there are brakes on each of the reels (I know thats not the correct term... but the spinning parts where the reels attach, what is the name of that?) perhaps the brakes need to be adjusted so tension is maintained after stoppage?

At the moment that's about it, once I get home and actually get to start dealing with it myself I'm sure ill come up with some more. I've been told playback and all four tracks record perfectly both all at once and doing overdubs, so thats good news!

I'll try to get him to send me some pictures of the heads and the other deck he bought a little later

 

[cjacek]

The pinch roller does not engage or disengage on its own, so it has to be manually raised and lowered... is this normal behaviour or is something non-functional?

It is normal behavior for a deck which is 30 years old and probably never saw service and sat a long while without being used. The problem usually is with the pinch roller mechanism, inside. It's gummed up and needs to be taken out and cleaned and relubed. I haven't done this so I can't comment on specifics. Then there's also the possibility of solenoid rubber washers gone goo and either need to be replaced or just taken out and the solenoid needing be cleaned.

Fast forwarding is fine, but when rewinding once the stop button is pressed the tape will lose tension and unthread

I would say that you need to have this recorder totally serviced, from the gummed up mechanism to the tape tension, brakes adjust etc.... You really need to get a Service Manual (direct from TASCAM) and either do it yourself or have a trusted tech do it for you. It's a bit of work, yeah but the deck can be brought back to life. If you opt for a tech, note that your $40 investment may turn into a several hundred dollar service call. Welcome to the wonderful world of analogue.

 

[DuddyGuy]

hey thanks for the quick reply man!

It is normal behavior for a deck which is 30 years old and probably never saw service and sat a long while without being used. The problem usually is with the pinch roller mechanism, inside. It's gummed up and needs to be taken out and cleaned and relubed. I haven't done this so I can't comment on specifics. Then there's also the possibility of solenoid rubber washers gone goo and either need to be replaced or just taken out and the solenoid needing be cleaned.

I could not have asked for a more complete answer, and this lets me know exactly what to look for once I open it up... once again thanks!

I would say that you need to have this recorder totally serviced, from the gummed up mechanism to the tape tension, brakes adjust etc.... You really need to get a Service Manual (direct from TASCAM) and either do it yourself or have a trusted tech do it for you. It's a bit of work, yeah but the deck can be brought back to life. If you opt for a tech, note that your $40 investment may turn into a several hundred dollar service call. Welcome to the wonderful world of analogue.

Indeed, I definitely intend to. At the moment I'm opting for the diy option but even then it seems like I'm going to have a bit of an investment in equipment as I dont have a suitable scope, test tape, or oscillator. I bought this with the intent to use it as a learning tool in my dive into analogue... figure I should start with something small and then once I'm more familiar with the maintenance and use of analog machines I can step up to an 8 or preferably 16 track machine. I have a feeling all you guys will be invaluable during this process when I inevitably lose hope and start banging my head against the wall

 

[dodgeaspen]

The pics look nice. I'm not sure how much I'd like someone to be playing with my toys when I'm not home, that's just me. I hope the extra tape is good stuff. Looking forward to more picks.

 

[DuddyGuy]

The pics look nice. I'm not sure how much I'd like someone to be playing with my toys when I'm not home, that's just me. I hope the extra tape is good stuff. Looking forward to more picks.

thanks man, and as to someone else playing with my toys I normally would feel the same but in this guy's case I dont mind he's a bit of an eccentric and a music/tech nut, it wouldnt surprise me if by the time I get back he has the whole thing cleaned polished and fully serviced just because it was bugging him that it wasnt

 

[sweetbeats]

+1 to everything cjacek said...

Tape looks like its threaded correctly.

Yep. Sounds like a gummed up pinch roller pivot, maybe a sticky solenoid cushion (or two), and like he said it sounds like the brakes need adjusted and as a part of that the brake linkages could/should be checked for binding and such.

I think the word you were looking for for the part that the brake band grabs onto is "hub". The hub goes on the reel motor shaft, the reel table or platter is the part that mounts onto the hub upon which the actual tape reel is held against, and in the case of "large" reels (10.5" NAB hub for instance) there is the reel adapter that mounts to the reel table which is mounted to the hub and so on...leg bone conneca to the hip bone...

Don't sweat the terminology. Man if we start ragging on people for that in this forum community I'll be chapped. I'm good with "thingamajig".

 

[cjacek]

I could not have asked for a more complete answer, and this lets me know exactly what to look for once I open it up...

Have a look here:
https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=279395

Same basic premise, just a different deck.

 

[westgate]

deletable.

 

[DuddyGuy]

sweet that link should help... thanks for everything guys, let you know how it all goes or if i come up with any more issues

 

[DuddyGuy]

So I finally got home and got a chance to play with this thing myself. Thanks to Cjacek's link I now have a fully functional Pinch Roller and tape up/down to the heads thingamajigs (no longer sweating the terminology, but I would like to know what those two rods that move the tape up and down are called). I've also successfully managed to adjust the brakes on the take up hub so that the machine stays threaded and maintains correct tension through fast forwarding, rewinding, and playing. Ive also gained a much better knowledge of the inner working of my deck. I would post pics and details of the procedures but it seems redundant as there are already several well documented threads done on similarly set up machines.

Now as to whats next...

Am I correct in thinking that a test tape is merely an oscillated tone recorded on a machine with known correct speed calibration, and that it's primary/only? purpose is to calibrate machine speed? A few tapes which I own on cd checked out in terms of pitch by my ear... but even though I like to think it's pretty good my ear may be off, and this doesn't rule out that the machine on which these tapes were originally recorded may have been off in the same way as this machine... thus reproducing the correct pitch at an incorrect speed, right?

Im going to buy some modernly manufactured tape, and will adjust bias accordingly when I settle in on a brand and type... at the moment the scotch 203 seems as though it must be a similar tape to what this deck was originally biased for, so I may leave as is until I have some modern tape to work with. Not going to damage anything by doing so, am I?

So asides from speed calibration and bias, what other adjustments/calibrations will be necessary for me to return this to original specs?

Thanks again all!

 

[cjacek]

I now have a fully functional Pinch Roller and tape up/down to the heads .................... I would like to know what those two rods that move the tape up and down are called).

Man, I congratulate you on DYI'ing your deck! Seriously, that's awesome.

As to "rods"..... if you mean those things, near the heads, which retract when play/rec is engaged, are called tape lifters. They're there (as you already know) to prevent head ware when in FF / REW modes.

Am I correct in thinking that a test tape is merely an oscillated tone recorded on a machine with known correct speed calibration, and that it's primary/only? purpose is to calibrate machine speed?

Test tapes, generally speaking, can do a number of things and this includes setting proper playback levels, head adjust, frequency response and speed. At its most basic, you get test tones, recorded on a properly calibrated machine, standardized for some operating level [0, +3, +6 etc...] / speed [as in 7 1/2ips and / or 15ips and or 30ips] and you use it to set playback levels, to your and your machine's preference and head adjust. I wouldn't worry about getting a "speed" test tape.

Im going to buy some modernly manufactured tape, and will adjust bias accordingly when I settle in on a brand and type... at the moment the scotch 203 seems as though it must be a similar tape to what this deck was originally biased for, so I may leave as is until I have some modern tape to work with. Not going to damage anything by doing so, am I?

No, you're not going to damage anything using 203. It's a 1962 formulation, non back-coated and 1mil tape, so it's not prone to sticky shed and should be easy on your transport.

So asides from speed calibration and bias, what other adjustments/calibrations will be necessary for me to return this to original specs?

Well, you really, really do need a proper service manual to do this correctly. You can still get one from TASCAM directly. Another thing you need to do is spring for a new pinch roller and capstan belt. It's a must. The counter belt is optional but is probably on its last legs too. These are also available from TASCAM directly. The capstan belt / pinch roller is the heart of your recorder and needs to be replaced about every decade, at max I'd say, depending on the machines' operating environment, usage etc.... That's a 30 year old recorder and it should have gone through at least 3 new pinch rollers / belts.

 

[Herm]

Im pretty sure that tape you have is a what teac called a normal Bias tape. So you would place your switch in the normal bias side. When you get new tape for that unit you will need to go to the high side.
And dont order a manual for it cause I have a reprint of one that you can have.
The teac manual doesnt give you any adjustment setting, Its just for usage and specs of the machine like frequency response How to use all the switches, and cleaning, Demaging Stuff like that.
It gives a list of tapes that where suitable for that machine in the day. It does mention scotch 212 for High bias and scotch 207 for normal.
So just shoot me you address and I will send this out to you.
Good luck with your machine its a nice one.