Fostex R8 Not Recording

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DaveDeMagico

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Hi, all!

I just picked up a Fostex R8 along with a Fostex 454 mixer and I'm having a problem with the R8 that I'm hoping to get some help with, por favor.

I hooked up a mic through a mixer into the R8 to see if all of the functions work and it seems like its not recording. The meters on the R8 light up on all channels, suggesting that the signal is getting through, but when I play back what I recorded, I'm getting nothing. Actually, at first I was getting a very faint and muffled playback, but now nothing at all.

It came with a manual and I'm following the instructions to a 'T'. The tape is threaded properly (shiny side out), input monitor is turned off during playback, etc.

I put on an old reel that had some recordings from another machine, and they play back fine. I even recorded over one of the old tracks on that reel and the R8 erases the old track, but nothing new will print on it.

I cleaned the tape path with 91% alcohol and some cotton swabs. Everything but the pinch roller was pretty clean. I don't have a demagnetizer, so I haven't tried that yet. Could a magnetized head cause this severe of a problem?

The machine seems to have been well cared for, with nary a scratch on it, but who knows, I guess. I did some searching before posting but couldn't find anything dealing with this particular problem (or at least not with an answer that fixes my particular problem). As much as I don't want my first post to be a stupid question, I must admit that I kind of hope it's a stupid question and it's something simple :o

Any help or insight you might have is greatly appreciated!

Btw, this forum rules! I've browsed around here in the past and finally took the plunge and registered. I think I'm gonna like it here.

Thanks!
 
The shiny side should touch the heads. From what you wrote it sounds like it's the backcoating touching them.
Also when you record the channels should be armed and going from flashing to lighting consistenly when pressing record and play.

I may be preaching to the choir but just to be sure.

Also - what tapes are you using? Avoid most Ampex 456 and 457.

EDIT: Oooops. Only just woke up and my brain havn't had enough coffee yet to be fully functional. From what you write it seems like you're doing it correctly as there'd hardly be any sound if you're playing back the backcoating. The R8 is a quirky weird machine with an unreliable transport. Sounds fine though. We'll wait for the other guys to give their opinions as for your problem.
 
I sold one of these last week! Are you new to tape machines?
Here's a vid I took to show working transport. It'll show you if you've threaded the tape properly, and how to record arm (0:56).
 
arcaxis said:
Did you happen to acquire the R8 from the guy in this thread...? Or just sort of common problem with that machine......
Click to expand...

LOL. Worth a try but mine's still sitting here. Buyer is on holidays.

When I first got mine it showed the same symptoms, now that I think about it.
I didn't do anything magical to fix it. I cleaned it up, although it was already clean, and tried over and over again.
After about half an hour it seemed to spring to life and has been fine ever since.

This (my) machine had been dry stored for about 10 years prior, if that's relevant at all.


WarmJetGuitar said:
Also - what tapes are you using?
Click to expand...
+1 ^^^


OP, when you're testing be sure to try on a range of tracks. Try 1 and 8 at very least.
The reason I say this is that if the head alignment was substantially out you could be losing a track or two at either side of the head.
Don't touch the alignment though! Just check. ;)
 
Steenamaroo said:
I sold one of these last week! Are you new to tape machines?
Here's a vid I took to show working transport. It'll show you if you've threaded the tape properly, and how to record arm (0:56).
Click to expand...

I wouldn't say new but definitely inexperienced. I have a Tascam 34 a few years back, but it's got some problems so I haven't been able to use it. I've always had Tascam Portastudios since I was a pup, but yeah, not much experience with R2R.
 
Steenamaroo said:
LOL. Worth a try but mine's still sitting here. Buyer is on holidays.

When I first got mine it showed the same symptoms, now that I think about it.
I didn't do anything magical to fix it. I cleaned it up, although it was already clean, and tried over and over again.
After about half an hour it seemed to spring to life and has been fine ever since.

This (my) machine had been dry stored for about 10 years prior, if that's relevant at all.



+1 ^^^


OP, when you're testing be sure to try on a range of tracks. Try 1 and 8 at very least.
The reason I say this is that if the head alignment was substantially out you could be losing a track or two at either side of the head.
Don't touch the alignment though! Just check. ;)
Click to expand...

I've tried all tracks with the same results :(

I'll try and clean it up again and see if that helps.

The first tape I tried was RMG International (produced by Pyral), which I've never heard of... The second reel I tried is a Quantegy 456 that I had from my old machine.

I found someone who seems to have had my exact problem on one of those 'justanswers' threads, but it won't let me post the link 'cause I'm still a noob :cursing:

But basically at the end of it all, dude says this:

It seems that it was a contact problem on the interconnects between the record/playback boards and the interconnect board. Contact cleaner, head demagnitization and a good cleaning cleared up the problem!
Click to expand...
Admittedly, I don't understand most of what they're saying, but it sounds like the exact problem I'm having. Obviously, I'd like to exhaust any other possible solutions before I start pulling stuff apart (or taking it to someone to pull it apart who actually knows what they're doing).

Thanks to all for the replies!
 
They used cheapo phenolic circuit boards on a lot of these Fostex and Teac machines, with no through plating, so the joints between the record amp boards and the motherboards tend to become cold/cracked if the machines are jarred around or subject to a lot of temperature cycling. Most all of the Tascam 38s I have worked on had intermittent recording problems because of this. Neither of my Fostex R8s ever did, but it's easy for me to imagine happening.

I think they sound great, by the way, you can still use the Dolby C NR if you want really hot tape saturation on something because it doesn't do (much of) anything to the signal when it's above 0dB... you can't do that on a Tascam with dbx.
 
pdmillar said:
They used cheapo phenolic circuit boards on a lot of these Fostex and Teac machines, with no through plating, so the joints between the record amp boards and the motherboards tend to become cold/cracked if the machines are jarred around or subject to a lot of temperature cycling. Most all of the Tascam 38s I have worked on had intermittent recording problems because of this. Neither of my Fostex R8s ever did, but it's easy for me to imagine happening.

I think they sound great, by the way, you can still use the Dolby C NR if you want really hot tape saturation on something because it doesn't do (much of) anything to the signal when it's above 0dB... you can't do that on a Tascam with dbx.
Click to expand...

Do you think this is something I could troubleshoot myself or is it a pretty complicated process to figure out if this is the issue? FWIW, I'm not very well versed in electronics, but I can usually suss out bad solders or other simple stuff. Thanks!
 
I don't want to assume too much.

On most tapes, the "shiny side" should not be "out", it should be the surface that contacts the heads. (previously mentioned).

I've seen where a twist was accidentally induced on the tape between the right tension roller and the takeup reel, which effectively wound all the tape onto the reel upside down,... (shiny side out).

I've also seen where a real stubborn piece of sticky shed on the head allowed playback but prevented recording. The heads should be shiny like a mirror in their entirety. No smudge, line or black spots. It might take a little concentrated scrubbing to remove a stubborn bit of oxide, over and above the kind of "wipe-down" you'd give for a normal cleaning.

Some of what you described makes it seem like it's one of those two things. Some other details (to me) are inconclusive.

I'd cover all the simplest stuff as thoroughly as possible before going in deep.

Good luck.

:spank::eek:;)
 
Ok, you got me!

"Most tapes" was overreaching and too general. Most tapes I've used is more accurate. Thank you.

I've only used more modern back coated tapes, where the oxide is the shiny side and the back coat is dull. Shiny being a relative term to the flat dullness of the back coating.

It sounds like you're using some older non-back coated tapes, but I have no experience with either one you've mentioned, so I defer back to you.

:spank::eek:;)
 
Ok, so I cleaned the HELL out of the heads. I went at it for like... well, I'm not even sure how long. I let it sit for a sit for a while and came back and threaded the tape and tried to record onto a track. Same thing :( , but this time there was slightly more of a hint of what I recorded on the tape; still very faint, but a little less so.

I figured I'd take the advice of A Reel Person:

I'd cover all the simplest stuff as thoroughly as possible before going in deep.
Click to expand...

I flipped the tape on the reels so that the shiny side is facing the heads, matte side out. I threaded the tape back up and gave it a shot.

SUCCESS!!! Well, I've only tried half the tracks, but everything seems fine. I'm guessing maybe a twist was induced on my old machine as A Reel Person suggested.

Obviously, I feel a bit stupid for having missed something so simple, but I'm glad it was just something simple.

Many thanks to who replied with advice. I'm super-stoked to start using this thing, and I'm also looking forward to a bright future of further demonstrating my ignorance on this forum ;)

thanks again
 
Glad you've got it going!
EDIT: For what it's worth, you're hardly the first person to have done that.
 
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