Here is my Setup :D

  • Thread starter Thread starter krhall
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LOL well to be honest they are not really that sharp.

And Gramophone needles come in four sizes

Super Soft Tone
Soft Tone
Medium Tone
Loud tone

So the bigger needles you use, the louder the sound. :D

Want to know where the term "Stick a sock in it" came from ??

In the early 1920's when Gramophones had the brass horn on top of the gramophone, People used to stick a sock or cloth into the horn of these to reduce the loud volume that it produced, so the term kinda stuck and people have been using it ever since.

The Gramophone i have is known as a "Suitcase gramophone" or "Lunchbox Gramophone" and the good thing is, they are light and not too heavy. But as soon as you fill the internal record holder the weight soon builds up. Acetate records are much heavier than modern records and they are much more fragile, and easily chip, crack, or even break, which is why these records have to be handled very carefully.

Also, here is a tip if you have records that have become warped.

If you get 2 sheets of glass about 8 inches square, what you do is place your record between the sheets of glass and heat up one side with a hair dryer for about 3 to 5 minutes, then leave for about 30 minutes for it to cool, and your record will be nice and flat and as good as new :D

And this does work because i have already successfully restored 3 records that were slightly warped, they used to make the needle jump out of the groove and this can lead to further damage as a reproducer on a gramophone is quite heavy so it can land pretty hard on the record surface.

Best storage conditions for all records is to store them upright and away from heat sources and sunlight, and keep them in a dust free enviornment or even better in a protective sleeve if you have one.

At the moment i am currently after records from the 1920's to the 1960's of accordion music.

Hope this information helps :D

Keith
 
Revox A77 MKII

Got my new machine today :D

Apart from a few teething problems and DHL (Bunch of incompetent dumbasses) breaking off one of the reel spindles and buckling both reel turntables at a cost of £55 to replace.

There is only one issue left...

When in record or playback the VU meters don't register anything, it now records and plays perfectly but VU meters remain static.

Any suggestions ???

Keith

Also here's a pic of my new addition :D
 

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My Setup As it is now

Ok so here is my 2 Revox machines :D

and very proud of these i am, especially as they are the most expensive machines i ever purchased, at over £100 each but it was worth it.

I Really need to get some more 10.5" tape reels as i only have 2 good tapes and all the rest i had to ditch because they were shedding oxide and messing up the heads.

Any ideas on the best tape to get on 10.5" nab ??

Keith
 

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krhall said:
Any ideas on the best tape to get on 10.5" nab ??
Keith
Click to expand...
I can't say which is best, but I'm currently using Zonal 700 which you can get from Canford Audio. Note that it's hub only, so I have to buy metal spools from Studiospares as well (or if you don't care about looks so much, you can wind them onto the crappy plastic spools that Canford sell for 99p a pop. Buying metal spools is better though as you can dismantle them and assemble them around the hub core without having to spool the tape across).

(Actually I've just cleaned Canford out of 10.5" 700, they're having to order some more :D )

But basically it's that or Quantegy if you want 456-compatible tape, at least until this RMGI stuff finally rears its head. The Zonal stuff seems to have a better pack than the Quantegy.
Or if you're after a different formulation, there's 406 and Zonal 675, the latter of which I believe Canford are selling as well (they only sell Zonal tape for some obscure reason).

I'm assuming that you are based in the UK as per your profile, otherwise your available choices will be somewhat different.
 
Yep i am based in Scotland Uk :D

i know canford pretty well as i have ordered from them before and Zonal tape is very good and has excellent recording levels.

As for my new machine, (Revox A77 MK2) i cant get the VU meters to register anything on playback or record, the lamps come on but VU meters dont do anything any ideas ???

Keith
 
Keith,
On the A77 its normal for the meters to only register in record, not playback, if that's any help.
Odd that both meters dont register. Are you sure it's not that you've only checked the meters in playback?
If the record cards were missing you'd probably not get any VU movement as I think they are driven from there.
I have the service manual for the A77 if you need a scan of the meter driver circuit.
Also have an incomplete A77 which I can pull down for parts if you need them but with me being in Australia you might pay a bit for postage. Maybe a head or a VU meter, something small!

Cheers Tim.
 
krhall said:
lamps come on but VU meters dont do anything any ideas ???
Click to expand...

I think you may have under-estimated the shipping damage. Look for breaks and loose connections on the inside. Some disassembly may be required.
 
Just to clarify my post Keith, the A77 VU's are permanently connected to the source, no matter which way you have the source/tape switch for monitoring.
Different to your PR99 where the VU's monitor whatever is selected.

Cheers Tim.
 
Ok i have closely inspected all of the internal cards and all cards are working, as i can successfully record and playback on both speeds with this machine, so audio wise everything is good.

My only problem is the meters on recording, I dunno if the meters themselves are dead or the VU controllers.
Any info greatly apreaciated.

Thanks

Keith
 
Oh yeah

I downloaded the Service manual and the user manual direct from Studer so i might take a look at the VU Circuit and trace it from there.

Thanks for your help

Keith
 
I've had the meters fail. Check for a small DC voltage on the meter tags with a source signal applied.
tim
 
and i cant power up the machine when it is out of it's case because there is an A/C cuttout connector riveted to the outer casing so it only works when fully assembled (took me a while to work it out lol)

Keith
 
Yep that's a pain. I'd be bypassing it or maybe unrivetting it so it stays with the chassis.
Cant remember exactly where the meter connex are but you'll find it. The control cover comes off by removing the two plain slot screws at either end of top of cover. The bottom is held by push in lugs only. Be careful, they sometimes fall apart.

Tim
 
The Collection Grows...

oh by the way i got another reel to reel machine comming :D

a 3rd Tandberg machine

so heres my lineup :D

Revox PR99 MK III
Revox A77 MK II
Tandberg Series 15 (4 track mono - switchable to 4 track stereo) 1 of 2
Tandberg Series 15 (4 track mono - switchable to 4 track stereo) 2 of 2 <---- NEW MACHINE :D
Tandberg Series 15 (2 track mono)
Sharp Portable reel to reel tape recorder (battery + AC) (2 Track Mono)
Grundig TK5 (Manufactured August 1952)

7 Tape recorders WOOHOO :D

More to come (hopefully) :D

Keith
 
krhall said:
oh by the way i got another reel to reel machine comming :D

a 3rd Tandberg machine

so heres my lineup :D

Revox PR99 MK III
Revox A77 MK II
Tandberg Series 15 (4 track mono - switchable to 4 track stereo) 1 of 2
Tandberg Series 15 (4 track mono - switchable to 4 track stereo) 2 of 2 <---- NEW MACHINE :D
Tandberg Series 15 (2 track mono)
Sharp Portable reel to reel tape recorder (battery + AC) (2 Track Mono)
Grundig TK5 (Manufactured August 1952)

7 Tape recorders WOOHOO :D

More to come (hopefully) :D

Keith
Click to expand...

Whoah ... do you record any music on these things? Love to hear some.
 
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