OTARI 1/2" 8 track- really need some assistance...

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TulsaMike

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Hi All, I have had a burning desire to get back to analog. I currently have a Roland VS2480 and a DAW, but my time spent with an OTARI 1/2" 8 track in the early 80's was the most enjoyable. So, I just bought a 18x8x2 SECK mixer, spent a few days planning and wiring my patch bay and outboard gear together and hooked it up to my 'new' EBAY Otari 1/2" machine. Meanwhile, spent a small fortune buying 2 remotes (don't ask how) a few snake and patchbay cables, etc. First thing, while wiring, etc. I had to have the pinch roller sent off and rebuilt by Terry Witt's service, then hooked up everything and put on the first tape. (recorded in 1982 with Ronny Dunn- just him and me on all instruments) filled with aprehension and excitement, I hit play and the machine clicked and did nothing……..! Gasp!
Hit FF and it moves, but very weakly…very slight to no rewind to speak of..the relays click, but it doesn't go properly - ever so weakly. Since these are not belt drives, would speculate brakes, tape tension adjustment, some sort of servo control not working properly, sticky tape (heavy 456)- I cleaned all tape paths, and it has a new roller. Could this be a relay corroded inside? Going to run some tests tonight to ensure it works without tape spooled, etc. When it came in and was waiting for the pinch roller, it seemed to work when the arms were lifted-I believe the motors work, just not enough power to turn the tape. And… one VU lamp is dead.
Is there something I have forgotten, like a secret switch, a brake engager/hold down or something? This is extremely disappointing and frustrating, there is no-one I know of capable of working on this machine here in Tulsa, Oklahoma. If any of you could speculate on this, I could sure use the help- Thanks in advance!
Tulsa Mike
 
I'd suspect the tape it self as suffering from Sticky Shed Syndrome and not the machine.

Remove the tape from the deck, rigorously clean the heads, guide posts, lifters, capstan and pinch roller and get your old tapes baked in a food dehydrator to dry back the binder glue that holds the magnetic coating of iron oxide particles to the backing of the tape.

Read more here;

http://www.tangible-technology.com/tape/baking1.html

Cheers! :)
 
otari 8 track issues

I just ran the tape through the 80-8 to loosen it up just before putting it on the otari - no doubt that is some of the problem, it is 1982 456!- when I get home I will do as you said, and cross my fingers- stand by -
Tulsa mike
 
otari issues

It was sticky tape syndrome. I suspected that, but the Tascam threw me- on the Tascam, it was intermittently dragging on playback, but no sweat on rewind, etc. I did exactly what you said yesterday after work and the new reel is going through OK, slow on rewind ok otherwise- but there is an incredible smell coming off of it.......like a burn't out tire with electrical overtones....acrid, permeating smell! (room still smells like that this morning - like a burn't guitar amp transformer with melted tape on it. (yikes!)

Tape path is clean - machine evidently has been sitting for a year or so, maybe I am smelling a combination of new tape and electrical circuits clearing out the cobwebs after a long sleep.... Wired the patch bay with TRS connectors to XLR and signal is not passing through-I am remembering something about pin 2 hot on Otaris from 25 years ago- guess I will switch one plug and try that. (unless there is something easier to try) - Noticed channel 4 seems to be dead - no oscillator sound or response on the Vu or hiss through the headphones on that one channel. This machine was owned by a California studio- the book is marked up with calibration notes, etc. The channel 4 being out is probably why they retired it. This is the model that has 2 separate components, (deck and electronics) so each channel pair has a section with removable plate. (although looking for something melted, burned, or disconnected, would be the extent of my analytical abilities). The Vu light on channel one is also out. All the other channels look normal.

I sure love tape machines- they are so very cool compared to digital. Becomes a real combination of events to achieve something instead of just plugging into a DAW.
The smell is like tape burning....seems to track ok in the tape path, but only smelled like that with the new tape, hmmmm.......things that make you go hmmm...
Now I guess I need to send these old tapes somewhere to get .wav files made of the songs or try to bake them in a food de-humidifier and transfer them myself after I am sure that the OTARI is functioning correctly. Sure do not want to lose the material recorded on them.
I am a guitar player- have been since I was a kid -still play every weekend and ride/build Harley Davidson's in my spare time. Turned 60 a couple of weeks ago - feel and act 30. -the secret is young wives! :-)

best,
-Tulsa Mike
 
Sounds like a busting cap in the transport circuit. Have a look at the boards controlling the transport. Chances are, you will be able to locate the dodgy cap as it may be bulging or leaking gu. see if you can trace the smell also. you should be able to narrow it down with the nose. It is usually good practice to replace all the caps in these old machines, especially if they have been sitting around for a while. If you are not that way inclined then take it to a tech and get it fully serviced. I think it is worth learning how to do these things yourself but if it holding you up from working, you may want to spend the extra cash on a professional setup.
 
otari

Thanks very much for responding! You know, that you mention it, I have smelled smoked guitar amps with that smell.....I believe channel 4 is out- doesn't respond to the oscillator and no hiss for tape path would this be the cause possibly? The Otari I have is an early model with separated amplifier/meters and then deck, connected together with an umbilical. I am assuming the amplifier section is the place I need to be looking at. In replacing a cap, can I buy the same # cap (if I can find it!) just unsolder it and install another, and do the same for all of them? Is there any checking I need to do with a meter?
I have seen bad caps in guitar amps leaking and distorting physically. The smell of this is acrid, for sure.
Thanks for the help!
Tulsa Mike
 
TulsaMike said:
Thanks very much for responding! You know, that you mention it, I have smelled smoked guitar amps with that smell.....I believe channel 4 is out- doesn't respond to the oscillator and no hiss for tape path would this be the cause possibly? The Otari I have is an early model with separated amplifier/meters and then deck, connected together with an umbilical. I am assuming the amplifier section is the place I need to be looking at. In replacing a cap, can I buy the same # cap (if I can find it!) just unsolder it and install another, and do the same for all of them? Is there any checking I need to do with a meter?
I have seen bad caps in guitar amps leaking and distorting physically. The smell of this is acrid, for sure.
Thanks for the help!
Tulsa Mike
Click to expand...
You could really do with getting hold of a service manual. They sometimes have a fault finding section like "the transport doesn't play but FF and RW - check fuse blah blah" etc. It will also tell you the values of the caps so you can replace them like for like. If you can find a physically distorted cap then replace that and see what happens.
Wholesale cap replacements are usually a good idea on the playback and record boards as it is not always obvious if a cap is misbehaving. faulty caps can have a detrimental effect on the sound quality. I think they were only designed to last for 15 20 years at the most anyway.
 
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