jpmorris
Tape Wolf
Okay, I've been trying to get the Otari operational for a while now, and there is a persistent issue with the transport that is enough to make calibration a problem. I've just obtained a new Athan pinch roller, hoping that would fix the issue, since I didn't like the surface of the old one. It hasn't helped as much as I'd have liked.
Basically the problem is that the levels are wavering slightly when the MRL tape is played back. On 1KHz this makes the lissajous figure open and close slightly. At 10KHz it's completely wild. The tape seems to be riding up and down the transport which I suspect is the problem but I haven't been able to figure out how to correct this.
I might adjust the reel table height again now I've got the new roller, and I haven't yet attempted to adjust the pinch roller pressure, though according to the spring scale it is in the right ballpark anyway.
Here's a video - the camera autofocus wasn't terribly cooperative. The second half has a more steady shot of the tape wandering vertically.
Any thoughts or suggestions?
Other things that I could do with help on are:
1. During the pinch roller test, it says to fasten the tension arms in their highest position and then press PLAY. This does not actuate the pinch roller, though. I finally resorted to using the spring scale with a loaded tape, but this was not fun.
2. According to the manual, the bias A setting - for 456 - is adjusted per channel, but the bias B setting is global for all channels from a single adjustment. How's that work? Is it really global, or is it an offset from bias A? Put simply, if I never use bias A because I'm feeding the machine SM900, will I still need to calibrate bias A as a necessary precondition for the bias B calibration?
Basically the problem is that the levels are wavering slightly when the MRL tape is played back. On 1KHz this makes the lissajous figure open and close slightly. At 10KHz it's completely wild. The tape seems to be riding up and down the transport which I suspect is the problem but I haven't been able to figure out how to correct this.
I might adjust the reel table height again now I've got the new roller, and I haven't yet attempted to adjust the pinch roller pressure, though according to the spring scale it is in the right ballpark anyway.
Here's a video - the camera autofocus wasn't terribly cooperative. The second half has a more steady shot of the tape wandering vertically.
Any thoughts or suggestions?
Other things that I could do with help on are:
1. During the pinch roller test, it says to fasten the tension arms in their highest position and then press PLAY. This does not actuate the pinch roller, though. I finally resorted to using the spring scale with a loaded tape, but this was not fun.
2. According to the manual, the bias A setting - for 456 - is adjusted per channel, but the bias B setting is global for all channels from a single adjustment. How's that work? Is it really global, or is it an offset from bias A? Put simply, if I never use bias A because I'm feeding the machine SM900, will I still need to calibrate bias A as a necessary precondition for the bias B calibration?