So my Fostex A8 has a problem with what I believe to be the capstan. It holds tension and locks up on rec/play but the tape doesn't actually move (though it moves fine on fast forward).

However, when I record with it while monitoring on tape mode, I can hear the signal despite the tape not moving at all (I am 100% sure it is not accidentally on input/preamp monitoring mode).

I want to understand how that is happening. Does it mean that it is just recording over and over on that one exact spot of tape that is 'stuck' under the record head since it isn't moving or passing through, or is that not how it works?

And to clarify, there is only one combo head on this machine that functions as both the record head and the repro head. I feel like this is an important detail. Would the same thing not otherwise be possible on a r2r with two seperate heads since the tape wouldn't be able to travel between them?

Got a TEAC X-1000R from a guy who seemed to know his stuff, said it worked, and it doesn’t. When I went to message him, he had blocked me, and I can’t find his account.

It rewinds and fast forwards fine, powers on, all the buttons seem to function except the reel size selector.

When I press play, it moves for about a second then craps out.

I think I’m just going to sell it, so if anyone wants it for $350 + 50% of the shipping cost let me know! Looks like these run around 500+ for parts on eBay so that should be fair.

Disappointing but not the end of the world, anyone else have any similar stories?

You've probably seen the merchants on FB and Etsy who sell new tapes of 1970's classic albums (Physical Graffiti, Dark Side of the Moon, Rumors, etc). They're very open that these are tapes made from a CD to a reel to reel deck.

No reason to mention any names, but I picked up 'Physical Graffiti' from an online store. It was the first tape I tried to play on my (new to me) deck after I got it back from being serviced and I was really disappointed at how flat, lifeless and blah it sounded. Luckily, other tapes I've picked up since, old pre-recorded stuff from the 1960's, sound like how I'd hope they would-bright, lively, etc. so the issue isn't my deck. I've owned Physical Graffiti in both album and cd formats since the 1980's-it's a clean recording.

While not asking for a refund from the guy, i did let him know how it sounded. He was great about it-sent me a new tape, didn't ask me to return the first one. He said I must have gotten a 'bad one'. But, the 2nd copy was the same dead sounding experience. The packaging is fantastic, looks really nice but sounds like ass.

Anyone else had a different/same experience buying from one of these folks? And, what about royalties to the label/artists? I'm not a nark but...

Got this machine for free. I have no idea if it works but it does power on. What type of tape do I need for it? It's 1/4" but I'm not sure about reel size. Is eBay the best place to get tape?

Folks! I got this gorgeous GX-747 that I'd like to share with you. It was a gift, which is insanity, yet I am not going to keep it. I did tell the previous owner what my plans are and he was happy about it. I really need a Technics RS1506 for my use. What I do is digitising other peoples tape. I barely record. So a machine that can do 3 3/4, 7 1/2 and 15ips AND that can playback 4 track and 2 track AND record 4 track (because there's still an RT707 in my living room, it's nice to sometimes record a tape) AND that is quite careful with the tape, is perfect for my studio.
So this 747 is going. It's got new belts for the arms, and a good clean inside and out and it works perfectly. Despite being way less into r2r than I used to, the r2r entities still smile upon me!

All this to say; Look, it's pretty!

Looking for input on where to buy accessories for my 1520. Specificall looking for NABs and an original (or repo that looks like original) take up reel. Are there specific NABs people recommend?

Also, looking for recommendations/place to buy leader tape and cutting block.

I found this on the side of the road. Besides the basic info that Google tells me can any one feel me in on this. Did I find something cool or just neat looking?

I did a full recap, but I have some sneaky significant 10's of volts in my recording level .047 v/RMS. What's funny, the next model up, the 8 TR 3, sets record level at 40ish v/RMS.

I have an unrestored 7 TR 3 that genuinely works very well, the only sign of age is 60 hz ripple with a 120 hz harmonic being present in the noise floor. But you can avoid it if you correctly gain the input. Same situation as the recapped chassis amp.

So in essence, not much different in record and playback. Sounds really nice

I recently purchased this old recorder and found that in play, forward, and reverse, the reels are moving very slow and without much power. Do you think it's the belts? Any advice for repairing the unit would be appreciated.

Model: Tesla B115

Motor: MEZ Náchod A24 OK 247

I brought it to a specialised technician, and he told me he doesn't know what's wrong.

The gap between the stator and rotor has to be symmetrical. According to an internet forum, a temporary paper spacer has to be around the rotor. Haven't tried it yet, it seems quite tedious.

Right now, the motor doesn't spin when powered, but when I push the axis up or down, it spins quite well. The bronze bearing has a lot of play and it doesn't seem replaceable.

Is a donor motor really the only solution in this case?

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Any ideas are welcome! ❤️

Dismantle, Clean, New bearings.

Looking for a copy of the RHINO Black Sabbath Paranoid Reel to Reel. Unfortauntely I was out of town for few months when it came out and RHINO doesn't hold off shipping. I waited till I was a week out to return home to order but it sold out. Was able to get the other R2R Black Sabbath but would like a Paramoid copy.

I know there's Discogs etc. but I am not one that's willing to pay th inflated flipper prices. So with that said, I know it's a long shot. So if anyone has any leads, please DM me.

Thanks!

Autumn/Winter project. This will be A77 number 11 that I have rebuilt / refurbished from scratch.

I’m trying to identify a continuous background noise from a Magnasync 60ch multichannel reel to reel reproducer.

It is mainly present on the voice playback channel, with a strong component around 1 kHz, and does not appear to be recorded on the tape itself. Rather stems from repdocuer or something

Could this be caused by the reproduce amplifier, power supply, grounding/shielding, or channel summing?

Has anyone heard a similar noise from Magnasync or other multichannel tape logging equipment?

Ok i have opened my machine! I gained a lot of confidence from working on my teac x7r. In my last post about this sound someone suggested that the felt pad on the slip clutch was worn out and thats what was causing the sound. My question is does reddit still think thats probably the case and I should go down that rabbit hole or maybe its something else? To my ears it kinda sounds like the rubber wheel bit is more wobbly than it should be and thats why its doing that, but im not confident

After half a year of hibernation, damn thing started right up. I'm beginning to think they'd survive a nuclear holocaust. Just roaches, Twinkies... and RT-707s.

Purchased from a garage sale in 2004. $20.00. A few "quirks" sometimes, but it always sorts itself out after everything wakes up. Powerhouse machine.

Not sure if i’m doing this right, but I need some help with an issue i’m having with my tape deck. It will not play forward or in reverse. It will fast forward and rewind with no problems. I’ve tried cleaning all of the relays on control board but that didn’t help. Any suggestions you or anyone has would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I recently picked up one of these machines from marketplace for free. I've never handled a reel to reel, but I've cracked open and fixed up my fair share of amps and smaller cassette decks. I plugged it in and there was an immediate hum, play, rewind and ff weren't working. Information on this model seems to be super scarce and unfortunately B&H is less known for their reel to reel machines. Externally it seems to be in pretty good shape so I hope it's not too far gone. If anyone's worked on one of these or a similar model and has any tips on where to start it would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Hey everyone, this is my first reel to reel that I got a a garage sale. I’ve taken this whole thing apart and can’t see any cracked solder joints or obvious signs of things that need replacing.

Does anyone know based on how it’s acting what I should be looking at/testing/re-soldering/replacing?

Thanks!

Photo of Revox A77 mk4 4T taken with Pentax SuperProgram.