Re: Audiophiles anyone?

**Admin** Fri Mar 14, 2014 12:28 pm

That is a nice looking player! I'm glad you got it working without too much trouble. The azimuth adjustment adjusts the angle of alignment of the gaps in the pole pieces of the head to the tracks on the tape. If the audio sounds muffled or dull, adjusting the azimuth should clear it up. The best way to adjust the azimuth is to hook up the player in mono either with line cord adapters or by flipping the mono switch on your amplifier (if it has one) and then adjust for the clearest sound using a good quality prerecorded cartridge that uses spring pads with felt vs the foam pads. Depending on the type of music, if the azimuth is off a little and you are listening with the player hooked up in mono, the audio could sound out of phase or almost like a digitally compressed mp3. If you hear crosstalk, you will want to adjust the head height.

Audiophiles anyone? - Page 3 Headzi10

The level adjustment is for adjusting the balance and output volume of the line output (that you connect to your stereo).

As for the trouble you are having with your other player, it could probably use a new belt and some head adjustments. http://www.studiosoundelectronics.com/8track.htm

For best results, you'll also want to replace the foil splice (important) and check and replace the pressure pads in your cartridges. If the foil splice lets go when its passing the head, it can get tangled up around the capstan. http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-50-ROLL-SENSING-FOIL-TAPE-REEL-TO-REEL-AUDIO-TAPE-ACCESSORY-/261414188078

**Admin** Fri Mar 14, 2014 11:41 pm

A few things I forgot to add...

While its not exactly necessary, I reinforce the backside of the foil splice with splicing tape. http://www.ebay.com/itm/RMGI-Professional-1-4-x-82-Audio-Open-Reel-to-Reel-Splicing-Tape-NEW-/191019176923?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item2c79a153db If you think you might be working on more than a few tapes, you might also want to get a splice block. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Splicing-block-1-4-recording-tape-NEW-/250887534074?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item3a6a0ff5fa

As for replacement foam pressure pads, make sure you use foam that is very soft and not dense and firm. If you don't want to make pads yourself, you can get them online. http://www.8-track-shack.com/8-track-tape-repair-replacement-foam-pressure-pads-p-10120.html

You'll want to clean the head in your player every so often with q-tips and 91% Isopropyl alcohol, demagnetizing the head afterwards isn't a bad idea. Find a long wand type such as Roddie's so if can reach back into the slot.

OVERLORD Sun Mar 16, 2014 3:36 am

Thanks Jacob. I try to assimilate all that. There seems to be a new problem that came up. When playing a tape, during automatical track shifting, he skips a track: f.i. from II to IV or from III to I. I can clearly hear some kind of double clic when it shifts. He doesn't do that on manual shifting. Any ideas?

Lieven

**Admin** Sun Mar 16, 2014 4:39 am

It could be dirty sensor contacts in the player or it could be a dirty foil in the tape. Bad pads that don't push the tape against the contacts and head well enough may be a cause of the trouble too. If the strip of foil tape is too long, that could cause issues too.

roddie Tue Jun 03, 2014 2:42 pm

The "paper" cone of a speaker I have, has a small tear toward the outer part of the cone. It's less than 1" and extends into the ribbed area around the edge. I removed the speaker from the cabinet so I could check the back for access to the tear. It turns out to be directly in the middle of an opening in the frame. Some sources recommend patching with white glue and "coffee filter" material on "both" sides. Others mention "painting" with nail polish.. (which I heard of and tried years ago.. and it worked). I like the "patch" idea. This is a "monaural" application (A Fender "Sidekick 35" solid-state Bass amplifier) so there won't be a difference in the way a "pair" of cabs would sound in a stereo application. I was thinking of trying "shoe-goo".. but the directions say not to use it on paper. I imagine there are several ways to do this.. but have any of you tried a certain method with success?

Audiophiles anyone? - Page 3 Cone_t10

**Admin** Tue Jun 03, 2014 3:12 pm

I've repaired paper speaker cones before. I use tissue paper (KimWipes to be exact, they are soft and thin but don't tear easy) and a thin coating of Elmer's white glue. I can pull the chassis out of the cabinet on one of the radios I fixed, a 1953 Westinghouse tabletop AA5 radio.

I have it tuned into 740 WDGY right now, 50s, 60s and 70s music. Good to let it sing every so often.
Audiophiles anyone? - Page 3 20140611

Not my best patchwork but at least it doesn't buzz and rattle anymore. Its been holding up for years now. I only patched one side of the cone since its a small speaker and that radio its never going to get kickin' that hard. Since yours is out of an amp, you may want to do both sides, however the glued repair is sometimes tougher than the rest of the cone.
Audiophiles anyone? - Page 3 20140613

roddie Tue Jun 03, 2014 8:03 pm

Thank You Jacob! KimWipes is interesting... I don't have any of them.. but I do have the coffee filters. Some people use toilet paper, tissue-paper wrapping, or paper towels etc... but many use Elmer's white-glue to adhere it. This is a 12" speaker.. and the rest of the cone looks good. As you can see from the pic, the tear is in the vicinity of a screw mount... and quite possibly; someone may have slipped with a screwdriver while removing/replacing the speaker. I don't have any white-glue.. but I do have Ambroid.. and just about all other types; including aliphatic resin. I think the weave in the coffee filter material is up to the task of providing a patch that won't fall apart while spreading the adhesive and is thin enough not to deaden the cone in the repair spot. I watched a YouTube vid where a guy was using 2-ply paper towels.. and Elmer's white-glue. He said to separate the towel into 1-ply.. and I noticed that it tore as he was spreading the glue. I don't want to make a mess when I do this.

I love the Westinghouse radio Jacob! It is a testament to the way electronics used to be manufactured. Did you put it back together yet? If not.. I would love to see a shot of the circuitry! I'm guessing there were a couple of tubes in there. Thanks very much for taking it apart to show me the speaker repairs you made.

**Admin** Tue Jun 03, 2014 8:38 pm

The screws holding the chassis into the cabinet were missing from the radio so it just slips out of the cabinet after removing the knobs. I'll open it up and post some pictures in a moment.

**Admin** Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:07 pm

This was the first radio I have ever recapped so its not the best job but it plays nicely now. A bumble bee cap blew in it one day while listening to it. I have a Zenith that is on the workbench right now that I haven't really begun to recap yet. I'll post pics of it.

roddie Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:13 pm

Jacob, my very first job (I was about 12 years old-1972) was helping a man my Dad knew, who had a 2nd hand store. Arthur Remillard... "Remmy's Rummage" was the name of his store. I'd help him clean-out people's garages on Saturdays.. and for payment; he'd give me something in his shop that I had my eye on. I distinctly remember 3 things; a Westinghouse a.m. tube radio (much like your's.. only a little newer... possibly early 60's vintage) an old record player (78 rpm) and a Zenith tube clock radio. These things were my treasures as a kid. I wish I still had them!

Oh.. cool!!!! TUBES!!!!!! My Leslie 147 cab I bought (used) back in 1980 (and still use) has a tube amp. It's like real home cookin' vs. take-out when it comes to sound!! THANKS!!!

**Admin** Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:36 pm

Found the pic I took before removing the blown cap in it.

roddie Tue Jun 03, 2014 10:06 pm

I have a Leslie model 147 tone cabinet, built primarily for electronic organs. It is similar to the model 122.. except it uses a pre-amp with 1/4" phono-plug line-level inputs for connecting instruments such as an electronic organ or electric guitar. The 122 model is usually found in houses of worship.. connected directly to a Hammond electronic organ.. and has slightly different circuitry. The Leslie cabinets usually feature revolving bass and treble "rotors" powered by separate 2-speed motors for chorale and tremolo effects via a switch. The bass rotor is a downward-firing 15" bass speaker that projects down into a cylindrical revolving drum that is ported to throw sound out through the bottom of the cabinet. The treble rotor consists of an upward-firing high frequency "compression-driver" through a yoke and into a balanced revolving projector. This creates a "Doppler effect" unlike anything else that can be experienced from a conventional cabinet. It's sound effect cannot be reproduced electronically... although many have tried; through phase-shifting and digital processing. It is a "physical" thing that can only be heard live "near-field" to be fully realized. A recording does not exactly replicate it. You actually need to be near the cabinet to witness the effect. This is why it is impossible to amplify the cabinet beyond it's intended design criteria.. and have it produce the same effect.

Here's one like mine on YouTube;

roddie Tue Jun 03, 2014 10:32 pm

These are the Leslie 147 power amp and combo pre-amp schematic diagrams.

power amp; (you need to know what you're doing before you mess around inside this tube-amp. Dis-charging caps is mandatory.. unless you want to have a "shocking" experience!!)

Audiophiles anyone? - Page 3 Leslie10

combo pre-amp; (solid-state)

Audiophiles anyone? - Page 3 Leslie10

**Admin** Tue Jun 03, 2014 10:49 pm

I have a friend who's dad is a locally well known keyboardist. He has a nice all tube Hammond organ and one of those Leslie rotating speakers. They sound great. Just a few years ago they soundproofed a room and he set up a full home studio.

Here's the early 60s Zenith I picked up at Goodwill for $6.99, needs its filter can cap replaced. I haven't yet ordered the replacement caps. Depending on how large the replacement electrolytic caps are, if I can't leave them under the chassis I'll hollow out the old can to re-stuff with the new caps. Hopefully it wont need a tuner alignment, especially in the FM, I have no equipment for that as of yet.
Audiophiles anyone? - Page 3 20140619

This is just an empty cabinet that I stuck the knobs into.
Audiophiles anyone? - Page 3 20140620

Have you ever played with an Echoplex?

roddie Wed Jun 04, 2014 12:14 am

I haven't played around with echo-plex's/tape machines much.. but I remember many years ago.. a band I was in had a Wem/Guild "Copy-Cat".. which used a very short tape-loop... nothing compared to the cartridge you re-wound.

Audiophiles anyone? - Page 3 Guild_10

I loved the Simon & Garfunkel background music! Oh.. and I couldn't help but notice the Tom T. Hall cartridge... "I remember the year that Clayton Delaney died"... do you have that one? You're bringing back memories from 45 years ago!

I "do" have a tape machine. It's an Ampex AX-50. My uncle gave it to me years ago. He was going to throw it away. I think it may need a belt.. but otherwise it's in beautiful condition. More recently; he gave me a "2nd" Pioneer receiver (first one was a QX-8000A quad that he gave me along with the Ampex deck) this time, he gave me his SX-440 and a pair of AR-2ax speaker cabs. I've had them since last Summer.. and haven't even tried them yet. He was an audiophile back in the 70's.. and bought nice stuff. (I'm trying to hide all this stuff from my wife... there's a LOT more I haven't even mentioned)

**Admin** Wed Jun 04, 2014 3:06 pm

I've got a bunch of the old Storyteller. I really should rip some of those to my computer, you want any of it? You should get the AX-50 running again, set it up to make some live analog recordings of you and your band.

roddie Mon Jun 09, 2014 6:51 am

Admin wrote:

I've got a bunch of the old Storyteller. I really should rip some of those to my computer, you want any of it? You should get the AX-50 running again, set it up to make some live analog recordings of you and your band.

I'm actually only familiar with that one Tom T. Hall tune. When I was a kid... a neighbor lady used to play it often. It would be cool to get the Ampeg AX-50 running. I did record the band using a VHS HI-FI deck; direct.. off the mixer line-outs a few times. The recordings are awesome. The mix was always decent.. because our lead-singer is also a sound-man. I would transfer the audio of the VHS afterward, to digital; using "Pro-Tools" recording software here at home.

**RknRusty** Mon Jun 09, 2014 10:59 am

That reminds me, it's time to change my sig song.
Rusty

roddie Mon Jun 09, 2014 12:10 pm

RknRusty wrote:That reminds me, it's time to change my sig song.
Rusty

YO..! Jerry Jeff Walker.. He wrote Mr. Bojangles after being jailed in 1965 for public intoxication.. where he shared a cell with a homeless man who went by that alias. The "Nitty Gritty Dirt Band" made the song famous about a year after JJW released it on his own album by the same name back in 1968.

**RknRusty** Mon Jun 09, 2014 2:40 pm

I used to love to turn this one up ALL the way and just soak up the chest thumping beats.

**Admin** Mon Jun 09, 2014 2:50 pm

Roddie, I bet you'd like a copy of this! Top Hits on the Hammond.

Audiophiles anyone? - Page 3 Top_hi10

roddie Mon Jun 09, 2014 3:53 pm

Yes I would Jacob!!! My uncle's favorite "organ" song is "Time is Tight" by Booker-T and the MG's. It's not hard to understand why! Turn up your speakers.. and get ready to be BLOWN-AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**Cribbs74** Mon Jun 09, 2014 4:52 pm

That's pretty good Roddie, but I like Green Onions better.

Ron

**Admin** Mon Jun 09, 2014 11:19 pm

I'll get everything set up to digitize that tape for you. I'll do a speed check on the Wollensak 8075A first, make sure it didn't drift the last time I messed with it. I'll digitize it at a sample rate of 48kHz 32bit unless you want 96kHz.

If you like the sound of HiFi VHS, you would be blown away at the sound of even general purpose tape such as Scotch 150 running at 7.5IPS.

**Admin** Tue Jun 10, 2014 3:07 am

RknRusty wrote:I used to love to turn this one up ALL the way and just soak up the chest thumping beats.

I'll request that tomorrow on the Bob FM all request lunch hour. I made them play Jimmie Driftwood's original version awhile ago. They play Horton's version all the time.

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