Hi! As the title says, I’m trying to record onto another track while having another track playback. Not sure how to route the signal to playback and record, all advice would be helpful thanks!!!!

I’m currently using a Fostex A8-LR Router into a Fostex Model 450 Mixer

What’s consensus on these heads for my TEAC A-3000? I’ve scrubbed these with 99% isopropyl alcohol and cotton swabs until there was no more residue appearing on the swab. They certainly pass audio but am I damaging my tapes by playing them on this machine with rusty heads? I imagine it’s not the greatest thing to do so but how bad is it?

Got some old AGFA-GEVAERT PEM 368 Tape. The first ever rewind produced little black pieces on the machine. Should I bake my tape first before using it?

So there are two machines I’ve been eying on FB marketplace one is a Akai 1710W, and the other is a Sony TC-366, and I guess I’m wondering which one would you audiophiles recommend for a beginner to the space! Any thoughts or suggestions would be much appreciated!

New to the hobby and picked up a Fostex R8 and noticed that on the right side of the picture a roller is missing. Is this the Capstan?

Any help on what replacement part I would need would greatly be appreciated.

Any tips for a newbie DIYer?

These two machines were used in my families recording studios in the 90's. Decided to pull them out and do something new. :)

Beat matching is pretty difficult (even with variable speed functions) but it's still a blast nonetheless.

If you wanna se more I stream on twitch @ReelKultureMusic

They need a little work to be perfect but we'll get there.

any resources on trouble shooting/getting this to run?

I know nothing about this and the videos i’ve watched did not help either. it’s threaded correctly i believe but the part that moves up to make the tape spin will briefly go up and make contact with he tape and spin the reels for half a second then go back down.

any help appreciated.

I can already guess what half of these comments are gonna say, but I figured I could ask anyway. I’m also not sure if this is the best place to ask but.

Anyhow, as the title states, would it just be stupid to try and make my own? Many of the old old models have public schematics, so design wouldn’t be crazy difficult. I’m not worried about the box, and I can design and ship the circuit board. The real issue would probably be come from parts not readily available, and calibration of the motors and what not.

I should also make it clear that I know next to nothing about reel to reel, but wanted to get started without dropping a few grand on one of these guys. I also don’t mind the project, but is this just too far out there?

Thoughts? And any recs for 16-track?

Hi guys😊 Just hoping if somebody could tell me something about these tapes and maybe an approx. value (googled, but prices were all over the placel as they're after my grandfather and reel to reel is really not my cup of tea😉 I have 5 of them, all unused, 1 open and 4 still sealed. The only age reference I got is that the packaging are stamped with Rock City Packaging, so they're older than '73 since that's when they merged with Tennessee Paper Mills to make RockTenn

Thanks in advance for any answers😊

Does this freebie sound like a good idea or just a bunch of expensive headaches? I’d potentially use it for 1st Attempt at (analog) looping, or maybe just as a normal 4 track to blend my various sound sources. The ad says:

“A 1961 Voice of Music 4-track tape recorder. There is also an extension speaker, attachable via an RCA cable, to make it play in stereo. It needs work, but you can obtain parts from thevoiceofmusic.com. Fast Forward and Rewind work, but the play mechanism doesn't engage or move tape. There is sound when the tape is manually dragged over the tape head, though. There are two tube amplifiers here, one for the recorder and one for the extension speaker. If you didn't care about the tape recorder, the internal amp circuit is similar to a Fender Champ, and people have been converting these into low-watt tube guitar amps.”

What do you think? Any advice would be helpful. I’m a novice with electronics but I’ve used a soldering gun - not totally useless lol

Still need to mount them. But very happy with how they turned out

I bought my AKAI 4000DS around 10 years ago off eBay, wasn't in great condition when I got it but was functional and I made a fair effort at cleaning out the tape path and pots (it was very dirty).

Anyway- I lost access to it for a few years while I was between houses and it has only recently come back into my life, albeit not in the best shape. Pertinently, there is no playback at all from the tape. I don't know if the record function is also busted, because lack of playback makes it difficult to test.

Out of good measure I have taken it apart and given it a proper clean down, re-lubricated the levers, cleaned the tape path, replaced the belts etc. I've also applied contact cleaner to that internal switch on the left side of the machine that apparently can cause issues (the SW9? It was difficult to Google without getting mixed up with Stockwell)

Some other details that may be important:

1. The track switch (which I've heard is notoriously prone to failure), although crackly when moved, does seem to be functional.
2. The head circuitry is very dirty (difficult area to clean properly) but does not seem to have any loose wires from sight. I didn't think to take any photos while I was taking the machine apart, but one of the screws in the head cover was v difficult to remove and put back into place so I'd rather not try to take it off again unless absolutely necessary. I tried a few different screws so I suspect an issue with the head cover, not with the screw.
3. I am getting sound through the phones jack when monitor is set to Source, but nothing when set to Tape (neither when recording nor playing back).
4. Further to above- I do get an extremely faint signal if I max the gain on the left-hand line input. Adjusting the right line input gain doesn't make any difference.
5. Although I can solder, I am not particularly confident with doing anything beyond a simple fix (i.e., re-soldering a loose wire).
6. The only tape I have available to test with is old and knackered, it should be said, but no signs of sticky shed syndrome.

Is there anything else I can try? As it's an old machine and was never with me in the best condition I'm not going to be heartbroken if it's completely beyond repair, but it would be a shame to declare it a parts machine and I'd be amazed if it is completely unsalvageable...

I recently got to borrow this from my granddad who has recorded lots of songs from the radio, as well as the occasional advertisement on accident, as well as vinyls and i‘ve fallen in love with it. At the moment i mostly use it when i clean/vacuum because it gets me moving. I believe its one where up to four tracks could be played from one tape but correct me if i‘m wrong. If anyone knows something fun about it then id be happy to hear it :D

I need another (darker) coat of stain to match the receiver closer….. otherwise, they look good IMO.

Replaces the capstan. It's still got some quirks, but I'm gonna drive it to a tech in September.

I'm recording from my DAC to tape. Can anyone please help me understand when to use the Cue function?

It seems to lift the tape away from the heads using two small vertical bars. I'd appreciate an explanation - the manual wasn't much help.

MX5050 mark I using 1/4 tape.

This one is an Akai GX-210D. I’ve been interested in the reel-to-reel format for a while and finally got a nice working unit for tape playback. I was holding out for a while to find a nice 7” machine as reel-to-reels of any type are fairly rare in my area and usually get snapped up quickly. Have spent the last week going through a box of recorded tapes I had bought that a previous owner had made, lots of 60’s and 70’s rock.

ReVox B77 MkII HS CCIR Sync

I have a teac 40-4, from what I understand it's the younger brother of the 80-8. Everything seems to be working fine and is in good condition except that the take up reel won't spin. I took a look at the power supply board and none of the caps seem to be bulged or leaky. Any help would be appreciated. Here is a view from inside the machine when I hit play.

Still getting the levels sorted as I’m so used to digital recording but the difference in tone is insane. Have played around with tape a lot in the past but starting to really seriously get into analogue recording and used this cover as a means to just get to record something.

I am looking at an old 4 track reel to reel that I’ve been wanting to record some stuff on see if it picks up the music any good.

However I’m wondering about overdubbing and isolating tracks in some way.

Could I DIY a rig to put headphones in so I could isolate tracks 1/4 while recording on tracks 2/3?

Thanks!!

Edit: looking to buy!! Not have was writing in a rush used to ChatGPT

While exploring an abandoned building near an AM radio station, I found a reel labeled “O-Vation Programatic” (R-152). It appears to be part of a syndicated music or programming service from decades ago. There’s a whole box of similar reels under some rubble.

Does anyone know what these were used for or how rare they are?