My Test Tapes     August 2020   Filed Under: Tape Recording

Tool Cassettes for Alignment and Calibration

These took me a few years to aquire. Essential for electrical and mechanical adjustments. Made to agreed standards to ensure consistency between decks. The Nakamichi company established early recording level and tape formulation specs.

Some were made by Gennady Lyskin, who supplies the world with excellent tapes from his lab in Wellington.

The tapes are expensive, fragile and prone to wear. I make everyday tapes on a trusted reference machine and use the masters sparingly.

The first one I got is the most essential, the azimuth calibration tape. All decks must read and write the magnetic pattern exactly vertical on the tape. It's a touchy adjustment, some high end decks tweak automatically or manually from the front panel. If it's out, a tape will play fine on the recording deck but sound dull on a different player. Bad azimuth cuts out the highs and is adjusted by peaking the 10kHz signal when playing the test tape.

The Nakamichi tapes are for bias and record level calibration.

The tapes with dials measure torque and the mirror tape is for tape path inspection. The TDK demagentiser is a novelty collectable, I actually use a proper handheld tool.

Not for sale!

 

 

 

Cassettes - better than you dont remember     February 2016   Filed Under: Tape Recording

Nice video from Technomoans Mat about cassette recording. Explains about the different types of tape and noise reduction technology. All his videos are excellent.

Clock made from B&O Turntable     May 2011   Filed Under: Turntables

I got an unusual request from a customer wanting a turntable to turn into a clock. Scott chose a Bang and Olufsen Beogram 1200 I had been storing for parts. He sent me a picture of the finished result - awesome!

Technics SA-T670 Power Test     March 2013   Filed Under: Cool Stuff

These amps were a NZ only model and specs are elusive. There has been some controversy about the real power output so here's the real oil.

Retro Audio Links     May 2011   Filed Under: Cool Stuff

Fred's recommended time wasters

Retro Wooden Television Set     May 2011   Filed Under: Cool Stuff

This TV is on display at the Museum für Kommunikation Frankfurt along with lots of other cool stuff.

Sold Equipment Archive     May 2011   Filed Under: Cool Stuff

I've had some interesting items in the past and it's worth keeping the pictures and information about them. Here are links to the archives.

How To Balance a Turntable Arm     April 2011   Filed Under: Turntables

Or more correctly, how to make the force calibrations on the counterweight read correctly. Video instructions.