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Vintage Tape (Audio), Cassette, Wire and Magnetic Disc Recorders and Players Open-reel tape recorders, cassette recorders, 8-track players etc.

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Old 24th Jul 2018, 7:12 pm   #21
Barks67
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Default Re: Fostex E16 - any experienced here?

Machine back and working great.
Bar a weak track One, it is all calibrated and operating to spec.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jamesperrett View Post
Sounds like they were trying to use it with a mixing desk designed for +4dBu levels. That's a pretty simple job to correct - probably a 10 minute job if you have the right setup. The ripple on the power supply sounds like the real issue here.
Yup, your assessment matches that of the tech. Good call!

James - can i ask what you would use to clean the rubber rollers on your Fostex?
I know Isopropyl should not be used.
The tape counter sensor wheel rubber is a little shiny so I think it's slipping on fast forward and rewind so counter not accurate for locate points.

thanks
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Old 25th Jul 2018, 12:44 am   #22
jamesperrett
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Default Re: Fostex E16 - any experienced here?

I'd go for water with a little detergent for cleaning the rubber roller but I find it rarely needs cleaning. Locate points will drift slightly over time and I'd only expect the built-in autolocator to be accurate to a second or so over a few cycles. It may also be worth checking how the tape tension varies as the machine slows down as, if it goes too low, the tape could slip against the roller. Does the edit mode work properly (press stop twice and then the tape can then be moved in either direction by twisting one reel while still remaining in perfect contact with the heads)?

If you want properly repeatable locate points then it would be better to find a 4050 synchroniser and use a tape striped with timecode.
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Old 25th Jul 2018, 10:09 am   #23
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Default Re: Fostex E16 - any experienced here?

Thanks James for the reply.
Does this sound about right:
Tape has 0 point reset at beginning, play tape til about 30 mins then auto locate 0.
As the tape counter gets to about 1min from zero the tape runs out. So about a minute of drift?

Re edit mode - yes that is functioning correctly.
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Old 25th Jul 2018, 12:31 pm   #24
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Default Re: Fostex E16 - any experienced here?

Quote:
Thanks James for the reply.
Does this sound about right:
Tape has 0 point reset at beginning, play tape til about 30 mins then auto locate 0.
As the tape counter gets to about 1min from zero the tape runs out. So about a minute of drift?
It should be better than that I'd guess. Does the tape counter roller turn nice and freely in its bearing when spun by hand? Oils and greases tend to dry out and go sticky. Maybe it needs disassembling , cleaning , relubing.

I only have a Fostex 8 track 1/4" machine with me here so cant make a direct comparison.
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Old 25th Jul 2018, 3:07 pm   #25
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Default Re: Fostex E16 - any experienced here?

hey

where/who is the Multitrack Specialist you mentioned?
i'm in Manchester and looking for that exact serice!

cheers
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Old 25th Jul 2018, 3:53 pm   #26
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Check PM
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Old 25th Jul 2018, 4:01 pm   #27
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Default Re: Fostex E16 - any experienced here?

Quote:
Originally Posted by TIMTAPE View Post
It should be better than that I'd guess. Does the tape counter roller turn nice and freely in its bearing when spun by hand? Oils and greases tend to dry out and go sticky. Maybe it needs disassembling , cleaning , relubing.

I only have a Fostex 8 track 1/4" machine with me here so cant make a direct comparison.
Yes its spinning fine.

I think it could be slightly sloppy tension arms. They look like they have bent over years of constant pressure so only one of the bearings on each are really contacting the tape.

I've been testing on a memory repeat/auto-play cycle over 5-6 minutes length and its fine for that - so not a big deal.

I had an R8 in the 90's and that was really good for locating.
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Old 26th Jul 2018, 5:56 am   #28
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Default Re: Fostex E16 - any experienced here?

Uneven tension across the width of the tape at the supply guide(s) can translate to uneven tape tension across the head face.That could be implicated in the weakness of track 1 which is at the top edge of the tape.
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Old 26th Jul 2018, 2:20 pm   #29
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Barks67 View Post
As the tape counter gets to about 1min from zero the tape runs out. So about a minute of drift?
That certainly doesn't sound right - I'd expect no more than a second or two of drift. While it is worth looking at the tape/roller contact, it may also be worth checking that the tape counter is actually reading the right time - what happens if you compare the time displayed in play mode with a stopwatch?
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Old 26th Jul 2018, 9:42 pm   #30
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Default Re: Fostex E16 - any experienced here?

I have not checked with a stopwatch yet - but - the counter seems to be accurate in fast forward - but "slips" in rewind.
I'm cleaning everything. Do you oil the bearings lightly?
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Old 26th Jul 2018, 11:34 pm   #31
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Quote:
Do you oil the bearings lightly?
I've not touched the bearings in mine and not noticed any problems.
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Old 27th Jul 2018, 12:08 am   #32
Barks67
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Default Re: Fostex E16 - any experienced here?

Thanks.
I've cleaned the wheel with detergent. It had quite a few shiny spots but those went.
I notice it is accurate up to about 15 minutes both fast forward and return - so I can only assume its something to so with the take up reel tension or alignment.
Looking at the two bearings on the take reel tension, on rewind only one spins and the other judders. They both move freely by hand so I guess the spindle is slightly bent so the tape is not making even contact, so this must be impacting the contact with the counter reel as the tension changes?
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Old 27th Jul 2018, 11:00 am   #33
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jamesperrett View Post
what happens if you compare the time displayed in play mode with a stopwatch?
Just timed over entire duration of tape in play. Tape counter only lags by 3 seconds to stopwatch over 33 minutes duration.
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Old 27th Jul 2018, 10:31 pm   #34
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Barks67 View Post
Looking at the two bearings on the take reel tension, on rewind only one spins and the other judders. They both move freely by hand so I guess the spindle is slightly bent so the tape is not making even contact, so this must be impacting the contact with the counter reel as the tension changes?
A bent tension arm could also be causing the uneven head wear seen on your previous photos although I doubt that it is causing the counter issue. I would also watch what the tension arms are doing as you wind the tape - does the tension seem constant or does it reduce/increase as you reach the end of the reel? I'm just wondering if the tension is too low for some part of the tape.

One other thing to check - what make of tape are you using?
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Old 28th Jul 2018, 11:45 am   #35
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Default Re: Fostex E16 - any experienced here?

Thanks James

It does move depending on the amount left on the spool - to the extent it bounces slightly past the midway point. What I do notice, with no tape loaded, is that there feels to be a mechanical glitch part way through its travel as you lift it gently through its arc. The other one is smooth.
I have the service manual so will look at the construction, and also the setup process.

Tape is Ampex 456. I had to bake them to stop shedding, so it's possible that is effecting it. I see the RMGI 911 is the equivalent current brand most use that is affordable, unless there are other suggestions?
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Old 28th Jul 2018, 6:32 pm   #36
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Quote:
Tape is Ampex 456. I had to bake them to stop shedding, so it's possible that is effecting it. I see the RMGI 911 is the equivalent current brand most use that is affordable, unless there are other suggestions?
I'd stop using that 456 immediately - the effects of baking wear off pretty quickly and some of your problems could be due to the shedding starting to reappear. The Recording The Masters 911 works well with the E16 in my experience so it would be well worth buying a reel - you can get NAB reels from the usual suppliers like Studiospares or, if you have old reels of 456 that you can remove the flanges from, you can buy pancakes from http://www.tapecity.co.uk/acatalog/0.5--Tape.html which save quite a bit of money.
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Old 28th Jul 2018, 6:38 pm   #37
Barks67
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Default Re: Fostex E16 - any experienced here?

Thanks so much James.

Buying pancakes seems a good plan as I have 5 reels of 456 that came with the machine.
I was unaware this was an option. The reels I have all bolt together.

Does the little noticeable glitch appear on your machine on the supply reel side tensioner?
It feels like there is a slight obstruction - sounds like a spring is loose.

Last edited by Barks67; 28th Jul 2018 at 6:54 pm.
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Old 29th Jul 2018, 10:44 pm   #38
jamesperrett
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Default Re: Fostex E16 - any experienced here?

Quote:
Does the little noticeable glitch appear on your machine on the supply reel side tensioner?
It feels like there is a slight obstruction - sounds like a spring is loose.
I've just checked the tension arms on all 3 of my Fostex machines and none have any glitches - they move freely for the first part of their travel and then they make contact with what feels like a spring. Once they've made contact with the spring you need progressively more force to move them to the top of the slot. When the tape has been laced the tension arms should always be in the sprung part of their travel.
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Old 30th Jul 2018, 8:25 pm   #39
Barks67
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Default Re: Fostex E16 - any experienced here?

Thanks for checking. I think this is fine, just a little play when it is slack.
I've ordered a pancake - thanks for the link - and will see if it makes a difference. I suspect it will.

Barks
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Old 31st Jul 2018, 1:57 am   #40
jamesperrett
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Default Re: Fostex E16 - any experienced here?

Clean the guides and heads very thoroughly before you try the new tape. The residue left by even just slightly sticky Ampex tapes can be very persistent.
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