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Old 6th May 2010, 6:43 pm   #1
stubbyeddy
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Default Schaub Lorenz 5001 Music Centre repaired.

I have known about this radio for quite some years and until a few weeks ago never imagined I would be lucky enough to own one! I found my music centre advertised in a private add online and being not tooo.. far away I decided to give them a call to see if it was still available, as luck would have it it was! I was a little cheeky and after some negotiation I got the music centre for £85. Quite expensive for a not so old radio but is was in lovely condition and I know they are pretty hard to come by so I took the plunge.

I was told the radio was working to a fashion and that the music centre had some old radio recordings on. So I knew at least the tape section was working to some degree. When I got the system home I took the back off to have a look at what was going on. The first thing I noticed about my machine was the lack of a serial number and all the screws on the back were missing. The biggest thing you notice when you open one of these contraptions is just how big the tape machine is and how small the radio is. The tape unit takes up more then half the case with just a little radio with an enormous speaker on the right hand side. Having studied lots of photos and reading all the information I could find online I had a good look at the tape machine to make sure there was nothing obvious wrong before I powered it up and tried it.

First I wanted to try the radio to see what was working and what wasn’t , the chap who sold it me had tired all of it out before so I wasn’t overly worried about powering it up as I was told the radio had been in use quite often for listening to radio 2 in the house. Everything on the radio seamed to work ok, there was no noisy switches and everything thing came in clear on all bands, The radio has two tuning scales with separate needles, one for VHF and the other for LW MW SW the latter having become detached but small drop of super glue soon fixed that. Having got the radio working well and being very impressed with its sensitivity and astonishing room filling crystal clear sound my attentions were next drawn to the music centre.

The thing that impressed me was how clean the whole unit was inside, having only a few air holes in the back cover all covered with fabric dust is kept to a minimum, with nothing looking obvious that would cause the tape damage took the plunge and I powered it up and held my breath, first I could hear the sound of relays and solenoids clicking into place and then the progress scale slowly came into view and the play indicator started to turn, and I was greeted by a young Terry Wogan on radio one. The sound quality was simply stunning it was just as good as the FM radio reception I had just experienced a moment before, I couldn’t quite believe my ears, I managed to date the recoding to 1970, I let the tape run and noticed despite the crystal clear sound there was a lot of wow which I put down to not being lubricated for a very long time. I let the tape play until the sound of the “end of recording tone” that’s recorded at the end of a recording at which point the tape clicked to the next track, rewound and then failed to play, none of the buttons would then worked and the machine was in a paused state, the only way I found to restart the machine was to power it off and then back on and then engage play. As everything else was functioning ok I decided to take the unit out clean and lubricate it. Once the unit was out of the case you can see the tape player in all its glory, its quite a machine to behold, its heavy robust build reminded me of how a black box flight recorder looks out of its case with 2 enormous big reels only on tape rather than wire.

I lubricated up all the moving parts lightly and left the unit play out of its case so I could study in detail how the whole thing operated, after a while it became apparent that there is an LDR that looks for the clear tape leader before it engages back into play and the failed LDR couldn’t detect this and so left the machine in pause when it rewound as it wasn’t sure the tape had completely rewound despite being told by another trip switch it was a the start of the reel.
The whole tape section in general is very easy to work on, there is a side bracket to use the machine on its side so you can work on the underside of the tape machine while its running and all circuit boards are hinged to flip out to service. I removed the part that housed the LDR and had a closer look, I had read that when originally the units were assembled they heated up the LDRs to hot and caused the plastic casing to melt around the contacts letting air in and causing the LDR to fail, this was the case with mine, the LDR on one side looked back and corroded so I needed to find a suitable replacement, which I found in an old scrap video player from the early 80s. I swapped the part over and with some slight adjustment fitted it all back together and tried it out, and as if by magic the machine could see the tape again! and all the above mention problems went away. All was left was to clean the tape head try out the record and see if the wow problem was still present. Having given the rubber idler wheel a good clean as well as the tape head I tested the tape machine again, I found a blank track and tried out 22mins of recording Classic FM to make sure as the tape spooling from one reel to another wasn’t effecting the recording with lots of wow, on play back it seams to have done the trick, the recording was crystal clear from beginning to end and hardly any noticeable wow or flutter I was quite stunned, and once it got to the end of the track everything clicked into place and it went on to play the next track. I assembled it all back into its case and gave it a days soak test, which it passed with flying colours!

I plan to record on to computer all the old off air material and record on my music to fill the machine up, I find it very handy to put the tape player into action when there’s nothing on the radio I want to listen to. Its going to get plenty of use during the day in the lounge! My partner not being very technically minded loves it, and cant see why it didn’t catch on !
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Old 6th May 2010, 7:36 pm   #2
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Default Re: Schaub Lorenz 5001 Music Center repaired

Just wanted to include some photos and a video link of it in operation

[IMG]http://farm5.static.***********/4008/4584807490_3757d56000_o.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://farm5.static.***********/4044/4584179737_8c11cc4756_o.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://farm5.static.***********/4035/4584179807_a4dc80717f_o.jpg[/IMG]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06MhpIaJnPA
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Old 7th May 2010, 8:47 am   #3
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Default Re: Schaub Lorenz 5001 Music Center repaired

Wow .Amazing machine!
If it were mine i would leave the old recordings on it intact as its unique like that and give it instant period charecter.Is it so full you have to remove them ?The unfortunate thing is , once removed ,gone forever from the machine ,and once novelty has worn off with you wanting to record on it, its then rarther dead. Maybe at least leave some of the best on it .
Just my opinion
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Old 7th May 2010, 10:30 am   #4
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Default Re: Schaub Lorenz 5001 Music Center repaired

Dont worry! im going to leave all the original recordings on it, its only about quarter full and not all recorded tracks are together, so im going to fill up all the gaps with music so it has a smother continuous play.
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Old 7th May 2010, 12:23 pm   #5
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Default Re: Schaub Lorenz 5001 Music Center repaired

I remember seeing adverts for these in the 70s? I'll see if I can find one and post it.

Keith
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Old 7th May 2010, 1:17 pm   #6
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Default Re: Schaub Lorenz 5001 Music Center repaired

Hi Keith

any information and alike would be very much appreciated, there is not lot in english about these machines. Its kind of spooky as in a way the music centers interface has a kind of iPod feel about it!

Eddy
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Old 7th May 2010, 2:40 pm   #7
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Default Re: Schaub Lorenz 5001 Music Center repaired

Wow! .
What a cool mechanism.
Well done for getting it going.
How much capacity does it have?
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Old 7th May 2010, 3:03 pm   #8
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Default Re: Schaub Lorenz 5001 Music Center repaired

Hi Tim

46.2 hours in total! over 126, 22minute tracks.

Eddy
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Old 7th May 2010, 6:20 pm   #9
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Default Re: Schaub Lorenz 5001 Music Center repaired

I've had a quick look through my magazines but can't find the advert yet. Do you have any idea of the date of this unit so I can narrow my search.

Keith
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Old 7th May 2010, 6:27 pm   #10
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Default Re: Schaub Lorenz 5001 Music Center repaired

I think manufacture is between 1965-68 then they halted production but alot of unsold stock was on the market over here in the very early 70s
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Old 7th May 2010, 7:58 pm   #11
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Default Re: Schaub Lorenz 5001 Music Center repaired

I have 2 of these myself, one works on the radio side but nothing with the tape. The other has yet to be tried! I'm sure they were advertised in PW only once, I remember it well. Always wanted one but never saw them anywhere until 2 came up on Ebay together and I think I was the only bidder
Try as I may I cannot find the issue but it was in the early 70s. Don't suppose you have any instructions!

Peter
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Old 7th May 2010, 8:08 pm   #12
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Default Re: Schaub Lorenz 5001 Music Center repaired

Hi Peter

sorry i dont have any instructions but it is quite simple to operate when it works thats is. but if you click on the link below you will find a photo of a basic operating manual http://www.ilove-schaub-lorenz-music...tions_5001.jpg

If you need any help getting them going, then drop me a line id be more then happy to help, they do look a bit daunting but repairing clocks as a hobby once i studied it for a few hours it all makes sense in the end.
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Old 7th May 2010, 8:17 pm   #13
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Default Re: Schaub Lorenz 5001 Music Center repaired

Thanks for that Stubbyeddy.

Peter
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Old 8th May 2010, 1:13 am   #14
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Default Re: Schaub Lorenz 5001 Music Center repaired

You might enjoy this link

http://www.ilove-schaub-lorenz-music-centers.com/

Paul
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Old 8th May 2010, 1:25 pm   #15
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Default Re: Schaub Lorenz 5001 Music Center repaired

Hi Eddy,

How did you get it inside the house ! I tried with my 5001 and was told I had more chance of being buried in it than it coming indoors !!! . Joking apart these are great time capsules mine has recordings from the 70's on it but i have not got round to transferring them yet.

Cheers Mark
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Old 8th May 2010, 3:15 pm   #16
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Default Re: Schaub Lorenz 5001 Music Center repaired

It certainly does make for some interesting listening.. As for getting in the house the fact its very easy to use (compared to navigating your way around all my maze of AV equipment just to get a CD on) means my partner can finally just select a track with music on and away it goes! i just have to start filling up the 80% of blank tape now

Eddy
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Old 11th May 2010, 3:20 am   #17
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Default Re: Schaub Lorenz 5001 Music Center repaired

That is SO wild.

How wide is the tape? Reminds me of an 8-track mechanism on steroids!
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Old 11th May 2010, 7:30 am   #18
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Default Re: Schaub Lorenz 5001 Music Center repaired

Hi

The tape is 4 inches wide. On my example the tape is still in good condition which is just as well as i have no idea where a replacement would be available from now ?


Cheers Mark
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Old 11th May 2010, 7:55 am   #19
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Default Re: Schaub Lorenz 5001 Music Center repaired

If you want some programmes that relate to that time, I collect Pick of the Pops recordings by the late Alan Freeman,

I could always pop a couple on CD for you.
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Old 11th May 2010, 6:23 pm   #20
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Default Re: Schaub Lorenz 5001 Music Center repaired

Thanks Michael that is a very good idea!

on another note if the tape did go in these machines i would have a stab a splicing some 2' audio tape side by side to give you the 4" needed. could work quite well?
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