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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 14th May 2018, 8:11 pm   #1
ckbrooks
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Default Uher setup tape - how to make one?

Hello all,

I have several Uhers that I’m trying to bring up to scratch (see my other posts). I’d like to check the head alignment, output levels and so on and was wondering how to make a test tape to begin these procedures, and also how to carry them out.

I’ve got another fully restored reel to reel to be able to make them on if necessary (Servisound restored Ferrograph 7).

Any help would be gratefully received.

Clive
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Old 14th May 2018, 10:16 pm   #2
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Smile Re: Uher setup tape - how to make one?

Hi,
The way I align the heads on my tape recorders is with a pre-recorded tape. I have a couple of mono Beatles tapes, and a classical tape, all recorded on EMItape. I play these and adjust the head for best treble response by ear.
Probably not very scientific, but good enough for me.
Hope this is useful.
Cheers, Pete.
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Old 15th May 2018, 6:01 am   #3
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Default Re: Uher setup tape - how to make one?

Lining up the heads on a three-head recorder requires a sacrificial test tape, since you will have to erase portions and record new material as part of the procedure.

You can make this on a recorder with the same track configuration as the one you are aligning, or a single-track mono recorder.
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Old 15th May 2018, 12:34 pm   #4
ckbrooks
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Default Re: Uher setup tape - how to make one?

Thank you. Are you able to run me though the necessary procedure for making the tape and then going through the process? I have second machine (Ferrograph) properly lined up and restored by Servisound, so I could use that to make the tape.

I appreciate that all this may be beyond what you can help with, and so if it is, don’t worry.
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Old 15th May 2018, 1:10 pm   #5
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Default Re: Uher setup tape - how to make one?

I cheat and avoid sacrificing a test tape.

Align the replay head to get best signal/noise ratio and frequency response (stereo used to get the phases of the channels right wrt each other)

Then I wire the record head to the replay amplifier and do it all over again for that head. So I've got height and azimuth good on those heads.

Getting the erase head right does involve erasing something but you can now record on this machine with erase off, onto bulk-erased tape and twiddle the erase head height to best erase the target tracks. On a 4-track machine you can turn the tape over and check tracks in the other direction aren't impaired.

Fiddly, but do-able.

David
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Old 15th May 2018, 1:30 pm   #6
barrymagrec
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Default Re: Uher setup tape - how to make one?

I don`t understand the concept of a sacrificial test tape.

You start with a known good tape, either recorded on a known good machine or obtained elsewhere an use it to set azimuth, level and response of the replay chain - if you have a sufficiently good test tape and test equipment, or else you get as close as you can with what you have.

If the machine uses a common record / play head thats`s your head alignment done, you now adjust bias and record response to the required specification using your preferred recording tape.

On a machine with separate record / play heads you adjust the record head azimuth to follow the replay, if a stereo machine a dual trace scope is handy for this, then again adjust bias and response to follow your calibrated replay chain.

This is a very simplified description and the application of it depends on how much test equipment you have but the principal holds.

I can see no reason to sacrifice a test tape of any type.

Not all tape machines have a full range of adjustments so you have to go with what you have.

It is best to minimise head adjustments unless you know they have already been played about with as it can upset the tape path if the heads are worn.
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Old 15th May 2018, 2:25 pm   #7
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Default Re: Uher setup tape - how to make one?

I've never had to sacrifice a test tape either.

I mainly worked on Sony tape recorders back in the day, before doing anything I used to check that the tape path was ok first and for any badly worn bits, fixed guide in place properly, erase head in place properly, adjustable guide set to the erase head, check reel table heights for no tape curl, set record and playback head height/zenith and approx. azimuth then do the test tape run for final tweaking.

Lawrence.
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Old 15th May 2018, 4:57 pm   #8
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Default Re: Uher setup tape - how to make one?

If the erase head has been replaced and its height has to be adjusted, you have to erase something. It's just better to try it out on a tape made on the machine itself rather than on an expensive bought-in test tape.

David
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Old 15th May 2018, 5:25 pm   #9
ms660
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Default Re: Uher setup tape - how to make one?

I used to use the manufactures test tape for playback only, if the erase head needed replacing the tape path was checked beforehand to make sure it was ok then the top of the new head was set to just above the top of the tape, record head azimuth/phase etc was done by monitoring a recorded tone on a separate clean tape on line out, so basically two lots of tapes, one being the manufactures test tone tape or tapes for playback/speed the other being a good quality blank tape for the record set up, zenith was done visually.

Lawrence.
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Old 15th May 2018, 7:52 pm   #10
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Default Re: Uher setup tape - how to make one?

Sorry if it's been mentioned already, or can safely be assumed, but have the heads and tape path been demagnetised?

It was always the first step before playing an alignment tape to avoid any risk of damaging the tape.

PMM.
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