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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 26th May 2012, 11:29 am   #1
nbm7101
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Smile Ultra 6212 Reel to Reel 4 Track Recorder

For the past few weeks I have been hitting the local charity and second hand shops looking for my own reel to reel recorder. Been turned away at every one, finally I remembered a little shop in East Dulwich. When I got there sure enough then owner had an old Ultra recorder covered in dust and dirt laying underneath some used bicycles. It was without mains plug so I took my chances, and gave him half of his asking price (5 quid).

After gingerly riding my bicycle back home with the recorder tied to the back rack, I was able to begin work. After figuring out what the old wiring colours meant ( still had black, red, and green wiring) I had the new plug attached and she powered right up. Reels spun stiffly at first but quickly loosened up. I cleaned all the dust and debris off and it didn't look too bad.

After playing through some of the tape, I found a badly tangled area and had to do my first splice.

No microphone, I guess I can't record until I get one.

The model is Ultra 6212. Anyone know what year this is from?
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Old 26th May 2012, 1:31 pm   #2
dazzlevision
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Default Re: Ultra 6212 Reel to Reel 4 Track Recorder

Hello,

This machine would have been on sale (new) in the late 1960s. I have its Ferguson sibling (model 3230), which is identical internally. The original retail price was forty-four and a half Guineas (1 Guinea = 21 Shillings = £1.05p).

They are very good machines (for the money) and only use one belt, for the tape counter.

At this time in their lives, the idler wheel that connects the drive from the motor pulley to the capstan flywheel (underside of deck) tends to become stiff, due to the grease on the idler wheel arm's bearing seizing up. Diassembly, cleaning and relubricating will sort it out (but it's a bit of a pig to get at). This will cause no/erratic take up spool rotation and may vary with the speed selected.

I'd also clean the tape path carefully with isopropyl alcohol and cotton buds.

The electronics is pretty reliable.

You will need a crystal type microphone (high output impendance) for this valve electronics machine. I have seen the original type on Ebay occasionally. It is made of black plastic and has a remote stop/start slide switch on it (red switch knob). The rear is embossed with "A Thorn product). The lead is fitted with a four pin DIN plug. Thorn Electrical Industries owned the Ultra, HMV, Marconiphone and Ferguson brand names at that time.

Regards,

Dazzlevision
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Old 26th May 2012, 2:08 pm   #3
brenellic2000
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Default Re: Ultra 6212 Reel to Reel 4 Track Recorder

I agree with Dazzlevision - a very good deck with decent sound, as were all the Thorn decks. We had the upmarket Marconiphone in 1967, I think. They were in the 1967-69 line up. Had to sell our Hornby Doublo train set to buy it, mind you! They can replay stereo if you have one of the Sync-amp units as they have an 8-pin aux socket, if I remember rightly.
They are very reliable too.

Barry
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Old 26th May 2012, 2:23 pm   #4
dazzlevision
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Default Re: Ultra 6212 Reel to Reel 4 Track Recorder

Quote:
Originally Posted by brenellic2000 View Post
They can replay stereo if you have one of the Sync-amp units as they have an 8-pin aux socket, if I remember rightly.
Yes, if you can find the Thorn TA01 "Synchro-Amp" unit (they do crop up on Ebay), you can replay stereo tape recordings through a separate HiFi amplifier and speakers. Even if you don't want stereo, you will get better quality playback using the "Radio" output 5 pin DIN socket at the rear, through a HiFi system.
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Old 26th May 2012, 3:12 pm   #5
nbm7101
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Default Re: Ultra 6212 Reel to Reel 4 Track Recorder

Thanks dazzlevision and brenellic2000 for your replies.

Dazzlevision,

The take up spool is running smoothly. But the first head on the left of the sound channel I can see is rusted, and you can see in my photo even though it can't quite focus so close up. In the next photo you can see the right head is shiny and clean, but the spinning one beside it has marks above and below the tapes contact point.

Another problem I noticed after letting the tape play through for a while on 3.75 speed was a loud noise coming from within. If I elevated a certain corner of the unit slightly the noise stopped for a bit, but got worse afterwards. I turned the machine off and let it sit for about 45 minutes and when I powered it up again it was back to normal, running quietly.

I assume it will come back if it plays for long enough again. Any ideas? A heat problem maybe?

I can also see through the vent holes that the counter belt is broken, is this difficult to get at?
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Old 26th May 2012, 5:58 pm   #6
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Default Re: Ultra 6212 Reel to Reel 4 Track Recorder

The heads are the square blocks with wires on the back. What you are looking at are the tape guides, and the wide black one is the pinch roller. The "rust" may be oxide, shed from old tapes. You could try to clean the tape path with a spirit cleaner, isopropyl or even meths. Take care not to loosen any adjustment screws as they are not easy to reset.
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Old 26th May 2012, 7:27 pm   #7
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Default Re: Ultra 6212 Reel to Reel 4 Track Recorder

There is most likely be a bearing that has got a bit dry. It will need to be cleaned and lubricated again. Be careful not to get any oil or grease on any of the rubber parts.
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Old 26th May 2012, 10:34 pm   #8
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Default Re: Ultra 6212 Reel to Reel 4 Track Recorder

Hello,

The fact that some of the metal parts are rusty suggests the machine hasn't been stored in suitable dry conditions. This may have caused some steel surfaces to corrode and that might be the cause of your noise. Does the noise alter in pitch when you try the three available tape speeds?

Unless you are confident you know what you are doing, dismantling the mechanism in order to clean and lubricate bearings (capstan top and bottom, the idler wheel I mentioned in my first post and possibly the bearings of the several rubber drive wheels visible when the top cover is removed), is not recommended. If you are a novice, maybe you should ask for a tape recorder specialist to service the machine.

The top cover is removed after you unscrew seven screws (including the one holding the black plastic cover over the tape heads/capstan/tape guides). You will also have to carefully pull off the four rotary control knobs.

The tape counter belt is easy to change (if you can obtain one). It simply sits on the "step" of the supply turntable and on the pulley fitted to the tape counter mechanism.

Dazzlevision
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Old 27th May 2012, 9:59 am   #9
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Default Re: Ultra 6212 Reel to Reel 4 Track Recorder

Are you sure this is a valve machine wanting a crystal mic? I'd have guessed transistor, by the use of a moving-coil meter for the recording level. In which case, what it wants is a low-impedance dynamic or electret mic.

Even if it wants a high-output, high-impedance microphone (crystal, or dynamic via a matching transformer), you could boost the signal from a dynamic mic with a single transistor.
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Old 27th May 2012, 10:46 am   #10
dazzlevision
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Default Re: Ultra 6212 Reel to Reel 4 Track Recorder

Hello,

This machine uses ECC83, ECL86 and ECC82 (record bias oscillator), plus one Silicon transistor in the record level meter circuit. The original Thorn mike is definately a crystal type.

Dazzlevision
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Old 27th May 2012, 10:58 am   #11
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Default Re: Ultra 6212 Reel to Reel 4 Track Recorder

I stand corrected, then. Obviously all is not always what it seems to be!
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Old 27th May 2012, 12:11 pm   #12
brenellic2000
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Default Re: Ultra 6212 Reel to Reel 4 Track Recorder

The full stereo version of this deck was transistorised.

Barry
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Old 27th May 2012, 3:48 pm   #13
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Default Re: Ultra 6212 Reel to Reel 4 Track Recorder

These Thorn machines are without doubt one of the best series of tape recorders ever made. The decks are 100% reliable and the sound quality even at the two lowest speeds is excellent. They certainly put some of the so called classics to shame and as mentioned, do not suffer from messy belts and nasty clutches.
I purchased the Marconi 4210 new in 1967 and is always the machine I turn to when asked to play back odd tapes found in attics etc.
The microphone is a good quality crystal type with remote control switch to pause the deck.
The Ultra version 6206 is very stylish with it's teak cabinet and red lining to the lid. I pulled this one off the tip around ten years ago.
The rear external sockets allow you to record from radio/record player/cassette/DVD etc. There is also an extension loudspeaker socket and the amp can be used stand alone if required.Regards, John.
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Old 27th May 2012, 7:26 pm   #14
dazzlevision
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Default Re: Ultra 6212 Reel to Reel 4 Track Recorder

Hello,

The one problem that I have encountered on the earlier models in this series is defective record level meters. I have come across several where the pointer is not zeroed or has erratic zeroing. These were branded "Smiths". Later meters were made in Germany and have a dB scale (the earlier ones did not). Needless to say, I have not come across a defective German meter!

I have owned my Ferguson 3230 since 1967 and it has been very reliable (Fine sets these Fergusons!) and performs very well. I particulalry like the piano key tape transport controls, compared to the Tandberg "joystick" arrangement.

Regards,

Dazzlevision
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Old 27th May 2012, 10:36 pm   #15
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Default Re: Ultra 6212 Reel to Reel 4 Track Recorder

I agree on the reliability, I've got one of the Ferguson branded machines, and I don't think I've had to do any bit of renovation on it, it just keeps on working. Doesn't get a lot of use though.

Playback track selection is a bit odd though, with two separate play buttons for the two selectable tracks. Can't think of any other machine that does it this way.
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Old 28th May 2012, 12:49 am   #16
nbm7101
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Default Re: Ultra 6212 Reel to Reel 4 Track Recorder

What exactly is a crystal mic?

I want to record live music with my recorder.

I also have tried fiddling with the inputs on the rear, to hook up my Blaupunkt radiogram, but no luck so far.

Last edited by paulsherwin; 28th May 2012 at 11:55 am. Reason: Edited to comply with forum rules
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Old 28th May 2012, 7:04 am   #17
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Default Re: Ultra 6212 Reel to Reel 4 Track Recorder

Quote:
Originally Posted by ricard View Post
Playback track selection is a bit odd though, with two separate play buttons for the two selectable tracks. Can't think of any other machine that does it this way.
Hello,

Sounds like your Ferguson is the stereo model, with all-transistor electronics?

Regards,

Dazzlevision
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Old 28th May 2012, 1:32 pm   #18
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Default Re: Ultra 6212 Reel to Reel 4 Track Recorder

I was given a second hand Ultra 6204 as a combined birthday and passing 11+ present. It was a great machine and I still have some of the recordings I made on it from our Grundig Music Boy radio.

The only problem with it as I recall was the track change switch which more or less self destructed and led to it being put away in the loft where it remained when my parents moved house. It will probably come up on here one day as a loft find!!

Paul
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Old 28th May 2012, 2:57 pm   #19
brenellic2000
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Default Re: Ultra 6212 Reel to Reel 4 Track Recorder

Nmb7101 ...

You ask what exactly is a crystal mic? These are the most basic Rochelle salt type used by 99% of basic tape recorders. They are adequate for most purposes... but what you need is one wired up for a 5-pin DIN plug - it plugs in above the piano keys. The proper Thorn microphone also has an active/remote pause control.

You can of cousre use any microphone through an external amplifier/pre-amp through the 5-pin DIN radio in/out plug - that's the beauty of DIN socketry! The Blaupunkt almost certainly has DIN sockets, if not a DIN-Phono or DIN-jack lead will do.

Barry
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Old 28th May 2012, 3:05 pm   #20
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Default Re: Ultra 6212 Reel to Reel 4 Track Recorder

Barry,

Do crystal microphones have the same habit of self-destructing that crystal cartridges do?

Nick.
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