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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 29th Aug 2021, 3:55 pm   #61
Ted Kendall
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Default Re: Vortexion WVB smoking component..

John Martyn, Robert Fripp...
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Old 29th Aug 2021, 4:50 pm   #62
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Default Re: Vortexion WVB smoking component..

The Glorious Fool LP.... wonderful, and also his sublime cover of Glory Box

Fripp is destined to be remembered only for the number of youtube videos he's had taken down. He'll have single-handedly stopped anyone new discovering King Crimson. As slowly turns the grinding wheel in.... but those must have been Sinfield's words.

David
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Old 29th Aug 2021, 4:57 pm   #63
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Default Re: Vortexion WVB smoking component..

Saw John Martyn at the St Ives Guildhall many moons ago, got Inside Out somewhere from the 1970's.

Lawrence.
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Old 29th Aug 2021, 11:56 pm   #64
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Default Re: Vortexion WVB smoking component..

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Originally Posted by stevie23 View Post
Thanks David. Yes he certainly got the most out of the WVB. Must have found it suited his ideas very well! In the past I've linked 3 or 4 tape machines together with a long loop of tape. One recording and 2 playing, or vice versa... Disabling the erase head with that insanely complicated modification : A piece of card over the erase head. The WVB though, has a switch and you can disable the erase head via the link... nice.
Might be my imagination but if you do that can you not pull one of the motor links on the back panel as well to stop the motor free space spinning at full speed?

The WVB and stereo CBL version are very versatile machines good enough for the BBC to use.......Meek had some interesting techniques Lyrec stereo TR15, full track EMI BTR2 as well as EMI TR51, later Ampex PR10 stereo. He did a lot of backing tracks on various machines played back the stereo tape on the full track mono machine mixed in with replay from WVB and then back down to one of the tracks on the Lyrec .....he could only bounce down so many times before he lost quality which is why some of his recordings are no so clear.....all done on the fly but it tied most of his output into mono .....same as Spector....apart from radio was mono so they were balanced for mono sound......I digress......
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Old 3rd Sep 2021, 4:43 pm   #65
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Default Re: Vortexion WVB smoking component..

I’m a bit late to this thread but the lack of a WVB Series 5 or 6 Manual or circuit diagram available online has caused me difficulties too when servicing a WVB. However the circuits are basically half of a CBL5 or 6, which are available. The differences between the 5 and earlier Series 4 models are mainly in the bias and erase oscillator and the 6 has a different circuit around the ‘Monitor’ output, to earlier models.

They are super machines, in my opinion, I love them. The CBL6 in my collection is my favourite.

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Old 5th Sep 2021, 7:54 pm   #66
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Default Re: Vortexion WVB smoking component..

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1. Why do I have to adjust the "Record level" chicken head knob as well as the "volume" knob in order to get the loudest volume. Is the "volume" knob more of a "gain" control ?
Steve.
Looking at the WVB Mk. II schematic (the only WVB schematic I can see) this functionality appears "as designed". The Record level control is always connected to the control grid of the second EF86 so will always affect the playback volume as well as the Playback volume control when the Record switch is set to PB (The Monitor switch has to be set to Aft Rec). I do not really understand why it operates this way.

It would certainly help if a manual could be located to understand better the intended operation.

With respect to the audio / record circuit . My father built an amplifier based on the Vortexion set-up which is completely independent of a tape recorder ( he hooked it to a BSR TD10), I dont know if this was before he worked at Vortexion (he was at Venner Time Switches before spending a short while at Vortexion). It uses similar principles of mulitple Inputs - for shielded Ribbon Mike, Gram and other mike or tape playback or line in, and has an adjustable bias (for tape, not tubes), circuit erase, and a monitor function - which basically seems to be an audio output before final amplification while the record signal goes out on another modified output line, but its not , so far as I can see, a monitoring of the signal laid down on the tape (not least because the TD10 does not have a third head , and I dont think the input signal takes a different path to the monitor compared to the record signal - I suppose I could modify the amp to the WV (Wearite Vortexion) full circuitry). The amp was badged 'Mayfair' and was either an internal reference design to Vortexion or something from the likes of Practical Wireless or similar.
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Old 9th Sep 2021, 5:56 pm   #67
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Default Re: Vortexion WVB smoking component..

OK, going back to the original smoking component problem: I have now replaced all dead caps and 1 blown resistor with suitable replacements and there is just the 500 Ohm 5W power resistor (the original smoking component) to replace. I dont have 500 Ohm 5W (its R33 in the series 6 schematic) but I do have a 10 ohm 5W power resistor. Am I OK to replace with this one??
Thanks again 9!.
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Old 10th Sep 2021, 3:22 pm   #68
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Default Re: Vortexion WVB smoking component..

Hi - is this of use? It seems to have a monitor circuit. I do have the rest of the manual, but not scanned in.
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File Type: pdf Vortextion WVB-Mk2 circuit.pdf (1.50 MB, 45 views)
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Old 10th Sep 2021, 3:34 pm   #69
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Default Re: Vortexion WVB smoking component..

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Originally Posted by stevie23 View Post
OK, going back to the original smoking component problem: I have now replaced all dead caps and 1 blown resistor with suitable replacements and there is just the 500 Ohm 5W power resistor (the original smoking component) to replace. I dont have 500 Ohm 5W (its R33 in the series 6 schematic) but I do have a 10 ohm 5W power resistor. Am I OK to replace with this one??
Thanks again 9!.
No, you must replace with the same value (ohms) - larger than 5 watt rating would be acceptable but probably inconvenient.

Last edited by barrymagrec; 10th Sep 2021 at 3:40 pm.
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Old 10th Sep 2021, 3:36 pm   #70
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Hi - is this of use? It seems to have a monitor circuit. I do have the rest of the manual, but not scanned in.
Thanks. I have this one. Mine is closer if not identical to the amplifier used in the CBL 6 (althought 1 chan only obvs.)
Yes, as the WVB has 3 heads it can be used to monitor and it can also be used to create echo and delay!!

You say you have the rest of the manual!!! Oh my!!!!!
Could you possibly possibly scan the rest of it?? If you did you would be a legend!!
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Old 10th Sep 2021, 4:56 pm   #71
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Default Re: Vortexion WVB smoking component..

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Quote:
Originally Posted by stevie23 View Post
OK, going back to the original smoking component problem: I have now replaced all dead caps and 1 blown resistor with suitable replacements and there is just the 500 Ohm 5W power resistor (the original smoking component) to replace. I dont have 500 Ohm 5W (its R33 in the series 6 schematic) but I do have a 10 ohm 5W power resistor. Am I OK to replace with this one??
Thanks again 9!.
No, you must replace with the same value (ohms) - larger than 5 watt rating would be acceptable but probably inconvenient.
OK brilliant. Thanks Barry. I thought I might as its' a massive step down from 500 Ohms. I've ordered a 500 ohm 5W wirewound (one of the white cuboid jobbies).
It's starting to look good. The next thing I need to look at is how to reglue the glass to the meter. It's come loose.
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Old 10th Sep 2021, 6:14 pm   #72
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Default Re: Vortexion WVB smoking component..

Don't be tempted to use Superglue - you will end up with a white residue on the glass.
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Old 10th Sep 2021, 6:45 pm   #73
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Default Re: Vortexion WVB smoking component..

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Originally Posted by BristolHoxa View Post
Hi - is this of use? It seems to have a monitor circuit. I do have the rest of the manual, but not scanned in.
Thanks. I have this one. Mine is closer if not identical to the amplifier used in the CBL 6 (althought 1 chan only obvs.)
Yes, as the WVB has 3 heads it can be used to monitor and it can also be used to create echo and delay!!

You say you have the rest of the manual!!! Oh my!!!!!
Could you possibly possibly scan the rest of it?? If you did you would be a legend!!
Not today, the manual with this schematic (with the original receipt for the WVB I have) is for a WVA/4 so I wonder if there was an actual WVB manual or just an addendum? Here is the diagram that was separate inside that manual with the machine. The CBL 6 may follow if this one is not good (and I can find it).
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File Type: pdf WVB 4 schematic.pdf (135.1 KB, 38 views)
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Last edited by BristolHoxa; 10th Sep 2021 at 7:02 pm.
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Old 10th Sep 2021, 7:31 pm   #74
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Default Re: Vortexion WVB smoking component..

Looking at your pics your WVB is later than my 4 (the erase switch is toggle) so I wonder if a 5 or 6? The CBL 5 might be near.
Attached Files
File Type: pdf CBL 5 Schematic.pdf (949.0 KB, 40 views)
File Type: pdf CBL 6 Schematic.pdf (815.7 KB, 40 views)
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Old 10th Sep 2021, 9:55 pm   #75
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Default Re: Vortexion WVB smoking component..

Yes. Like I've been saying I have a series 6 WVB. I have these schematics. Thanks.
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Old 10th Sep 2021, 9:59 pm   #76
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Default Re: Vortexion WVB smoking component..

My apologies - I thought i'd read the whole thread. Skipped a page!
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Old 10th Sep 2021, 10:07 pm   #77
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Default Re: Vortexion WVB smoking component..

You could be right about the WVB "manual" being just an addendum of the WVA manual. Lets hope not though!! (I'm guessing we'll be hoping a ****** long time.....)
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Old 10th Sep 2021, 11:03 pm   #78
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Default Re: Vortexion WVB smoking component..

It would seem odd that given the added features and consequent complexity of operation of a 3 head m/c that nothing would have been printed. At least it would be useful to explain the ability to bias instantly and set levels for particular tape, sos, bouncing, and best practice for all those kinds of things.
I have the CBL5 book somewhere so will see if that mentions those things.
If not I shall set off to Wimbledon immediately and remark on it to the Company.
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Old 12th Sep 2021, 1:36 pm   #79
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Quote:
I have the CBL5 book somewhere so will see if that mentions those things.
Excellent. Hoxa, did you have any luck at Wimbledon? I'm thinking of drafting a letter asking for suitable employment.
I dont suppose you could find out about using it for "echo work". I understand the WVB was used quite a lot for this. I have worked out from the schematic and by plugging in headphones that the "Output" socket is used for monitoring what is on the tape whilst recording using the "monitor" control for volume but I have no clue how I would use the controls for echo/delay. I'm guessing the "before " and "after" switch comes into play but I'm not too sure.
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Old 12th Sep 2021, 10:01 pm   #80
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Default Re: Vortexion WVB smoking component..

Essentially, you get tape echo by feedimg some of the output from the playback head ("after") into one of the inputs whilst driving the other with your microphone or instrument. Feed in too much and the thing will saturate, feed in too little and you won't get the effect. Whether this is arranged by a particualar switch or a patch cord on this machine I can't recall - I suspect the latter.
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