Akai 1721L -15ips conversion kit

[ridleski]

Apologies if this has been discussed further down the forum, i'm new on here. I just got a fairly mint 1721L with all manuals etc. In one of the accessories leaflets it mentions a 15ips conversion capstan/pinch wheel set... has anyone seen one/know where i can get my hands on one?

Many thanks!

[dave walsh]

That's interesting. I've got two of these machines but have never heard of this conversion before. Would also like to know more. Come in Peter [Reelguy] our Bexhill based expert! Dave W

[reelguy]

Enthusiast Yes, Expert No. I have an earlier version of this m/c 1720l I think it is. Doesnt have the original 7 1/2 adapter.
You may be right regarding the 15 ips conversion, Seen summat somewhere about it. Memory tells me it had a larger size adapter collar for the 15ips speed and also a smaller diameter pinch wheel .
Those two items would have been jn addition to the normal 7 1/2 speed adapter which was normaly supplied.
I haven't come across these items though.
I am guessing you would like to try using your m/c at 15 ips?. You could try doubling the size of the 7 1/2ips adapter exactly but it may not be good for the m/c..
Maybe someone else has thoughts on this ?.
Peter W Reelguy.
Is memory playing tricks ?.

[dave walsh]

I've e-mailed the Reel Pro Guys in the States who are supposed to be able to supply cams for the 4000 series-just in case they know anything! Dave

[reelguy]

I have asked for info on the Akai reel to reel owners website. Not usually very informative though. But you never know.
Peter .W Reelguy

[ridleski]

thanks guys! much appreciated. the recordings i did at 7.5ips sounded pretty cool, but i was really just seeing what improvements could be made if any. i'll scan in the picture from the accessories guide which came in the box- the capstan collar looks bigger for sure, but its hard to tell if the pinch wheel was smaller.
perhaps its possible to cannabilise some parts from another machine?.

[dave walsh]

To be honest material I archived on Akai at 3.75 25years ago still sounds pretty good [ie All Night Indian Music Prom 1983 with a very quiet background]. Akai managed to get a quart out of a pint pot with the 4000's and 1700's but it would be very interesting to try one out at 15. ips. The picture you mention would be handy. We might need a concerted effort to contact the US as it is clear from the Cam thread that there have been e-mail problems. Dave

[ridleski]

i'll scan the picture asap... also wondered if anyone knew what the difference was between the L model and the W? they both seem exactly the same spec...
Neil

[reelguy]

Ridleski,
It would be interesting to see the scan of the conversion kit.
The reason I think the pinch wheel would be smaller is to allow it to still have a space for loading the tape and also to get the same pressure as normal. I believe another M/c had this arrangement {Possibly Technics} but I can't remember.
Anyway. Look forward to seeing the pics if possible.
Peter. Reelguy

[DOFFERY]

W meant a wooden case, L for the leather version., re. the Akai 1721

Doffery

[Roger13]

Originally Posted by dave walsh

To be honest material I archived on Akai at 3.75 25years ago still sounds pretty good [ie All Night Indian Music Prom 1983 with a very quiet background]. Akai managed to get a quart out of a pint pot with the 4000's and 1700's but it would be very interesting to try one out at 15. ips. The picture you mention would be handy. We might need a concerted effort to contact the US as it is clear from the Cam thread that there have been e-mail problems. Dave

Hi Folks.

I have been following this thread and thought I should clear something up regarding email problems witrh the Reelprosoundguys. I did have problems contacting them but I had been using a 'free email service', and it seems that sometimes these are unacceptable to business users (no idea why). Reverting to a normal email account made the problem go away. Indeed, Reelprosoundguys email response seems very fast. Hope that helps.

Roger.

[ridleski]

here's the scan from the page in the accessories manual:

http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/275...sories2gj6.jpg

apologies for the clarify, the scanner is playing up

[DOFFERY]

Re. the speed conversion for the 1721, to the best of my knowledge there never was one, a conversion kit was available for the 1700/1710 but I have never seen any mention for the 1721 . I confess I took little interest in the speed conversion debate until it seemed to be never ending & I wondered why anyone would wish for a 15ips conversion on a 7" spool , run time on a std. tape of 16mins/per track. I hope this resolves the matter for all concerned.

Doffery

[dave walsh]

Thanks for that Dofferey. Perhaps Ridelski has a generic leaflet re accessories?
A camcorder often has details of bits and pieces that don't relate to the particular model you've bought. It's not such a long thread at all really. Technical anomolies attract interest! The one about people's cats was probaly the longest thread [or was it my imagination]. As Dylan said on his radio show, married men don't really live longer..... it just seems like it!
Even 16minutes is enough to record say a live music track in glorious analogue but a 2400' reel should do 30min. It would have been nice to check the quality at 15ips. Maybe someone has experience of the 1700/10 ? Dave

[Michael Maurice]

Its one thing changing the speed mechanically, but you also have to change the record and playback equalization. ISTR the 1710/1721 series didn't even switch equalization between 3.75 and 7.5 IPS, the circuits being adjusted for 'something in between' if you mod the machine to run at 15IPS, the equalization will be totally out.

[TIMTAPE]

Agree. As reel to reel machines go these old 17-- consumer Akai models were pretty basic. Normally no one seriously used 15ips on quarter track anyway unless it was for multitracking. At those speeds with good tape, frequency response is not really an issue but tape hiss is, hence the real need is for a wider track, even though 15 can give you a little reduced hiss. The standard was half track stereo at 15ips.
Far better, more serious machines are available these days for nothing if actual audio performance matters to you.

Interestingly the Akai design did allow for a change of capstan diameter with the little bush, because the shaft was well away from the r/p head and had a guide in between, so the tape wrap was unaffected.
In some machines like the Revox A77/B77 you changed the speed pairing by changing the direct drive capstan motor shaft. But changing that changed the play head wrap angle. So they had a series of different motor mounts with fractionally higher or lower locations, so your tape wrap remained unchanged.
Cowboy technicians used to change the shaft but not the motor mount and the results were not the best...


Tim

[DOFFERY]

Don't even think of using DP tape Dave, by the way have you heard that Quantegy have ceased production of analogue tape !!

Who is left in the analogue market?

Doffery.

[dave walsh]

Nobody I guess but the high end machines seem to keep going up in price. Last lot of tapes I got was professional stuff from a car boot. The guy pretty much begged me to take it away. It's easy to scoff at Akai's now but at the time they seemed very good value like Alan Sugar's first affordable PC/WP. Same with DP tape which was advised against from the mid sixties but I've never really had much problem with any brands-must be lucky. I'm sure that the comments about equilisation are probaly right but it begs the question why Akai made the convertor in the first place- whatever machine it was intended to go on! Dave