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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 24th Jul 2018, 8:25 pm   #1
Strange Brew
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Derbyshire, UK.
Posts: 50
Default Studer A80 - Infomation on buying needed.

Hi all.

I have the opportunity to buy an A80R machine.

It's currently not working as it needs a repair on it's motor control card?

But, it's a good price. Hours has just over 4000 hours although that's not anything to go by.

Does anyone here own such a machine? If so I'd like your opinion on running one, maintenance and service etc.

Most people on the net love their A80 machines but some do suggest getting them re-capped. Although some say only the main caps.

I'm after some good advice. It's not going to have a hard life, mostly home listening and eventually recording my own material with.

Thanks in advance
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Old 24th Jul 2018, 9:26 pm   #2
Ted Kendall
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Default Re: Studer A80 - Infomation on buying needed.

Best approach is to fix the actual faults and then run it for a while to see what else is wrong. This isn't a machine to cut your teeth on - when it's going it's fabulous, but some of the alignment, particularly the transport, needs tools and experience to get right. However, once it is right, it will roll on for a long time with little or no attention.

The capacitors I would change on sight are the notorious Rifa 470nF jobbies - had one go up on the capstan card once...
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Old 25th Jul 2018, 7:31 am   #3
Strange Brew
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Derbyshire, UK.
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Default Re: Studer A80 - Infomation on buying needed.

Hi Ted.

Many thanks for your help.

It's going to be 'one of those' is it... lol - okay... I'll be prepared.
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Old 25th Jul 2018, 10:09 am   #4
Ted Kendall
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Default Re: Studer A80 - Infomation on buying needed.

That's fair comment. A superb design, and worth the trouble, but not one to fix on the kitchen table.

4000 hours is a a fair amount of use, although it obviously doesn't indicate head hours directly - just check for rumblings from the capstan motor, if it runs, and look at the width of the flats on the heads. Beyond 4mm indicates you are getting into re-lap territory. Studer heads will certainly take one re-lap, maybe two, but don't rush in to that - see how it performs first.
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Old 25th Jul 2018, 1:15 pm   #5
Strange Brew
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Derbyshire, UK.
Posts: 50
Default Re: Studer A80 - Infomation on buying needed.

Hi Ted.

Thank you so much for that. I will look out for those things.

I'll see how it all pans out with this machine, if it's junk then I'll have to try and source one from elsewhere.

Does anyone know of other places I could look?
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