Marc Hugo
10-10-2008, 01:45 PM
I picked up a machine - R200 (US$22.72) at a Cash Crusaders. It is a Technics RS-TR373 twin deck. It is a modern (1997) version of another model I have (RS-TR333) estimated 1992. The newer one has motorised doors but no bias fine tune. Of course, the latter is a preferable option. It's not in bad shape. I cleaned it up properly (lots of dust and gunge used up a good dozen earbuds) - the recording deck side is very clean sounding and stable - the Dolby circuits are somehow unexpectedly well tuned and have an imperceptable effect on playback. Tracking agrees with my Rotel RD-960BX and TASCAM 112 100%. A recording to TDK D of CBS's Survivor soundtrack "Ancient Voices" was captured intact with extended deep bass and crisp HF transients of the percussive notes.
The left (non-recording deck) immediately made noises and actions of tape skewing and twisting leading to tape damage. As you know, one can hear this before serious trauma sets in. I repeatedly cleaned the capstan shafts (roughened with corrosion at the tips, and generally scuffed looking) and the pinch rollers. The tape travel problem seemed to have gone away but the whole thing did not give me a level of confidence that trouble would not resume when my back was turned. I think the left deck is going to end up being a bit of a project. Alignment on the left deck is "off" compared with the right deck (this is not a problem I have with any of my other twins).
I think new pinch rollers are called for.
My advice to all twin deck owners is to operate the machines in unidirectional mode only. I get the feeling that the more (cycles) the head mech rotates through its 180 degree motion, the more the resting notch of the pivot wears and the more disaligned the alignment becomes with time.
Cheers - Marc
The left (non-recording deck) immediately made noises and actions of tape skewing and twisting leading to tape damage. As you know, one can hear this before serious trauma sets in. I repeatedly cleaned the capstan shafts (roughened with corrosion at the tips, and generally scuffed looking) and the pinch rollers. The tape travel problem seemed to have gone away but the whole thing did not give me a level of confidence that trouble would not resume when my back was turned. I think the left deck is going to end up being a bit of a project. Alignment on the left deck is "off" compared with the right deck (this is not a problem I have with any of my other twins).
I think new pinch rollers are called for.
My advice to all twin deck owners is to operate the machines in unidirectional mode only. I get the feeling that the more (cycles) the head mech rotates through its 180 degree motion, the more the resting notch of the pivot wears and the more disaligned the alignment becomes with time.
Cheers - Marc