Greetings

[Maxvla]

Found this site when I was looking up my dad's old reel to reel deck.

Originally joined to get some info on what might have been wrong with my Akai GX-266D, but I managed to fix it myself pretty easily. I still need to do some work to it, but it functions and has given me a taste of the beauty that is pure analog tape.

One quick question; this deck has been dormant for about 10-15 years. I have some bids on some eBay pre-recorded reels, but atm I have only some self recorded 3 3/4 ips media to keep me occupied. I don't know if it's the media or the player, but I get what sounds like digital artifacts sometimes accompanied with a volume drop. It usually lasts only a few seconds. I know I should do something to clean this unit, but I don't know what to get or what to clean. This is my first experience with a R2R.

As to the sound, the realism and depth of the sound I'm getting from this unit plugged into a cheap receiver with cheap H/K speakers is kind of shocking. I can't wait to get some real media and put this with my tube amp/Sennheiser HD600 headphone rig.

Anyways, I'm mostly into the medium for listening, but I may do some recording for fun sometime. Hope to learn enough to become proficient at R2R and perhaps upgrade my deck at some point.

Chris

[Scorpion8]

Welcome! First off, where are you located? Second, I have the next model up, a long-treasured Akai GX-267D that still sings sweet. It had some repairs just done to it by me, guided by a superb tech.

I'm not sure what you mean "digital artifacts" from an analog deck. The heads and the entire tape path is critical to be kept clean, like any tape deck, but even more so due to the higher speed of the tape here. Is your problem recurring on a cycle, or just intermittent? With all tapes? If you have a buddy with a known-good tape, try that so we will know if it's the tape, or the deck.

Welcome again, and jump right in.

[faustus]

Welcome, Maxvla. Glad to hear that you're enjoying Dad's r2r -- should be even better when you get the Akai tweaked back to spec. I've been thinking about getting one of the GX decks due to their simple mechanisms and superior heads. What was the "simple fix" you did to the deck to get it working?

[Maxvla]

Welcome! First off, where are you located? Second, I have the next model up, a long-treasured Akai GX-267D that still sings sweet. It had some repairs just done to it by me, guided by a superb tech.

I'm not sure what you mean "digital artifacts" from an analog deck. The heads and the entire tape path is critical to be kept clean, like any tape deck, but even more so due to the higher speed of the tape here. Is your problem recurring on a cycle, or just intermittent? With all tapes? If you have a buddy with a known-good tape, try that so we will know if it's the tape, or the deck.

Welcome again, and jump right in.
Hi Scorpion,

I'm in Oklahoma City. I only said it sounded like digital artifacts, it is the best way for me to describe it. It also sounds similar to a cellphone when the transmission is poor quality in that it sounds kind of gravelly. It is most likely the tape as it is totally random. The tapes I have are mostly Maxell 35-90 and 35-90B and the unit and tapes have been stored in my dad's office tucked away in a corner.

First thing I did was take a can of compressed air to all surfaces on the front and also inside the back which was pretty nasty. I've been playing it for several hours in this condition, but I know I should be cleaning the tape path, I just don't know what to clean and what to clean it with. The extent of my mastery of this device is being able to change the tapes :o

I don't know anyone here who has a R2R, but I should have some tapes from eBay soon. I'm also bidding on a slick looking AKAI metal take up reel, hopefully it doesn't go much higher. I have the standard Maxell MR7 take up reel presently.

Chris

[Maxvla]

Welcome, Maxvla. Glad to hear that you're enjoying Dad's r2r -- should be even better when you get the Akai tweaked back to spec. I've been thinking about getting one of the GX decks due to their simple mechanisms and superior heads. What was the "simple fix" you did to the deck to get it working?

Hi Faustus,

Yes, I can certainly see that this deck has far to go, but even as is the unit is a joy to listen to. I'm even listening to some of my dad's old stuff I never liked before just because it sounds so real and natural. Things I've only heard on CD that I never liked before are pretty decent on this R2R, it's strange how different the 2 mediums are.

This thing must be built like a tank because I'm pretty sure my dad got it at a garage sale about 20 years ago, used it for a few years here and there, then it sat until I got interested in it a month ago. All I needed to do was replace the glass fuse at the top of the unit on the back and it fired right up.

One thing I don't like about this unit, and perhaps it is the same for other R2Rs, is the loudness of stopping and starting. Is there anything that can be done to this R2R or are others quieter?

Several of the knobs and switches are displaying the normal aging with static in their movements. What do I need to do to fix that? I don't plan on putting a lot of money into this, but I'd like to get it back to normal. Eventually I might go for a better machine that can handle 15ips. The Tape Project intrigues me and I'm thinking about subscribing to that if I end up getting a machine that can handle the faster speed.

Chris

[Web Police]

Welcome to TapeHeads. :)

It sounds like you need to clean the tape path and the heads with 99% isopropyl rubbing alcohol and Q tips. Wet the tip of a Q tip and clean the tape lifters, guides and heads till the Q tips don't pick up anymore residue. It is also possible that the tape maybe be damaged or wrinkled so that it doesn't smoothly run over the playback head. Stop the deck when you hear this noise and look at the tape that just passed over the playback head. If the tape is wrinkled and creased you have found the problem. My guess is that a thorough cleaning will solve the problem.

[Scorpion8]

Several of the knobs and switches are displaying the normal aging with static in their movements. What do I need to do to fix that?

There is corrosion building up inside the switches and rotary pots. The best contact cleaner out there is called DeOxIt D5, although there are lots of other good ones. You need to open the unit and flush the switches and pots while flipping/rotating them to clean off the variable-resistor wipers. Easy job, but not for the faint of heart. Poke around in the DIY section ....

[faustus]

...One thing I don't like about this unit, and perhaps it is the same for other R2Rs, is the loudness of stopping and starting. Is there anything that can be done to this R2R or are others quieter?


Can't help you with this one. Do you mean the mechanism makes a lot of noise when you switch modes? More details, please.


...Several of the knobs and switches are displaying the normal aging with static in their movements. What do I need to do to fix that?


The standard fix is to spray Caig DeoxIT into the switch/knob internals and work it around by exercising the switch/knob. You can sometimes cure the problem by simply exercising the switch/knob without the DeoxIT, but the problem will likely return.

Edit... I didn't mean to repeat Scorpion8's advice -- we were replying at the same time.

[stuwee]

Hi ya Chris!! welcome to TH!! You have a great machine with a great history to get started, as you've already heard, 'the sound is amazing'. Sounds like you you have a great 'ear' as well! I look forward to your comments! *reelspin**reelspin*

Craig

[Maxvla]

Welcome to TapeHeads. :)

It sounds like you need to clean the tape path and the heads with 99% isopropyl rubbing alcohol and Q tips. Wet the tip of a Q tip and clean the tape lifters, guides and heads till the Q tips don't pick up anymore residue. It is also possible that the tape maybe be damaged or wrinkled so that it doesn't smoothly run over the playback head. Stop the deck when you hear this noise and look at the tape that just passed over the playback head. If the tape is wrinkled and creased you have found the problem. My guess is that a thorough cleaning will solve the problem.

Cool. I'll do that tonight, thought I would have to buy some special electronic contact cleaner or something. The tapes might have some physical damage, but I didn't notice any creases. It happens throughout the reels for brief periods at random intervals, sometimes a couple times quickly sometimes nothing for half the reel, which leads me to believe it is the tape, but a cleaning surely won't hurt.

Chris

[Maxvla]

There is corrosion building up inside the switches and rotary pots. The best contact cleaner out there is called DeOxIt D5, although there are lots of other good ones. You need to open the unit and flush the switches and pots while flipping/rotating them to clean off the variable-resistor wipers. Easy job, but not for the faint of heart. Poke around in the DIY section ....Is DeOxIt D5 something I can pick up locally or is it specialized? Would I be able to access these switches if I were to take the face plate off or do I need to access it from the back?Can't help you with this one. Do you mean the mechanism makes a lot of noise when you switch modes? More details, please.Yes, when I change from stopped to play or from play to stopped and rewind/fast forward the clang is pretty loud, but this unit has always sounded like that so I don't think there's anything wrong with it. I was just curious if there was anything I could do to quiet it.Hi ya Chris!! welcome to TH!! You have a great machine with a great history to get started, as you've already heard, 'the sound is amazing'. Sounds like you you have a great 'ear' as well! I look forward to your comments! *reelspin**reelspin*

CraigThanks for the welcome. The sonic difference is very obvious. I hate the most of the music my dad recorded on here, but for some reason listening to it on this R2R isn't so bad. I can't wait to listen to something I already like on CD.

Chris

[jbeckva]

Found this site when I was looking up my dad's old reel to reel deck.

Originally joined to get some info on what might have been wrong with my Akai GX-266D, but I managed to fix it myself pretty easily. I still need to do some work to it, but it functions and has given me a taste of the beauty that is pure analog tape.

One quick question; this deck has been dormant for about 10-15 years. I have some bids on some eBay pre-recorded reels, but atm I have only some self recorded 3 3/4 ips media to keep me occupied. I don't know if it's the media or the player, but I get what sounds like digital artifacts sometimes accompanied with a volume drop. It usually lasts only a few seconds. I know I should do something to clean this unit, but I don't know what to get or what to clean. This is my first experience with a R2R.

As to the sound, the realism and depth of the sound I'm getting from this unit plugged into a cheap receiver with cheap H/K speakers is kind of shocking. I can't wait to get some real media and put this with my tube amp/Sennheiser HD600 headphone rig.

Anyways, I'm mostly into the medium for listening, but I may do some recording for fun sometime. Hope to learn enough to become proficient at R2R and perhaps upgrade my deck at some point.

Chris

Hey there, Welcome to Tapeheads!

Funny you should mention how you got a hold of your Akai - same way I did! Except I bet my Dad had yours beat as far as how much abuse it has taken - his was left in his garage full of crap (I aint kidding - seen snakes in there... sawdust two feet high... it's scary man! *eyepop*). When I got it, it didn't do anything. No playing, nothing. I have it to the point now where it is putting out some sound, but yeah... pretty much like yours it does have some weaknesses.

Definitely, as others have already suggested, get yourself some deoxit and go through every single control and switch you can find with it. I'm not sure how the GX-266D is constructed as I have a GX-1820D here, but I believe once you have it out of the wooden case you should see that it's made of two main assemblies. From the meters on down should be the amp/preamp circuits while up top is the mech circuit. The two halfs should be easily separated once you find the brackets on the sides holding them together. In the mech assy are probably some sense switches (especially the one near the heads, but on the inside of them) you can shoot with deoxit as well. Dig in - but I always suggest you get a hold of the service manual first, if you haven't already. Take a few pictures too, in case this and that sprocket, spring, or whatever decides to launch itself...

Start there, and hopefully you won't have to go any further. I am past that point with this one, so my next step is to rebuild the pre-amps. Got the parts in now... just finding a little bit of time to get started. I heard the transistors are about at the end of their useful life. I could confirm that if I had a scope, but 20 bucks was all I needed to do the full rebuild so what the heck.. I'll try that.

Anyway... good luck with your Akai. We're here to help, so let everyone know how you're doing. *Hi5*