Audiophiles anyone?

Hey jacob, did Bob FM play your song for you yesterday, and get the right one? Did you crank it up?
I hope so, it's worth every bone shaking bass thump, just a booming song.
Rusty

Admin wrote:

The 3M Wollensak 8075 is supposed to be the best sounding 8-track recorder made however they can have issues with their motors. I haven't had a problem with the motor in the 8075A yet but the motor is shot in my 8055. For the last several months I have been trying to make other motors work in it but so far I have been dealing with issues with keeping the speed consistent when under different loads (a loose 40 min tape vs a tight 90 min tape). The original motor used a closed loop system that consisted of an internal magnetic disc pulse generator inside the motor and a adjustable motor control circuit. The motors I have been experimenting with all have internal centrifugal switches to maintain their speeds which is a pain in the @$$ to continuously fine adjust. I have been thinking about sending one of the Wollensaks off to be rebuilt and fine adjusted for $300, I would have to choose the 8075A though. They still make RTR tape but its mostly for studio applications now and costs a lot. There's a lot of NOS RTR tape on eBay. You'll want to be careful with the NOS stuff though, look it up online before buying or bidding on it to make sure it doesn't suffer from sticky shed syndrome (SSS, binder hydrolysis). There's ways to recondition tape that is suffering from SSS but its a lot of messing around. You can also record over used tape as long as its in good condition it should sound good.

Jacob, prior to CD-R technology; I did a LOT of recording on compact cassettes. The sound-quality difference between normal-bias and high-bias was profound. I wasn't sure why this was.. but it didn't matter because high-bias sounded so much better.. I only bought that type. Usually it was TDK-SA60 or 90, but I also have many Maxell, Memorex, Sony etc. Was the high-bias technology that was applied to the "better"compact-cassettes, ever used with the larger (1/4" and up) recording tape? I used to multi-track record on a "Ross" 4 x 4 cassette deck. I still have it.. but one of the 4 channels is dead.



This tape deck utilized the entire width of the tape.. therefore a 60 min. tape actually had only 30 minutes of record time because you could only use one side. You could however mix and bounce three recorded tracks to an "open" track.. leaving three tracks available for re-recording. In other words; record on tracks 1, 2 and 3... and mix/bounce to track 4. Re-record on tracks 2 and 3... and mix/bounce 2, 3 and 4 to track 1.. Obviously you could only do this a certain number of times before the sound quality started to degrade.. and you could not edit an individual track after it had been mixed (bounced) with another.

What was particularly cool about having this machine.. was that I also had (still have) two high-end 4-channel receiver/amps. One is a Technics and the other a Pioneer. Being a musician; I could make my own "true" 4-channel recordings.

Here's a photo of my Ampex AX-50 where it sits lonely inside a cabinet in my music room (currently occupied by my 29 y.o. Stepson...   )



Have you done any research on modern "stepper-motors" as replacements/retro-fits for your Wollensaks? Maybe search some 8-track user forums to see if anyone has tried them? I was considering an experiment where the treble-rotors on "dual" Leslie cabinets could be sync'd-up to create a variable stereo Doppler wave. Using stepper-motors in place of the conventional ones; the revolving "horns" could be linked together using a data cable with a controller.. and either rotor's "timing" could be advanced/retarded to create a "wider" Doppler wave by using the two cabinets separated like stereo speakers. The Leslie speaker's Doppler wave effect can only be appreciated in a live "near-field" setting. Attempting to "record" and/or amplify (through sound reinforcement) the result becomes linear.. and the physical effect of the Doppler-wave is lost. Incidentally; the treble-rotor in a Leslie cab that you sometimes see "exposed" (from the rear of the cab with a panel removed) looks like it has 2 horns (projectors) that the sound comes out of.. where in fact; only one has an aperture down the compression-driver below. The other projector serves as a harmonic-balancer when the rotor is operated at fast (tremolo) speed.

Is it possible to have the motors rebuilt? I know they do it in the automotive arena all the time. Especially older ones that cannot be replaced. Usually it's rewound and new brushes are installed, bearings etc.

You really have a talent there Jacob.

Ron

Hi,

Everyone talk about audiophile here. I design and build single ended class A vacuum tube amplifiers for the past 20 years. I also build C core output transformers for my vacuum tube amplifier . I'm using Fostex full range speaker, and also a few others high efficiency fullrange speaker. Any vacuum tube amp builder here ?

tru168 wrote:Hi,

Everyone talk about audiophile here. I design and build single ended class A vacuum tube amplifiers for the past 20 years. I also build C core output transformers for my vacuum tube amplifier . I'm using Fostex full range speaker, and also a few others high efficiency fullrange speaker. Any vacuum tube amp builder here ?

Tube amps always have the best sound. Although I have yet to build a tube amp, I have built a few LM386 based battery powered guitar amps and I have schematics for a Cricket tube guitar amp that uses a single 12AU7 for the Pre-Amp and LM386 for the power amp. And I also have a small side business building Talk Boxes for guitars similar to the old Heil's that Peter Frampton and Joe Walsh used back in the 70's. Here is a You Tube demo vid of my talk box that I call the "Trash Talker"
I'm playing through an old Silvertone practice amp with no effects and the guitar is my 2011 Gibson 60's Tribute Les Paul with P-90 pickups.



As for sound systems, I sold off most everything when my family and I moved up north from Florida. I had an old Fisher component system with full range cabs loaded with 18" subs as well as 4 satellite surround speakers.
For guitar equipment, I play through a Vintage Crate V100 tube head with matching 4x12 cab and I also have a Marshall 4x12 cab loaded with Celestion G12H speakers. The Crate cab is great for the 80's metal style tones and the Marshall cab is great for the British, blues, classic and southern rock as well the 80s metal tones.
For recording, I use a Digitech GNX4 through the sound card of a desktop computer outputted through some JB Lansing speakers. The GNX has a built in 8 track digital recorder but I also use Cakewalk and Sonar Producer when needed.


Shawn

Admin wrote:

Adjusting the speed in the Wollensak. I don't have a scope yet or calibration tapes so I just wear two pairs of headphones and listen to the same side (both left channels) and sync the player up with the CD of the same album. I align the head using several tapes for the brightest sound and no crosstalk. The azimuth is adjusted with the stereo mixed to mono while playing Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass's song "Whipped Cream". With all the instrumentals, you can clearly hear when the right and left channels are out of phase. Once its checked and adjusted if needed, I'll clean the full transport and transfer your tape. This time I might think about actually locking the adjustment screws with nail polish so I hopefully won't need to readjust the screws again LOL.


The motor in the 8075A still seems to keep going, the motor looks different and the motor control circuit appears to be a different design than the one in the 8055. I have done lots of research on 8-track motors and have talked to other techs who claim that there are no suitable motors being currently made. Motors have to be found NOS or pulled from other working decks. The motors in the Wollensak decks run at a odd speed so even adjusting the internal centrifugal switch in a motor pulled from another deck doesn't seem to get it close enough to the correct speed. I could probably get it to work if only I could machine a different sized pulley for the motor.

The 8 track player brings back some memories. When I was a kid, I had a nice collection of 8 track tapes and I had one of the old Panasonic "TNT Detonator" 8 track players.



8 track tapes were cool but it was a pain to try and find a specific song even more so to find a song that started from the beginning.

Shawn

[quote="Admin"]Those Panasonic TNT players are among some of the most popular 8-track players. 8-tracks and the players can be a pain in the ass, especially now they are old and most are need of servicing. Nothing sucks more when the best song on the tape is broken in half by a "click".
[quote="Admin"]

Yeah those old Panasonic TNT players were nice and they sounded pretty good for what they were.

.

Speaking of 8 Track tapes, Anyone remember the old "K-Tel" 8 Track Collections? When I was a kid, my Mom had the complete Disco and Rock collection. I can remember popping in one of the Rock tapes and the first song that played was I Was Made For Loving You by KISS. I think that was the day I finally became a pro at playing "Air Guitar"

I vividly remember as a kid; looking at the "Columbia House" records ads in TV-Guide, where there were tiny "postage-stamp" type perforated stickers.. printed with the album artwork. Tear-off 8-10 choices.. and stick them on the ordering form and mail it away for some ridiculously low price.. as long as you agree to buy 4 more in the next 12 months.. at the club's "regular" prices.

Those were the days (for me..) when "UHF" channels were first introduced. Channels 27, 38 and 56 were the first.. and my favorite cartoon was "Speed Racer"!!!!!!

roddie wrote:I vividly remember as a kid; looking at the "Columbia House" records ads in TV-Guide, where there were tiny "postage-stamp" type perforated stickers.. printed with the album artwork. Tear-off 8-10 choices.. and stick them on the ordering form and mail it away for some ridiculously low price.. as long as you agree to buy 4 more in the next 12 months.. at the club's "regular" prices.

Those were the days (for me..) when "UHF" channels were first introduced. Channels 27, 38 and 56 were the first.. and my favorite cartoon was "Speed Racer"!!!!!!

Oh yeah your definitely bringing back some memories.  I ordered many a albums from the Columbia House record and tape club back in the day. And I loved watching the Speed Racer cartoon when I was a kid too. The Mach 5 and The Mysterious Racer X's Shooting Star were my favorite cars. I also remember the UHF channels as well. Channel 20 WDCA and channel 45 (which was owned by WDCA) were the 2 major and pretty much the only UHF stations here in Maryland at the time. Ch. 20 always had all of the cool shows.  They also aired lot's of great movies such as Kung Fu Theater and my all time weekly favorite, "Creature Feature" every Friday night and, Saturday's was the cool Sci-Fi stuff like Battle Star Gallactica,  re-runs of the old Superman tv series, re-runs of the 70's Spiderman TV series, and Wonder Woman etc.. And on Sunday mornings it was mostly Westerns or War movies followed by reruns of Tarzan afterward in the afternoon and In Search Of with Leonard Nimoy in the evenings. Channel 45 was mostly older movies and some Westerns. Also, I remember when the tv's had 2 channel switchers, one for VHF and one for UHF along with a fine tuning ring on each channel switcher.
We also had a couple of "Sister Stations" here in Maryland as well. For example, channel 2 and channel 4 were both NBC and channel 7 and channel 13 were both ABC.

Shawn

Back in the 60's.. My aunt and uncle gave us our first color television set. A large "Curtis Mathes" console, that had some intermittent picture tube issues. We called a repairman who put a "booster" in the set.. but wouldn't guarantee how long it would last. It worked great for about 4-5 years!

Yes; I too remember the separate tuners for VHF/UHF with the "rings" around the knob for fine-tuning. V-hold and H-hold controls... color, tint, contrast.. Remember the "Works in a drawer" servicable TV sets?

roddie wrote:Back in the 60's.. My aunt and uncle gave us our first color television set. A large "Curtis Mathes" console, that had some intermittent picture tube issues. We called a repairman who put a "booster" in the set.. but wouldn't guarantee how long it would last. It worked great for about 4-5 years!

I remember the Console TV's. When I was a kid, we went from a little table top B&W set to a 30" Zenith Console TV. Man it was like being in a theater compared to that little B&W set. And the color was awesome!

roddie wrote:Yes; I too remember the separate tuners for VHF/UHF with the "rings" around the knob for fine-tuning. V-hold and H-hold controls... color, tint, contrast..

You mentioned the Vert. and Horiz. hold, I can remember watching a show and all of a sudden, the it would go into am infinite Vertical roll and I'd get up, adjust it and it would stop for a few minutes and then roll the other way!

roddie wrote:Remember the "Works in a drawer" servicable TV sets?

I've never had one of those. Sounds like quite a contraption though.

That's "wicked cool" Jacob!!! There's nothing that compares to the sound of a tube amp and a nice heavy wooden cabinet for the speaker(s)!!

Wow! She's a beauty. Those big old
table-tops and consoles always appealed to me.
Lots of tortiose shell plastic and artistic
woodwork, and great sound to boot.
Primo score Jacob.
Bob

Our first color TV was a complete dud. It was a "Portable" RCA, probably 19-21" or so. I can't recall if it was an XL100 or if it predated that model. I don't think it ever had a good picture.

That's a neat console Jacob! Seems the older they are the better they work / sound. Back in the 70's, my Grandmother had one of those Coffee Table type cabinets with a built in stereo, 8-track and record player and I can remember sitting with her and listening to her Elton John records when I was a kid. When I think about it, I can still hear Philadelphia Freedom playing. Those were good times.
My Mom had the stereo but gave it to my Aunt a few years ago. It's still in mint condition and sounds just as good as it did when I was a kid.

Shawn

I've had this Advent Model 400 for years. It always works. It's monaural but the sound quality is superb.. when using a decent speaker. I still have the original speaker cab.. but the driver's "surround" deteriorated long ago. This speaker is a Vestax VSII 2-way 8ohm cabinet designed for use as a spot monitor.



The Advent has an AUX circuit (female RCA input jack) and a tuner/AUX switch. Spring-type connections for speaker wire and external antenna screw-posts. I use a dual RCA splitter to create two audio inputs for connecting a modern/common cable having a 1/8" stereo plug on one end.. and stereo RCA male plugs at the other. This assures both R and L channels being mixed into my one channel amp/speaker cab.



Today we're listening to internet radio through the laptop's headphone jack.. but even a tiny Mp3 player sounds terrific. The Advent unit was designed in Cambridge, MA. I actually used to use it (with original speaker) for amplifying "bass" notes played through a synthesizer with my left hand.. and an old "upright" piano played with my right. I built a rack for the synth which positioned it directly above the piano keys. The amp/speaker fit in the bottom of the piano with the front board removed. I miss my old piano..