Otari MX55T-M Refurbish Repair Part 2 DIYM #39

In this video I continue to refurbish and repair the Otari MX-55-T reel to reel tape machine I acquired in a recent auction. Mechanical transport setup.
Part 1: • DIYM #38 Otari MX55T-M...
Follow my studio page:
Instagram: / panthercitysound
Facebook: / panthercitysound

[@stevedoesnt]

Holy cow... Extremely informative! More videos like this!!

[@DoItYourselfMusician]

Thank you! Hopefully I'll get the last part of this one out this weekend.

[@337alant6]

There should be no grove on the tape lifters, the grove you see is wear.
The normal fix is to rotate the lifter as you have done onto a clean round surface
The best way to set the reel table height is to view the tape in play and see if it is reeling into the centre of the spool
Alan

[@DoItYourselfMusician]

Thank you. You are correct and I discuss this wear in the Part 3 video. Unfortunately I had to put the machine in storage in 2020 but hopefully I'll be able to set it up and finish it in the next few months.

[@337alant6]

OK thanks look forward to your alignment video part 4
I have 2 MX55 and they are excellent machines, they do have noisy pots and switches but you sorted that with Deoxit thanks for your videos they are very good
Alan

[@johnkaplun9619]

I wouldn't screw with braking force unless I had tape unspooling when I hit stop. Modern tape basically never stretches, unless there's some kind of serious malfunction. Regardless, good on you for doing it. Very interesting to see the procedure as I was unfamiliar. Though I will say it reinforced my feeling to never do it haha.
Also, not to be critical but I noticed when you were checking out the tape lifters wear you were taping it with a magnetic screw driver. I would keep magnetic screwdrivers totally away from the headblock because it can magnetize the tape path.

[@DoItYourselfMusician]

Thanks for watching and commenting. Ultimately it just needed some clean, lube and adjust. It runs like a top now but I haven't used it in a while. Hopefully I can do a follow up video soon.

[@johnkaplun9619]

@@DoItYourselfMusician glad to see it running, would love to have one of these.

[@antigen4]

i think that 'slot' was 'machined' BY the tape. time to put new guides in

[@DoItYourselfMusician]

It was. In the follow up video, whenever I release it, I have some quotes from Steve Albini about tape wear on a machine.

[@TheSharoff]

отличная работа!

[@jn3750]

Can you show how to calibrate with the tape?

[@5thcomm]

Nicely done

[@nguyenngohoang]

Woul you mind uploading more ? I;m in the process of servicing my MX 55 NM. It is so hard to find replacement audio channel 1 & 2 board for this machine. Also do you have the full Service manual for this tape machine ? Best regards!

[@PhilipvanderMatten]

Contact me.

[@nguyenngohoang]

@@PhilipvanderMatten hi Sir, was trying to find a way to contact you. Please drop me words via email : [e-mail]. I'm thru nightmares with this machine :((