A leisurely look at the classic Sony TC-765 Reel to Reel Tape Recorder
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- Опубликовано: 4 июл 2024
- Thanks to a very generous donation I temporarily have a classic Sony Reel to Reel in the house. Before I pass this on to a friend, I’m checking it out to see what works and what needs work. Join me as stay in and test it out while passing on a few basic tips for anyone unfamiliar with open reel machines.
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Extra special thanks to Wilson for donating the recorder and to Andy for picking it up for me.
I buy my tape reels from www.thomann.de/intl/recording...
The power button was straightened out after making the video - I didn’t notice it was wonky until someone pointed this out on Patreon.
I also spotted a slight imbalance on the zero rest position on the VU needles - so adjusted this using a screw driver in the holes provided for this purpose below each meter. In some shots it shows correctly as the video was shot out of sequence.
I won’t be doing any repair work on this machine. I’m just the intermediary - this is a project for a friend. It’s currently in storage until it can be delivered.
He’s advised me that the woodwork will be getting replaced with proper solid wood panels - turns out he’s a part time carpenter and apparently pretty good with electronics too.
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In this time of madness & chaos, we need more 30 minute long *Techmoan* videos !
Wiggysan Wiggysan longer the better I could watch him live just playing music and stuff man needs a tv channel
Agreed!
I would gladly take a 60min video :)
Here, here!
12 hour live streams!
"The red ink on the metres has faded ... they probably got some sun". So the VU got some UV?
Ian Zamojc An hah....some humor!? You 'needled' us! Ouch! We got the 'point', in 'around (2) bout' fashion. Just "Capstanising in a PINCH!" I jusy love going to the movies to see 2 REELERS!
I love puns
@@SACWarrior70s Lol, like flipping a switch xD
@@SACWarrior70s lol, vinyl and tape jokes
ROFL
I used to be a cabinet maker, making jewelry display cases. That Sony would be a piece of cake to fix cosmetically!
I know absolutely NOTHING about audio equipment but I watched the entire thing in one go with undivided attention. It is entertaining, educational and, dare I say, therapeutic. Keep it up , Mat & stay safe.
Thank you for being a distraction during this difficult time in the world. Stay safe
here here!
And here too :)
Me, I would say “Hear, hear!”.
And WHAT a distraction it is!
Exactly!
I had a zoom department meeting start during a techmoan video and my boss was like, ‘who’s the English man I’m hearing?’ He wasn’t sure if it was a recording or what. I told him his English accent gives me comfort during this, which for some reason he thought was funny.
That enormous clunk noise when Mat presses those buttons ♥️
*sound
that is not noise lol ;-)
... is pleasing!
indeed
That's the sound of a tape transport made of real metal, not plastic or some other cheap material. In 2050, someone might just replace the electrolytic capacitors and rubber drive components in that Sony (or the Pioneer) and enjoy that fine "chunk" sound again as they play some golden oldies from 2020.
Early home VCRs were like that. *Clunk* so satisfying.
A comment on the meters: If I recall my decks correctly, your Pioneer RT909 has dB meters, while the Sony has VU meters. It's an important distinction and they indicate two different things and operate completely differently. That could account for some of the discrepancy you noted. Keep up the great videos as long as you can, Mat. I'll do the same with the random stuff I'm making.
How cool is this - two of my favorite youtubers checking out each others channels!! Stay safe both and please keep the vids coming. (It's no good I've got to head over to Dallas now (virtually speaking))
That’s not quite correct. dB is just a scale of measurement- specifically, the difference between two voltages or power levels. In the case of a recording meter, it is the difference between the ideal voltage for recording to the tape and the actual voltage received.
What you are probably thinking of is VU vs Peak meters. A VU meter is basically an average over a short period of time (a few milliseconds.) A “peak” meter is an instantaneous measure of the highest level over the last second or so.
Both meters should be calibrated to the same zero level - around 0.3v RMS.
However, it looks like the Sony unit is calibrated to a higher nominal voltage, and it commits the worse sin of measuring the playback signal after the output level control. That’s not where you should be metering on a tape deck. The system should always meter the output signal after the pre-amp and before any output level or volume controls.
In other words, the meters are basically useless when measuring output levels, but they are probably reasonable when measuring _input_ levels.
My guess is that Sony and Pioneer have made different assumptions about the saturation level of the tapes and so have calibrated their meters to different reference levels. When being used by itself, it doesn’t matter as much, but if I was using that deck in a studio where tapes might get played on different units, I would absolutely build a calibration tape with known sound levels, then calibrate the recording and playback levels on those meters to a specific audio level on the tape.
@@tomwilson2112 Indeed dB is about comparing levels according to a log scale and defined electrically on a specified impedance. Even meters with needles moving around can be made to show real peak levels if the preceding electronics transform the detected peak levels to the right indication of the needle. Of course without such electronic measures "normal" VU meters would be too slow to follow short peaks. My Tandberg casseteplayer has needle type meters, while my Revox B710MKII uses LED-strips. Both are fast enough...
@@tomwilson2112 The Sony has VU meters in decibels and the Pioneer seems to have PPM-ish peak meters, also in decibels. The VU meters though will almost always register lower for most kinds of content because VU meters have 300 millisecond integration time and PPMs are like 5ms or just instantaneous, a VU meter is effectively doing a 300ms rolling average. VU and peak meters only agree on alignment tones or steady-state sounds.
Really interesting discussion on meters. I looked at a couple of my pro machines all in vu. My definition of pro 1/2 track full bias/eq pots screwdriver set of course right under the meters and (this costs $$) No connecting jacks other than xlr/balenced. Just a thought Happy New Year
These are truly a piece of an art. They are so satisfying to watch, however the satisfaction costs.
I would've liked to see the recording made on the Sony played back on the Pioneer system just to see if at full volume it would've maxed the meters out there, either way it was a great video.
Yeah, I was thinking that exact thing.
Yep see my comment made today
Tones are the only way to get it right
Yup, same here.
I have seen the same thing, cassette recorders are somewhat more consistent, however the standard levels for open reel seem to be more manufacturer dependent.
The sound of well-recorded tape is highly Desirable, these days. I'm not surpised the machines are still expensive.
ungratefulmetalpansy Do Germans use weird English? Asking as someone with German heritage out of Canada
Andrew Barratt just reel to reel tapes or cassettes as well?
@ungratefulmetalpansy my phone capitalised "desirable" for reasons best known to itself.
@@oliverfasola19 a lot of studios record digitally and then put the individual tracks through a tape machine, to add saturation, a slight bass bump and warmth to a mix.
ungratefulmetalpansy isn’t a noun a person place or thing? If so we capitalize them as well, not saying I didn’t find that capital weird myself. I just googled this to not look dump lol but wouldn’t that be an adverb? ( not a language expect myself )
The music slowing down combined with taking off the reel at 3:30 was such a smooth edit, very satisfying :)
Another awesome vid! I love my cpu digital setup. But there is just something so aesthetically pleasing about the analog hi-fi equipment. With its vu meters, toggle switches and analog knobs. My parents had an RCA entertainment center in the 70's. Tv, Phono, Tuner and 8 track combo with left and right built in speakers. I loved it! As I grew up it grew with the times too. First using the line in to run a standard cassette. Then later with my first cd player. The old girl finally blew the picture tube somewhere in the early 90's. But the memories from my first 45's and Lp's right up through my teenage years were priceless.
Mom just passed nine months ago. But the memories last a lifetime!
Honestly didn't even notice this video was almost 30 minutes long. This is exactly what we need in times like this, a leisurely video on a lovely piece of equipment.
Lovely! I grew up with Sony reel to reel decks, so I appreciate seeing this.
Your technical & troubleshooting abilities excel - even without electronics experience. I also like your shirt! Hunkered down in New York - good luck everyone!
Thanks for your prompt reply. I saw how some of the machines arrive at your place. I'll be very scared to loose a 1000ZXL. I repaired, serviced over 2900 various machines, but only ever tuned repaired two(2) 1000 ZXL's. I understand that you must be very busy. I would now also understand that you might not be able to get one because they are so rare and expensive- i did my research.... I watch all your videos, and i see how lovingly you restore-repair those electrical monsters. Carry on your good work please...Re
Thanks for the video, Mat! I want a reel-to-reel someday for myself, and your videos teach me a lot. I'm an old school technician from the old days, but retired from a totally different field. Lately I've been getting back into old tech that I owned myself back in the 70s and 80s. So far I have a decent turntable and cassette deck. I bought an old 8-track player at a garage sale and was able to repair it and use it in my "stack" of components. I have a feeling that this is just the beginning...
I imagine that the easiest would be to replace the sides with solid wood - that way you could also decide to go with ash, oak etc. to change the look.
What a good idea!
Sir Sim, Esquire fixed
That's a great idea, maybe something with a nice smooth grain to it, and myself would go with a gray to dark gray stain.
I think that would look good, also you could play with the thickness of the wood to match whatever might be around the machine.
Nothing wrong with a little customization.
@@Wineman3383 You probably want to use MDF then: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium-density_fibreboard
@Csab Why?
A very nice example of a consumer version high-end 10.5" R2R deck. As a R2R fan since I was 12 (I'm 60 now) this one was always my favorite Sony unit as so many of their earlier home decks were 7" decks. This one raised the bar in tape stabilization with it's unique modular head/tension dual capstan block married to a robust series of drive motors controlled with a nice large touch button logic control. It has three motors but if I'm correct only the reel motors are direct drive and the capstan module is belt drive as it the tape counter (which we have actually seen). With two capstans I can see why they are much simpler to power by belt rather than synchronizing 2 motors or building a direct linkage between the two capstans to a motor shaft. I think the design is pretty cool and should be easy to get to most things, like belts and such, that need service. I'm surprised the belts on the unit are in such good condition. This alone would indicate not just quality belts but a unit that was kept in a decent climate controlled space.. The Pioneer 909 is still a winner for me however as it was about the most beautiful R2R ever made for consumer use if not quite as impressive as the hulking Technics 1500 units with the isolated loop tape system and analog meters. Getting this for free and passing forward for the same is a sign of very good man indeed. A truly high-performance collectible consume deck the owner should get many hours of pleasure from.
I have one of these machines,unfortunately it's not usable as of yet. It was a gift and I'm happy to have it.The sad part of the story is that it sat on a shelf in a garden shed for many years...Amazingly it powers up and functions.I've had it for 3-4 years now and this video has inspired me to get it down and dig into it...I made new side panels when I got it(far as I got) Then,it went to the wayside.Thank you for
the nudge. It should be running in my system soon...
We used reel to reel in radio back in the 80's and 90's for recording and editing phone calls. Memories.
So you worked in evidence manipulation and/or kompromat production?
Your channel is so very enjoyable to watch, thank you for all your hard work.
You have to have the reels spin when you listen to easy listening jazz. Used to play my roommates Akai he got in Nam when he was in the service. Loved watching the machine spinning when the ladies were over.
Thank You Mat for doing these videos. I am completely entertained with all your videos on older technology that we may not have known existed. I too was an extreme fan of hifi equipment in the 80's and really enjoy collecting the equipment and seeing it in action.
Watching your videos has made me really start wanting a reel to reel player for myself. It's a format I totally missed out on, as cassettes were the main format in my earliest memories. There's something very endearing about reel to reel players, not to mention how connected one would feel to their music having to be so deliberate in playing it.
I always wanted one but they were orders of magnitude more expensive than a decent cassette deck. The Technic’s models were the ones I lusted after but they were $1,600 in late 70’s money. I’ve never seen his Pioneer one before. It’s another one to drool over.
After your Reel to Reel - Most expensive format ever I bought my first one it was a Sony TC 280. Nice little unit to get started with the hobby.
Look after yourself Mat, and may I thank you very much for your videos over the last few years, it's like having a brand new telly channel which always shows your favourite programs! Cheers mate, Nick.
Keep safe Mat! And keep the videos coming please. For those of us confined to the sofa indefinitely, your videos are a welcome relief from the constant bad news we are receiving at the moment!
13:35 “touching the tape”
leader tape will assist you greatly in this.
EDIT: Sorry you didn’t have a good experience with the Akai gx-625. I use mine almost daily. Fantastic deck.
The blank reel didn’t have a leader.
Techmoan when I ordered a reel from ATR, it didn’t have leader either. I had to make a second order of some and splicing tape. I really wish they’d just ship them with leader already attached.
I think it's quite common in the professional and semi-pro fields to see tapes without leader; after all, studio technicians were probably presumed to know all the precautions and pitfalls by the time they "graduated" to handling that kind of equipment.
BertyFromDK My statement is just from my own personal use. I can see how in a studio with editing and splicing that leader isn’t necessary.
@@sawyerlightsey3709 I understand; for home use, where a tape is often used many times for multiple recordings, the leader is certainly a bonus as it tends to prolong the life of the tape, whereas in a studio, tapes tended to be used once and then archived, and a new tape would then be used for the next recording project.
Great video as always. One small thing- the reel size switch adjusts the torque of the spindle motors, not the tension arms themselves.
That makes sense. Good observation.
Yes: I noticed that, and confusion between capstans and pinch wheels/rollers as well.
Enjoyed the video. I have one of these machines. Boy is it heavey and does it sound good. I got mine about thirty years back second hand for £100. Yes £100. I didn't really know what it was worth and the owner asked me to make an offer so I did and he said ok. My wife does not like it but I think it is a thing of beauty and as they say, a thing of beauty is a joy for ever. It sure is to me. Thanks for the video , I'm glad I came across it.
Cheers
Ray
Back in around 78, my father repaired a friends Akia "Portable" reel to reel for us to tinker with. We used the amp to help with a school dance, we used it to record our bluegrass band, and I used to carry it around on the handlebars of my bicycle... (Remember, it was "portable"... It was 3 foot tall and 18 inches wide although it seemed more like it was 6 foot tall and 3 feet wide to a child in middle school ;-) It always amazed me how durable the tubes were in that machine!!! I had several accidents while transporting the machine and I never once damaged a tube :-) Thanks for the trip down memory lane Mr T.M. & stay safe!!!
Matt/Techmoan thank you for your brilliant content. My thoughts are with you and others like you who are at risk at this time. Keep up the great work. Without doubt you are amongst the very best RUclips content providers. If I was a Tech or music teacher I would have all my pupils distance learn by having them watch your back catalogue.
1:20 - you sir are a gentleman and a scholar 👍
Frivolous? No, we need stuff like this more than ever! Stay safe! 👍
Thank you for your quality work. Please take good care of yourself and your loved ones. Watching your videos helps bring peace and joy to a hectic and overbearing day filled it with overwhelming anxiety. A million thanks!
I have never needed a reel-to-reel tape machine, but I still want one. After this video even more so :)
Like many hobby's they can take hold of your life for a long time.
I had one for similar reasons, but after getting into digital audio recording on a PC, I realised the space it was taking up could be put to better uses, so I sold it to an older bloke who was most happy.
Now that Pioneer is the ultimate in retro-hi-fi, and the black ones I've seen on eBay look as if they could be made today. The Sony looks awesome too.
@ungratefulmetalpansy You're ignorant.
@ indeed if all.machines are maintained they are all good. The pioneer is a behemoth in its class, I know I have one that would put any technics to shame, my comparison is my Studer A807.
@ungratefulmetalpansy For its price range, Pioneer performs quite well. However, if you want to go down that road, Technics sucks. McIntosh is the real deal.
I miss the 80s PIoneer logo. I used to have car speakers with that logo on them. Looked as cool as they sounded with a Blaupunkt radio.
I really like the woodgrain. Somehow I always end up with akai gear. I like it though. I think that since Also stopped making consumer electronics, people don't recognize the brand, therefore they put it on Craigslist rather than eBay. On another note, always have a look on local selling sites, because the customer base is a lot smaller.
So back in the mid-80s I would record vinyl to reel to cassette tape. The sound quality was out standing and the best I have ever heard to this day (Prince, Rick James, Quincy Jones...Stevie Wonder etc). My cousin who was my goto for sound (and her reels) showed me the process and boy was I happy with the outcome. Like studio quality sound from vinyl to the reel (all the good filter settings) back to a good tape (Sony something but the higher quality ones).
Your videos always makes me think of the song, Sound of silence.
One of the best channels on RUclips. Thank you for continuing to upload during this time of crisis. Stay safe.
As usual a very interesting video, to be honest your relaxed style of infotainment could go on for an hour or more as time passes quickly just relaxing and seeing some old tech. Oh and you have the nicest toys too, that Pioneer tape machine is a work of art, dozens of buttons and brushed steel, delicious! As always thanks for creating :)
Whether to publish a video, I am so glad you did. Reel to reel was a ‘must have’ for me in 1971 and I had a couple of machines in the day.
I loved the machines then and now. Especially my TEAC A2300 machine.
Thank you for another awesome R2R video in these difficult times. It's a wonderful coincidence that I just picked up a TC-766-2 (the half-track 7.5/15ips version) this evening, it was meant to be! Take care and stay healthy.
Lovely hearing the mechanics of the machine again! I used to operate a live/automated radio station. I did the live bits, had to load up the tapes and ad carts, and, even if doing something else, would always be listening for the solenoids that told me all was running smoothly.
Hearing those sounds even brought back the memory of the scent of the tapes...
Regarding the meters, it's possible the previous owner had the playback level set to full at all times, but didn't want the meters on the front stuck in the red all the time. You can use the little flat head adjustment screws on the front of them to adjust them back up to their correct level! (haven't finished the video yet, just in case you end up doing this anyway!)
Huh..i never seen a reel to reel tape player before. This is new to me! Tech has come so far. I want one!
Agreed with previous comments. Nice calming video. Keep it up ! It might be the only interaction people have over the next 3 weeks.
3:04 - "You are listening to Seeburg FM. The easy choice!"
God bless you my friend. You’re one of the best RUclipsrs imho and I thoroughly enjoy your videos. In fact my top 5 youtubers are all Brits haha. Must be the BBC effect. Stay safe and healthy
I own that exact machine in pristine condition. I would spend the coin and have that cleaned up, new belts, capacitors, led lights installed, new sides. That is a solid machine you got there.
Both machines are gorgeous and thanks for the demonstration. A few years ago I purchased nice reel-to-reel for five dollars at a garage sale. The price even included a dozen or so boxed tapes almost entirely devoted to old Johnny Cash songs that I had never heard before. Back in the days when machines like this were popular, I could never quite justify spending the money for one since I already owned a good quality cassette deck. I was surprised to learn that reel-to-reels don't require Dolby. There simply isn't enough hiss associated with the larger tape format to worry about. As far as music goes, I really can't detect much difference between the source material and the recording. My my hearing is excellent, by the way. Needless to say, I did give it a thorough cleaning beforehand. I also removed the rear panel and added a few drops of synthetic oil to spindles and lever pivot points here and there. Nothing major, the job took thirty minutes or so. To me, the home stereo experience has always been by choice highly interactive, an ongoing educational experience, and and a serious art form all rolled into one. The slides, levers, lights, switches, VU meters, capstans, spinning reels, turntables, sophisticated tracking, counterweights and all the other cool stuff have always been a never ending source of entertainment. Don't get me wrong. Pushing a CD into a cheap plastic player and depressing a button is certainly convenient and inexpensive. It's just that that having that as my only option makes me feel deprived, dumbed-down, and short changed.
Shoving a cd into a cheap plastic player kinda sells compact very short, your right the mechanical workout to get these older formats is quite appealing, but CD is also just in a different way, using microscopic lands and grooves to digitally encode media and then using an infrared laser to detect those lands and grooves. the whole use of nyquist shannon for encoding and decoding, CD was an amazing thing for a reason a perfect digital copy as early as 1982, that was just amazing. but also keep in mind CD players weren't cheap at first they of course cheaped out over time but that's down to mass manufacturing, which tape formats also suffered from, hence the reason for the cheap budget minded tanashin mechanisms we have now. but short changed and dumbed down CD was not, it just changed belts and reels for precise speed controlled motors and magnetically floating laser lens assemblies, ADC's and DAC's
A reel to reel machine with handles?
My brain: I like to move it, move it.
I found a wonderful place in Nelson, Lancashire that repair reel to reel machines, Wilkinson's Hifi.
That’s really good to know - thanks for the info.
@@Techmoan I can strongly recommend a guy named Geoff Kremer, in Bexhill-on-Sea. Find him here.
www.servicesound.com/
With things like these you really need to be within driving distance - a trip with a courier will do them more harm than good.
@@Techmoan luckily, I'm an hour away from Nelson. But I would drive anywhere in the uk to drop something this fragile in person.
I’m under 40 mins from Nelson - but Bexhill on Sea - that’s a ten hour round trip.
I've always wanted a vertical tape deck, but was never able to aspire to something as lofty as your Pioneer, or that Sony. The nearest I've managed so far is a Philips N4418 with 7" reels, three speeds, built in stereo speakers and soft touch controls that was given to me by a neighbour who bought it in 1971.
Soon after I got it, the tape speed was all over the place. I traced the problem to the capstan motor which was completely physically worn out. The commutator and brass brushes were worn away to nothing.
Surprisingly, I was able to replace it with a motor from a scrap cassette deck, and it works well!
Thanks for your splendid channel.
I liked the big old sony Reel to reel machine you demonstrated, I guess a machine without the reels reminds me of a bird without feathers.
You should check out The Vinyl Guru. I feel like youd love her....
Mademe X She’s way more “out” there than Techmoan which isnt bad but i just checked her out and subbed. Good channel!
Ok, ill check her out!i like that YT name already! VINYL FO LIFE!!!!!
Florans Yousif haha yes! I just discovered her and I feel like the way they are boutbaudio is the same. She said she had a reel to reel top so total kindred spirits.
Hey Mat - Havent finished yet and I think there are screw adjustments in those 2 holes below the VU meter. Its so you can set the level
That would require complete calibration using a signal generator and oscilloscope. I wouldn't recomend just tweaking by ear.
I do believe those are only for zeroing the meters, not necessarily the overall level.
Don't they just set the zero position?
Great job as always Mat, thank you .. The VU meter holes are just to zero the meters.
*There’s a bit more information about this in the video description text box.*
I’m new to reel to reel, bought my first deck this week won’t TC-377, beautiful conditioning and fully functional in original box. I’ve since bought loads of stuff to about £100 on rubber restorer, new belt set (can’t have enough belts), super-lube grease, I’m going to use sewing machine oil, managed to make a couple of new friends and long conversation with folk I’ve bought 7” old tapes from.
I’m amazed (but shouldn’t have been) with the impact of different tapes, managed to get 5 TDK LX35 tapes recommended by a chap who had recorded 10 hours of music per week from the radio back in the 80’s & 90’s on R2R and has now sold hundreds of his tapes and got rid of his machines….I’ve joined forums blimey how am I going to find the time.
I’ve realised that it the process of getting ready to listen to music I love, I love putting on a record, cleaning it, setting on the platter, etc etc, and it’s like meditation and generates peace in my noggin…so how have I lived this long with out tape machines I have no idea.
Thanks for the video one of the TC-377 would be perfect but may be you’ve done one already.
Also, I’m interested in what you think about tapes ?!
I always find your videos soothing for some reason, I'm sure lots of people appreciate that more than ever right now, be safe out there, cheers man.
I, like you, have some hearing loss but am fascinated with your coverage of all this retro tech. I don't have anything but CDs and now a Sony NW-45 that I picked up after watching your review and getting interested in lossless media like FLAC, etc. That leads me to the next question, do you think lossless digital sounds better, the same, or not as good as a reel to reel (assuming the highest settings like 15 IPS, etc., and whatever else you can do to optimize it)? Or is it more for the love of the format and the nostalgia of former times? And to you reel to reel hard core fans that will inevitably read this, please don't go off on me. I've never heard one live and I'm just looking for an honest opinion. Thank you, Mat, for another great video. From Boston, best regards and stay safe.
It's a difficult one to answer because often the stuff put out on hi-res has been cleaned up, remastered or is in some way more suited to getting the special treatment. A quickly thrown together mid 90s pop album might not benefit from hi-res, but a specially recorded acoustic number with a wide dynamic range might do. Some people prefer tape as they want the best quality while keeping things analog. You've probably seen my video about the 15ips 2 track tapes - but if you haven't it delves a bit more into this world. ruclips.net/video/5KHSz9Gi-II/видео.html
Another informative video, will there be a follow up with any more stuff from the chap from Sony? Stay safe Matt.
This is really it - the other things (bar a couple of small items) weren’t something I could use and have gone to other people.
Hi Mat you take care of yourself and your family.
It's remarkable the amount of weight that's been packed into a relatively small package when it comes to reel tape recorders. I have one that uses 7 inch/17.8 cm reels and it is a chore to move or carry.
I love that the first thing you see is the broken light bulb. OCD rules! 😉
I miss the puppets , they really finish a episode and do the moan of the tech. Thank for the videos
That table where he sat the Sony unit, that was the one they sat at.
I had the 630 with lid speaker's and built in amp it was surprisingly good for an all in one unit
A guy in a pub bought it from me and stood it on the bar playing background music.
He said the amount of trade it bought in was amazing with punters mesmerized watching the reels go around and the vu meters bouncing away.
I can't wait to tuck into my Roberts 771X later this year and give it a thorough once-over. It worked well when I last used it (aside from some scratchy pots) but it's been sitting in the basement and the inside is filled with the remnants of a mouse nest.
The recording you made on the machine played back **beautifully.**
6:59 I wonder how many of the non-British (or younger British) viewers know the origins/significance of "other brands are available" as an aside comment?
I'm 25, and I get it. But maybe I'm not "younger" anymore...?
Haha, I wondered that too! It doesn't even make sense in a RUclips video really but it made me laugh. It's still very much a thing on the BBC - Radliffe & Maconie say it all the time.
I know about it from other british RUclipsrs, like Ashens would joke about it and say "Wait, I'm not the bloody BBC"´, so I assume that's what the british TV channels would say to stay in line with Ofcom regulations and make sure nobody thinks they're being paid to show the brand? :)
@@pierdeer yeah, specifically the BBC bc it has more neutrality mandated than the commercial channels. Though sometimes the commercial channels still black out logos and say the thing if they haven't been paid, to try and encourage product placement money >.> "we're not doing it for free!" etc
@@pierdeer Correct!
People watching this in ten years will be like "Why can't he leave the house? Is his wife really that controlling?"
@@aserta Payback from China??
Once they figure out that this kind of "social distancing" campaign is great help in avoiding climate disruption & the inevitable sea level rise (people not travelling as much, so we're not burning as much fossil fuel), they may decide we should keep doing it. Apparently, the pollution level has already dropped significantly in China.
@@Syncopator Yes, let's just destroy human culture and civilization. I agree about the environmental benefits but this isn't the real answer.
I don't think Techmoan's intentions, when he mentioned the virus, was to be starting a whole debate on it, on his channel! Let's leave it nice and revert back to the very point of the video's subject. Please. Thanks.
@@aserta very likely some of us survived, I mean this is not the first time humankind dealing with a global pandemic.
20 years ago people visited the pub after work to unwind, today I like to flick to your channel with a good brew.
One of my favourite channels, always learning something from you in an entertaining way. Especially now, everyone needs a distraction so thanks so much. Look forward to the next one.
Can you not just swap the side panels for now, that way the damage would be at the back...
It looks that you can switch left with right with no problem. Good idea!👍
There appears to be a wood support piece on the behind, i didnt notice if it was just on one side or both, but id imagine its probably a sticking point to just flipping the pieces
*There’s more information in the video description.*
More leisurely look videos mate! Churn out prolific content. It’s time to totally wipe out and utilise every idea you have. I’m sure you’ll gain hundreds of thousands of subscribers in the process.
In my late teens, a kind neighbour gave me his old (valve amplified) reel-to-reel which I used to record Alan ('Fluff') Freeman's Radio 1 Saturday afternoon _Rock_ _Show_. ("Greetings, music lovers!" "Not 'arf!") As a teen with very little disposable income for LPs, his show was an invaluable source of untold musical riches and education.
I had my eyes shut to hear the music, opened them and you had turned the light out, well played Sir
Hi, spent years repairing these old decks and enjoyed every moment. Brings back memory's , remember the pioneer esp was a nice deck that had a logic problem. Most 3 motor decks were built real well.
My father had a 7 1/2" Sony reel-to-reel tape recorder from the mid 1960s, which I "inherited" from him when he upgraded his equipment in the early '80s. I used that thing for over 10 years. I would record my vinyl onto tape so I could play it multiple times without wearing out the vinyl. I was also in a band during the late '80s and early '90s, and we'd use it to record ourselves, because it had such a high quality compared to anything else. At some point in the mid '90s, I moved houses and it got damaged... I never bothered fixing it, and it eventually got thrown out. I wish I'd kept it -- it'd be worth a great deal today.
Reel to reel is so satisfying of a concept. All analog, no cassettes or caddies. Any simpler like a wire recording and it wouldn't be recognizable or convenient.
Very good of you to pass it along. I still have dad's RCA SRT-301 that I would like to work on one day. Cheers from Austin.
Ive got a Pioneer 707 I purchased in 1979 while stationed in Germany. It sounds as good as the day i bought it! Cant believe how well the Maxwell tapes have held up 40+ years later.
Loved this! Stay safe and healthy Mat, and we'll be happy for whatever you're able to put out in the coming weeks
Please keep up the videos, the world could be coming to an end outside but I would be right here in my room watching your videos, you, LGR, Big Clive, and EEVlog. Those are my everyday watches, there are others, but because of you guys I have no need for tv anymore.
Thanks for what you do.
I've been so anxious and this video was really nicely paced for that. Thanks Mat, and stay safe.
Thanks for sharing this. It makes so much fun to see these machines working. 👍🏻 keep up the good work.
Loved every second of watching this. Love to hear you talk sense. I have an AKAI GX 255 and also a TEAC X-10R
Thanks for taking the time to make this video, I like reel to reels. I have a TEAC 4300, 7 inch reels. It's heavy and built like a tank. Great sounding machine and has auto reverse as well. I just have to get the brakes adjusted. Shortly after I got it, I had it in fast forward and pressed stop. SNAP! Busted a perfectly good tape! Stay healthy over there!
That looks very much like the tape deck my friend had in the late 1970’s. I was always impressed by the quality of it, nice looking piece of kit.
Very nice system....thanks for your video. Love seeing great older machines
Nice - we had a Sony touch control reel to reel of mid-70s vintage - TC-850. It looks like the VU meters are jerky on playback versus line monitoring and record. Videos from YT creators like you are *very* much appreciated during this stressful time. They are entertaining like usual, but also stress relievers and a distraction. Thank you for what you do, always!
You inspired me to fix up my grandpa's old player! We have a bunch of unmarked reels and I played a few, turns out most are 7½ ips Elvis and Niel Diamond and Four Seasons! It's great! Thank you!
That is one nice looking Sony. One option for the side panel, would be to have a pair of solid wood planks cut and drilled to fit lik,e cherry or oak. I had two of those Pioneer open reel decks at different times. Both of them seemed to play back too slowly. I sold them before prices skyrocketed. My first 1/4" machine was a late 60's Sony desktop 7" 3-head recorder I got used, and was well worn; not very good fidelity. Next, I got a Teac 4-track 7" machine that had worn heads. I carefully polished the heads and that improved the fidelity. I sold that and got a Teac 10.5" 4-track and also a Teac 10.5" 2-track with auto reverse. I always enjoy your videos; you provide a wealth of useful information in a calm and interesting manner and with quality production techniques. Thank you for all that you do. Wishing you well...Cheers.
I love both of my reel to reels tape decks! My Pioneer RT-701 I got off E-bay $280 in excellent shape except the tape counter does work, I bought the belt, but it looks like alot of work to replace it. My other one is a Teac 3300-10 in excellent shape also, it came with owners manual and two large metal Teac reels for $290. If I had a bigger place, I would have at least 2 more decks! Love looking at them, even when they are not playing music! They sound so good!
Thankyou for this video Mat, this brought back happy memories for me listening to Pink Floyd with my late father in the late 70s on his Akai reel to reel. Stay safe
I have a beautiful working TC-765 with rn-30 remote and dust screen cover and I love it!
The overlay at 15:35 is the kind of quality post-production that keeps me coming back. Well done, sir.
Great video! Thank you. I used to service those decks when they were being manufactured. I preferred the Sony decks because of their consistent quality, layout, and design techniques. And using a test tape with a standard 0dB 400Hz signal you could adjust the playback meters for standard level, using a AC voltmeter, as shown in the Service Manual. Then you could complete the rest of the record-play calibration procedure using the Service Manual, and then be able to understand the levels being indicated by the meters on both decks.
I haven't seen anything like that since I was a teenager around 1984-85 . Beautiful piece of machinery! They definitely don't make them like that anymore!
Very enjoyable (as always) thank you. This kind of thing is just the tonic that's needed at the mo. Keep it up!
You sir, are a legend amongst men. Stay well.