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Post by jcoutu1 on Aug 26, 2016 8:41:18 GMT -6
Anyone know anything about quality cassette machines? Cassette releases seem to be the rage now, but more importantly, I came across an old box of cassettes and want to check some out and transfer some to digital. I figure I can probably score a pro machine for pennies.
Any suggestions?
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Post by M57 on Aug 26, 2016 9:04:37 GMT -6
Jesse, don't know what level of pro you're looking for, but I'm happy to loan you my Onkyo TA-6510. For Onkyo, it's a pretty high-end deck with very low use and in mint condition. I probably haven't fired it up in a decade, but it certainly should be good for assessing material. Let me know if you're interested and I'll dig up a cassette and make sure the wheels turn.
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Post by jcoutu1 on Aug 26, 2016 9:17:26 GMT -6
Jesse, don't know what level of pro you're looking for, but I'm happy to loan you my Onkyo TA-6510. For Onkyo, it's a pretty high-end deck with very low use and in mint condition. I probably haven't fired it up in a decade, but it certainly should be good for assessing material. Let me know if you're interested and I'll dig up a cassette and make sure the wheels turn. Sounds good to me. Thanks Mark. |
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Post by M57 on Aug 26, 2016 9:27:07 GMT -6
Damn - Now I have to find a cassette.  |
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Post by M57 on Aug 26, 2016 9:39:25 GMT -6
Hmm.. Lights up beautifully. FF & REW check. Hit Play and the mechanism engages, the head making contact with the tape and it gets about 1 second of spooling and then gives up and disengages. Maybe related to take-up tension? Probably works fine if you can fix that. How about if I loan it to you permanently?
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Post by jcoutu1 on Aug 26, 2016 9:47:17 GMT -6
Hmm.. Lights up beautifully. FF & REW check. Hit Play and the mechanism engages, the head making contact with the tape and it gets about 1 second of spooling and then gives up and disengages. Maybe related to take-up tension? Probably works fine if you can fix that. How about if I loan it to you permanently? Was that with a tape in? |
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Post by M57 on Aug 26, 2016 10:02:39 GMT -6
Hmm.. Lights up beautifully. FF & REW check. Hit Play and the mechanism engages, the head making contact with the tape and it gets about 1 second of spooling and then gives up and disengages. Maybe related to take-up tension? Probably works fine if you can fix that. How about if I loan it to you permanently? Was that with a tape in? Yes - and with the tape out I took the cover off and tripped the safety to fool the mechanism . It works, but same problem - it disengages. So maybe it's not take-up tension related? |
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Post by jcoutu1 on Aug 26, 2016 10:05:09 GMT -6
Yes - and with the tape out I took the cover off and tripped the safety to fool the mechanism . It works, but same problem - it disengages. So maybe it's not take-up tension related? Damn. I'm not enough of a DIY guy to get it cooking. |
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ericn
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Post by ericn on Aug 26, 2016 10:07:41 GMT -6
Nakamichi and the Tascam 122 were the best, but finding one that hasn't been abused isn't easy!
The biggest problem with cassettes was most of the rape path and transport were built into a $.50 she'll.
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Post by jimwilliams on Aug 26, 2016 10:12:48 GMT -6
I've used Nak 700's in the olde tymes and Tascam 112's 20 odd years ago. I avoided 122's due to their rotating heads that never seemed to stay in alignment.
Although I did rebuild the record/play electronics (all opamps) all of the modern decks run through a Dolby chip, even if bypassed. That limited the performance. Best I ever got was out of a KABA cassette dupicator system, no dolby chips, all 4558 dual opamps. With quality opamps those sounded great.
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Post by winetree on Aug 26, 2016 12:25:52 GMT -6
Trouble with most cassette decks is that the belts and roller turns to goo and needs to be replaced.
I just replaced the belts and roller in a friends deck and he was pleased it worked again.
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kcatthedog
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Post by kcatthedog on Aug 26, 2016 13:12:55 GMT -6
I've got a fostex 380s here that my son was using recently. I bought it new years ago and its never been abused. I'l check if its still working ok  |
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Post by stratboy on Aug 26, 2016 13:38:58 GMT -6
Trouble with most cassette decks is that the belts and roller turns to goo and needs to be replaced. I just replaced the belts and roller in a friends deck and he was pleased it worked again. This happened to my Sony. It was a pain to replace the belts x2, since it is a dual well deck. Worth it, tho. You can find the parts and help online. Patience and a light touch helps. |
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Post by c0rtland on Aug 26, 2016 19:52:03 GMT -6
Tascam 122mk2
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Post by M57 on Aug 28, 2016 7:24:46 GMT -6
You still looking? How about an Onkyo TA-RW411? Dual cassettes. (it was sitting right under the 6510.) Mint condition - AND working!
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Post by Ward on Aug 28, 2016 19:32:06 GMT -6
Same. Mine has been at my tech's workshop for about 6 months now as he tried to troubleshoot it and get things working. It's a giant mystery, but something is keeping it from working again. I blame the SMPTE crowd and their damned MP3 evil spirits. Or the ghost of Jobs. Everything has been replaced and it still won't work. |
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Post by Guitar on Sept 1, 2016 9:46:24 GMT -6
I would probably look at the currently or recently manufactured stuff from Tascam.
I dubbed a tape off of a Sony consumer stereo machine and it had some wow and flutter issues. So I guess I would go for something more professional.
I also tried, and failed, to put new belts in an old NAD machine from Goodwill, had to throw it in the trash. It was surprisingly difficult, like working on a wristwatch or something. Tons of tiny little mechanical parts that need to be exactly in place.
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