Does anyone know what this sound effect is or where to get it?

Paul R Johnson · September 24th, 2022, 03:04 PM

Last word on the hijacking - the V/H switch adjusts the spring tension on the spring loaded arm, so counteracting the weight of the arm itself.

I returned the 4 track to pick up the 2 track and the seller powered it up and went to the kitchen to make coffee and left me fiddling. the adjustable torque on the rewind/wind spools worked fine, and the usual clunks and clicks happened but I notice the capstan wheel was not rotating at all. We took the front panel off and inside the large capstan flywheel gets driven by one of three rubber idlers - the capstan has three separate drive surfaces concentric to each other - a stepped pulley, with the metal surface having a rubber surface - a rubber insert that makes contact with the rubber of the idlers. The whole assembly was a sticky black mess. I touched it and it took five minutes of scrubbing to get it off my hand. All the internal rubber had disolved and had run into puddles. The idlers I have seen available on the net, but a new flywheel would be needed and I have never seen one of these, The upshot is I no longer have the working four track (low speed version) and the replacement is effectively scrap, so a 400 mile journey for nothing. Two, if you include the first where he gave mne the wrong one. Luckily I checked this one properly before taking it home, but the fact is now I have no reel to reel. Not meant to be. It seems that this one must have had a new capstan pinch wheel because the rubber on that was fine, but the other rubber parts had gone. Even if I find another - it could be a year before the rubber in that one suddenly goes, and spares are getting impossible. I think I will give up.

Greg Miller · September 25th, 2022, 01:06 PM

I'm very sorry to hear that, Paul. No doubt a huge disappointment.

I've never seen a R-R machine with idler wheel drive as you described, I've seen that only in older phono turntables. Any tape machine I've seen was either belt drive or a direct motor drive (i.e. the capstan was the motor shaft). Of those, some were hysteresis-synchronous motors, and IIRC some of the newer ones were servo controlled.

Had you considered the possibility of swapping heads so the 1/2 track heads were on the working transport? A lot of work, though, and the seller might not be too keen on the idea.

I wonder whether there's some way you could modify the Ferrograph to use belt drive. Of course that would mean one fixed speed unless you opened the machine to change belts. Even so, that might be a lot better than nothing. (You could always play tapes at the wrong speed, then shift the speed digitally.) I'd love to look at it in person, but that would be more than a 400 mile drive!

Paul R Johnson · September 25th, 2022, 01:15 PM

The engineering is very open, so it wouldn't be possible but the cost might be scary. The ¼ track machine has an extra swing cover on the replay head that swings over to screen the narrower track head from external fields that I believe is because the 4 track heads have lower output and corresponding higher gain - hence the extra shielding. This is missing from the high speed version. Sadly, it's just a sale that has failed even though buyer and seller have done their best. I'm thinking maybe scrap the reel to reel idea, until something more secure happens. I would really love a Technics 1500 series, but they're always crazy money, but look amazing with the vertical head block.

September 24th, 2022, 03:04 PM	#31
Paul R Johnson Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Lowestoft - UK Posts: 4,046	Re: Does anyone know what this sound effect is or where to get it? Last word on the hijacking - the V/H switch adjusts the spring tension on the spring loaded arm, so counteracting the weight of the arm itself. I returned the 4 track to pick up the 2 track and the seller powered it up and went to the kitchen to make coffee and left me fiddling. the adjustable torque on the rewind/wind spools worked fine, and the usual clunks and clicks happened but I notice the capstan wheel was not rotating at all. We took the front panel off and inside the large capstan flywheel gets driven by one of three rubber idlers - the capstan has three separate drive surfaces concentric to each other - a stepped pulley, with the metal surface having a rubber surface - a rubber insert that makes contact with the rubber of the idlers. The whole assembly was a sticky black mess. I touched it and it took five minutes of scrubbing to get it off my hand. All the internal rubber had disolved and had run into puddles. The idlers I have seen available on the net, but a new flywheel would be needed and I have never seen one of these, The upshot is I no longer have the working four track (low speed version) and the replacement is effectively scrap, so a 400 mile journey for nothing. Two, if you include the first where he gave mne the wrong one. Luckily I checked this one properly before taking it home, but the fact is now I have no reel to reel. Not meant to be. It seems that this one must have had a new capstan pinch wheel because the rubber on that was fine, but the other rubber parts had gone. Even if I find another - it could be a year before the rubber in that one suddenly goes, and spares are getting impossible. I think I will give up. Last edited by Paul R Johnson; September 25th, 2022 at 01:15 PM.

September 25th, 2022, 01:06 PM	#32
Greg Miller Trustee Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,792	Re: Does anyone know what this sound effect is or where to get it? I'm very sorry to hear that, Paul. No doubt a huge disappointment. I've never seen a R-R machine with idler wheel drive as you described, I've seen that only in older phono turntables. Any tape machine I've seen was either belt drive or a direct motor drive (i.e. the capstan was the motor shaft). Of those, some were hysteresis-synchronous motors, and IIRC some of the newer ones were servo controlled. Had you considered the possibility of swapping heads so the 1/2 track heads were on the working transport? A lot of work, though, and the seller might not be too keen on the idea. I wonder whether there's some way you could modify the Ferrograph to use belt drive. Of course that would mean one fixed speed unless you opened the machine to change belts. Even so, that might be a lot better than nothing. (You could always play tapes at the wrong speed, then shift the speed digitally.) I'd love to look at it in person, but that would be more than a 400 mile drive!

September 25th, 2022, 01:15 PM	#33
Paul R Johnson Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Lowestoft - UK Posts: 4,046	Re: Does anyone know what this sound effect is or where to get it? The engineering is very open, so it wouldn't be possible but the cost might be scary. The ¼ track machine has an extra swing cover on the replay head that swings over to screen the narrower track head from external fields that I believe is because the 4 track heads have lower output and corresponding higher gain - hence the extra shielding. This is missing from the high speed version. Sadly, it's just a sale that has failed even though buyer and seller have done their best. I'm thinking maybe scrap the reel to reel idea, until something more secure happens. I would really love a Technics 1500 series, but they're always crazy money, but look amazing with the vertical head block.