Uher Royal Stereo 784
 

Hello guys. I am very intrigued by this Uher model but I could not find much info on the unit specs. I mainly wonder if it has line inputs. I also see it has sockets which I have not seen before. Any clue what type they are?

https://www.hifi-archiv.info/Uher/Ro...oyalBDA_10.jpg

I see it is a 4 track recorder, but I am a bit confused if it has separate inputs for each track or are they two by two combined with a swtich?

I also see it has an echo setting. Any clue how that works exactly?

If anyone has info on this particular model, please share. I am considering buying one and I want to be more familiar with how it works.

Re: Uher Royal Stereo 784
 

English Service manual at radiomuseum.org and German one at elektrotanya.

Uses standard 3 and 5 pin DIN sockets, plus two 6 pin DINs for Projector and Remote Control/Accessories. The external speaker connectors look like switched 2 pin DIN.

The sensitivity of the Phono DIN inputs is listed as 350mV / 1 Mohm so the best one for line inputs.

David

Re: Uher Royal Stereo 784
 

A 3 head machine can produce echo by taking the output from the playback head and feeding it to an input where it is rerecorded, Some machines do this by means of a switch on the front panel whilst others would require physical external wiring from the line out to the line in. Echo cannot be created on a 2 head machine.

Re: Uher Royal Stereo 784
 

Thank you David. Any clue if the inputs are separate L & R? Given it's a 4 track.

As for the post of Analogue man, I do know how tape echo works. That's why I'm intrigued by this unit as I never came accross one that has this built in. Speaking of the number of heads, it seems this one has four of them? See image attached. This is another reason why this recorder got my attention so much. Is the forth one a playback head or just a tape guide that looks like a head?

Re: Uher Royal Stereo 784
 

Combined erase head, separare record and replay heads plus Dia-Pilot head.

I know nothing really about Dia-Pilot other than it is used for sequencing slide projectors.

One Dia-Pilot is the Uher F422.

David

Re: Uher Royal Stereo 784
 

It is a stereo machine with quarter track heads. This means that each track takes up just under a quarter of the width of the tape but you can only access two of the tracks in each direction. To record/play the other 2 tracks you have to turn the tape over.

The 5 pin DIN connectors will have separate pins for the left and right signals but you will need to buy/make up breakout cables if you want to send different sources to each channel.

The head to the right of the capstan is likely to be a narrow track head which is used to read or write a slide synchronisation signal. Quite a few machines have space for such a head but very few actually have that head fitted.

Re: Uher Royal Stereo 784
 

Looking at the schematic more closely and translating the German text from Post 1, I now believe that the loudspeaker sockets are the 3 pin (inline) DIN switched type, where depending upon which way round the 2 pin DIN plug is fitted either the internal speaker will be disconnected/muted and feed the output signal to external speaker or the external loudspeaker will be connected and the internal speaker will also stay connected.

An example of this 3 pin loudspeaker DIN is shown in photo # 3 in Post 72 & photo # 1 in Post 80 of this linked Thread :-

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=182274

David

Re: Uher Royal Stereo 784
 

Thank you James. I've never heard of such a function up until now. I suppose this is related to working with other devices like a camera like David suggests or an external audio unit. Correct me if I'm wrong, but from what you said, for both Radio and Phono inputs each one is basically a L+R (stereo) inputs. I basically need to craft a 5 DIN to lets say RCA L and RCA R (or 2x TS male jacks) separate sockets to run separate signals in there or just solder a TRS (stereo) jack and feed a stereo signal trhough that signal?

As fo the post of David, I looked up the 2 pin male jack and I can confirm it seems to the right one indeed. I am just confused why are the two holes on the far sides of the female socket shaped differently which also makes me doubt if the male will fit both ways.

Re: Uher Royal Stereo 784
 

I bought a few of these

https://www.kenable.co.uk/en/audio-/...383488582.html

so that I could connect my DIN based gear to the rest of my setup. At least one of your connectors will have both input and output signals on it so you may need to use all 4 of the phono connectors on that cable.

Re: Uher Royal Stereo 784
 

It is a little confusing but it is correct.

The small sized outer hole has a normal double sided sprung contact, the larger outside hole has a single sided larger contact arm that when actuated by the small round pin of the 2 pin DIN plug, open circuits the switch between 2 of the rear contacts (there are 4 contacts on the rear).

Photo attachments show example.

Also on eBay is this example

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/202855422083

Interesting that the supplier calls the 3 pin DIN socket 2 pin.

David

Re: Uher Royal Stereo 784
 

Just realised that I must have the Royal Stereo 784 or the 2 track version the 782.

Have never powered it up or even really looked at it, I must locate it and check it out.

David

Re: Uher Royal Stereo 784
 

Thanks for the link James. That's quite helpful actually!

And thanks for all the photo references David! I do see on one of them that that there are different pins. I am trying to find out if they are actually reachable. I would really like to link the L output to connect to the R input via a switch to be able to create a tape ping pong delay while still having the normal socket connectivity when for standart reording.

I looked up both models and I have my eye on the 784 so the 4 track based on the echo setting it has (1-4 and 2-3).

Another thing I really wonder is if this unit operates with a DC or AC motor. It looks like a propper R2R (unlike the Rerport Monitor) so I am thinking it likely has the AC motor.

Re: Uher Royal Stereo 784
 

The schematic confirms AC motor.

The way it is drawn in one version of the schematic indicates that the motor maybe integral with the mains transformer.

David

Re: Uher Royal Stereo 784
 

That's a real buzz kill for me.. I am very unaware how to control the speed of an AC motor. I know it's not as simple as pulse width modulation like in DC motors. I also don't know how applicable that is in a reel to reel unit.

Re: Uher Royal Stereo 784
 

I had to Google the meaning of "buzzkill".

David

Re: Uher Royal Stereo 784
 

In the general run of the mill/basic R2Rs with AC capstan motors there is little if any user tape speed adjustment.

In higher performance R2Rs like Revox A77 the motor speed is monitored by an integral tacho generator pickup and there is subsequent electronic speed control/regulation via a servo.

David

Re: Uher Royal Stereo 784
 

It is possible to control the speed (downwards) on a motor that has a run capacitor by connecting a rheostat across the capacitor terminals and connecting the supply wire to the wiper of the rheostat but once the wiper reaches just beyond the mid point of the rheostat the motor will start to run backwards. I did this on some older Grundig recorders in my (much) younger days.

Re: Uher Royal Stereo 784
 

That's helpful thank you! In theory, could I not hook up the rheostat directly between the power source and the motor (in case there isn't a run cap)?

Re: Uher Royal Stereo 784
 

Taken from the Uher Royal Stereo Operating Instructions Manual here is info covering Playback through external speakers, Echo, Sound on Sound, Multi-Play and Dia-Pilot.

The Playback through external speakers on pages 17 & 19 is the same as the German text on page 10 in Post 1 link.

The manual does not appear to specify which Royal model it covers but I am fairly sure it is for the 784.

David

Re: Uher Royal Stereo 784
 

If you want something that you can use for variable speed tape echo then you'd be better off with something like a Philips N4504, N4506, N4512 or N4515. There are probably others in the Philips range that would work but I know for sure that these would work because they're all based on a similar transport and I've used my N4515 as a variable speed echo unit by connecting a variable resistor in parallel with the preset that controls the 1 7/8ips speed. This gave me a speed range from just over 1 7/8ips up to something like 15ips.