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Vintage Tape (Audio), Cassette, Wire and Magnetic Disc Recorders and Players Open-reel tape recorders, cassette recorders, 8-track players etc. |
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13th Jan 2023, 10:58 am | #21 |
Octode
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: London, UK.
Posts: 1,047
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Re: Cassette deck head alignment - a surprise
I don't have a micrometer (probably should buy one!), but I have a couple of Verniers. I also have an original ABEX gauge. If there is a particular dim on the gauge you'd like verified against the ABEX THG-801, I can check?
EDIT: I presume you have seen this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q86T8KC0kWc&t=300s |
13th Jan 2023, 11:03 am | #22 | |
Octode
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 1,969
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Re: Cassette deck head alignment - a surprise
Quote:
Unfortunately Dolby B, C and S exaggerated even minor record/playback errors, errors which might not be even noticed with no Dolby. The same to some extent with all the compander types for cassette such as dbx, Toshiba ADRES, Nakamich HiCom etc. Good performance depended on very high standards of machine and tape condition and alignment, both at record and playback stages, which I think in a consumer context was somewhat unrealistic. It's fine for us technically inclined folk but most people just wanted to hear their favourite music, not become technicians, tweaking things to the nth degree. Tim Last edited by TIMTAPE; 13th Jan 2023 at 11:16 am. |
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13th Jan 2023, 1:37 pm | #23 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Kington, Herefordshire, UK.
Posts: 3,670
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Re: Cassette deck head alignment - a surprise
Quote:
The age of that story indicates this is nothing new... |
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13th Jan 2023, 10:27 pm | #24 | ||
Nonode
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Warsaw, Poland and Cambridge, UK
Posts: 2,677
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Re: Cassette deck head alignment - a surprise
Quote:
This is interesting because the difference I observed between "correct" and "wrong but plays tapes from my Technics deck properly" is about 0.07mm, so if my gauge was 0.05mm thicker I'd probably not have noticed the problem. That said, if such a small change makes such a difference the head is clearly right on the edge of the track anyway, so it's probably not relevant. But my calculations (assuming cassette 8.61mm thick and tape 3.81mm wide) come out to a back plate thickness of 2.40mm. Who's right here? Certainly not my tapes... Quote:
Chris
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13th Jan 2023, 11:01 pm | #25 | |
Nonode
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Warsaw, Poland and Cambridge, UK
Posts: 2,677
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Re: Cassette deck head alignment - a surprise
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Chris
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28th Jan 2023, 4:43 pm | #26 | |||
Octode
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: London, UK.
Posts: 1,047
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Re: Cassette deck head alignment - a surprise
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29th Jan 2023, 2:42 pm | #27 |
Nonode
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Warsaw, Poland and Cambridge, UK
Posts: 2,677
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Re: Cassette deck head alignment - a surprise
Thank you for the update, knobtwiddler. 2.38mm does sound a little on the small side so I'd be interested to know what a micrometer says...
Chris
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