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Reel Sizes: In order to protect your recordings, always use the same size reel on supply and take-up.
Live Recording. A friend of mine was recording a special live church organ recital with his Stereo Ferrograph 632H, everything was in place the microphones set in their optimum position and the recording at 15 ips commenced. Monitoring the result from the tape proved that the recording was going to be a success. That is until just as a piece of music was coming to its conclusion and the last notes were reverberating around the church, the tape ran out. The Bang as the machine went into stop mode, imposed itself on the end of the recording totally ruining the piece.
The Wearite deck is not the most refined mechanism, it is controlled by a rotary control knob that in turn operates, cams and levers. When the "RUN" lever is pulled back with the control switch in the play or record position, the capstan motor starts, the pressure pad levers move the tape onto the heads. As a result if the tape inadvertently runs out, or you press the stop button, the hold on current to the solenoid is removed and the "RUN" lever is released, the result can be an almost almighty crash, embarrassing if you are recording a live show.
A few things to consider
Stopping from Fast Forward or Reverse mode. Providing you are using equal size spools on the recorder, then the best way of stopping from fast wind / rewind mode is to turn the control knob to the opposite mode, whilst the tape is winding. E.g. If in fast forward mode, and you want to stop the tape, turn the control swiftly to rewind position, this will slow the tape down gently and just as it starts to go into rewind press the stop button. This puts less strain on machine and tapes. The opposite applies when rewinding, go into fast forward mode. Using the Pause Control. When starting to record with Series 2 - 4 machines, avoid slurring the start of the recording with the use of the pause lever. ( see picture)
Put the machine into the record position. Turn the record level control to zero, reset the record level meter to zero. Then push the lever away from you, whilst pulling on the run lever. This will start the capstan motor, and will allow the capstan to get up to speed before the load is put on it. Once the capstan is up to speed a matter of a second or so, release the pause lever, and fade up the recording level. This technique ensures you get a quick clean start to your recording.
On Series 4 models the pause control was incorporated into the head cover. A standard camera remote cable could be used to operate the pause control.
Pre-amp Output.
Tape Squeal Uneven wear on the heads High tension on the back surface of the tape. By the way, Matt backed recording tapes should be avoided on any machines that has pressure pads.
If you have a piano tuner in your area, see if you can persuade him / her to let you have some off cuts of piano felt. The type that goes on piano hammers. This is just the right type, and even a small quantity will last for years.
If you are unable to get hold of any felt, you can try the following on the existing pads. Lightly scratch the surface that contacts the tape with a sharp pin. Using a soft
HB pencil rub the surface of the pad so that it is coated with graphite, this will lubricate the contact between pad and tape. Alternatively, you can rub in French Chalk powder this has the same effect. Warm
- Up Time
Recording levels between different sessions could if using the same type of tape be easily repeated. Making the chore of editing together items from different reels and sessions easy.
Some Common Faults: Most of the faults that these machines develop are more to do with their age. Capacitors age and dry out Valves get tired, and motor bearings get dry due to long periods of use; and the high temperatures.
The mechanism is well designed and built, but does need some tender loving care from time to time.
Wow & Flutter: Not an uncommon occurrence with machines of this vintage. Below are some contributing factors.
1.Dirty or badly worn Erase, Record/Play heads. Thoroughly clean all heads, particularly the erase head, which often gets neglected. Use cotton buds and a proprietary head cleaning fluid. Use a side to side motion and ensure that you get all the head surface clean. This will also help with record and replay quality.
2.Tape guides, dirty or maladjusted. Tape guides are best removed and examined. Clean thoroughly, and then replace. If there are any flat spots on the guides through wear & tear try and adjust them so these are not in contact with the tape.
3.Worn or improperly adjusted brakes. To test if the brakes are binding. Disconnect the machine from the mains and then put the switch into "PLAY" and pull back the run knob. Each reel carrier should turn freely, without any friction being generated.
Problems with these are often very obvious, because stopping the tape from fast wind or rewind can cause stretching, or the spool throwing a loop, which will result in tape damage and loss of valuable recorded material. Murphy's law states that this will only ever occur with your most precious recording.
If you detect any friction, then they probably need cleaning and adjusting, but don't undertake this task if they seem alright.
To clean them you will need to remove each spool carrier in turn. Whilst it is off clean the contact surface on which the brake band acts. Then clean the pads themselves, these are wrap-around type pads but the contact surface is easily accessible. Clean this surface / and dry. Replace the spool carrier. When refitted, test them again for friction (see above). If you still find some friction you will need to re-adjust the brakes.
These are adjusted by the screw in the elongated slot just above and to the right of the spool carriers, loosen the screw and move forward to relieve pressure, to the rear to increase brake pressure. Only small amounts of movement are required, otherwise you will find the brakes snatch in operation. Too little will not give any braking action and will result in tape spilling out from the supply reel, and getting fast under the spool flanges. ( This makes a mess of the tape.)
IMPORTANT: AFTER DOING THIS ADJUSTMENT TEST THE OPERATION OF THE BRAKES BY USING AN OLD EXPENDABLE TAPE.
4.Worn or incorrectly adjusted pressure pads. See previous article on replacing pressure pads. Check the spring pressure. It should be just enough to ensure good tape to head contact.
5.Dirty capstan and pinch-roller. Again clean these with the machine disconnected from the supply. Never with a tape playing. Use cotton buds or a lint free cloth, and proprietary head & roller cleaning fluid.
6.Dirty idlers and capstan motor drive pulley. Dirty or greasy deposits on idler wheels and capstan motor shaft, cause the drive to slip. Idler wheel rims become hard and shiny, and therefore don't have the same grip.
Great care must be exercised in this stage. Disconnect the deck completely from the mains. Lay the machine on its left-hand side and open the deck. This will avoid the deck dropping on your hands. It will also place the idlers where you can see them. Use lint free cloth, and cleaning fluid.
The stepped drive pulley on the capstan motor shaft is rather harder to access, so great care should be taken, cotton buds are probably best for this. Again clean each step on the pulley, two for machines up to and including series 5, and three for series 6 machines.
It is essential that you also clean the contact face of the flywheel, this again gets dirty, clean and then ensure the surface is dry, do not use anything on these surfaces that will leave a film on the surface. e.g polish etc.
7.Using small diameter reels. Using smaller reels than 5" on the supply reel, will greatly increase the possibility of "Wow". Using small reels on the take-up side will increase the possibility of "Flutter"
8.Using "Matt" backed recording tape. The Wearite Tape Deck was first developed in the late 1940's. In those days tape was thick and paper based. Later plastic backed tapes appeared, all these had one thing in common the backing surface on which the pressure pads contact was smooth.
The use of modern tapes, is not recommended because of the very different bias requirements, but particularly because of the trend towards matt backing. This helps to improve the winding characteristics when spooling, but also introduce a lot of drag due to the amount of back tension developed due to the pressure applied by the pads.
This can cause two things to happen.
1. It will slow the tape down and may cause them to record slower, resulting in the tape being played back slightly faster. 2. It can also cause tape squeal to be a problem.
9.Using recording tape that as passed its sell by date. Using old tape that is on the verge of perishing, can have disastrous effects on the quality of play and record. With some of the above faults also manifesting themselves. Tape squeal, dragging and poor playback / record quality.
What happens is that due to age, the binder material which binds the oxide coating to the plastic backing, fails and the oxide sheds, it comes off the tape and is deposited on the heads, guides, pinch-roller and capstan. If this happens bin the tape, it is past redemption.
10.Dry motor bearings, mainly flywheel and capstan motor. Because of the amount of heat generated by the take-up and capstan motors, the bearings particularly in the capstan motor can dry out.
To dismantle & remove the capstan motor is a very big job, and unless you have engineering skills and the correct tools don't attempt to do any dismantling.
If this is the case there is one avenue open to you.
With the machine totally disconnected from the mains, and the machine lying on its left-hand side. Open the deck up, and you will find the capstan motor is fairly accessible.
Instead of removing the motor, try this simpler option.
Locate the capstan motor, at the bottom of which you will see the fan blades. just above the fan blades there is a collar fitted to the motor shaft, secured with a small allen screw.
Undoing this screw to loosen the collar, will also allow the motor shaft to be lifted to some degree, in doing this you will see that the part of the shaft that was running in the top & botton bearings can now be seen more clearly. It usually looks a dark brown colour where the oil has burnt onto the shaft. Carefully clean this portion, with a cotton bud dipped in or sprayed sparingly with a proprietary cleaning solution. Turn the motor shaft by pushing against the top motor pulley.
When thoroughly clean, they will require lubrication (Very carefully, and sparingly). The best way to do this is to use a cotton bud dipped into a small amount of thin oil,(3 in 1) light sewing machine oil will be alright. Repeat the same procedure for lubrication as you did to clean the shaft, hold the cotton bud lightly oiled against the shaft, and turn the shaft by moving the motor pulley.
Taking care with lubrication amounts applied is vital. Otherwise you will cause surplus oil to be thrown onto the flywheel and idler pulleys, defeating the whole object of the exercise.
TO BE CONTINUED.
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