AN: More photographies

They were shot two days ago.

VID: Teac X-2000R with 7" metal reels

Here is the Teac X-2000R with two TDK AR-7M 7" metal reels spinning at 7.5 ips / 19 cms.

VID: Teac X-2000R inside

As I explained in the previous entry, I had to fix a tension arm problem with my Teac X-2000R, so after fixing it, I shot this video showing some inside views of the deck and how the capstan belt changes its position depending on which play direction is selected.

This happens because the capstan wheels have two parts, one with a diameter bigger than the other, so that when the forward direction is selected, the belt accomodates the position where the right capstan wheel spins a little faster than the left one, and the opposite, when the reverse direction is selected, the left capstan wheel spins a little faster than the right capstan wheel.

VID / REP: Teac X-2000R tension arms

Although my Teac X-2000R was almost mint, from the first moment the tension arms fluctuated when it was in play mode, both forward or reverse.

I swapped both tension arms guide rollers but the problem persisted.

I opened the deck trying to figure out which was the problem. The auto-tension system is basically the same as the one found in the Grundig TS-1000. Each tension arm has a small plate attached in the inside and passes near a photodetector so that when the tension arm is in the lower position, the motor power goes up, and when the arm goes to a higher position, the tension applied to the motor goes down.

Here is a video shot from the inside of the machine:

I tried to adjust the position of the photodetectors and even the trimmers that adjust the tension, but no luck, the problem still happening.

The tension arm axis is a screw that has springs. I realized that when I manipulated the screw, the height position of the tension arm varied. I adjusted this screw with the machine in play mode with a tape threaded so that I can watch the results in real time. I minimal adjustement was needed to watch the tension arm stops its oscillation.

In appearance, this was a rare failure, because most times whis happen is caused by old motors and/or poor lubricated rollers and arms, but in this case, both rollers are in perfect shape and the motors too.

Here is another video with the final result after the adjustement:

VID: Teac X-2000R transport functions

The Teac X-2000R was the top of the line of the reel to reel tape recorders made by Teac and dedicated to the HIFI enthusiasts.

It has a computerized transport control which allows to do some functions like make a cue point, go to the cue point, go to zero and the repeat function.

A cue point is a virtual mark in the tape. The repeat function works between the zero and the cue point. The deck goes from the zero point to the cue point and after that, it rewinds and starts from the zero point again and again and again until repeat button is depressed.

In the next video is shown how the repeat function works, but also the pitch control, the speed change and the direction change.

VID: Teac X-2000R

The tape is a BASF LP35 recorded at 7.5 ips (19 cm/s). The take up is a ReVox 7" metal blue reel.

AN: Darth Vader's RTR deck

A few days a go I bought a pair of ReVox black metal NAB hub adapters to use with the Grundig TS-1000, but looking at them, I thought that the black color reminded me to Darth Vader, so I started to think how would be his reel to reel deck if it had appeared in the movie.

As most of us know, TEAC decks were used in the production of the movie to record some special effects. In Star wars movie, a deck with digital counter would be on expected and of course, big reels.

My final guess is the following one:

- Teac X-2000R BL(lack)
- ReVox black metal NAB hub adapters
- 10.5" red metal reels

I could use another black faced deck, like the Grundig TS-1000, but as it has analog counters, the best scene would be a Teac X-2000, a Akai GX-747 or a Technics RS-1800. Since I have a Teac X-2000R BL, here are the shots:








Of course, the deck is playing "The Imperial March".

PER: Patrick Guide

Patrick has three reel to reel decks in good condition, all 4 tracks 2 channels heads configuration in 1/4" tape.

The three decks are autoreverse and have three motors each one.

Teac A-4010 with the original Teac RE-711 metal reel.

Technics RS-1700 with the originals Technics RP-10A metal reel.

Teac X2000R BL with the original Teac RE-1003 metal reel.

DES: Teac X-2000R

This is the top of the line reel to reel model made by Teac. It's 4 tracks 2 channels in quater inch wide tape and can hold reels until 10.5" (26.7 cms.).

It has 6 heads (cobalt amorphous record and playback), fully bi-directional, 3 motors and dual capstan drive system (belt driven).

Two speeds, 7.5 ips (19 cm/s) and 3.75 ips (9.5 cm/s), electronic real time counter (hour, minutes and seconds) and fully tension servo control, which means that you can use any size of reel without adjusting the tension manually by a switch.

Was produced in silver and black:

Original japanese ad

It's one of the few machines that has a built-in decoder/encoder dbx type I professional noise reduction system. Other rare feature is that the machine can use "EE" tape (Extra Efficience = CrO2). I think that only Maxell, Akai and Basf produced "EE" tape.

The transport function is computerized and has functions like return-to-zero, return-to-cue, program, repeat, set-cue and reset the counter.

Original spanish ad

It's said that the Teac X-2000R maybe is the best consumer machine ever made, but for me it has at least one disavantadge: the use of lifters in the tape path to separate the tape of the heads during FF and RWD.

UPDATE

TDK also produced "EE" tape, which was labeled as "SA". Akai never produced his own "EE" tape, really the chrome tape inside Akai reels were produced by Maxell (XLII).

Thanks to Frank Oomen for the correction.