re: HELP! prob with analog machine

[Dean Stiglitz <deknow@deknow.com>]

2 ideas:

1.  the obvious intermitent solder connection somewhere.  look at the 
solder side of all boards with a magifing glass (or optivisors)...look for 
a grey concentric circle around the joint...this is the telltale sign of 
something that needs to be resoldered.  if you are good with a soldering 
iron, go ahead and resolder anything that looks suspicious.

2.  most (if not all) tape decks have a large multiple switch that selects 
between recording and playback.  there are many contacts in this switch, 
and they often need to be cleaned.  get some cleaner/lubricant inside 
there (even if you have to cut the corner off the housing with angle 
cutters to get it in)...this is a common problem with cassette decks, and 
i believe, reel to reels as well.

deknow

 >>  yikes!
 >>  any of you who could actually recognize an open reel of tape might 
 >have an
 >>  
 >>  opinion on this one.

 >>  tascam 38 1/2" machine: deck is otherwise very clean and in good shape.
 >>  tape track 2 often - but not always - will  not return output to the
 >>  console.
 >>  our testing kitchens have confirmed the following:

 >>  - it's not the snake
 >>  - it's not the input channel
 >>  - it does not seem to matter if noise reduction is engaged or not.
 >>  - swapping the rec/repro card with that from another track changes
 >>  nothing, 
 >>  the problem does
 >>  NOT migrate.
 >>  - i can see the meter moving - it just doesn't send much signal. 
 >>  occasionally i get about as much output as a bad case of crosstalk.
 >>  - some nights 2 is fine. some nights it only works for a little while.
 >>  some 
 >>  nights, it takes the night off.
 >>  - i can't think of a single thing that's changed in the setup EXCEPT 
 >that 
 >>  the heat in my apt. came on with a vengeance this year, and it was 
 >like 
 >>  death valley in there for awhile - i have since turned the heat in 
 >that 
 >>  room off, the problem continues intermittently.

 >>  your suggestions, commiserations, prayers and special hoo-doo effects 
 >are 
 >>  roundly invited.
 >>  replies off-list are just fine.

 >>  a: