Cassette Tracking Question (Azimuth & Horizontal)

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Because there don't seem to be any solutions to my problem in the
consumer electronics realm, I'm hoping one might exist in pro land.

As everyone knows, audio cassette deck heads normally can only be
adjusted for azimuth -- by twisting the left screw on the head (the
right screw merely being a fixed support screw).

Unfortunately, I have a box full of audio cassette tapes recorded
long ago using a Sanyo deck whose head wasn't kosher in terms of
*horizontal* alignment. As a result, when they are played in any
other cassette deck, no matter how much I adjust the azimuth screw,
the frequency response curve is very flat. Visual example:

http://img73.exs.cx/img73/6549/cassette-response.gif

In order to properly track these tapes, I'll obviously need a deck
whose head features TWO adjustable screws -- i.e. where I can twist
the left AND right screws to achieve proper horizontal alignment.

The problem is, I don't know where to find such a deck. Suggestions?

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

>
>Because there don't seem to be any solutions to my problem in the
>consumer electronics realm, I'm hoping one might exist in pro land.
>
>As everyone knows, audio cassette deck heads normally can only be
>adjusted for azimuth -- by twisting the left screw on the head (the
>right screw merely being a fixed support screw).
>
>Unfortunately, I have a box full of audio cassette tapes recorded
>long ago using a Sanyo deck whose head wasn't kosher in terms of
>*horizontal* alignment. As a result, when they are played in any
>other cassette deck, no matter how much I adjust the azimuth screw,
>the frequency response curve is very flat. Visual example:
>
>http://img73.exs.cx/img73/6549/cassette-response.gif
>
>In order to properly track these tapes, I'll obviously need a deck
>whose head features TWO adjustable screws -- i.e. where I can twist
>the left AND right screws to achieve proper horizontal alignment.
>
>The problem is, I don't know where to find such a deck. Suggestions?
>
s

I assume by horizontal, you mean vertical adjustment or head height.

One problem with (most)cassette decks is that there are guides built onto the
heads that limit how much vertical adjustment you have.

Head height problems are manifest in channel crosstalk.

The only decks I have seen with head height adjustment without tape guides are
the three head Nakamichis.

If you mess with the head height on those, you had better have a Nak test tape
to readjust it after your transfers.

The third adjustment, though I have never seen it on a cassette deck. is head
zenith. This is the adjustment that allows the gap to be centered in the tape
wrap on the head.

Excessive wear on a head could cause this problem.

Richard H. Kuschel
"I canna change the law of physics."-----Scotty

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) wrote:

> > In order to properly track these tapes, I'll obviously need a deck
> > whose head features TWO adjustable screws -- i.e. where I can twist
> > the left AND right screws to achieve proper horizontal alignment.
>
> Horizontal alignment won't affect response, but it WILL affect
> separation between channels (and between the front and back passes)
> and signal to noise ratio.

Really?

Then as I pondered in my response to Richard Kuschel in this thread,
I'm mystified as to what other alignment problem could be causing my
woes. As I mentioned in that post, the Sanyo these tapes were made
in still plays them back with bright, full high frequency response.
Sadly, the deck doesn't offer line outputs, which is why I'm looking
for an alternative.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Sam Etic wrote:

> As I mentioned in that post, the Sanyo these tapes were made
> in still plays them back with bright, full high frequency response.
> Sadly, the deck doesn't offer line outputs, which is why I'm looking
> for an alternative.

It must at least have RCA outputs, consumer -10 dB unblanced. There is
nothing wrong with using those if the deck is delivering the goods
sound-wise. Are there interfacing obstacles I'm not grokking here?

I'm concerned that the deck you're using might be erasing those high
freqs due to something in the tape path that has gotten magnetized. Have
you played those tapes on the Sanyo after playing them on the dull deck?

--
ha

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walkinay@thegrid.net (hank alrich) wrote:

> > As I mentioned in that post, the Sanyo these tapes were made
> > in still plays them back with bright, full high frequency response.
> > Sadly, the deck doesn't offer line outputs, which is why I'm looking
> > for an alternative.
>
> It must at least have RCA outputs, consumer -10 dB unblanced. There is
> nothing wrong with using those if the deck is delivering the goods
> sound-wise. Are there interfacing obstacles I'm not grokking here?

It's not delivering the goods sound-wise. Dying capstan motor (flutter
in playback), and something's foobar inside causing AC hums. The thing
is so old, it's unrepairable AFAIK. (And no, no baseband outputs; it's
a POS bookshelf stereo with a line in, but no line out.)

> I'm concerned that the deck you're using might be erasing those high
> freqs due to something in the tape path that has gotten magnetized. Have
> you played those tapes on the Sanyo after playing them on the dull deck?

Yes. When played back in the Sanyo after using them in the other decks,
they still boast all their high frequencies.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

>
>Look at the tape as it goes over the head. Is it seating through the
>guides properly at all or is it running overtop of the guides? Does
>shifting the cassette around with your fingers do anything?
>
>Change the pressure pad on the cassette. Poor tape to head contact is
>a big problem on older cassettes.
>--scott
>--
>"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
>
>
>
>
>

Or find somebody with a 3 head Nak that doesn't use pressure pads.

It could also be that the tape used in the Sanyo was slit slightly wider than
correct and that the head on your reproduce deck has heavy grooves in the head
from extended use which might cause aproblem with HF response.

Also check out playback EQ on your playback deck. It might be ok with its own
tapes, if the record bias were wrong enough, but might be dull on those
recorded on the Sanyo.
Richard H. Kuschel
"I canna change the law of physics."-----Scotty

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"William Sommerwerck" <williams@nwlink.com> wrote in message
news:10lreu43d3gmobb@corp.supernews.com...
> If the Sanyo produces good sound, why not just transfer the tapes from the
> Sanyo?

It doesn't. He said it produces full-range frequency response, but that the
flutter is too high and there's hum.

Someone suggested that the OP may be tweaking the azimuth on a false peak,
on one side of the real peak. Keep going past the peak you're getting and
see if you suddenly hear the highs increasing again. If not, go back the
other way, past the peak you've been tweaking on.

What Scott said about the pressure pads is right. Replace them. Or find a
3-head Nak that doesn't need 'em.

Oh, one other thing. What kind of tape is this? Type I, Type II or Type IV?
Is it possible that this is Type II tape recorded with Type I EQ, or
something close to it? If so, and if your playback machine has automatic EQ
switching, possibly it's going to Type II EQ (70uS) automatically, although
the tapes were made with Type I (120uS). If your tapes are Type II or Type
IV, try putting masking tape over the notches that cue the auto-EQ.

Peace,
Paul