The Trials of Older Audio Gear - CLICKS!

April 17 - 18, 2016
12:50 a.m.

Well, this is sad:



CLICKS and POPS!

Noticed this on Deck 12 and a bit on Deck 15.  Deck 12 is a CC-222 Tray Load -- an oldie, while #15 is MK II model.  But unlike the very clean MK III's used this deck is showing clicking.

I diagnosed by putting the same tape in the different decks and found this issue.

I could hear the clicking from the headphone jack right on the deck so it's not the A/D converter or downstream.  Normally I would have assumed this clicking or tick, snap, crackle sound was on the tape.  Now I know I need to listen for it and suspect it as a electronics problem not an analog issue.

Hopefully it's a bad cap.  I emailed TASCAM asking for help but I highly doubt that give that out for free. 

<sigh.>

Well, glad I caught it early.

Will have to re-do all the tapes ripped ("ripped"? - captured/sampled/played/digitized) from this deck.

Good to catch.  That's something that might be missed using just the previous tape-to-CD direct pathway.  

This reinforces the need to regularly test the quality (calibrate?) all the gear used.

And of course there's the issue of the wildly differing levels from left and right on something that was presumably mono originally.  Need to check, but I am suspecting that's a source issue. (-?!)  Maybe moot if I can't repair this deck.

Am super glad I logged the deck number used when digitizing on previous transfers.  I may need to go back and re-do all Deck 12 transfers.

-idea: need to check if plugging deck #12 into it's own noise power filter line might help.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

To Do List & Procedures

Calibration Tests To Do: Digitize Frequency Test Tape on all decks. Compare levels from each deck. Check that both D13 & D14 mkIII models are digitizing at the same levels. Note for example that WP-31 and WP-32 are from a set, presumably recorded on the same gear, yet WP-32 is lower in levels.  WP-31 was digitized on D13; WP-32 on D14.   Tape WP-32 and WP-33 were from the same set.  Retransferring WP33, and future sets, so they are digitized on the same deck as other set member tapes. File labeling error on WP-32 & WP-33.  Redo again, both tapes. Use the same deck.  Deleted "alt" versions. Compare levels and sound samples before and after head demagnetization process. Diagnose more about the tick sounds on Deck 12. Digitize with no tape. Digitize with blank tape. Try Metal tape.  See if it's possible to reproduce same ticks on any other decks.  Open chassis and try the wooden stick test. Look for blown caps. Measure voltage from psu. find maintenance
Read more

Era is Over: An End to Digitizing Media at YWAM Tyler and The Winkie Pratney Revival Library

Image
After several years of collecting and organizing Winkie Pratney Tapes and YWAM Tyler tapes the leadership of the host organization, Youth With A Mission Tyler, has taken the decision to turn the room I was using for digitizing into what is apparently now a sitting and reading room. Not my priorities but apparently that’s where their values are.  I wish them the best.  The time volunteering has laid a good foundation for me into understanding many of the technical challenges that go into mass tape digitization for ministry type recordings: preaching, teaching, meeting audio tapes.  Digitized well over 1,000 tape sides and encountered many issues along the way. If anyone reading has any questions about their own tapes, about YWAM tape archives or anything I've presented here, feel free to reach me David.Sutherland@tapearchives.org.
Read more
Image
Been a while since I posted.  Tape digitizing is still occurring.  Perhaps a few hundred are done. It's a challenge when I am not in the office everyday but it's getting there. I created a Facebook enthusiastic / fan page for Truth Tapes and Pilgrim Tapes:  https://www.facebook.com/YWAMTruthTapes/ Here's a partial listing of a catalog of Winkie's tapes when they were sold by YWAM LA's Pilgrim Tapes (the successor to YWAM Tyler's Truth Tapes.)  All those tapes are still available at www.WinkiePratney.net and/or  www.moh.org .
Read more