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Tape recorder project, this is an 834 circuit , would it be suitable for a tube based tape recorder.?
- Thread starter Colin Chandler
- Start date
Audioguru again
- Joined Oct 21, 2019
- 6,688
Tape recorder? Tubes? They were used a long long time ago.
Where is the circuitry to keep the reels moving at the proper speed?
You can easily Electronically emulate Tape-Saturation-Distortion, and/or, Tube-Distortion ............
It surely beats the current astronomical price of Recording-Tape.
You can also duplicate proper Tape-Emphasis and De-Emphasis with
simple Op-Amp-Filters, and drive any Recording-Head, Tube or Solid-State.
Probably the biggest problem You will have is finding a Tape-Head that's not completely worn-out.
Or one that hasn't spent most of it's life in a "mis-aligned condition", with a crooked groove worn in it,
making it totally impossible to ever get the Heads back into proper alignment.
Worn Tape-Heads gradually loose their High-End-Response,
and there's no way to get it back.
You'll also need Meter-Drivers, they're definitely necessary for recording.
My suggestion is to just tell everyone,
"oh-yeah, the music is coming from my vintage Reel to Reel Deck",
"see the Reels going round and round" ? ............
While you're actually streaming your music off of a Thumb-Drive, or your Computer,
which will be much higher Fidelity, even if you're not trying.
You can always mix-in a little background Hiss,
and some synthetically generated "Wow and Flutter", just to add to the "ambiance".
It's been around ~50-years since I spliced a piece of Recording-Tape making Radio-Commercials,
I don't even know if Tape is manufactured anymore.
.
.
.
It surely beats the current astronomical price of Recording-Tape.
You can also duplicate proper Tape-Emphasis and De-Emphasis with
simple Op-Amp-Filters, and drive any Recording-Head, Tube or Solid-State.
Probably the biggest problem You will have is finding a Tape-Head that's not completely worn-out.
Or one that hasn't spent most of it's life in a "mis-aligned condition", with a crooked groove worn in it,
making it totally impossible to ever get the Heads back into proper alignment.
Worn Tape-Heads gradually loose their High-End-Response,
and there's no way to get it back.
You'll also need Meter-Drivers, they're definitely necessary for recording.
My suggestion is to just tell everyone,
"oh-yeah, the music is coming from my vintage Reel to Reel Deck",
"see the Reels going round and round" ? ............
While you're actually streaming your music off of a Thumb-Drive, or your Computer,
which will be much higher Fidelity, even if you're not trying.
You can always mix-in a little background Hiss,
and some synthetically generated "Wow and Flutter", just to add to the "ambiance".
It's been around ~50-years since I spliced a piece of Recording-Tape making Radio-Commercials,
I don't even know if Tape is manufactured anymore.
.
.
.
DickCappels
- Joined Aug 21, 2008
- 10,169
In many consumer audio tape machines, the motor speed was determined by the power line frequency. Beyond the design of the motor no special design was needed.
Audioguru again
- Joined Oct 21, 2019
- 6,688
The antique circuit is sold today on ebay and AliExpress as a "British 834 Phono preamp".
Audioguru again
- Joined Oct 21, 2019
- 6,688
The Playback equalization for tape is different to the equalization used for phono:
