Desert island R2R 1/4" 2 track master player

[christensenleif@msn.com]

thxs for advice
downloading service manuals and schematics as we speak
just finished cleaning it up on outside, under and around headblock, tape path and even inside and under tape tension sensors etc
looks quite nice now....

 

[microstrip]

Hi Leif,

Congratulations of your great A80 - I have two of them , one under rebuilt.

IMHO it is too soon to think about making mods to original boards! Soon you will find that each well intentioned forum member (including non experts as me) will give you a different advice, sometimes you will get even conflicting advices.

The A80 is a wonderful machine and yours looks in very good condition. After you go through the service manuals, try to get as much information as possible about the A80. The Studer list is one the best sources of information about the A80. General information about the mailing list can be found at: http://bach.pgm.com/mailman/listinfo/studer, but remember that anyone is welcome to read the Studer list, but posting is restricted to audio professionals, students, and conscientious non-professionals. If you want a copy of the archives between 2000 and 2008 send me a PM.

If it is your first time with an A80, get a some black card or tape to block the light from the tape sensor and press the keys of the keyboard. Try rotating the rotative tape tension sensors while feeling the take in reel motors. IMHO feeling the machine will increase your respect for it!

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

Thxs!
you´re probably right
btw
just came back from Algarve...spent last night in the Pousada of Estoi
fantastic building and nice little village
picture taken from our deluxe room just before sunset

I love Portugal and next time I´d like to try Fortaleza de guincho ...very cool place
also I discovered Macieira which is a very good alternative to cognac..

also like Sesimbra and we once stayed at Sana Sesimbra with its fantastic location right at the beach
Sintra is also a treasure! and Obidos ....Portugal is far better than Spain imo less arrogant people...
where do you live?
best
Leif

 

[jdza]

This is a repro card from a very old B62. Note the card number and that this is from a B62. . As you can see the Plessey caps are stock. However the A101 is the old black model where your machine has the newer blue model. Also the tantalum caps in your machine appear much newer. Very perplexing as I have early A 80R cards here with the newer A101 but then Frako caps in place of the Plesseys





All caps in my machines were replaced.Not for sonics but it was found at the time that most were either disfunctional or far off specified value.I have had Frakos explode in the transport section but not in the audio .

A 101s are known to fail( I have had one A101 fail). That is why Studer published the circuit as failures were expected. I cannot comment if current production sound better. I elected to not change any cables in my stock A80s and left the transformers in situ. Studer transformers are known to be of good quality and so was the wiring used. You do not want to pick up a hum in an A80!

I would however stongly recommend modifying the machine to disable the stereo/mono switch. This is known to be source of trouble and does sonically degrade the machine.As for the heads,I have machines with both butterfly and 2mm heads and can happily live with either.

Finally there is a wonderful bit on a service site ( where escapes me now): It is a quiz as to what is the best sounding mastering machine ? The answer-not a Studer or Scully or Ampex or Lyrec or Telefunken or whatever, but a well aligned one! There is a lesson in there that I certainly learned the hard way. Always get the machine working optimally before starting modifications.

 

[microstrip]

Portugal is an enjoyable country for tourism, but I also like our neighbor Spain a lot.

Just to complicate thinks - repro boards coming from four different A80's: One board has red and blue capacitors!

I recently acquired a box filled with NOS blue A101's and a lot of the new replacements (ex BBC stock), but I haven't got the time to test and compare them.

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

finally my youngest son got some muscular buddies over....

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

repro board

 

[microstrip]

(...) Studer transformers are known to be of good quality and so was the wiring used. You do not want to pick up a hum in an A80! (...)

An acquaintance of mine got two old A80 repro cards in poor condition from eBay just to get the transformers for a DIY project. He measured them and was very pleased with the results.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Finally there is a wonderful bit on a service site ( where escapes me now): It is a quiz as to what is the best sounding mastering machine ? The answer-not a Studer or Scully or Ampex or Lyrec or Telefunken or whatever, but a well aligned one! There is a lesson in there that I certainly learned the hard way. Always get the machine working optimally before starting modifications.

I love reading your posts but that is a classic. Maybe I'll use that for the tape seminar at Axpona!

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

it´s a quote from an "analogue" page
best
Leif

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

A80 cleaning session

hello folks
starting to get more familiar with the structure of the A80
got off both top-covers and cleaned up
left tape sensor was not a free feeling as the right one and the cause was a loose damping pad under the top cover
glued it back on
also used the opportunity to change all topcover screws to A4 ss
any particular parts that needs to be oiled?
haven´t checked the enormous service manual yet

 

[microstrip]

hello folks
starting to get more familiar with the structure of the A80
got off both top-covers and cleaned up
left tape sensor was not a free feeling as the right one and the cause was a loose damping pad under the top cover
glued it back on
also used the opportunity to change all topcover screws to A4 ss
any particular parts that needs to be oiled?
haven´t checked the enormous service manual yet

Although these pictures are great looking, every time I see an open A80 I think about thunderstorms and lightning! Remember those beautiful transistor cans are connected to the collector of the transistors and any metallic tool or object falling on them will probably make a short-circuit to ground or between them ruining your precious machine. Every time I open my A80's I always cover all the transistor cans with a long 6 cm wide plastic strip, scotched at the tops.

BTW, I forget to suggest reading the Tapeproject forum section on tape machines - I remember I was initiated to the serious tape machines there. http://www.tapeproject.com/smf/index.php

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

hello
yes I´m careful and it´s not ben powered when open
nice "photoshopping"
I´ve read loads from tape project and other fora
if you can take another picture.....



more angled view

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

finally playing in system
Rossini from UltraAnalogueRecordings....my favourite so far....



due to short available cables it is positioned rather akward, but I´ll move it over to the left in front of the hornsub later

 

[tony ky ma]

do not too close to the speakers !
tony ma

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

ok ...due to the magnetic fields and the tape?...whats safe distance 2-3 feet?
btw on the repro cards.....will Black Gate N bipolar be better than the red tants?
I have some of the values
the 1000 and 47µF elytics will be replaced with Panasonic FC
best
Leif

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

hello again
couldn´t hold myself .......
replaced Plessey 1000µF/18vdc with Panasonic Fc 1000µF/35vdc...unfortunately I was backordered on the 47µF/35vdc to replace Frakos
most except the two 47µF/3vdc tantalum caps were replaced by either BG N or Nichicon Muse Nonpolars . the last two will arrive in a few days.
the effect was quite dramatic, already from the first seconds, with much improved clarity and smoother sound in general

 

[tony ky ma]

Lief
Your game started, lot of Fun ? only you and yourself can know what's happen because every system has different effect some of them can't have big change because they will depend on the whole system's quality level, and with fine recordings will show more easy. I can't tell which cap is better because each has their own sounding will depend on user's favor, I will like Solen or Mundorf better but too big in size still I like to use transformer if it is possible to replace cap, one thing I can sure that no one will dare to put their hand to a new Studer's design in their age, but today we found that they still can be improved
horn's driver has big magnet and out of the box be careful tapes not too close to them
I guess you have the CCIR filter, if you don't have the NAB which is very easy to make no need to buy the origin product
have more fun
tony ma

 

[Tom B.]

Leif,

What did you clean the top covers with? Mine are a bit dull but I've not wanted to use anything besides mild detergent for fear of over-cleaning (making shiny spots).

Tom

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

hello Tom B
best I can do......fantastic stuff
cleaned up some JBL 12" that was in a couple of stge mnitors and you wouldn´t believe what had been spille ovver them...coke, beer, broken glass and som other undefined sticky substances...the metal dustcaps were spotted with glassbits and black sticky dots and this stuff took it...
spray the foam on and leave it for a couple of minutes....then wipe off with toilet paper, microfiber cloth or whatever
here´s the label from the can