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Revox A77 open reel machine

D

Donald

I need to know if anyone can get, or has brake bands for
this machine. It's a must have. If you can help please
email to [email protected] thanks, Donald.
 
A

Ancient_Hacker

I need to know if anyone can get, or has brake bands for
this machine. It's a must have. If you can help please
email to [email protected] thanks, Donald.
Click to expand...

IIRC the brake bands look like a thin layer of cork.

BTW have you already tried the simpler fixes, such as cleaning the
bands with alcohol?
 
B

boardjunkie

IIRC the brake bands look like a thin layer of cork.

BTW have you already tried the simpler fixes, such as cleaning the
bands with alcohol?
Click to expand...

Not on the A77. They are very thin metal bands. There is a cotton like
lining on the outside of the reel motor's rotor where the band rides.

If one were ambitious it would be possible to fashion some out of
nylon carton banding.

Tip: The brake bands on this machine are prone to resonating
(creaking, groaning) when the reel slows to a stop. An easy remedy for
this is to apply some thin foam mounting tape to the outside of the
band to damp vibration.
 
D

Dave Plowman (News)

I'm surprised that there aren't parts still
available for the A77 since it is still being used
in radio stations all over the US.
Click to expand...

Surely you're not serious? The A77 is a domestic machine that is at least
25 years old. And is hopeless to edit on so never the choice of radio
stations. Studer are the pro side of Revox and made many suitable 1/4"
machines that were common in radio - once - but all the stations I know
now use DAW based systems.
 
M

Michael A. Terrell

~db~® said:
The advertisement is right: You CAN find it on
eBay!

I'm surprised that there aren't parts still
available for the A77 since it is still being used
in radio stations all over the US.
Click to expand...


Not around here. It is digitized to a hard drive, edited, and stored
in their automation systems. They have thrown out all of their R-R,
cart, and cassette tape machines. Their turntables are gone, replaced
by a couple CD drives. The large audio boards are gone, replaced with a
multiple channel sound card and software. This trend started over 10
years ago.


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida
 
M

Michael A. Terrell

Dave Plowman (News) said:
Surely you're not serious? The A77 is a domestic machine that is at least
25 years old. And is hopeless to edit on so never the choice of radio
stations. Studer are the pro side of Revox and made many suitable 1/4"
machines that were common in radio - once - but all the stations I know
now use DAW based systems.
Click to expand...


The Studer/Revox A77 R-R tape deck is 40 years old. It was
introduced to the market in 1967. It was available to radio stations
before it was sold to the public.


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida
 
D

Dave Plowman (News)

The Studer/Revox A77 R-R tape deck is 40 years old. It was
introduced to the market in 1967. It was available to radio stations
before it was sold to the public.
Click to expand...

One of the primary functions of a 1/4" machine in a radio studio is for
editing, and the A77 is hopeless for that. Studer already made suitable
pro machines so I really can't see why they'd have aimed it at radio
stations. Fine machine though it is, it simply isn't suitable. I suppose
it might have been used for office listening given it was one of the few
domestic machines that took NAB spools. But that's not really radio use.

As to tape still being used, MiniDisc was a good and cheap replacement for
that before computer based systems became the norm.
 
M

Michael A. Terrell

Dave Plowman (News) said:
One of the primary functions of a 1/4" machine in a radio studio is for
editing, and the A77 is hopeless for that. Studer already made suitable
pro machines so I really can't see why they'd have aimed it at radio
stations. Fine machine though it is, it simply isn't suitable. I suppose
it might have been used for office listening given it was one of the few
domestic machines that took NAB spools. But that's not really radio use.
Click to expand...


The stations that I saw it in used it for portable use, in the field
to record raw reports. then the tape was edited on the studio machines
for broadcast. The first ad I saw for the A77 was in a broadcast trade
journal. When cassette recorders were improved to an acceptable level,
the portable r-r machines went into a closet.

Some of the A77 decks were modified to use in crude '60 & '70s
automation systems. They were loaded with one hour tapes to run all
night. The timer switched from one machine to the next, and the tapes
were made, then duplicated by a programming service. Some of the
services rotated the tapes along a circuit, so they were pretty well
worn out by the time they were returned. A friend of mine has about
1000 10.5" and 7" reels that he's dragged home from a number of stations
he maintains. he also has a lot of 30 minute records from syndicated
programs from that era.

As to tape still being used, MiniDisc was a good and cheap replacement for
that before computer based systems became the norm.

--
*The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.

Dave Plowman [email protected] London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.
Click to expand...


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida
 
D

Dave Plowman (News)

The stations that I saw it in used it for portable use, in the field
to record raw reports.
Click to expand...

Good grief. They must have had strong reporters. ;-) And you could
guarantee a mains supply in the field?
then the tape was edited on the studio machines
for broadcast. The first ad I saw for the A77 was in a broadcast trade
journal. When cassette recorders were improved to an acceptable level,
the portable r-r machines went into a closet.
Click to expand...

Things like the Uher Report were industry standard R-R machines for this
use - battery operated. Or Nagra if better quality was needed.
Some of the A77 decks were modified to use in crude '60 & '70s
automation systems. They were loaded with one hour tapes to run all
night. The timer switched from one machine to the next, and the tapes
were made, then duplicated by a programming service. Some of the
services rotated the tapes along a circuit, so they were pretty well
worn out by the time they were returned. A friend of mine has about
1000 10.5" and 7" reels that he's dragged home from a number of stations
he maintains. he also has a lot of 30 minute records from syndicated
programs from that era.
Click to expand...

Seems strange to go down that route when there were makers producing the
exact equipment for this sort of use.
 
M

Meat Plow

Subject: Re: Revox A77 open reel machine
From: ~db~® <[email protected]>
Newsgroups: sci.electronics.repair
Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2007 12:27:12 -0500

The advertisement is right: You CAN find it on
eBay!

I'm surprised that there aren't parts still
available for the A77 since it is still being used
in radio stations all over the US.
Click to expand...

Maybe some use them but I know many that went to digital and at least one
a friend of mine works for that uses Sony Vegas on a Windows Xp platform.
 
D

~db~®

Oh, yes, I am serious. Not my choice for tricking
out a professional studio, nor for a home machine
for that matter. I have edited enough
quarter-inch audio tape to stretch from here to
Mars and back. Won't argue that the A77 is
probably the worst open-reel deck for that job.
And portable? In name only. But in the small
town stations where I started out, state of the
art was often trumped by state of the budget

And, as you guys aver, digital rules. My point
is, though, that there are enough of the old
machines still around to make me wonder that parts
are not available still. Be well.

Surely you're not serious? The A77 is a domestic machine that is at least
25 years old. And is hopeless to edit on so never the choice of radio
stations. Studer are the pro side of Revox and made many suitable 1/4"
machines that were common in radio - once - but all the stations I know
now use DAW based systems.
Click to expand...
~db~®
Click to expand...
 
M

Michael A. Terrell

Dave Plowman (News) said:
Good grief. They must have had strong reporters. ;-) And you could
guarantee a mains supply in the field?
Click to expand...


I am talking about things like recording a high school ball game for
later broadcast, where a tech, or even the chief engineer went to the
site to set up, and tear down the equipment. You live in the land of
the government funded BBC. in the US, most stations were privately
owned by an individual, or it was a family business.

Things like the Uher Report were industry standard R-R machines for this
use - battery operated. Or Nagra if better quality was needed.
Click to expand...


Sure, for 15 minute or less interviews, where you didn't have to stop
and change the tape.

Seems strange to go down that route when there were makers producing the
exact equipment for this sort of use.
Click to expand...


Used A77 were available, and the engineers loved to tinker. Money
spent on studio equipment wasn't available to fix other things.


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida
 
D

Dave Plowman (News)

I am talking about things like recording a high school ball game for
later broadcast, where a tech, or even the chief engineer went to the
site to set up, and tear down the equipment.
Click to expand...
You live in the land of the government funded BBC.
Click to expand...

Maybe, but their local radio stations had shoestring budgets.
in the US, most stations were privately owned by an individual, or it
was a family business.
Click to expand...

But the A77 was an expensive high end domestic machine. Weren't there some
cheaper but more robust home grown makes - Ampex, etc? In the UK,
Ferrograph tended to have that side of the market sewn up.

I'm just curious - I'm an A77 fan. I have two including an HS one. And a
Dolby SR unit for use with them.
 
B

boardjunkie

I'm just curious - I'm an A77 fan. I have two including an HS one. And a
Dolby SR unit for use with them.
Click to expand...

I have a MK1 A77 w/stainless steel faceplate that's been completely
rebuilt and updated by TM technical. Sound quality is just amazing.
Better than my Otari. But still a PITA to use....I wish they hadn't
made them so compact.
 
D

Dave Plowman (News)

I have a MK1 A77 w/stainless steel faceplate that's been completely
rebuilt and updated by TM technical. Sound quality is just amazing.
Better than my Otari.
Click to expand...

Yup. They are capable of very fine sounds.
But still a PITA to use....I wish they hadn't made them so compact.
Click to expand...

Which is why I expressed surprise about them being used professionally.
Perhaps Studer deliberately made them so awkward to avoid pinching sales
from the pro side.
 
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