Space Echo SRE-555 warble. Damn!

inverseroom · Post by **inverseroom** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 12:33 pm

OK, who's a space echo genius? I got my 555 about six months ago, serviced it (cleaned the heads, roller, etc., lubricated, put on new felt pads...) and had it working great for a while. Then I didn't use it for a month or so, and when I turned it on again it warbled, wowed, and stopped entirely. The splice suddenly no longer makes it past the leaf spring, and the rest of the length of tape warbles too.

I think the pinch roller tension is too low. When the splice gets hung up, the roller and capstan both keep spinning, but they aren't pulling the tape through. Maybe it's because my studio is in the basement...I keep it dry down there with a dehumidifier, but it's about 15 degrees cooler now than in the summer, when I got the unit...perhaps the temp change has sent things out of whack...anyway, I dunno how to adjust that tension. Anybody here know?

Merry Christmas everybody!

earth tones · Post by **earth tones** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 6:18 pm

I don't have any particular advice. I have contacted Phil Delahaye in the past, who has been rather generous with his knowledge.

http://www.delatronics.co.uk/.

Phil was an engineer at Roland in the 70s.

pscottm · Post by **pscottm** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 9:43 pm

what kind of tape are you using? is it possible the tape itself is sticking?

inverseroom · Post by **inverseroom** » Mon Dec 26, 2005 5:30 am

pscottm wrote:what kind of tape are you using? is it possible the tape itself is sticking?

It's tape from one of the eBay tape sellers...I also have a few Fuzzorama tapes which I haven't tried yet. Perhaps the other tape's no good, I could try to put on a new leaf spring felt and clean the heads and see what happens. The splice does look a little weird, maybe it got sticky.

This tape DID work fine for a while, but when I get back from my folks' tomorrow I'll try a different one.

MoreSpaceEcho · Post by **MoreSpaceEcho** » Mon Dec 26, 2005 9:54 am

try changing the tape before ya do anything else. i find that after a certain amount of time the tape just goes to shit and warbles like crazy. i had the same experience as you, got home from the folks last night, plugged the guitar into space echo into champ, and it was just warble central. i seem to recall it being ok the last time i used it but that was a little while back. anyway, this has happened to me before, changing the tape has always worked. although, sometimes if the tape is really hammered and sticking, you can get really wonderful randomness...i'll run vocals or certain instruments through it in a mix, and leave the top off, when the tape sticks at the splice point i just flick it really quick to get it started again...sometimes awesome things happen...

inverseroom · Post by **inverseroom** » Mon Dec 26, 2005 12:16 pm

Cool, thanks MoreSpace. Can a tape really go bad that damned fast? There can't be more than six hours on it. The 555 is in my studio, it's just for recording, I turn it on, track with it, turn it off again. I use a Memory Man live.

Anyway, for sure I'll put in a new tape tomorrow or Wed...will report back.

MoreSpaceEcho · Post by **MoreSpaceEcho** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 10:44 am

yeah, i dunno honestly how long it takes the tape to get shitty. i think it depends on what type of tape, how old it is, how hard you're hitting it (i'm pummeling mine pretty routinely, i think that wears it out quicker), relative humidity, phases of the moon, yunno...

anyway, if it's not the tape then i'd suspect its a pinch roller issue. or maybe a problem with the motor. hopefully not that though! yikes.

i feel the need to qualify my 'pummeling tape' comment, cause i think it's very much a dumb macho engineer cliche. the spaceecho though...it just sounds sooooo good when you crank it. the meter's gotta be really pinned before you hear any actual clipping.

I'm Painting Again · Post by **I'm Painting Again** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 10:47 am

MoreSpaceEcho wrote:yeah, i dunno honestly how long it takes the tape to get shitty. i think it depends on what type of tape, how old it is, how hard you're hitting it (i'm pummeling mine pretty routinely, i think that wears it out quicker), relative humidity, phases of the moon, yunno...

anyway, if it's not the tape then i'd suspect its a pinch roller issue. or maybe a problem with the motor. hopefully not that though! yikes.

i feel the need to qualify my 'pummeling tape' comment, cause i think it's very much a dumb macho engineer cliche. the spaceecho though...it just sounds sooooo good when you crank it. the meter's gotta be really pinned before you hear any actual clipping.

my meter doesnt work..but the clip light is a good indicator of awesomeness..

I'm Painting Again · Post by **I'm Painting Again** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 10:48 am

inverseroom wrote:Cool, thanks MoreSpace. Can a tape really go bad that damned fast? There can't be more than six hours on it. The 555 is in my studio, it's just for recording, I turn it on, track with it, turn it off again. I use a Memory Man live.

Anyway, for sure I'll put in a new tape tomorrow or Wed...will report back.

it seems fishy to me if its a new tape..might be the motor, roller, or something obstructing the tape path..

inverseroom · Post by **inverseroom** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 2:35 pm

Meh. I cleaned everything and replaced the felt and tape and it's still warbling. I think it's the pinch roller...it's not flat. It is bowed in the tape path. Anybody know where to get one?

MoreSpaceEcho · Post by **MoreSpaceEcho** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 12:02 pm

jrf magnetics maybe?

inverseroom · Post by **inverseroom** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 12:58 pm

I found this dude Terry Witt at www.terrysrubberrollers.com, and sent it to him. Looks like he's doing great stuff...I started a thread in recording.

$35! It's definitely the pinch roller, BTW. I gave it a long hard look when I packed it up...the trough is about three tape widths deep...I suspect the dry air accentuated the effect and caused the tape to slip more than usual.

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Space Echo SRE-555 warble. Damn!

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