Fostex E-16 FF & RW Slowly... Plus newb issues.

Recording Techniques, People Skills, Gear, Recording Spaces, Computers, and DIY

Moderators: drumsound, tomb

User avatar
AnalogousGumdropDecoder
pushin' record
Posts: 220
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2008 5:26 pm
Location: Nashville, TN
Contact:

Fostex E-16 FF & RW Slowly... Plus newb issues.

Post by AnalogousGumdropDecoder » Mon Nov 23, 2009 2:51 pm

I've already tried to use the "Search" tool to find something relevant, just as I do every time I have a problem; but as always the results are really wonky. I've also been googling it for a while, and came up with one thread somewhere about this issue but the thread peters out without much of a clear-cut answer. Rest assured, I have tried to find answers on my own. Please don't bite the newb.

I finally got my reel-to-reel recorder hooked up for the first time (Fostex E-16 1/2" tape machine). I am using an Ampex 456 reel if that is important. I have zilch experience using these things, so I sat down and read the whole manual and followed all of the instructions for hooking it up. Tape threading instructions were kind of vague, they just basically show a picture of the recorder with a tape run through it. So I HOPE I got it strung up right. It plays, anyway. One thing I'm not sure is how you're supposed to lock the end of the tape onto the empty (right side) reel when you're threading it? I just held it in place until I got a couple of rotations on it. That could be wrong???

What it doesn't do correctly is fast-forward and rewind. Sometimes it does. Usually not. If I punch the FF or RW button, the tape runs really really slowly. Way more slowly than it does when the tape is playing. I don't know what all these parts are called, but the two outermost posts that you run the tape around after coming off of the first full (left side) reel and then last before threading onto the second empty (right side) reel are the parts I'm talking about. They aren't static. They float up like they're spring-loaded when the tape is wrapped around them. ANyway. If I lift one of those up (which one depends on whether I'm fast-forwarding or rewinding) it will speed up and go really fast. But if I don't touch them then it just rewinds and fast-forwards INSANELY slowly. No problem when playing the tape.

What is going on here?

Thanks so much.
Love your new bananaskin shoulderpad,
Cody C. Gaisser
www.myspace.com/codygaisser

The Scum
moves faders with mind
Posts: 2745
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2003 11:26 pm
Location: Denver, CO
Contact:

Post by The Scum » Mon Nov 23, 2009 3:09 pm

What is going on here?
It sounds like your fast forward/rewind tension needs to be adjusted. A service manual will have the calibration procedure.

The tape isn't sticking to the guides, it it?

User avatar
AnalogousGumdropDecoder
pushin' record
Posts: 220
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2008 5:26 pm
Location: Nashville, TN
Contact:

Post by AnalogousGumdropDecoder » Mon Nov 23, 2009 3:15 pm

Not sure what that means about the tapes sticking to the guides - sorry. I guess I'll try to find the service manual.
Love your new bananaskin shoulderpad,
Cody C. Gaisser
www.myspace.com/codygaisser

User avatar
A.David.MacKinnon
ears didn't survive the freeze
Posts: 3820
Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 5:57 am
Location: Toronto
Contact:

Post by A.David.MacKinnon » Mon Nov 23, 2009 3:30 pm

Look at the tape path. Is it all gunked up? If you clean it and than FF and Rew does it get all gunked up again fairly quickly? If the answer is yes than you've got some bad tape. Stop everything, clean the tape path and then throw the tape out. Buy new tape. Start over.

User avatar
AnalogousGumdropDecoder
pushin' record
Posts: 220
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2008 5:26 pm
Location: Nashville, TN
Contact:

Post by AnalogousGumdropDecoder » Mon Nov 23, 2009 3:39 pm

Okay. I'll try to check that out.

Do you know whether it sounded like I threaded the tape correctly?
Love your new bananaskin shoulderpad,
Cody C. Gaisser
www.myspace.com/codygaisser

The Scum
moves faders with mind
Posts: 2745
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2003 11:26 pm
Location: Denver, CO
Contact:

Post by The Scum » Mon Nov 23, 2009 3:46 pm

If you're reasonably certain that the tape isn't sticky and gumming up the transport with it's own marinade, it sounds like a FF/RW tension issue. It's not holding the tape tightly enough to get into full speed rewind. There are usually some trimpots to adjust it...if you have a service manual, it'll spell it all out clearly.

User avatar
AnalogousGumdropDecoder
pushin' record
Posts: 220
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2008 5:26 pm
Location: Nashville, TN
Contact:

Post by AnalogousGumdropDecoder » Mon Nov 23, 2009 3:50 pm

Yeah, it doesn't say in the regular User's Manual... I can't find a Service Manual online anywhere... Not digital or a physical copy for sale. I don't know about the tape stickiness. The manual says to clean it with 100% isopropyl and i don't know whether I've ever seen anything below 90%. One of the posts on the part where the play and record heads are definitely had a bunch of nasty shit on it though which I'm going to try and get off.
Love your new bananaskin shoulderpad,
Cody C. Gaisser
www.myspace.com/codygaisser

The Scum
moves faders with mind
Posts: 2745
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2003 11:26 pm
Location: Denver, CO
Contact:

Post by The Scum » Mon Nov 23, 2009 4:41 pm

For a service manual, call Fosetx, and have a credit card ready. Last time I had to call them, they were very helpful.

If you've got sticky tape, the brown stuff will be coming off the tape, and sticking to the tape guides and stuff, making a hell of a mess. It'll build up everywhere, and the tape might squeak as it goes by. It'll also be so gummed up that it won't play very well.

If it plays OK, it's likely just the FF/RW tension adjustment.

User avatar
AnalogousGumdropDecoder
pushin' record
Posts: 220
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2008 5:26 pm
Location: Nashville, TN
Contact:

Post by AnalogousGumdropDecoder » Mon Nov 23, 2009 7:38 pm

I just cleaned so much nasty red crap off of tape heads and the various rollers... I'm going to let it dry and try again soon. Thanks.
Love your new bananaskin shoulderpad,
Cody C. Gaisser
www.myspace.com/codygaisser

User avatar
AnalogousGumdropDecoder
pushin' record
Posts: 220
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2008 5:26 pm
Location: Nashville, TN
Contact:

Post by AnalogousGumdropDecoder » Mon Nov 23, 2009 8:35 pm

Okay. I haven't let the tape play enough to see if it's going to re-gunk my heads and such, but I'm still having problems. If anyone has any advice before I spend money on a manual, I'll be glad to take it.

Also... what kind of 1/2" tape is best to use to avoid this "sticky shed syndrome" thing?
Love your new bananaskin shoulderpad,
Cody C. Gaisser
www.myspace.com/codygaisser

stilloriginal
audio school graduate
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon Jul 13, 2009 7:35 am

Post by stilloriginal » Tue Nov 24, 2009 7:56 am

you can buy new RMGI 911. Also you can try to find used Quantegy 456, there is some on ebay right now.

I have both an E-16 and an E-22 and I am having the same exact problem on my E-22. I just finished calibrating the tension as well as the FF and RW speeds, basically a full mechanical alignment. It got better but not perfect (still does this occasionally). I am about at my wits end....

BTW Tentelometers are NOT cheap!

stylus flanger
alignin' 24-trk
Posts: 58
Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2006 9:08 pm

Post by stylus flanger » Sat Nov 28, 2009 6:48 pm

when threading the tape, pressing the stop button puts the machine into edit mode. the reels should start spinning if you don't hold them. this will allow you to get a few starter rotations. then press stop again. while in edit mode you should be able to do the rocker arm thing in either direction to move the tape back and forth into your desired position.

it's most likely a tension problem, but there is a possibility that there is a logic problem. the machine is designed to bahave somewhat like you are describing when you hold down the ff/rw buttons, so the machine might think you are holding it down. also, pressing ff/rw and the stop button concurrently is supposed to put the machine in slow wind. this function is designed to pancake the reel for proper storage. when all is working properly it's just a bitchin' little system. hope this helps

clintsteele
pluggin' in mics
Posts: 35
Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2007 6:56 am
Location: Brooklyn NY
Contact:

Post by clintsteele » Tue Dec 01, 2009 9:30 am

Old Ampex 456 almost always has this problem..I have had better results using 499 or BASF 9000. make sure you clean the whole tape path, rubber cleaner on the pinch roller.

HSLand
audio school graduate
Posts: 18
Joined: Wed Jun 11, 2014 7:07 am

Re: Fostex E-16 FF & RW Slowly... Plus newb issues.

Post by HSLand » Sat Oct 23, 2021 4:55 pm

I'm having this exact issue on an E-16 I just bought. I paid a bit over $2000 for the whole package with shipping. Hoping something can be done because I don't think I can return it.

The FF and RW won't work very well. I can see the reels starting to turn but only very very slightly. I don't know if this has something to do with it but the left clutch/tension arm thing as bent during shipping. The seller says it's tape drag or something putting too much tension on the tape.

drumsound
zen recordist
Posts: 7474
Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2004 10:30 pm
Location: Bloomington IL
Contact:

Re: Fostex E-16 FF & RW Slowly... Plus newb issues.

Post by drumsound » Sun Oct 24, 2021 9:48 am

HSLand wrote:
Sat Oct 23, 2021 4:55 pm
I'm having this exact issue on an E-16 I just bought. I paid a bit over $2000 for the whole package with shipping. Hoping something can be done because I don't think I can return it.

The FF and RW won't work very well. I can see the reels starting to turn but only very very slightly. I don't know if this has something to do with it but the left clutch/tension arm thing as bent during shipping. The seller says it's tape drag or something putting too much tension on the tape.
A bent tension arm could really mess with the tape path. I don't know the machine, or if replacements are readily available, but that should be addressed, and then a mechanical and tension adjustment.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 51 guests