Scully 100-16 2" Tape Machine

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b3groover
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Post by b3groover » Tue Oct 16, 2007 11:32 pm

So, after many months of research and consultation (and actually buying another Scully 100-16 for parts), I got this bad boy up and running like a champ tonight!!!

It still needs to be calibrated, but I did some test recordings on it tonight after swapping some parts from the other machine and it runs great and more importantly it SOUNDS frickin' awesome! It's doing something to the transients of the drums that is just beautiful sounding.

I think the biggest problem with the machine from when I bought it was a) shitty tape (it came with a badly shedding reel of 456 and was gunked up like crazy), a bad pinch roller, and the stationary guides needed to be slightly turned so their "good sides" were in contact with the tape, instead of the worn sides. I also put new powerlytics in the PSU, which helped beef up the torque a bit.

I'm stoked to get this integrated with my 32-8 Topaz and start doing 16 track, all in one room, analog goodness with my organ trio (organ, guitar, & drums). Oh boy!
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jtienhaara
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Post by jtienhaara » Wed Oct 17, 2007 12:40 am

Awesome, congrats b3! :rockin: Do you have any pics?

Out of curiosity, any idea how many gazillion hours you spent tinkering? E.g. were you working on it hard, day & night, these past 6 months? Or more like once or twice a week?

Johann

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trodden
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Post by trodden » Wed Oct 17, 2007 9:36 am

jtienhaara wrote:Awesome, congrats b3! :rockin: Do you have any pics?

Out of curiosity, any idea how many gazillion hours you spent tinkering? E.g. were you working on it hard, day & night, these past 6 months? Or more like once or twice a week?

Johann
totally, congrats!

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b3groover
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Post by b3groover » Wed Oct 17, 2007 11:04 am

I'll get some shots soon. I have been working on it as time and money allowed. I put about 8 straight hours into it last night, after finally getting some tape for it (used 499 off ebay). I still have to get a hold of a calibration tape.

I need to change all the bulbs in the meterbridge; perhaps this afternoon. I'm just excited that it runs, all the transport functions work as they should, and it does actually record and playback!!! Now it's all about getting it set up properly and tweaking it to run in it's comfort zone.

Oh, and figuring out how to best interface it with my setup (two Presonus Firepods and a Topaz 32-8).

Pics soon...
www.organissimo.org
organissimo - Dedicated (new CD)
"This shitty room is making your next hit record, bitch!"

tony_tomlinson
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Post by tony_tomlinson » Wed Oct 17, 2007 11:28 am

Slam some greasy organ on that shit man! I am excited for you. Although I don't play B3, I often find myself asking what would Booker T do? Great find!

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b3groover
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Post by b3groover » Wed Oct 17, 2007 2:28 pm

tony_tomlinson wrote:Slam some greasy organ on that shit man! I am excited for you. Although I don't play B3, I often find myself asking what would Booker T do? Great find!
That's the plan!
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organissimo - Dedicated (new CD)
"This shitty room is making your next hit record, bitch!"

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b3groover
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Post by b3groover » Thu Oct 18, 2007 9:42 am

As promised, here's a pic of the Scully 100-16 in action. All 16 tracks record and playback (and in the pic you can see all 16 tracks armed and recording!) so now it's just a matter of calibrating the machine.

Even without calibration, man... the drums on this thing are ridiculous!

Image
www.organissimo.org
organissimo - Dedicated (new CD)
"This shitty room is making your next hit record, bitch!"

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jtienhaara
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Post by jtienhaara » Thu Oct 18, 2007 10:33 am

b3groover wrote:Image
I so want to pet your Scully.

:shock:

Nice work B3!

???????
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Post by ??????? » Thu Oct 18, 2007 10:41 am

man how I love a happy ending. Too bad this isnt in 'gear talk' for the folx who dont check the classifieds.

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b3groover
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Post by b3groover » Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:14 am

UP because I just found this video of Pink Floyd recording Echoes. I guess they originally started the album at Abbey Road but then moved to AIR and Morgan Studios, because Abbey Road was only 8-track at the time.

The tape machine at 1:19 looks EXACTLY like my Scully!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5sht8MB37o

Isn't that wild?

I know for a fact that when Morgan opened in '68 or '69, they had an 8-track Scully. The 100-16 came out in 1971 and I bet they upgraded quickly. That meterbridge looks identical and the transports... it looks like the same machine!
www.organissimo.org
organissimo - Dedicated (new CD)
"This shitty room is making your next hit record, bitch!"

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b3groover
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Post by b3groover » Fri May 31, 2013 7:27 pm

Zombie thread!

I still have the 100-16 and after years of neglect, I am transferring some tapes for a jazz label re-issue program. These tapes are from 1977 and the transfers are going well. The Scully is running like a champ. I think I may need new bearings in my capstan motor. I ordered some today and will attempt that maneuver soon.

I still need to figure out why it won't erase... might have something to do with some of the nasty electrolytics that I'm seeing on the play / rec amp cards. But for transferring purposes, it's working great.

This old machine has soul.

On another note: Anybody have schematics for the DBX 155 noise reduction units?
www.organissimo.org
organissimo - Dedicated (new CD)
"This shitty room is making your next hit record, bitch!"

Judas Jetski
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Post by Judas Jetski » Fri Dec 20, 2013 12:23 pm

Hey, thanks for the update. I've come into an old Scully 270 and am toying with the notion of a refurb & conversion. One thing I do not need is another tape deck... but if this thing'll sound better than my Otari, I really might just do it.
New Judas Jetski EP up! andysmash.bandcamp.com

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