Studer A80 - Tape rubbing against casing

[Rissi]

Hi Guys.

I have a problem with my Studer A80. The tape is being pulled too low by the first tape guide component. This results in the tape rubbing against the tape casing making a very annoying noise.
Please see the attached photo and video.

It seems like the tape guide is a bit too low and therefore pulls the tape downwards. I think getting it like 1 mm. up could solve the problem, but I'm very new to tape machines and don't want to risk damaging anything and the screw is very tight.

in advance, thank you so much for your help

Video link:

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

might have happened under a change of bearings
originally there are often small calibrated spacers under the tension roller bearing house and if they´re omitted or the new bearings have slightly deviating dimensions, this might be the result
Audiohouse in Switzerland probably have some of different thickness, so you could get it right
but I´d recommend to get a pro to look at it and do a prober alignment/calibration, especially if your playing something valuable on the machine....
good luck

 

[mpdonahue]

You have a bent flange on your supply reel. It is clearly visible in the video.
There is a reel height adjustment, but it was designed for the differences between precision flanges, which are thicker and typically used on the multitrack machines and standard flanges you find on 1/4" and 1/2" reels.
The transport on the A80 is a precision web guidance transport, which means that every element in the transport is aligned to a flat plane made of precision ground flats on the transport casting. Any monkeying with these elements without the special tools that Studer sold for aligning transport elements will cause the machine to behave poorly.

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

well spotted...out of centre as well...

 

[jdza]

IME a very important aspect emerges from this: If something goes wrong with an A80 it is likely to be something simple and 9 out off 10 just carefully looking around the problem will be spotted -usually operator induced. In any other Studer or Revox it will be complex, usually accompanied by smoke ...and tears.

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

very true and the main reason my A80RCs are my desert island machines
anything can be fixed with gaffa tape, a screw driver and a Wrigleys...
apart from that they´re outstandingly sounding R2R machines

 

[waltzingbear]

Agree with Mark, (mpdonahue) the table height is misadjusted for the reels you use. (and the flange is bent, too common) It is a matter of normal maintenance to adjust it to the commonly used reel type.

Get someone mechanically inclined to help you adjust it, it does cause a minute amount of edge damage to the tape when it hits. It also increases the flutter slightly.

The European way to do this is to keep everything on open pancakes and have a solid thick back reel plate (FLAT) and no cover plate. With a horizontal Studer its fine, some other american decks not so much.

for 90+% of Studer work a set of 3 hex wrenches allows you to do most of the work, 2mm, 2.5mm and 3mm

Cheers
Alan