Teac 3340S

[Johnny Vinyl]

Ok, so I've been looking at R2R's for the last 2 years and have come across a few, but they haven't excited me enough to make the jump. Since I don't know anything about R2R's I'm always hesitant as I don't want to end up with a unit that may require extensive refurbishing.

I was just told of a unit that has been refurbished by the seller and owner of an audio repair shop here in Toronto. He says the unit is in perfect working order and cosmetically in wonderful shape. I have not seen it yet, but I think I might like to know more. We didn't talk price or nitty-gritty about what was done to it. He wants $500.

I like the fact it has 7.5 and 15 ips speeds since I could then play some commercially available tapes (not at $300 a pop though...more like used).

Should I try to find out more? Or should I just forget about this?

 

[mep]

John-The Teac 33440s is a 4 track deck which was meant to be used to record 4 track music. This deck would be of little use to you and would provide no growth path to get to 2 track 15 ips tapes.

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

John-The Teac 33440s is a 4 track deck which was meant to be used to record 4 track music. This deck would be of little use to you and would provide no growth path to get to 2 track 15 ips tapes.

You mean I wouldn't be able to play back 2=track 15ips tapes?

 

[mep]

Not to my knowledge. I will let someone else chime in here that actually knows this deck. I believe the spacing for the 2 tracks on a regular 2 track tape are different than the spacing for a deck that is actually recording 4 tracks on the same side of the tape.

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

Not to my knowledge. I will let someone else chime in here that actually knows this deck. I believe the spacing for the 2 tracks on a regular 2 track tape are different than the spacing for a deck that is actually recording 4 tracks on the same side of the tape.

If that's the case I wouldn't be interested, but yes....let's here from some of the guys about this. I want/need to learn more....and I'll ask Tony when I see him on Saturday.

 

[Bruce B]

MEP is correct.

I gave mine away.

 

[NorthStar]

You don't play a musical instrument or two Bruce?

 

[Bruce B]

You don't play a musical instrument or two Bruce?

I play piano, clarinet, flute and sax (alto/soprano)

 

[microstrip]

I play piano, clarinet, flute and sax (alto/soprano)

I now see it. You could not play all the wind instruments simultaneously so you got rid of the 3340s ...

 

[Curt Palme]

I'll counter. It's a very solid deck, but YES you can play 2 track tapes, you just need to use the correct channels on the deck to get left and right. The 1/2 track tape uses 1/2 the tape for each channel, whereas a 4 channel machine uses 1/4 of the tape per channel. Each head winding would therefore only 'read' 1/4 of the tape rather than 1/2 of the tape as a 2 track machine would.

The 3340 is a bulletproof machine, save for the belt that usually needs changing. It's an easy swap. Belts are on eBay. Is it a high end studio type machine like an Otari or Studer, or the other super high end decks here? No. Then again, a reasonable price for a working 3340 with decent heads would be $150-200, not $1500 to $5K.

 

[mep]

I'll counter. It's a very solid deck, but YES you can play 2 track tapes, you just need to use the correct channels on the deck to get left and right. The 1/2 track tape uses 1/2 the tape for each channel, whereas a 4 channel machine uses 1/4 of the tape per channel. Each head winding would therefore only 'read' 1/4 of the tape rather than 1/2 of the tape as a 2 track machine would.

The 3340 is a bulletproof machine, save for the belt that usually needs changing. It's an easy swap. Belts are on eBay. Is it a high end studio type machine like an Otari or Studer, or the other super high end decks here? No. Then again, a reasonable price for a working 3340 with decent heads would be $150-200, not $1500 to $5K.

How do you know the track spacing on the 4 track head is correct for 2 track tapes and it will play back tapes correctly that were made for 2 track machines vice 4 track machines? I would think the 2 tracks on a 2 track head would be much wider than 2 of the 4 tracks on a 4 track head.

 

[Curt Palme]

They are indeed, but you're simply splitting the two halves of the 1/2 track into two again, thereby getting 4 tracks total. So each channel of a 4 channel head is 'reading' 1/4 of the tape width total. It would bve an issue if you had say a 3 or 5 track deck, but those don't exist so playing a 2 track tape with a 4 channel machine isn't an issue.

 

[stellavox]

They are indeed, but you're simply splitting the two halves of the 1/2 track into two again, thereby getting 4 tracks total. So each channel of a 4 channel head is 'reading' 1/4 of the tape width total. It would bve an issue if you had say a 3 or 5 track deck, but those don't exist so playing a 2 track tape with a 4 channel machine isn't an issue.

I agree with Curt on this BUT would argue that from a "purist" perspective, you're not "catching all the flux" recorded on each (2 track) channel. Should you do go through with this, make sure the two 1/4 track groups for each 2 track channel are wired in "additive" polarity. With proper switching, you could also bring out "tracks 1 and 3" to also get a nice 1/4 track playback machine.

Charles

 

[mep]

I agree with Curt on this BUT would argue that from a "purist" perspective, you're not "catching all the flux" recorded on each (2 track) channel. Should you do go through with this, make sure the two 1/4 track groups for each 2 track channel are wired in "additive" polarity. With proper switching, you could also bring out "tracks 1 and 3" to also get a nice 1/4 track playback machine.

Charles

How could you be? 1/4" tape head with two tracks is going to have a larger surface area for each track than the same 1/4" tape head that is now divided into four tracks.

 

[Curt Palme]

Charles, you're bang on. I was going to add summing of two of the four track pairs to get the full track width when playing 2 track tapes on a 4 track deck, but was typing while on the road on a laptop with a terrible keyboard, plus, I was lazy.

MEP, it's not an ideal solution, all I was doing was countering those above that said a 4 track machine could not play a 2 track tape.

A 3340 is hardly called an 'audiophile' deck 'round these parts compared to what a lot of members here have, but it is a solid deck, and a good cheap way to get into RTR...

 

[mep]

Charles, you're bang on. I was going to add summing of two of the four track pairs to get the full track width when playing 2 track tapes on a 4 track deck, but was typing while on the road on a laptop with a terrible keyboard, plus, I was lazy.

MEP, it's not an ideal solution, all I was doing was countering those above that said a 4 track machine could not play a 2 track tape.

A 3340 is hardly called an 'audiophile' deck 'round these parts compared to what a lot of members here have, but it is a solid deck, and a good cheap way to get into RTR...

Why not buy a high-speed 2 track Ampex ATR-700 which is a pro deck and is available for around $200?

 

[Curt Palme]

Sure, that works too. It all depends what he finds available.