Studer A820 owner/operator training in Los Angeles

Ron Resnick

Site Co-Owner, Administrator
Jan 24, 2015
16,017
13,346
2,665
Beverly Hills, CA
A three-day program in Los Angeles with Fred Thal this September 2018

maximum number of attendees: eight persons

enrollment deadline: July 18, 2018

tuition: to be announced

Produced in Switzerland between 1985 and 1992 the Studer A820 is regarded world-wide as the most sophisticated and advanced analog audio recorder ever created. This course is designed for present day owners of the quarter and half-inch version two-channel A820 mastering machines, to provide them with a deeper understanding and appreciation of what went into the A820 design and construction and why.

Emphasis will be on machine familiarization, construction, service issues facing owners today, analog tape playback fundamentals and using the many powerful advanced features accessible through the A820 software structured user interface.

About the presenter: Fred Thal has a diverse background in automotive, mechanical and structural engineering, physics, metrology, electrical construction and architecture. He began studying analog audio magnetic tape recorder design in the early 1980s. After working for some of the major manufacturers of professional audio tape machines, he specialized in the refurbishment of the famous Studer A80, A800 and A820 recorder/reproducers. Today his company, ATAE, designs and builds new products based heavily on those classic Studer designs.

Additional guest presenters to be be announced.

If you are interested in participating in this training seminar please express your interest on this thread.

(Fred Thal asked me to post this announcement.)
 

ksalno

Well-Known Member
Mar 29, 2015
71
2
238
A couple of questions:

- will this be held over a long weekend or during the week?
- I'm a new owner of a soon to be delivered A810. Would there be any value in me taking this course? I am an electrical engineer by training (although have spent most of my career in the hi tech sw world), so I understand the basics of electronics, have soldering skills, know how to read resistor values, etc. I'd love to learn more about my new machine and how to properly care for, operate, and repair it, when necessary.
 

c1ferrari

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
May 15, 2010
2,162
51
1,770
Preliminary interest, here. It would be informative to see the program/agenda, when available.
As expressed previously, will the curriculum/instruction be focused on beginning, intermediate, or advanced operators?
Fred, don't forget recording.
 

Fred Thal

[Industry Expert]
Jul 15, 2016
161
11
123
ksalno's questions have been answered privately.
 

Fred Thal

[Industry Expert]
Jul 15, 2016
161
11
123
Why A820 owner training?

Car analogies can be apt.

Imagine that you're introduced to a fellow Ferrari owner.

Eager to talk with him, you learn that he owns three of these cars, of different vintages. He proudly recites their horsepower ratings. From that you guess he might be an engine guy.

So you mention how his collection reflects the contributions of Colombo, Lampredi and Jano.

Imagine your disappointment when your conversationalist responds to you with a blank stare.

Then he makes things worse, by volunteering that he's presently having the cylinder heads of his 365GTC "upgraded" by his "expert", a discredited shop with an unfortunate reputation for ruining Ferrari cylinder heads.

What can you say? You dearly love Ferrari, but you realize that you're standing next to an ignoramus. Your evening has been ruined by meeting this guy.

There are perhaps at least eleven A820 owners who look at this forum. That's a significant number.

My concept of A820 owner training is about cultivating deeper owner appreciation. So we cover about forty-five subject areas over three days.

Owner training is also about proselytizing the importance of respecting and preserving something that's a true classic. It's about helping owners become more knowledgeable enthusiasts, so that they can be responsible stewards of these special machines. That level of product knowledge often fosters even greater enjoyment, and some owners might then want to continue on a path of learning much more.
 

SuperDave

Well-Known Member
May 12, 2017
252
78
158
Texas
Hi Fred,
I don't own a A820 or a Ferrari but that analogy is classic! "Your evening has been ruined by meeting this guy," I truly feel your pain sometimes in life. I do hope they are maintained well so I can hear one some day.

Dave
 

Ron Resnick

Site Co-Owner, Administrator
Jan 24, 2015
16,017
13,346
2,665
Beverly Hills, CA
Count me in, Fred!
 

ALF

Well-Known Member
Mar 15, 2012
531
243
955
Southwest
Me Too Fred, thanks again for sourcing the wonderful A820 machine for me, I’m loving it! You were absolutely right, it is almost NOS, well-loved, and purring like a kitten; that is, until you hit play, then lalala!!

Many thanks to the wonderful folks at ATAE for this fine machine!

...maybe, we can convince Ron to go ahead and uncrate his :).

Cheers!
Alan
 

yjwu

Well-Known Member
Jun 28, 2011
78
12
913
Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
I wonder what topics were covered in training courses 32 years ago by STUDER?

Why there was no 1.820.812.XX record amplifier? Was it because of the incorporation of HX-Pro in 1.820.811.XX?

Now the audiences are new owners of A820, really like managers of studio, instead of persons who could maintain it.
 

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Ron Resnick

Site Co-Owner, Administrator
Jan 24, 2015
16,017
13,346
2,665
Beverly Hills, CA
So we have Sam, Alan and me. Do we have anybody else?
 

c1ferrari

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
May 15, 2010
2,162
51
1,770
I wonder what topics were covered in training courses 32 years ago by STUDER?

Great poster! I could especially go for the 961/962 Mixing Consoles and, of course, A820 Tape Reocrder trainings.
:p
 

yjwu

Well-Known Member
Jun 28, 2011
78
12
913
Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

Great poster! I could especially go for the 961/962 Mixing Consoles and, of course, A820 Tape Reocrder trainings.
:p

Training course focused on A820 started from 1985. When multi-channel A820 MCH, A827 became available these models shifted to main gear of the coverage; especially when STUDER ceased to manufacture 1/4", 1/2" A820.

Photo taken from SwissSound shown Martin Berner disassembled A810 piece by piece in 1985's training course.
 

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Hi-FiGuy

Member Sponsor
Feb 23, 2015
2,235
754
385
Why A820 owner training?

Car analogies can be apt.

Imagine that you're introduced to a fellow Ferrari owner.
Then he makes things worse, by volunteering that he's presently having the cylinder heads of his 365GTC "upgraded" by his "expert", a discredited shop with an unfortunate reputation for ruining Ferrari cylinder heads.

.

Ha we have one in the shop right now, and we know better than that. We were the only ones that touched the heads and I assure you no such shenanigans took place. Besides how fast do you think you can make that dinosaur run?

Stunningly sexy body looking though!

Back to your regularly scheduled programming.
 

amadeus

VIP/Donor
Jan 13, 2018
312
380
255
A three-day program in Los Angeles with Fred Thal this September 2018

maximum number of attendees: eight persons

enrollment deadline: July 18, 2018

tuition: to be announced

Produced in Switzerland between 1985 and 1992 the Studer A820 is regarded world-wide as the most sophisticated and advanced analog audio recorder ever created. This course is designed for present day owners of the quarter and half-inch version two-channel A820 mastering machines, to provide them with a deeper understanding and appreciation of what went into the A820 design and construction and why.

Emphasis will be on machine familiarization, construction, service issues facing owners today, analog tape playback fundamentals and using the many powerful advanced features accessible through the A820 software structured user interface.

About the presenter: Fred Thal has a diverse background in automotive, mechanical and structural engineering, physics, metrology, electrical construction and architecture. He began studying analog audio magnetic tape recorder design in the early 1980s. After working for some of the major manufacturers of professional audio tape machines, he specialized in the refurbishment of the famous Studer A80, A800 and A820 recorder/reproducers. Today his company, ATAE, designs and builds new products based heavily on those classic Studer designs.

Additional guest presenters to be be announced.

If you are interested in participating in this training seminar please express your interest on this thread.

(Fred Thal asked me to post this announcement.)


Wow as someone who is planing to buy a Studer 820 very long time if i wood live in LA Area i wood never missed this course...
 

Ron Resnick

Site Co-Owner, Administrator
Jan 24, 2015
16,017
13,346
2,665
Beverly Hills, CA
Fly in to join us for this event!
 

amadeus

VIP/Donor
Jan 13, 2018
312
380
255
Woww that wood be great but this time i have to pass i am from Zero up Building a new Audio Room/Studio and we are busy whit the last details before fine tuning and Acoustical treatment this will be hopefully my Mekka for listening Music and Fly to the Eternity..
I hope to have a Studer 820 in the near Future and if this course wil repeat next year and i know it some months before i definitely fly to LA.
Anyway thanks for the opportunity and invitation you guys are the top level first class Music Lovers!
 

Fred Thal

[Industry Expert]
Jul 15, 2016
161
11
123
I am curious what was the highlight of Fred's three day training course?

Yeun-Jung Wu


I regret that the fall 2018, three-day A820 operator training class that ATAE was hoping to host in Santa Monica California was canceled due to insufficient pre-enrollment. I also regret that our infrequent, open to the public courses are so expensive. But we've learned that a nice hotel with a variety of great dining nearby is an important draw.

As for the course's content, there's a tremendous amount of material to be covered, but we've learned to try to keep the participants attentive by always presenting questions designed to engage them. This way, it's not about the class having to sit through a lecture. We also try to not assume anything about anyone's own level of product knowledge. So it's a matter of keeping a balance between introducing the basic concepts and also going more deeply into the details. For example, in taking just one of over forty five topics covered, spooling motors and reel tables, the class participants might start out by pondering these questions:

What is special about the flat-topped, circular rubber ring imbedded in the top of each quick-change reel table and what are its purposes? Why did the factory adjust 820 reel table heights to a tolerance of plus or minus zero point zero one millimeters (four-ten-thousandths of an inch)? How is this table height properly checked? If the height is found to be incorrect, what are the most likely causes and what might be done to correct this? Why does the silver-colored paint of A820 quick-change reel tables often appear to have a blistered appearance near the imbedded rubber rings? What is the purpose of the mechanical spooling motor brakes and how do they operate? What part of the spooling motor assembly was built by Parvex and what part was built by Studer? Which of these two mated parts requires more frequent service attention? Who can be entrusted with performing this work? Why do the spooling motor tach tower bearings need to be loaded with a special, electrically-conductive grease? What is the smart way to check the spooling motor's tach sensor duty-cycle?
smallDSC_0049.jpg
Of course with the 820, we must also devote time to cover an introduction to microprocessor control. So we might start out with some questions like: what is polling and what is an interrupt? Why do all three of the 820's microprocessors need to be always communicating?

Course time is also allotted for learning how to quickly find things (how to find anything and everything) in the big, printed manual.

And at least a few people always tell us that they really enjoyed seeing a machine being taken completely apart.

By the way, we don't expect that everyone will absorb all of this material, or even want to. But I think you now have an idea of the course content.

We may offer a similar class, this time for the A80, and again also open to the public, sometime next year.
 

yjwu

Well-Known Member
Jun 28, 2011
78
12
913
Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
Opening quiz: how to disengage pinch roller manually using hex driver at emergency after power off?

A good mid-term exam would be: reconnect all the cable connectors on top of the card cage; explain the "from" "to" and functionality of each card. This might be too easy.

Yeun-Jung Wu
 
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