Cleaning

If needed, demagnetize tape path (machine off).

Clean heads & guides (pinch roller only occasionally) with 91% - 100% pure isopropyl alcohol or a good quality head cleaning solution. The use of denatured alcohol on the pinch roller is NOT recommended.

If needed, clean white ceramic capstan shaft with "Formula 409" or "Fantastik" brand cleaner. Do not allow the cleaner to run down into the capstan motor bearing.

Reproduce Alignment

1. Place MRL test tape or tape with client's tones on transport. (See "*NOTE ON REPRO ALIGNMENT TONES" below.)

2. Set remote master status switching to TAPE position. Put all tracks in safe (black buttons out). Make sure all BIAS DEFEAT buttons on machine and any grey buttons on remote are not depressed. Leave the NAB/IEC buttons on the Repro & Record/Cue cards out, unless the tones you are aligning the machine with were recorded using the IEC (CCIR/European) standard.

3. Play the 1 KHz tone and adjust the LVL trim pot on each Repro card (the top card) for the appropriate level (0 VU if using client's tones. If using MRL tape, see note* below).

4. Now play the 10 KHz tone and adjust the high frequency eq trim pot for the appropriate speed (marked with a < symbol) on each Repro card. The section marked HI is for 30 ips, LO is for 15 ips. Adjust to the same VU reading as in step #3.

5. Set remote switch to AUTO and play the 1 KHz tone again. Adjust the LVL pot at the bottom of the "Cue" section of each Record/Cue card (third card down) to the same VU reading as in the steps above.

6. Play the 10 KHz tone and adjust the appropriate high frequency eq pot (marked with a < symbol)  in the Cue section of each Record/Cue card to the same VU reading as in the steps above. Again, HI is for 30 ips; LO, 15 ips.

7. If you are doing a full repro & record alignment, stop here & proceed directly to "Record alignment". If you are doing repro only, complete your alignment by following steps #8 & #9 below.

8. Set remote to TAPE. Play the 100 Hz tone and adjust the appropriate speed low frequency eq pot (marked with a > symbol) on each Repro card for 0 VU.

9. Switch the remote to AUTO. Play the 100 Hz tone again and adjust the appropriate low frequency eq pot (marked with a > symbol) in the Cue section of each Record/Cue card for 0VU. As before, the section marked HI is for 30 ips; LO, 15 ips.

*NOTE ON REPRO ALIGNMENT TONES: A typical MRL brand alignment tape is recorded @ 250 nwb/meter or "+3" level. So, if an operating level of +3 is requested, the repro level would be set to 0 VU with this tape. If an operating level of +6 is requested, the Repro level is set to -3 VU (all record levels are set to 0 VU). This procedure applies only to MRL tapes. Client's printed tones are always set to 0 VU.

Record alignment

1. Check tape path & clean if necessary.

2. Set oscillator on console to 10 KHz and depress all group or "buss" buttons (you may have to engage a "slate" button as well). With board in "buss out" mode, adjust oscillator level for a reading of approximately -3 VU on all the buss output meters.

3. With client's record pad or a new roll of tape on machine, put all tracks in record ready (black buttons in on remote). The remote's master switch should be in the TAPE position.

4. Enter record and set bias for the appropriate speed (Hi = 30 ips, LO = 15 ips) on each Bias card (the bottom one) as follows: Turn pot back and forth until a peak is found, then clockwise until the VU meter drops 3.5 dB past this peak (this setting is for 15 ips. For 30 ips, use 1.25 dB over the peak). These figures are for RMGI/Emtec/Pyral SM468 and SM900 tape types only. For RMGI/Emtec/Pyral SM911 tape, use 2.5 dB @ 15 ips and 1.25 dB @ 30 ips. For ATR Master Tape, use 2.5 dB @ 15 ips and 1.2 dB @ 30 ips.

For Quantegy/Ampex 456 tape, use 3.5 dB @ 15 ips and 1.5 dB @ 30 ips. For Quantegy GP-9 and Quantegy/Ampex 499, use 4 dB @ 15 ips and 2 dB @ 30 ips. For the old Scotch 226 tape, use 4 dB @ 15 ips and 1.5 dB @ 30 ips. For Scotch 250, use 3 Db @ 15 ips and 2.5 dB @ 30 ips. For Scotch 996 tape, use 4 Db @ 15 ips and 2 dB @ 30 ips.

Note that most tape types have a relatively wide tolerance. Although the settings above are recommended, slight variations are allowable.

5. Reset oscillator to 1 KHz and adjust all buss faders to exactly 0 VU on each buss meter. Again, make sure console is in buss or "group out" mode and not in tape return mode.

6. Enter record and adjust each LVL pot (in the upper "Record" section on the Record/Cue cards) for 0 VU on the machine.

7. Set oscillator to 10 KHz (make sure the console's busses read 0 VU), and with machine in record, adjust the appropriate speed high freq record eq (also in the Record section of the Record/Cue card) for 0 VU. (The HI control with the < symbol on the right is for 30 ips, the LO one is for 15 ips.)

8. Set oscillator to 100 Hz. Enter record and adjust the appropriate speed low frequency adjust eq pot (marked with the > symbol this time) on each Repro card  for 0 VU on tape machine. Again, the section marked HI is for 30 ips; LO, 15 ips.

9. Rewind the tape & record a couple of minutes of the 100 Hz tone on all channels. Switch the remote master switch to AUTO. While playing back the recorded tone, adjust the appropriate low frequency eq pot in the Cue section of each Record/Cue card as described above in step #8.

10. Stop machine. Set oscillator to 1 khz and make sure all buss levels read exactly 0 VU on the console's meters. With the remote in INPUT mode, set the IN CAL pot on each Rec/Cue card for 0 VU on the machine.  If desired, new tones (1 KHz, 10 KHz & 100 Hz - 1 min. of each) can be printed at this time. Don't forget to take all the channels out of record ready when you're finished.