You can't really set them apart, Pavel. The fact that he had reVox, a consumer trade mark, to enable him to make large series is what kept Studer in the business, else he would have falle, as did so many others, under the onslaught of the Japanese.
This naturally begs the question: aside from obvious things like tape speed, balanced connectors, etc, what were the actual differences between the two?
In my view, which I cannot substantiate, is what is done en masse today in the car industry - selection. For example, the VW groups has three tiers of selection: the best parts go to Audi, their upper class marque, the truly average goes to VW, and those which vary go to Škoda or SEAT. Basically, it's all the same mechanics, parts, electronics, the lot, but evetually they sell at rather different prices.
I think Studer AG, as the parent company, did something like that. The best parts, with least tolerance deviation from the ideal, were sold as Studer machines, and the rest was reVox. No doubt some parts were made exclusively for Studer, but I believe these to be specialized items in small series only.
I have been told by an engineer from Siemens, in a private conversation, that this is the way they select transistors. They basically make one damn big batch, then select them, so some are sold as BC 546B (65V), BC 550B (45V, but low noise), etc. How else could they make them so dirt cheap?
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Yes. Those are just springs. Supply side has damper (B77/PR99). And that's it. No electronic sensing.
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I was offered a chance to buy the US stock of Studer/Revox spare parts.
I just finished taking apart my "Parts Beast PR99." Last year I fixed two of them. They still run well.
The start up problems and speed lock in on the tape decks was due to the incorrect lubricant used when servicing the capstan motor. The correct lubricant reduced wear not friction! The exact viscosity specified was required to provided damping on the servo mechanism. Too thin an oil and it would not deaccelerate at the same rate it would accelerate. As the compensation network was just RC, the wrong oil would really screw things up. After 20 years or so the oil would thicken and need to be cleanedd out and replaced.
Adding a drop during servicing of the wrong stuff really would just screw things up. And of course virtually all service techs would lubricate all the moving parts as routine service.
I just finished taking apart my "Parts Beast PR99." Last year I fixed two of them. They still run well.
The start up problems and speed lock in on the tape decks was due to the incorrect lubricant used when servicing the capstan motor. The correct lubricant reduced wear not friction! The exact viscosity specified was required to provided damping on the servo mechanism. Too thin an oil and it would not deaccelerate at the same rate it would accelerate. As the compensation network was just RC, the wrong oil would really screw things up. After 20 years or so the oil would thicken and need to be cleanedd out and replaced.
Adding a drop during servicing of the wrong stuff really would just screw things up. And of course virtually all service techs would lubricate all the moving parts as routine service.
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Thanks Electroj,
But unless you are actually doing live recording what would you put on those tapes? I don't see any reason to record a cd, tape noise would make that silly, and I still have some vinyl but why put it on tape and not to disk? I assume I could find a small band or something that could use the deck to record their music but not even sure that the machine is in working condition as far as the electronics side of things? I know it runs mechanically but who knows what condition the 40 plus years old capacitors are in on all those boards after all these years. It is also a 4 track machine so I guess you could install 2 track heads to get better quality recordings, but I haven't installed a set of heads on a deck in almost 40 years! Max tape speed on my unit was not the fastest that was offered on the A77 and not sure if you can easily change that?
But unless you are actually doing live recording what would you put on those tapes? I don't see any reason to record a cd, tape noise would make that silly, and I still have some vinyl but why put it on tape and not to disk? I assume I could find a small band or something that could use the deck to record their music but not even sure that the machine is in working condition as far as the electronics side of things? I know it runs mechanically but who knows what condition the 40 plus years old capacitors are in on all those boards after all these years. It is also a 4 track machine so I guess you could install 2 track heads to get better quality recordings, but I haven't installed a set of heads on a deck in almost 40 years! Max tape speed on my unit was not the fastest that was offered on the A77 and not sure if you can easily change that?
I know, John, I know.. It's still a lot of work. What did you use on Ultramaster? Judging by not so good pictures that I've seen was it some sort of "Euro-rack"?
That is not just private conversation, that is exactly how most semi's are made, packaged, and sold.
Glass bead axial diodes, for example, are sandblasted from the wafer, brazed and passivated, and then they are binned by test. VF, IR, and BV sorting, so that the best ones are marked and sold at the highest price.
Transistors have been sorted that way as well. However, since they are passivated on wafer, the high voltage parameters can be tested on wafer, and they can be sorted by ink drop color.
Mil spec temps can be sorted on wafer, but that is a real PITA, especially cold testing.
jn
Ad 1. You are right, I stand corrected. Who can remember them all since 1970?
Ad 2. BASICALLY the same I can accept, but I think we both know that the Devil is in the detail.
Ad 3. Thank you for the info, I didn't know that. I'm in fact somewhat surprised they managed to hang on even that long.
Ad 4. So what if the Philips was a more complicated design? Not that it was all that much more complicated, but in general, yes, it was. Again, so what? For the price, it was about the best deal out there.
Look at ANY comparable deck (in terms of price) of the day, from ANYBODY and you will see just about everybody else had it, even if only with simple springs, except for Studer/reVox.
No, it should not be compared to reVox A700, even if it was visually highly reminiscent of it, sort of a half copy. A700 had digital tape tensioning, Philips used variable capacitors for the same job. Why should I care, if it does the job? And After 15 years with it, I know it did do the job. However, it still cost, if memory serves, about 50-55% of the price of the A700. Its only real life failing in my eyes was its weight of some 28 kilos (app. 60 lbs) and the far from ingenious carrying handle, fit for lifting a lunch pack but not that monstrosity.
In fact, to the best of my knowledge, the ONLY truly novel idea was Uher's "Omega Drive" on their SG630 (I think?) model, which eliminated the pinch roller. Not that it was any revolution, either, I am told many VCRs of the day had a more or less similar arrangement inside. I never used one, unfortunately, so I can't comment on its sound. I hated the plasticky look and feel, though, at least what I got of it on a local HiFi show, where it was exhibited.
Having had many a dealing with Philips, I know from experience that they are by default years too late with many a product, but if they put their minds down to it, competition, watch out! I believe they have some awesome engineers there, they just let them off the chain far too seldom.
Because I know that to be a hard fact, I believe that the preamp I own, the AH280, never mind that it's their presitigious Black Tulip series, was not only made, but was also designed in Japan. In other words, it was 100% OEMed. NO WAY anything actually designed by Philips could ever sound so bland and screechy. The odd thing is that the tape deck I owned, the N4520, was also a part of that series, even if it wasn't black (thank God for that).
The AH370 power amp sounds quite nice even by current standatds, and uses a topology later found in virtually all Marantz amps - remember that Philips then owned Marantz, taking over from Sony, in a complex CD rights deal. My amp preceeded the Marantz series by 2 years, which leads me to believe that it originated from Philips and was later simply carried on to the Marantz models. Also, if memory serves, Mr Jan Lohstroh, who worked with Otala in Philips Labs on TIM and co-authored the famous "TIM text" (IEEE publications), was still with Philips at the time. I certainly hope so, it feels warm and cuddly to own a piece of history.
Absolutely! I have one "frozen" A80 capstan motor here because of incorrect lubricant used.
Correct stuff for most Revox and early Studer's is called "Isoflex PDP-65" made by "Klüber".
Good to know this ....
Tapes are available , MA and tape projects to name a few, i have also bought some 15ips master copies from Ebay.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Reel-to-Ree...82?pt=Music_Other_Formats&hash=item5affd4c1de
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Thanks for the info, jn, I really didn't know that.
I was told of it in a private conversation, which is why I mentioned it. I really don't know the manufacturing details, I love 'em anyway.
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Pavel,
Yes tape noise and single ended tubes would put you in the mood all right!
I still have an old Denon cassette deck sitting on the shelf, now that would really put me in a mood, a bad one I think.
Perhaps you should have bought a Sony TC-K 808 ES. Mine still manages to make me smile to think of the good, old days.
AND I kept the head demagnetizer, also by Sony. Switch it on and it shakes your hand, and I'm 6'3" and around 240 lbs.
There is a certain something about analog recording, assuming you have a good base machine, in good working order, well maintained. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I sense it's definitely there. Dolby B? Dolby C? HX Pro? All of it? No idea, but it still sounds DAMN good to me. Perhaps I should attribute that to the fact that it has a MANUAL bias and eq system, and that I do test run each new tape and adjust for it, even if I use TDK and Maxell only.
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