The fostex is up and running again.

[video=youtube;I3Z5mwm59q0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3Z5mwm59q0[/video]

hahaha - that's awesome....nice video man.

Very nice AoQ. That's quite a lab ya got there!

Nice Job AQ - that was pretty Koo :banana: Like how the hole was too big so u made it bigger bit @:

I'm confused about how the Sanyo fits in. What are the four outputs of the Fostex patched in to? Do you then run out the Sanyo to the computer?

The fostex was modified to run at 3 3/4 ips to playback at proper Q8 speed, which modifying the speed without modifying anything else resulted in the EQ being off. This was previously dealt with by using software EQ, or external EQ units. Tab had preferred the results he got with external EQs. I didn't have anything like that, and didn't have much luck dialing in EQ with software. What had frustrated me was that, while there were definite benefits to running a tape on a reel deck over an 8-track deck, I had found that I preferred the fidelity I got off my HK deck to the fostex. So, I had the fostex modified so that what comes out is straight off the head, so that I can then run that through something that would more closely match the proper EQ for those head. So, that's where the Sanyo unit comes in, I removed the head, which was rather easy on that model since the head kinda just falls out of place, and wired in rca connections so that I can run the output of the fostex into the sanyo. Of course, the issue is this is that I'm now dealing with low level running out the fostex and into the sanyo, which the risk was adding noise....but that EQ curve on the fostex was something I just couldn't deal with, I was going out of my mind, so I had to try something different. There is a little added noise, but it's manageable with NR. I'm not exactly thrilled to have noise added to the process, but I do believe I'm getting better end results now with these modifications.

deleted as AoQ answered at the same time

So, uh, what tapes you got runnin through there anyway?

So far got Best of Mountain and Godspell recorded in. Good quality off of them, but messed up track assignment, typical GRT stuff. However, the Godspell tape has some trouble spots, will need to find a 2nd copy to try and get a perfect playing out of them. Now I've got tape 1 of the ELP set cued up, with tape 2 next (gonna try to see what I can do about that warble). Now I just need to find a tape 3...

What do you do with the Q8 tapes
do you unwind them and put the tape on a reel
After you record them do you put them back in the Q8 cartridge?

Yeah, that's pretty much what I do, spool it into a reel, record it in, then spool it back on the hub, resplice it, and put it back together.

Absolutely brilliant, using the Vintage 8 track for EQ. IMHO there is just nothing that can replace that type of sound - by using 70's equipment.

OMFG, huge breakthrough tonight. I did some touch up work on the fostex, and sanyo preamp, to try and deal with the noise situation that I've been working around with NR. The noise....gone. And I don't even know how it happened. I first played around with the Sanyo to ensure my contacts there were good, and that wasn't introducing noise. I determined my drop out issue was due to my death grip radio shack rca cables being spotty, once I touched up the solder contacts on the front channels of the input faceplate, and swapped out the patch cables, that was consistent, and not introducing noise. So, back to the fostex, that I knew was noisy. I opened it up to take a look. The plate with the output jacks had become loose, the output jacks were no longer securely held in place, so I grabbed a screw and tightened that down. Then, I hooked it up, to listen to the noise, and see if I could move around wires and make the noise go away....but, no noise. I don't think the screw did it, that isn't actually touching anything, and the noise started immediately upon the modification of going direct from head to output, the plate becoming loose was a later development. I put it back together, cued up the Paul Simon tape again, hit play, no hum, no noise, music started.....

Bad news, all of last weeks recording will have to be redone.

Good news, this is the be all and end all of Q8 conversion. Anything else is settling.

More to come soon....

ArmyOfQuad said:

OMFG, huge breakthrough tonight. I did some touch up work on the fostex, and sanyo preamp, to try and deal with the noise situation that I've been working around with NR. The noise....gone. And I don't even know how it happened. I first played around with the Sanyo to ensure my contacts there were good, and that wasn't introducing noise. I determined my drop out issue was due to my death grip radio shack rca cables being spotty, once I touched up the solder contacts on the front channels of the input faceplate, and swapped out the patch cables, that was consistent, and not introducing noise. So, back to the fostex, that I knew was noisy. I opened it up to take a look. The plate with the output jacks had become loose, the output jacks were no longer securely held in place, so I grabbed a screw and tightened that down. Then, I hooked it up, to listen to the noise, and see if I could move around wires and make the noise go away....but, no noise. I don't think the screw did it, that isn't actually touching anything, and the noise started immediately upon the modification of going direct from head to output, the plate becoming loose was a later development. I put it back together, cued up the Paul Simon tape again, hit play, no hum, no noise, music started.....

Bad news, all of last weeks recording will have to be redone.

Good news, this is the be all and end all of Q8 conversion. Anything else is settling.

More to come soon....

Click to expand...

Awesome News Army - Sometimes the smallest things make the biggest difference........those are often things we never even think would make a difference.

Keep us posted :banana:

That's great news that the noise has disappeared, but sorry you have to redo the previous recordings. Couldn't help but notice that it looks like you have a Technics 1500 on the floor there. Is it the half track or quarter track unit. I myself have the half track.

ArmyOfQuad said:

Good news, this is the be all and end all of Q8 conversion.

Click to expand...

Hello AoQ.

You plan to restitute the original Lp sequence?

I typically do that on all my conversions.

I fucking hate this machine. Acquiring it has been the worst damn thing to ever happen to me....if it's not one fucking thing its a million. Fuck fostex.

ArmyOfQuad said:

I fucking hate this machine. Acquiring it has been the worst damn thing to ever happen to me....if it's not one fucking thing its a million. Fuck fostex.

Click to expand...

i don't mean to laugh at your situation...but this made me chuckle... 2 steps forward and a million back....

(hope you get it sorted out...or at least feel better now!)

Another hole wore out, and I don't know if I can get this one fixed up.....arrrggh....and it's still noisy, I've spent a bunch of weekends recording in a bunch of tapes, many multiple times, and so few files that I can actually use, and then another adjustment hole wears out, no wonder I didn't touch this thing for months.