Cassette Tape Rewinder.. Any Opinions?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Classic Car Guy, Apr 11, 2022.

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  1. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God - Thread Starter

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    Looking for a dedicated cassette tape rewinder so I can do a full Fast Forward and Rewind before I start my recording. (I prefer doing this in another unit rather that my personal recording or playback deck) I mostly use 90 to 120 minutes and I want to spool the media correct and evenly so the machine has to be strong and consistent. I'm not sure if you can get this machine in battery operated. But either battery or ac is fine with me. As much as possible I don't want to get another cassette deck just to rewind especially if the size of the deck is the normal size which is big for my needs and might take up some extra space. If you guys have something in mind, please let me know. Thanks..:-plnktn-:
     
    Last edited: Apr 11, 2022
  2. uzn007

    uzn007 Watcher of the Skis

    Location:
    Raleigh, N.C.
    I always just used my tape deck to do that.
     
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  3. harby

    harby Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR, USA
    The preferred way to wind a used tape is to play the entire side through the tape guide, capstan and pinch roller, under steady take-up reel torque. Additionally pre-record both sides with silence, and you get an even quieter tape to record audio on. Depends on if you have the time to prepare them this way.

    I'd find a small vertical player. I've got one of these dudes a three-hour drive away (Radio shack also made a play-only version) that I could crank up the play speed motor and bias, or lower the head if I wanted to make a packer/eraser:
    [​IMG]
     
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  4. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God - Thread Starter

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    This is good size and I can dig this... Thanks,
     
  5. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God - Thread Starter

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    You know I have a Tandberg deck. when that machine rewinds or fast forward, youll visually see how shiny smooth the spools and media sits together and the speed doesnt fluctuate. The motor is twice the size of my nakamichi deck and it never stretch or snaps the tapes. I wish I can use that but its such a nice deck for me to use it for like such a purpose. These solid winders or winding methods like what you mentioned really comes in handy especially in those 35+ year old tapes with will loosen out the "drags" before doing a sweet recording... Sweet.
     
  6. uzn007

    uzn007 Watcher of the Skis

    Location:
    Raleigh, N.C.
    [​IMG]
     
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  7. harby

    harby Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR, USA
    When you are fast-forwarding with a dumb deck, the uneven pack of the pancake on a first pass will give a changing resistance that will cause the loop to alternate between taut and slack. Then you also have the take-up reel that is growing in size and moving tape faster near the end.

    Don't know how they do it, but my JVC has a digital display that is accurate to the second even when you fast-forward and rewind back and forth over thirty minutes. It also seems to slow down getting near the end.
     
  8. I personally don't see the point in doing a fast-forward and then rewind. That will make the tape wind unevenly. If anything, it would be best to run the tape forward at normal speed and then run it back at normal speed. Moving the tape at fast speeds will create static electricity build-up.

    With R2R tapes many preferred to store then tails-out(especially quad) or at the end of normal play-through. Just as with video tapes, many preferred not to rewind them until they were ready to play them again. Just as with any tape, rewinding causes the tapes to wind unevenly.
     
  9. macster

    macster Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Diego, Ca. USA
    I use my lower end decks to handle this. Depending on the moon/time of day, who's in control of the House or Senate will determine, if I FF/or play the tape. Neither has cause me any problems, but that's just me and I really don't have a clue about this.

    M~
     
  10. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God - Thread Starter

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Ill probably shop for an entry level cassette deck somewhere.. If I can find a small and ac powered, great...
     
  11. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God - Thread Starter

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    Last saturday I bought a used deck locally and just to use it for a rewinder unit purpose. The deck was not even running as what the previous owner stated. I got it all running and completely restored. This unit not only works perfect and also sounds gorgeous besides a missing a counter tab reset (cosmetic only). I might use this for a temporary rewinder but I think I'm off again looking for another rewinder for I don't want to waste this beauty. If any of you knows where I can get the missing tab, please let me know. Back to the hunting again....

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
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  12. TarnishedEars

    TarnishedEars Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Seattle area
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  13. Gasman1003

    Gasman1003 Forum Diplomat.

    Location:
    Liverpool, England
    [​IMG]

    Old ways are sometimes the best.....


    :winkgrin:
     
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  14. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God - Thread Starter

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    Thanks.. I emailed the seller and she said "she doesn't know if running"..:biglaugh: Where do you get this people right?:nauga:
     
  15. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God - Thread Starter

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    That's my favorite rewinder in my younger days. :-plnktn-: Let me know if you got anything in your neck of the woods.
    PS. I bought this winder a while back and it actually works great for a short rewind on pre recording. The reason why I want to get a sole power winder is when you do a fast forward or rewind, most machines does a "hard stop" and that leaves a spot in you reel motor commutator and eventually it becomes bigger and bigger will contribute to an excessive, un-noticeable wow and flutter., and eventually will fail to operate on your ffwd, play, rew. Better to be safe than sorry right?

     
    Last edited: Apr 19, 2022
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  16. Gasman1003

    Gasman1003 Forum Diplomat.

    Location:
    Liverpool, England
    Absolutely, I have always just used my cassette deck, didn't even know winders existed, well apart from a pencil.

    I have been using the deck since 1979, now, of course you have got me worried!

    :sigh:
     
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  17. Lenny99

    Lenny99 The truth sets you free.

    Location:
    Clarksburg WV
    I remember using a pencil. And I remember several companies sold a moterized fast reminder.
     
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  18. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God - Thread Starter

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    if youre recording over 200 a year, you may need one. If youre just doing playback, it should be fine.
     
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  19. Gasman1003

    Gasman1003 Forum Diplomat.

    Location:
    Liverpool, England
    :righton:
     
  20. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God - Thread Starter

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    I wanna open up a new threading for security camera for home. Maybe I can get some tip from people that has it...
     
  21. TarnishedEars

    TarnishedEars Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Seattle area
    I know that "I don't know if running" is often Ebay lingo for "its broken". But you could always ask her to test it and if it actually works, list it as tested and working, then you might consider it. :shrug:
     
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  22. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God - Thread Starter

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    Hi,
    I did.. And she was firm about selling as is for the money. She said its vintage... :wtf:
    Bro.. I took the half day off today. I need security camera. Any ideas? I posted here...
    https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/security-cameras.1122373/page-3#post-29394858
    Thanks CCG
     
  23. Lowrider75

    Lowrider75 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Philadelphia, PA
    Back in the day before high-speed dubbing was invented to dupe feature films, all video and audio cassettes were fast forwarded and rewound. It's called exercising the tape and it was done in the record decks.
    My first job after college was working in a dubbing facility. Decks were slaved together and by pressing one button 50 to 100 decks would start running.

    I'm not so sure about exercising a 120 min cassette. The tape is very thin and the force of the reels stopping at the head and tail will create a very tight wrap.
     
  24. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God - Thread Starter

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    its more than just exercising the media but since these tapes are 35+ years old, they tend to have a build up. Lets just say in a group of 22 tapes that I record, I get atleast 1 that drags or locks up in the middle or the end of the recording session. So in other words, I just have to do the best that I can to make it work. But don't get me wrong, if I catch one of those, I don't even salvage it. I go ahead and open a brand new one. Just on a short note, I don't use "used tapes" unless if I know the history or the tape is really that rare or expensive. 99% of the tapes I use for recordings are all brand new.
    I have a box of those anomaly tapes I mentioned seized up along the way. I maybe have 30 of those. Surprisingly not even 1 tdk "yet" gone bad. as for the tight wrap. The deck I use has a very soft stop that's the closest I can get to.
     
    Last edited: Apr 19, 2022
  25. PB Point

    PB Point Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Diego
    [​IMG]
    I think every other home in America owned one of these at one point. 120 min tape was a no no in the Deadhead tape community. Nothing over 90.
     
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