Syntrillium Backup Forums :: View topic

thetoll · Posted - Wed Jan 08, 2003 8:36 pm

Hi,

I was looking through previous posts and saw that I believe the nak dragon and one other brand were mentioned as having adjustable azimuth (without the old screwdriver)

Can anyone provide any locations online to get these models OR other models that you might think of. thanks for your help.

Peace

SteveG · Location: United Kingdom

This one might lead you to the answer... and if you look around, you will find sites like this one which might get you somewhere. But since there are no new Nakamitchi cassette decks, this is all you can do.

VoodooRadio · Location: USA

Steve's right (of course).... You might try looking around pawnshops or maybe EBAY. The Nakamitchi Dragon is/was the top of it's class and most folks know it! Meaning.... even if you find one, be prepared to spend some $$$. Other than the occasional cassette transfer to CEP, I don't use mine much anymore but..... I don't have any intentions of getting rid of it! Wink

SoloTune · Location: USA

Hi thetoll, I just wanted to toss in here, I wouldn't get too hung up on the externally adjustable azimuth thing. I've set the azimuth on literally hundreds of cassette decks in my audio-tech days, and on virtually all them, you simply unsnapped the little plastic or metal front cassette loading door to get to the azimuth screw. It was really easy.

You really won't go wrong with almost any Nak, (I use a CR-5 myself), especially if you get one of the three-head versions. One thing to keep in mind also, in my experience with Nak's, they were very susceptible to recording aberations caused by low frequency wow and flutter in the source, and benefitted greatly from using the Nak SF-10 plugin sub-sonic filters. These can sometimes be found on e-Bay. I really don't know why Nak didn't just build them in to every model. These units are so small, there can't be much in them. perhaps you could build them yourself. (They're just 10hz high-pass filters.)

VoodooRadio · Location: USA

Solotune is right about the SF-10's. I had 2 of them in the late 80's. I used the deck then for my "Mixdown Deck". (having not made the switch DAT yet) However, using the deck for transfer to "digitize" the material and, being that your using an Audio Editor software. You can accomplish the same thing with the various equalizing tools in CEP, after the transfer.

MusicConductor · Location: USA

SoloTune, one of my associates just picked up a mint second-hand Yamaha "Natural Sound" cassette deck, and I'm really curious how the azimuth is to be set on this one. It appears that the entire head assembly disattaches if you unscrew the ones in the "normal" adjust location, and the only other screw in the same vicinity is inaccessible while a tape is inserted. Can you help?

jonrose · Location: USA

SoloTune · Location: USA

Hey MusicConductor, I'm just checking this board this morning before sliding in to work, but can you post the model #?

All the Yamaha's I've seen have a conventional head alignment system, (I actually still have two, myself.) Keep in mind, the head alignment screw on virtually all decks doubles as a mounting screw, and will come out if turned too far, thus releasing the head.

Generally though, you would insert an alignment tape into the deck, and hit "PLAY". This will cause the two head mounting screws to come into view, (if one has unsnapped the door cover first.) Usually, the one on the right is the one to adjust.

I should point out here, to do this properly, you need a high quality alignment tape, Nak makes one of the best, albiet expensive, and the left and right outputs should be connected to a good dual channel O'scope with X-Y display capabilities. A good tape will have a 400hz and 20khz test tone on it. With the 'scope set to X-Y, and the tape playing the 400hz tone, you should see an ellipsoidal pattern, the wider the ellipse, the more mis-aligned the head is. You adjust the screw in and out till the line is as flat (at a 45 deg angle), as possible. This procedure is then repeated for the 20khz tone.

You can sort-of, do this by ear, that is, adjust the screw back and forth while listening to music, and adjusting for the best high-frequency content. But bear in mind, this is simply aligning the deck to whatever deck the tape was recorded on.

Anyway, if you can get the model #, I'll add any more that I can.

See ya, Solotune.

SteveG · Location: United Kingdom

jester700 · Posted - Fri Jan 10, 2003 12:55 pm

Graeme · Member Location: Spain

MusicConductor · Location: USA

SoloTune, thank you thank you!

The model number is Yamaha K-1020 (I didn't have that available last night).

My alignment tape is a Standard Tape Laboratories #C-0086 (full track) that has experienced a great deal of self-erasure in the high tones, but at least they're still correct! I don't have an oscilloscope, so I generally just set my receiver to mono and "rock" the screw back and forth until I'm in the center of the loudest response. If I need to be fussier I use CEP as my oscilloscope, although not having it in realtime is awkward!

The mounting screws on the K-1020 did not seem to have any affect on playback phase at all.

SoloTune · Location: USA

MusicConductor, take a look at this image:

http://members.aol.com/solotune/images/yamaha.jpg

I know the image is terrible, but the red arrow points to the azimuth adjust screw.

I notice that this is a 3-head, closed-loop design, so be very careful while adjusting things.

If I can find a better image somewhere, I'll let you know.

Solotune.

SteveG · Location: United Kingdom

Graeme · Member Location: Spain

MusicConductor · Location: USA

Thanks, SoloTune!!! Now I just need her to bring the Yamaha back in so I can look at it again. I'll let you know!

SteveG · Location: United Kingdom

Graeme · Member Location: Spain

SteveG · Location: United Kingdom

Talking of distributors, Nak in the UK this used to be handled by B&W (of loudspeakers fame), but this arrangement ceased in the 90's sometime, when Nak pulled out of European sales. B&W still have a good relationship with Nak, and still provide service on just about any of the 'old' products. In 1999, Nak set up Nakamichi UK Ltd to sell the new range of CD/DVD etc stuff, which is, as ever, horrendously expensive. So the good news is that if all else fails, B&W can still supply spare parts for old Naks if you run into trouble with a S/H one. And I think that they are prepared to ship stuff anywhere...

zeitgeist · Location: Slovenia

I haven't really read the entire thread, so excuse me if this is out of place, but in my wanderings across the web I have come across several sites of shops that offer refurbished and garunteed vintage equipment, and at sometimes agreeable prices, no less. You might want to check out that route. Have a look at this page: http://www.oaktreeent.com/Stereo_Cassette_and_Reel-Reels.htm Is $99 for a tuned-up Nakamichi BX-1 too much? Sounds good to me. I don't represent the outfit that provides this page in any way. I just happen to have had it bookmarked. :)

Graeme said:

VoodooRadio · Location: USA

Well the reverse is not any prettier.... rememeber when Peavey first started out? They were the cheapest (in all respects) "new" kid on the block. However, over the years they have managed to put out SOME decent pieces of kit here and there. Unfortunately, they were (and are) met with a certain amount of (justly deserved) scepticism. The "Autograph" E.Q. was/is cool, the 5150 amp ROCKS!, (just to name a few) but most folks hear the name Peavey and think.... low price/low quality! The same goes with a new Guitar Manufacturer here in the States. Jay Turser is producing "knock off" (copy) guitars... thing is, they're doing a really good job of it (can we say together.. lawsuit in the making?) They are ridiculously inexpensive yet the quality isn't shabby (on some models). Again unfortunately, they will be met with scepticism and probably won't survive the assault. Buy em while they last!!! Big Grin

MusicConductor · Location: USA

SoloTune · Location: USA

Hey MusicConductor, I'm glad I could be of some help. I've always liked Yamaha equipment, (I have two sets of their speakers), but they, like so many audio companies, seemed to "peak" in the early-to-mid eighties. Yamaha, Harmon Kardon, and even Nak all seemed to slide downhill from that era.

If I remember corrctly from my days as the service tech in an authorized Nak dealership, the Dragon was the only tape transport actually built and designed by Nakamichi. The rest were purchased from Sanyo. Of course, Nak still built the rest of the circuitry, and their sound was arguably second to none.

MusicConductor · Location: USA

But what do you make of their reputedly incompatible approach to tape EQ? How different is it, really?

My colleage picked that Yamaha up on Ebay for $75. It's like new. It sounds like new. I'm green!

Andrew Rose · Location: United Kingdom