Repurposing tape head transformers

Hi all,

I have these replay amp input transformers I'd like to find a use for.

My cheap ebay L/C/R meter is reading 125-130mH on each winding, I guess that's pretty low for most applications, but these amps sounded really punchy coming off 1-inch tape, so I'm guessing they must be good for something.

Any suggestions?

The record amp transformers have two windings of 1.5H and a tertiary winding in between of 380mH.

Many many years ago when I was just getting into recording I had an idea for DIing a guitar amp by picking up the magnetic flux from the loudspeaker. Maybe a tape head would work for this. Of course there would be no bleed.

Cheers

Ian

Hi Ian,

I have to admit that's a fascinating idea. If I still had the headblock I might try it. I don't have a problem with bleed, but I bet it would sound pretty unique. It could be just the USP we're all looking for. 

ruffrecords said:

Many many years ago when I was just getting into recording I had an idea for DIing a guitar amp by picking up the magnetic flux from the loudspeaker. Maybe a tape head would work for this. Of course there would be no bleed.

Cheers

Ian

Click to expand...

Do you have a schematic of the original circuit they were used in? If you liked the sound just copy the circuit onto a breadboard, put it in a box with some XLR's.

The one with the tertiary winding is interesting. You may want to build up an 1176 output amp and see if it works in there.

Or just tag them on to a couple op amps and see what they do.

Hi bb,

Sadly, I lost/disposed of the schematics a long time ago. (They were pretty fuzzy to begin with, as I recall.)
I do still have some of the amp boards, but have been pulling parts off them over the years. There might be one or two still intact, but to reiterate, these are tape head transformers for interfacing record/replay heads, not line input/output tx's.

I believe the one with the extra winding might actually have split primaries, the two outer windings were jumped together at the tagstrip (perhaps for bias and signal drive to be combined? Just a guess ...)

I guess at least they might make useful inductors for eq tank circuits ...