AMPEX 354 and 440 recording electronics & MX10/35 AM10

[bradzatitagain]

Okay, so not every last thing is Capitol's fault, somebody had to snatch this thing out of the dumpster remember, but you'll get the drift. Those are Movieola knobs on the rec level with screw clamps that grab that outer steel disc:

These tags screw on over the old meter holes, one as is, one blank:

Align the machine through the meter hole instead of pulling it out of the rack:

more on the next post.

 

[bradzatitagain]

Date code in Sharpie!

Somebody put new head cables on!

The Grateful Dead Thing, rcve one free with every piece of used gear you buy inSF:

I guess the ghastly innards are a relative thing, if you've seen a good one this one would make your nightmares eat you while you're awake. If you really want I'll yank the channels and photo.

 

[fazeka]

Brad, that looks like a pair of 350s you have there. The 350s I am not really all that familiar with. My bag is more towards the 351s.

 

[bradzatitagain]

Yep, 350.

 

[tubejay]

[quote author="bradzatitagain"]

Did he get the power supply too? 351's have a psu in each one of the electronics, 350's have a stand alone psu. They're wired for DC filaments.

http://www.ampexdata.com/Support/Legacy_Manuals/legacy_manuals.html

Check which pin is hi, it might still be 3. Albini's forum notes wouldn't be too far off the mark in spirit but of course not in detail.[/quote]

Yes, he's got the PSU too for it. I don't think he has the cable that goes between the two though. We'll have to wait and see when it gets here. Are those hard to find, or will I have to hardwire this thing?

Soundwise, are they similar?

 

[bradzatitagain]

The psu umbilical is hardwired from the psu w/ an 8 pin Jones connector, I think Cinches work but you could ping the Ampex list and see if anybody's got a spare. Just don't tell them what you're up to your chances of getting the part will plummet, like a piano in a swimming pool. It's not a big deal to hardwire it. Leave the selenium rectifier, it's just for the filament volts. The can cap is a regular twist lock in a socket, no those p.i.a. jukebox octal plugin can caps. There's tons of room underneath to ptp radial or axial filter caps, don't even goof, just change them first thing.

They sound different. I like the 350 better. 12SJ7's. Like the difference between 12ax7 and a 6SL7. It's got wider shoulders, if you will. Don't neglect taking advantage of the line amp, comes off the playback heads. You'll have to twiddle impedances. If it does have the HA100X you could wire a multi impedance switch in.

You are gonna LUV the tube socket turrets!!! There are a lot of 'lytics in there too. You might as well shotgun the pre circuit, if it's still got platics dipped paper caps they're shot by now, you know the drill. No recommendations for cap types for replacements, none I've ever gotten on the list anyway. Those guys kinda scoff at the "rolled by virgins under a red moon" capacitor thing.

I'll post p pic in a minute so you'll get an idea of what you're getting into.

Here you go:

Not much to it really, you lose the oscillator tube and the rec eq tube and the last tube before the record heads. Grab the line amp and do something with it too; monitor out jack comes directly off the plate of a 6F6, the phones jack is terminating and is the same signal as the line out but unbalanced, same z.

 

[bradzatitagain]

bump fer da pics

 

[tubejay]

Wow, thanks for all the info!! I can't wait to dig into mine and get it all fixed up. It looks like you left the original resisters in there? I just checked out the Albini thread at his site, and it looks like they replaced them. I don't know though, I kind of want a cool colored sound out of mine, so I'm going to leave them to start with.

I'd love to have one of these (or 2 for stereo) to actually use as a tape machine and mix to it. I bet they probably sound pretty cool in their original form. Weren't these used on a zillion records for mastering?

 

[soundguy]

[quote author="tubejay"]We're these used on a zillion records for mastering?[/quote]

positively. I always think LA Woman was mixed on a 350 or 351 but dont know for certain. Its got that shiny top end on the drums that those decks have.

The Bob Olhsson interview from tapeop is archived here, including a photo of what looks like an 8 track built from 351's. Interesting info in there.

http://www.prosoundweb.com/recording/tapeop/olmo/olmo.php

if you ever get a pair and really want to build a deck, I have a friend who has some extra transports and headstacks for 350's which he might part with if properly motivated. drop me a line if you ever get to that point.

dave

 

[Whackamole]

What's the general opinion on the Ampex 1260 deck's mic preamp circuit? I've got one kicking around here and this discussion has got my interest up.

 

[bradzatitagain]

[quote author="tubejay"]Wow, thanks for all the info!! I can't wait to dig into mine and get it all fixed up. It looks like you left the original resisters in there? I just checked out the Albini thread at his site, and it looks like they replaced them. I don't know though, I kind of want a cool colored sound out of mine, so I'm going to leave them to start with.
[/quote]

I haven't touched it except to replace dead tubes since I got it a little over a year ago.

And y'know what? As is, THE DAMNED THING WORKS! As is, the line amp blew me out of my doldrums with a Discman as a source both straight to output and monitored through the record head to my old college time Marantz 2225 rcvr. These things are like BMer's or Benz's, they just RUN no matter what you do to them, no matter how far out of whack they are. Word: locomotive! When you dial them in it's serious.

And the little one's aren't too shabby either. You can still get belts:
http://www.sprague-magnetics.com
Ask for John Austin, mention Vern Sauer's old Ampex parts inventory he purchased. There's a couple other places to I'd need to dig them up.

Whackamole:

What's the general opinion on the Ampex 1260 deck's mic preamp circuit? I've got one kicking around here and this discussion has got my interest up.

Same as the 960 in a different outfit, same heads as the 600 series portable pros w/a play head that's adjustable for 4 track stereo commercial tapes. Search here for 960, 601, 602 and 600. 900's et al are a pretty straight forward double 12A*7 preamp. You need to transformer couple both end tho for a working pre. Also get the manual linked earlier in this thread if it's not there pm me and I'll get you a pdf. If the heads are good and the deck's complete, make it work man! They are nutz simple to get together and working again. Buy 2! Send the heads to J.French. Sound wise they're just as good or better than the Revox/Studer G36, no shit. Fix it!!!

A 601-2 will knock your socks off. The transports are a little more complicated than the little hifi decks. Records way better than the G36. Sounds better than Tascam anything, better than Otari MX5050. Close to as serious as the big decks, standard two track width, not consumer 4 track on records.

All phones jacks output right off the tube for old 600-1K ohm cans. If you've got a complete deck try to make it work, if you've got a chopper make a pre, simple as that.

 

[mcs]

[quote author="bradzatitagain"]Leave the selenium rectifier, it's just for the filament volts.[/quote]
Why would you leave it? They sometimes explode and send out toxic stuff, so why not replace it?

Best regards,

Mikkel C. Simonsen

 

[bradzatitagain]

[quote author="mcs"][quote author="bradzatitagain"]Leave the selenium rectifier, it's just for the filament volts.[/quote]
Why would you leave it? They sometimes explode and send out toxic stuff, so why not replace it?

Best regards,

Mikkel C. Simonsen[/quote]

Well, you could do a diode bridge but if it isn't broken why fix it? Just leave it in there. They have a super low fatality rate as the old pros tell it over there. How often do they usually explode w/12V going through them?