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Ron Ron is offline
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Default Cassette tape speed adjustment

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Set up a sig genny and test him out
Much easier to say the test tape is stretched.
Perhaps perfect pitch testing would only work by playing the likes of
JSB
Tocatta and Fugue in D major, not pure tones

How come I cannot google the rpm of an audio cassette capstan? A
calibrated
strobe and tipex mark on the capstan periphery should give a definite
answer
(assuming the spindle is clean and not worn).
It should be determinable from tape speed of 1 7/8 in per sec and
spindle
diameter, that is about 1.9mm, but what should it be to 0.1 percent
accuracy?


The rotational speed of a cassette capstan is not a fixed given. The
diameter of capstans vary from machine to machine, and the correct

speed
of
tape transport is then a function of how fast you drive the capstan

round.
The reference in my strobe tape, is indeed the mains. I have been using
this
tape for many many years, and I have file://never// had anyone complain
that the
speed of their machine is off, after I have used it to set one up.

Konig
must think that the mains is a good enough reference, otherwise, there
would
be no point in them marketing the tape for the purpose of setting up
speed.
Exception to this. As Ron said, very occasionally, when an owner has
recorded tapes when the machine was running at the 'wrong' speed ...

Arfa

Arfa


I've since found 2 capstan spindles of 2.4mm diameterm so no fixed
specification for cassette tape dynamics.

Another possibility as a test tape - record some constant tone, any f,

on a
few minutes of tape, pull out a long length and pass a magnet over two

parts
a measured distance apart. retract, and then time the interval between

dips
in play mode


Far simpler, find a known good machine - your chum with perfect pitch
will help here - record a known frequency on a tape which you know to be
good. Play said tape back on customers machine with freq counter hooked
up to the headphone socket and adjust for same frequency - sorted.


My test tape is 100hz, I spose the higher the frequency, the better
accuracy you can get. Don't expect miracles.



Things counldn't be easier with a "known good machine " .
My 3 test tapes were created on what was supposed to be such a machine in a
pro AV studio.
One tape got knackered at one point but rest of tape agrees with the second
one. The third remains unused while first 2 agree with one another, using
any old speed consistent machine for cross-comparison, in relative rather
than absolute terms.


So you are saying that you already have a test cassette?