How to align a tape machine for recording (Bias setup included)

Part 2 in our "How to" series about recording with tape. Before you do the record alignment in this video, make sure to do a repro alignment using your MRL (see the repro alignment video). This video is kind of long, but I decided to leave in a lot of extra footage to provide as much info and guidance as possible.
Things you'll need to complete this exercise are an MRL, a tone generator (we like the neutrik minirator for it's portability and ease of use), and the overbias amount recommended by your the tape manufacturer. In this video, we used RMG 486 which required an overbias amount of +4 at 15 ips for our gap width (consult your manual or the internet for the gap width for you machine)
This process may seem complicated at first, but with a little practice you'll get the hang of it! Feel free to leave comments or shoot me an email if you have any question / comments or suggestions! Long live analog recording.
www.ohmrecordingfacility.com
[e-mail]
with Scott Oliphant and Chico Jones

[@bob4analog]

Awesome vid! It's nice to see that there's still folks that still use and maintain analog machines. Brings back great memories!

[@OFR]

Bias is a recommended setting: it's a guess how they think you'll want your sound and response. If you have time, it's good to try different bias settings; you get various "sounds" from your machine and tape. For example, if you add more bias than recommended, the sound gets darker and muddier but very fat - and you can "slam" tape nicely without a bad sound. If you add LESS bias than they recommend, you get this modern, silky high end when you record, but it will not like it if you slam hot levels onto tape. Good to experiment.

[@KandiKlover]

Those huge ass 24 track tape recorders are awesome.

[@johnchase8510]

Scott, The harm in using a scope for azimuth on multitracks, is that while you can align any two gaps in vertical perfection, the coils have some slight error in the alignment of the stack. You will actually get a higher overall high frequency energy output by panning all tracks to one side (L or R) and adjusting the azimuth with the 10k tone on the MRL for max output, wherever it may be. This way, when all tracks are up and running, the head stack is in its best overall verticle alignment. For those folks demagging befor alignment, which is part of my process, be certain the machine has been powered down, unless you want to blow up some of the circuitry in the record amps and possibly the playback amps as well. p.s. The common name for your adjustment tool is a "Tweaker" Thanks for the cool vids!

[@Anonymous-nd7xo]

TOO KOOL!!! FANTASTIC MAN!!!

[@ohmrecording]

Yes there are a few different ways to set the bias, while maybe not as mechanically precise as using an oscilloscope or measuring harmonic distortion, almost everyone i know uses the method in the video or the "bias rocks" method (putting a 20 Hz tone on the tape and adjusting for the lowest amount of noise). We do use a dual trace oscilloscope for checking the azimuth of the tape heads.

[@babyloniastudio5352]

This video is fantastic and very in depth in a way I can understand as compared to some other KZbin videos about this. Your machine is also very similar to my machine. Would you mind making a video showing how you check the azimuth with an oscilloscope? It's still a concept I'm having a hard time putting into practice.

[@ohmrecording]

@@babyloniastudio5352 hey there! thank you! it's been a long time since this machine was a young pup then, have an mci jh24 now, but the azimuth with oscilloscope method similar. feed channel 1 and 16 or 24 (or whatever your last track is) a tone at same time. then while monitoring recording off head and with the scope in dual trace mode for 2 signals, adjust azimuth until coherence on scope (they'll be in and out of phase). Easier way without scope, is flip the phase of one of the tracks (so that they cancel each other out) and while monitoring them as mono or stereo return, adjust azimuth for LOWEST volume. Idea being when azimuth correct, maximum phase cancellation in place and lowest output. you can do it to repro head with an mrl using similar method minus the record monitoring obviously. good luck!

[@ohmrecording]

@dap714 hey there, tails out, basically would mean storing your session on the take up reel not the supply reel, so you would have to rewind the tape back onto the supply side before the next session. or to put in a simpler way, fast forward (or play all the way through the tape, some say it's packed better). good luck! glad you got your machine set up, have fun

[@ohmrecording]

@Dzoni73 the studer 8xx (specifically the 827) is kind of the cadillac of the tape recorders. They are awesome machines, you can record backwards. Some can align themselves. But they are expensive. The MTR 90 mkiii we have is an outstanding tape machine, rarely have problems with it, sounds awesome, excellent head life, and good price. In the end, it's about the music you record with it, the deck is mostly transparent, get one that is in good condition.

[@Meteotrance]

waow awesome the calibration process of the bias, is realy interesting ^^

[@TheTechTimeCapsule]

ohmrecording, keep these good videos coming into youtube.

[@djdrock111]

Badass! Fun to watch.

[@dap714]

gotcha! thanks again, by the way love your tape machine!

[@joakimjensen249]

Great vid.

[@tomperkins6389]

Also store tail out to get a proper pack of the tape, so no edges get stretched.

[@jimfliptx]

Great, thanks a lot

[@ohmrecording]

awesome!

[@GeoAl09]

aughhh I want this machineee

[@ohmrecording]

@ElasticMinds What operating level do you want to run at? +6 (320nw/m?) is more than workable, set your repro head to 0 for the tones on your tape, then set your record side to 0 zero as well with a tone generator (see the other video). I wouldn't recommend demag unless you know what you are doing, it can make an almost nonexistent problem much worse. Good luck!

[@Arc.hitectureMusic]

I have a Scully 280-2 channel, and have an MRL tape. Only problem I have is that its +6 tape and my meter reads at +3db. I noticed in part 1 you didnt demag the heads, I have a cheap demagger but im not sure how much good it did. its one of those things were im trigger shy about jumping into something like this without all the knowledge on hand, and potentially screwing it up.

[@burns46824]

Some people insist on biasing at ten dB under +4. Have you ever tried that? I bias my ATR-102 at +4 (30 IPS).

[@SDsailor7]

So when hea over bias for 4db does it mean that the VU needles will go all the way to the red area? Anyone know? Thank you

[@mattylop1]

Does every type of tape come heads out? Looking at getting a 1 inch deck just curious

[@prosdocimirecording]

well, since I'm not a Tech I have to ask to mine, he always set up my MTR90 II with it. If I have some time I'll be happy to do it. Best Regards

[@robh1908]

To date nothing compares quality wise to this machine. Not even close.

[@TheMentalblockrock]

Better than digital!

[@yeswecan8680]

studer A800 / A827

[@dap714]

thanks for the video it really helped me setup my tape machine, but i dont understand the tails out heads out concept can you please explain a little more simpilar thank you,long live analog!

[@Dzoni73]

how does otari mtr90 hold up against Studer A8XXX series?

[@ohmrecording]

actually, we did align it to +6, the MRL tape we used is 355nw (+6) so setting it to 0 is "aligning it to +6". if we had a 180nw tape, we would have compensated. more here, wwwdothome.comcast.net/~mrltap­es/choo&u.pdf

[@billyrayvalentine7972]

Excellent. In the 1980s I used to run +6@0 on Ampex 456 at 30ips. The tape handled it well and the signal to noise was excellent

[@KenAinge]

What is the tone generator?

[@SDsailor7]

What is tails out? does anyone know? Thank you

[@jj-jo6wr]

i'm expert in nakamichi cassette deck adjusting bias.. but what is low speed EQ?never heard this before in cassette deck. on 16khz the bias is too low... on 65hz is too hot because it came from faulty power supply interference 50/60hz . good power supply should shield the interference away from the audio mainboard.

[@ohmrecording]

Since we aren't familiar with the oscilloscope method, maybe you can describe it for us (and anyone else who is curious)?

[@benthemiester]

I used to hate doing this. But it was a lot easier on Studer's than those old tape machines with the pixel sticks.

[@scaleop4]

can someone tell me what bias is..

[@joakimjensen249]

Question though: if the new tape came heads out, wouldn't just playing through it, take it off the take up reel and store it be tails out? What's the benefit of flipping it over and rewinding?

[@BenjaminFrock]

This would put the tape on the take up reel for storage. You would typically want to store the tape on the reel that has proper labels for the tape type and the recorded contents.

[@dubdoodle7191]

How do you set bias by finding a common level among 1kHz, 5kHz, 10kHz, 15kHz ? Isn't that more accurate than a rough over bias method using vu meters ?

[@ohmrecording]

hello, yes, if I understand your question if you were measuring voltage vs using VU meters it would be slightly more accurate. Also, some people used to bias just by listening to the "rocks" or the distortion and grumbling etc while monitoring off the repro head in while recording a 30-40hz tone and adjusting for lowest noise / distortion. I'm not sure what you mean by your first question? Are you asking if you could you use 1k 5/5k etc tone to set bias?

[@frankpaws]

Smart. Rather than rewind, end of tape is tails out.

[@ohmrecording]

well, you gotta rewind it when you put it back on though haha

[@quantika72]

This is why plug-ins emulating tape can’t came close to the “reel” thing!

[@380stroker]

It would be nice if a company can implement current technology and make a new 24 tack tape machine with modern parts, modern schematics, perhaps improved tape formula for improved noise floor. ECT, ECT, ECT......

[@ohmrecording]

It's been 10 years since I posted this video, and yes, this would be nice. Though there are folks like mara machines rehabbing old machines. I think the market is just what it is. We can buy used 2" decks for 4-10k now (currently on a mci jh-24 with 16 track headstack, though I haven't checked prices in a while) and they were the equivalent of a very very nice car back in the day. And most bands I work with don't "buy the tape" but rent and we reuse tape for several sessions. Probably have to wonder if someone made them new, would they sound the same? same mojo? we have new tape now, but is it a roll of quantegy 456?

[@StudioSasha]

Hi Scott! Problem on Otari MTR 90 Mk I, All Functions work Fine , remote to, All Bolb Iluminate good , but No Play Moe no ff no rew mode, Capstaine motor 0v, Disconect Capstain motor have 36v Play ,36v FF -36v Rwe Mods ??? Evrethink loock good Fuse Ok, But Tension control Good Reels Motor Good Capstain motor form add 6v Power supplay work good, Tech 90 degree 5v sine wave good Squer wave good, Flip Flop good squer wave 90 degree good , Motor Amp Transistor good, Wath to Halll ???

[@ZaneWuffy]

yea, that is a giant tape machine.

[@ohmrecording]

so it goes back on the reel it came on (and your take up reel stays on the machine) better explanation here electricalaudiodotcom/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=14133&start=0

[@carlrudd1858]

Not much point in storing new blank tape tails out, is there.

[@ohmrecording]

ha, nope, guess just illustrating a point ;)

[@prosdocimirecording]

You need an oscilloscope to properly setup bias, you can do the way you use to do it but under risk.

[@itdies2dayyo]

Where did you guys learn how to use all of these analog machines... Please tell me lol!

[@galleryofrogues]

artsites.ucsc.edu/EMS/music/equipment/analog_recorders/analog_recorders.html

[@ChristopheNeau]

RTFM 😂😂

[@franksoms]

compro OPEN REEL - qualquer modelo - franksom no google - ok - grato

[@compltfool]

they alligned it for 0, which doesn't get much use out of the tape and has a higher noise floor..how about getting your moneys worth out of a roll of tape and hit it at +6, I recorded a few great albums while at RCA you can check out at +6 on 499, allign the playback at -6 and the record head to 0/+4 db, and that is all there is to it. the fact that the meters only go to +3 means nothing..listen to Neil Diamonds 'kentucky moon' album, it was plus 6 then dumped to D-820 Dash.pretty thick sounding

[@ohmrecording]

I know it's been 7 years, BUT, it was +6, our mrl is "355 nw fringe compensating" or however many thousands of times ive heard that. and 0 DB is "+6" . I bet you have some stories at RCA!

[@user-vc3bk9zj3b]

Нихуя не понял, что они там говорят, но было интересно.

[@terratec1001]

What a palava . Maybe it's automated these days...

[@LouisSerieusement]

you won't say that when, in a close future, an IA will automate our lifes

[@franksoms]

franksom no google - franksom gmail