I once owned a stereo with an 8 track tape recorder but I learned something. I recorded on an 8 track tape that wasn't blank. Unlike cassettes, it didn't erase the songs that were already on the tape. When I recorded on it and played it back, it simultaneously played both the songs that were already on it and the songs I recorded. Because of that, I wasn't impressed by 8 track recorders.
Some of the very cheap models didn't have an erase head, my grandma had one like that, can't remember what it was exactly, it included AM/FM tuner/ amplifier. You had to use a blank tape to record on it. I once had a Sony TC-8 in the early 80's that erased as it recorded. My dad's Sears combo system would erase as it recorded AND included Dolby. Edit: Found one like my dads on E-Bay Model # Sears 132.91754800. He bought it in early 1980, I still have one tape he recorded on that machine that still works, a blue case Radio Shack 90 minute tape.
To record on an 8-track that already has stuff on it, it's best to invest in a bulk eraser. It's really just a glorified electro-magnet that will totally wipe out anything on a tape. The 8-track format is a great medium if you have the right tools and learn the little tips and tricks.
About two or three years ago, I bought a Sanyo 8-track player and recorder deck from an eBay seller in great working order which has two light-up Vu meters. The seller also included about 12 or 16 8-track tapes by various artists and bands from the 60's, 70's, and 80's (The Beatles, Sonny & Cher, Aerosmith, etc.) in two elongated plastic 8-track cases with lids. I hooked the unit up to my Marantz 2270 receiver with two pairs of Technics speakers and I was pleasantly surprised by how fantastic the tapes sounded. The tape by The Beatles was especially good with very clear, rich sound. :)
The way it should work is you press the record button to set your levels. It won't record unless you hold the record while inserting the cartridge. The volume knobs definitely control the recording level. On my 803, if you plug something into the mic Jack's it doubles the input signal volume. Also, It will always eject after track 4 when recording.
The tape speed is 3.75 ips also. The track width is the same as a cassette tape. I remember Christmas of 1981 my older sister's best friend came to the house with her boyfriend which had a high powered stereo in his car with an 8 track tape playing the beginning of Aldo Nova, Fantasy with the synthesized bass. It shook the whole car and sounded very clean.
I had a Sanyo 8 track player that had a record function. I would get a couple of blank 8 track tapes and record modern pop and hip-hop music on them. It was so cool to listen to current modern music from an 8 track tape...lol Believe it or not...the sound was really good!👌🏾If I didn't tell you that I was playing this modern music from an old 8 track tape, you wouldn't have known it. I think I may still have those tapes kicking around somewhere in my collection.
I had a Realistic 8-track recorder that I used in high school to record a lot of concerts off the radio and play in my car. Those sounded really good. Major label releases could also sound surprisingly good on 8-track. I think the reason they got a rep for bad sound was all the bootlegs (probably dubbed at high speed, which shaves off the high end) that were sold in truck stops and convenience stores, and all the drop-outs caused when the tape got wrinkled after being eaten by the players. That happened all the time. I became quite adept at 8-track surgery and splicing, which was good training for when I later became a radio production director. I may still have that recorder somewhere. I also have several boxes of 8-tracks in storage. I'll have to poke around the garage and see what I can find.
Great video! I love 8-tracks. I started collecting a couple of years ago and learned how to service tapes - replacing the pad and foil splice tape - restoring them so they look and play like brand new. My current count is over 200 but that's just a drop in the bucket compared to people who have been into this format for years. There's several 8-track groups on Facebook and reputable websites to get tapes, players, and supplies to service them yourself. I've got a few players, some of which also record, so I definitely want to learn how to do some recordings. I've got ideas for either mixtapes or to transfer albums that either were never on this format or do exist but are hard to find. Your Panasonic player is really cool! Love it! 🤘🏻🤘🏻
I have an Olson 8 track recorder from 1974. It sounds decent. Although I'm not a fan of this format for many reasons, it definitely brought back memories of my childhood.
8 tracks were primarily made to play in your car which were mostly low quality and that's why they would chew them up, broken tape inside player etc..I have a Sony home deck which is encased in all maple wood and cost around 300.00 in 69. VU meters and all the bells n whistles. A great deck at the time and I still have it stored for maybe 35 years. I've recently had thoughts of having it refurbished as it played flawless. With all the new technology these days I'm excited to hear how it would sound on my amp now. Yes still have all my tapes. Nice show bro..
Some possible helpful suggestions: 1 - When recording you could use the headphone socket and headphones to 'monitor' the recording(s). 2 - Instead of using the line-in you could use the front microphone inputs and a splitter (in the reverse way you would to share a source or split it into two normally; thus taking the signal from one source and splitting it into two (for left and right input)). It may be possible to increase the recording volume in this way also? 3 - If you don't wish to use all 90 minutes then there are a few options. Firstly you could splice some of the tape out - this would be a bit tricky I'd guess, however, as it may not be accurate, especially as there is no timer. Secondly, you could try putting some foil on the tape at the end of your 20 minute or so recording - this might then restart the tape at the first track? Again, this might not work, but it could do, possibly. Providing the amount of recording is near enough accurate it could/should work; I think? 4 - It might be that the head needs a clean - or the erase head? Or it could have been possibly due to the erosion of the sponge that the recording didn't work first time? Maybe this could affect the VU meters also? Turning up the sound when playing back might not affect the meters, perhaps they are best for indicating record only? 5 - Finally (for this one) if the source is mono only will it be quieter with the player/recorder? And come out of one or two channels? Might it also make a difference when recorded on another machine? I'm sure there are other things too, but, just as you are, I'm only a beginner when it comes to this format. I can, therefore, only guess. Also - if you were to press the record button again might it go into pause mode and then again for recording again? Just some possible thoughts/helps/ideas?
This is the exact model I ended up with (I didn't want it, but I didn't want to throw it away, either) after repairing it and no one ever claimed it. Eventually I found a way to rid myself of the thing and come out about even.
In order to match the line level output from a headphone jack you have to turn the volume level up to nearly 7. I've done this with a Sony Discman. First I tried to match the headphone level to the line out level through headphones. You could barely hear the line out, so I turned down the volume so that you could barely hear it thinking that the sound coming from an external amp would be the same level as the line out. I could barely hear it so I had to turn the volume level up to near 7 to get an equivalent output.
As a German it always feels very bizarre to me to see anything about 8 track. I was born in the late 70s and I have always been into tech stuff. I don't think I have ever seen an 8 track cartridge or player in person. My mother (born in the 50s) doesn't know it, either. According to UA-cam it must have been very popular (in the US, at least). Yet for us it's even more obscure than LaserDisc (which is very rare, but I have seen it in niche applications a few times). Imagine watching videos on UA-cam about vinyl phonograph cylinders with Hifi stereo sound from a world that did not switch to discs.
I wish we (US) learned from the Germans during this time period. Lol. 8 tracks were worse than cassettes. Laserdiscs were rare here too. They were like $60 a movie and the size of a record. The players weren’t cheap at all either. It was weird because it was literally a giant CD (read by a laser) yet the audio was never considered “digital”, it was only “analogue”?!
I recently (yesterday) picked up a Panasonic SE-8147D at the Salvation Army thrift store. Initial testing seems to work except for program 1. Hopefully clean-up will solve this.
I had this unit, it would make very nice sounding tapes. That one was probably from 1974, however I think it came out in 1971 or 1972 originally as early ones predate Panasonic's more familiar logo. Mine would also get pissy about changing programs even back in the 1980s. I used to smack minr to get it to work better.
Get a owners manual. Also all the switches and pots should be cleaned for everything to act right. You will know if you need a new belt or not after listening to several tapes if you are getting wow and flutter more than usual. The playback/recording head and capstan should be cleaned after playing at least 8 tapes and always before recording anything. Some of these units the, VU meters only work during recording only. Buy yourself a tape bulk eraser also. A fast and easy way to erase a tape before recording if needed. I hope you got it lined out. These things are a blast to use. Panasonic made very nice 8 track recorders. I love my units after servicing.
OMG! I have the same model. Like cassettes, home recordings sound much better than commercial copies. I have both a home-recorded & commercial copy of Chicago's Best & me home recorded version sounds 10 times better... Even played back on my Panasonic 8-track recorder boombox.
Beta Video Tapes and 8-Track Audio Tapes both won the fidelity awards, but their tapes easily broke and were extremely difficult to repair. Their construction made understanding how they worked almost impossible. Oh, and BTW, both formats were designed and engineered by John Lear--the same fellow who built the very fine personal use Lear Jet aircraft. Ease of use and repair eventually let the VHS Cassettes and Compact Cassettes win the format wars, though they were somewhat inferior in video and audio quality compared to their initial competition. Just a little FYI...
Fun comment. I don't think John Lear had anything to do with Sony's development & release of Betamax in 1975. It was developed by Sony in Japan. Betamax was indeed superior to JVC's VHS. Primary reasons were a SLIGHTLY higher resolution (10 vertical lines) less crosstalk, and faster linear tape speed. Of course they both used 1/2" tape with helical scanning, etc. The reason why Betamax lost was because the public wanted the longer (2 hours in SP mode) record time of VHS. Sony tried to compete by releasing Beta II which was able to replicate 2 hour record times but at a DRASTICALLY reduced picture quality. HOWEVER, Sony still hit paydirt when they took the product the professional route with the development of Betacam, and later BetaSP. Those formats were dominant in TV production for over 20 years.
I have had very limited exposure to 8 track. One time I heard somebody's pre-recorded tape (released by the studio). The song was interrupted by switching from one track to the next. Why not work around that by going to the end of a song??
It has to do with the technical limitations of the format - namely, length of the tape loop and how the tape had to be mastered. Some 8-Track 101: 8-Track is a continuous-loop tape system. Tape is pulled from the center (hub) of a reel inside the cartridge, passes by the playback head, and is returned to the reel at the outside edge of the tape pack. What that means is the tape on the reel must actually slip against itself as it winds toward the center. This means friction, tension, and load on the motor. The longer the tape loop, the greater these factors. A typical 8-Track version of an album, for instance, must have a capacity of generally 35-40 minutes. If that were just recorded to tape in a single pass, it would be very long, with a lot of friction, tension, and load on the motor. 8-Track gets around this by dividing up a (for example) 40-minute cartridge into four 10-minute programs. To hear all the contents of an 8-Track, the tape actually gets drawn across the playback head FOUR TIMES. The head changes to one of four positions each time around. Since stereo requires two tracks, and there are four stereo programs.... EIGHT TRACKS. Get it? So the tape length is actually only 10 minutes. Now let's say the album contains 12 songs. So, easy-peasy, 3 songs per program, right? Except it doesn't always work out that way. Suppose you have two four-minute songs and one 3-minute song? That ten minute of tape length isn't enough. Something's gonna get cut in half. And if you use a longer tape to accommodate all 11 minutes of that one program, the other programs are going to have long periods of silence. The studio tries to avoid this by rearranging the songs so that it all fits without the program-change happening in the middle of a song, which is why you often find 8-tracks with the songs in a different order than they'd be on a cassette or record. But even here, it's not always possible. Ask anyone who's had Iron Butterfly's Ina Gadda Da Vita on eight track. The full tune is like 18 minutes long. On the record album, it occupies an entire side of the LP. On 8-Track, it occupies two programs, with the dreaded Chur-CHAK occurring in the middle of the drum solo. As you can see, 8-Track is actually kind of bizarre.
Just a friendly heads up; 90 minutes of tape is too long for the format. Why? It's a continuous loop. The tape gets pulled from the inside of the loop, then wrapped around the outside of it. Because of that difference, the less tape the better. The more tape there is the bigger the difference between the circumference between the take up and supply. Too much difference makes the tape pack too tightly on the loop, thus it will jam. Under 45 (11 : 15 x4) minutes is ideal 60 (15 : 00 x 4) is the max. Anything longer that that will jam after a few plays. Fast forwarding can also pack the loop too tight.
That may be an individual's experience, but is not accurate overall. If something like that was happening, it would indicate a weakness in the deck in one of a number of areas. A properly functioning deck is designed to handle tapes with total play times of up to 120 min.
Hmm, was going to add something to a comment I left last night giving info and my experience with having owned 3 of these decks in the past, but it doesn't appear to be here anymore. Deleted? If so, am curious why. I didn't feel the any of it was rude or questionable..
The sound of an eight track is very dependent on the condition of the tape and player. People who hear my set up can't believe they are eight tracks with the quality I get from mine.
hi again what i do i find alot of tapes the same make and find one in them with a break in the tape and move it to a spool i am lucky i have a otari mtr 12 and play back tape i can tell what the sound is like and on the akai 1800ss there's a full track head i can 100% kill all the old recording of and i test all the makes of 8 track this way i have find alot about them hi low out put and how thin tape s can be you mate is very right not i stopped using 8 track recorders up against a fostex m80 and some soft ware and jazz deck they lose big time
hi there's a format you lot are missing 100% not vhs or betamax hi -fi betacam sp quad audio WOW blow away vhs hi-fi big time i been using beta hi-fi for a long time and getting alot of drop out getting my back up i came in to some first gen betacam sp in V the tv show mike the cam man was using a betacam first time i see the betacam cam first gen one ex bbc audio man said bob you be better getting ex hire betacam decks as price of them is going to bottom out yes he was very right i stopped buying 8 track no money i now buy new sealed betacam sp tapes as the price is crazy low now i used to buy them in there 100's at a time 20p to 50p each at car boot sales in the uk now you don't see any at all over on ebay at silly prices now crazy up and down the formats go i have this model love the akai 1800ss decks there's 2 models i know this deck can record a 8 track at 7 1/2 to do with the speed button at the top of the deck it got to be at the low setting for 8track speed i left it on high when i played tape in my akai quad decks it was very slow
hi some are buying them in the uk the wife's are making there men sell them i have had deck from alot because of this last one i pick up from london she said it's got to go i sold all my records in the past to make room for the new gear because of my cats they are ladies as well they love the big decks still watch record things like your site because i was the same once
I once owned a stereo with an 8 track tape recorder but I learned something. I recorded on an 8 track tape that wasn't blank. Unlike cassettes, it didn't erase the songs that were already on the tape. When I recorded on it and played it back, it simultaneously played both the songs that were already on it and the songs I recorded. Because of that, I wasn't impressed by 8 track recorders.
There is no erase head on an 8-track deck. If there is anything on the tape you have to use a bulk eraser to erase it before you record on it.
Some of the very cheap models didn't have an erase head, my grandma had one like that, can't remember what it was exactly, it included AM/FM tuner/ amplifier. You had to use a blank tape to record on it. I once had a Sony TC-8 in the early 80's that erased as it recorded. My dad's Sears combo system would erase as it recorded AND included Dolby. Edit: Found one like my dads on E-Bay Model # Sears 132.91754800. He bought it in early 1980, I still have one tape he recorded on that machine that still works, a blue case Radio Shack 90 minute tape.
this one in this video totally records over, I have the same one and just recorded over stuff I recorded in the 70's a while ago
To record on an 8-track that already has stuff on it, it's best to invest in a bulk eraser. It's really just a glorified electro-magnet that will totally wipe out anything on a tape. The 8-track format is a great medium if you have the right tools and learn the little tips and tricks.
I can confirm my panasonic rs-803 does erase whatevers on the tape
About two or three years ago, I bought a Sanyo 8-track player and recorder deck from an eBay seller in great working order which has two light-up Vu meters. The seller also included about 12 or 16 8-track tapes by various artists and bands from the 60's, 70's, and 80's (The Beatles, Sonny & Cher, Aerosmith, etc.) in two elongated plastic 8-track cases with lids.
I hooked the unit up to my Marantz 2270 receiver with two pairs of Technics speakers and I was pleasantly surprised by how fantastic the tapes sounded. The tape by The Beatles was especially good with very clear, rich sound. :)
I used to record music on VHS tape (using a stereo VCR), it worked well.
Yes especially on SP.
We had a high-end stereo vcr with great sound too.
Used to do the same thing in the early 90's. Perfect to catch radio broadcast material when you had to be somewhere else.
You can also do so with regards Betamax, of course. Just saying!
I do this with my own music and hit the meter hard. Then play that out to my computer and it gives me a warmer sound with tape analog compression.
The way it should work is you press the record button to set your levels. It won't record unless you hold the record while inserting the cartridge. The volume knobs definitely control the recording level. On my 803, if you plug something into the mic Jack's it doubles the input signal volume. Also, It will always eject after track 4 when recording.
The tape speed is 3.75 ips also. The track width is the same as a cassette tape. I remember Christmas of 1981 my older sister's best friend came to the house with her boyfriend which had a high powered stereo in his car with an 8 track tape playing the beginning of Aldo Nova, Fantasy with the synthesized bass. It shook the whole car and sounded very clean.
I remember my parent’s 8-track player in their car. I grew up with 8-track, vinyl, cassettes, Walkmans, and boom boxes. Loved all of them.
I had a Sanyo 8 track player that had a record function. I would get a couple of blank 8 track tapes and record modern pop and hip-hop music on them. It was so cool to listen to current modern music from an 8 track tape...lol Believe it or not...the sound was really good!👌🏾If I didn't tell you that I was playing this modern music from an old 8 track tape, you wouldn't have known it. I think I may still have those tapes kicking around somewhere in my collection.
My parents had a stereo with a recordable 8 track and I even tried it one time.
I still play mine, they sound wonderful. Some of them are around 55 years old and still work. One of my favourite ones is from 1967.
I had a Realistic 8-track recorder that I used in high school to record a lot of concerts off the radio and play in my car. Those sounded really good. Major label releases could also sound surprisingly good on 8-track. I think the reason they got a rep for bad sound was all the bootlegs (probably dubbed at high speed, which shaves off the high end) that were sold in truck stops and convenience stores, and all the drop-outs caused when the tape got wrinkled after being eaten by the players. That happened all the time. I became quite adept at 8-track surgery and splicing, which was good training for when I later became a radio production director.
I may still have that recorder somewhere. I also have several boxes of 8-tracks in storage. I'll have to poke around the garage and see what I can find.
Great video! I love 8-tracks. I started collecting a couple of years ago and learned how to service tapes - replacing the pad and foil splice tape - restoring them so they look and play like brand new. My current count is over 200 but that's just a drop in the bucket compared to people who have been into this format for years. There's several 8-track groups on Facebook and reputable websites to get tapes, players, and supplies to service them yourself. I've got a few players, some of which also record, so I definitely want to learn how to do some recordings. I've got ideas for either mixtapes or to transfer albums that either were never on this format or do exist but are hard to find. Your Panasonic player is really cool! Love it! 🤘🏻🤘🏻
Im currently playing some 70's rock in my masterwork machine! Love it!
That is a great gift from your friend. That modern mix tape is also worth having.
I have an Olson 8 track recorder from 1974. It sounds decent. Although I'm not a fan of this format for many reasons, it definitely brought back memories of my childhood.
8 tracks were primarily made to play in your car which were mostly low quality and that's why they would chew them up, broken tape inside player etc..I have a Sony home deck which is encased in all maple wood and cost around 300.00 in 69. VU meters and all the bells n whistles. A great deck at the time and I still have it stored for maybe 35 years. I've recently had thoughts of having it refurbished as it played flawless. With all the new technology these days I'm excited to hear how it would sound on my amp now. Yes still have all my tapes. Nice show bro..
Don't leave your tapes on the dashboard kids
Not THESE days! 😂
Some possible helpful suggestions: 1 - When recording you could use the headphone socket and headphones to 'monitor' the recording(s). 2 - Instead of using the line-in you could use the front microphone inputs and a splitter (in the reverse way you would to share a source or split it into two normally; thus taking the signal from one source and splitting it into two (for left and right input)). It may be possible to increase the recording volume in this way also? 3 - If you don't wish to use all 90 minutes then there are a few options.
Firstly you could splice some of the tape out - this would be a bit tricky I'd guess, however, as it may not be accurate, especially as there is no timer.
Secondly, you could try putting some foil on the tape at the end of your 20 minute or so recording - this might then restart the tape at the first track? Again, this might not work, but it could do, possibly. Providing the amount of recording is near enough accurate it could/should work; I think?
4 - It might be that the head needs a clean - or the erase head? Or it could have been possibly due to the erosion of the sponge that the recording didn't work first time? Maybe this could affect the VU meters also? Turning up the sound when playing back might not affect the meters, perhaps they are best for indicating record only?
5 - Finally (for this one) if the source is mono only will it be quieter with the player/recorder? And come out of one or two channels? Might it also make a difference when recorded on another machine?
I'm sure there are other things too, but, just as you are, I'm only a beginner when it comes to this format. I can, therefore, only guess. Also - if you were to press the record button again might it go into pause mode and then again for recording again? Just some possible thoughts/helps/ideas?
This is the exact model I ended up with (I didn't want it, but I didn't want to throw it away, either)
after repairing it and no one ever claimed it.
Eventually I found a way to rid myself of the thing and come out about even.
Record ology your there 8 tracks plays a cool
In order to match the line level output from a headphone jack you have to turn the volume level up to nearly 7. I've done this with a Sony Discman. First I tried to match the headphone level to the line out level through headphones. You could barely hear the line out, so I turned down the volume so that you could barely hear it thinking that the sound coming from an external amp would be the same level as the line out. I could barely hear it so I had to turn the volume level up to near 7 to get an equivalent output.
As a German it always feels very bizarre to me to see anything about 8 track.
I was born in the late 70s and I have always been into tech stuff. I don't think I have ever seen an 8 track cartridge or player in person. My mother (born in the 50s) doesn't know it, either.
According to UA-cam it must have been very popular (in the US, at least). Yet for us it's even more obscure than LaserDisc (which is very rare, but I have seen it in niche applications a few times).
Imagine watching videos on UA-cam about vinyl phonograph cylinders with Hifi stereo sound from a world that did not switch to discs.
I wish we (US) learned from the Germans during this time period. Lol. 8 tracks were worse than cassettes. Laserdiscs were rare here too. They were like $60 a movie and the size of a record. The players weren’t cheap at all either. It was weird because it was literally a giant CD (read by a laser) yet the audio was never considered “digital”, it was only “analogue”?!
I recently (yesterday) picked up a Panasonic SE-8147D at the Salvation Army thrift store. Initial testing seems to work except for program 1. Hopefully clean-up will solve this.
I like 8 track once you put a new pad and splice in them they sound good
I had this unit, it would make very nice sounding tapes. That one was probably from 1974, however I think it came out in 1971 or 1972 originally as early ones predate Panasonic's more familiar logo. Mine would also get pissy about changing programs even back in the 1980s. I used to smack minr to get it to work better.
Get a owners manual. Also all the switches and pots should be cleaned for everything to act right. You will know if you need a new belt or not after listening to several tapes if you are getting wow and flutter more than usual. The playback/recording head and capstan should be cleaned after playing at least 8 tapes and always before recording anything. Some of these units the, VU meters only work during recording only. Buy yourself a tape bulk eraser also. A fast and easy way to erase a tape before recording if needed. I hope you got it lined out. These things are a blast to use. Panasonic made very nice 8 track recorders. I love my units after servicing.
I have a Marantz 8-track recorder from SuperScope and a dozen 8-tracks. Haven't played them in ages/
I think 8 tracks were great never had it always wanted vintage audio equipment I have regular cassette tapes I love vintage audio equipment
It wasnt used for a long time, that must be why the track changer was hosed-up. Now its free, but id still clean it, maybe lil clean lube 😉
OMG! I have the same model. Like cassettes, home recordings sound much better than commercial copies. I have both a home-recorded & commercial copy of Chicago's Best & me home recorded version sounds 10 times better... Even played back on my Panasonic 8-track recorder boombox.
Have you had good luck with the Panasonic 806 8 Track player? I just found one of these models and thought about picking it up.
Beta Video Tapes and 8-Track Audio Tapes both won the fidelity awards, but their tapes easily broke and were extremely difficult to repair. Their construction made understanding how they worked almost impossible. Oh, and BTW, both formats were designed and engineered by John Lear--the same fellow who built the very fine personal use Lear Jet aircraft.
Ease of use and repair eventually let the VHS Cassettes and Compact Cassettes win the format wars, though they were somewhat inferior in video and audio quality compared to their initial competition.
Just a little FYI...
Fun comment. I don't think John Lear had anything to do with Sony's development & release of Betamax in 1975. It was developed by Sony in Japan. Betamax was indeed superior to JVC's VHS. Primary reasons were a SLIGHTLY higher resolution (10 vertical lines) less crosstalk, and faster linear tape speed. Of course they both used 1/2" tape with helical scanning, etc. The reason why Betamax lost was because the public wanted the longer (2 hours in SP mode) record time of VHS. Sony tried to compete by releasing Beta II which was able to replicate 2 hour record times but at a DRASTICALLY reduced picture quality. HOWEVER, Sony still hit paydirt when they took the product the professional route with the development of Betacam, and later BetaSP. Those formats were dominant in TV production for over 20 years.
I have had very limited exposure to 8 track. One time I heard somebody's pre-recorded tape (released by the studio). The song was interrupted by switching from one track to the next. Why not work around that by going to the end of a song??
It has to do with the technical limitations of the format - namely, length of the tape loop and how the tape had to be mastered.
Some 8-Track 101:
8-Track is a continuous-loop tape system. Tape is pulled from the center (hub) of a reel inside the cartridge, passes by the playback head, and is returned to the reel at the outside edge of the tape pack.
What that means is the tape on the reel must actually slip against itself as it winds toward the center. This means friction, tension, and load on the motor. The longer the tape loop, the greater these factors. A typical 8-Track version of an album, for instance, must have a capacity of generally 35-40 minutes. If that were just recorded to tape in a single pass, it would be very long, with a lot of friction, tension, and load on the motor.
8-Track gets around this by dividing up a (for example) 40-minute cartridge into four 10-minute programs. To hear all the contents of an 8-Track, the tape actually gets drawn across the playback head FOUR TIMES. The head changes to one of four positions each time around. Since stereo requires two tracks, and there are four stereo programs.... EIGHT TRACKS. Get it?
So the tape length is actually only 10 minutes. Now let's say the album contains 12 songs. So, easy-peasy, 3 songs per program, right?
Except it doesn't always work out that way. Suppose you have two four-minute songs and one 3-minute song? That ten minute of tape length isn't enough. Something's gonna get cut in half. And if you use a longer tape to accommodate all 11 minutes of that one program, the other programs are going to have long periods of silence. The studio tries to avoid this by rearranging the songs so that it all fits without the program-change happening in the middle of a song, which is why you often find 8-tracks with the songs in a different order than they'd be on a cassette or record.
But even here, it's not always possible. Ask anyone who's had Iron Butterfly's Ina Gadda Da Vita on eight track. The full tune is like 18 minutes long. On the record album, it occupies an entire side of the LP. On 8-Track, it occupies two programs, with the dreaded Chur-CHAK occurring in the middle of the drum solo.
As you can see, 8-Track is actually kind of bizarre.
How do you adjust the motor speed on that. Mine is playing to fast.
I think service is mandatory on a 1974 device before use it again. Those capacitors must be dried up.
Just a friendly heads up; 90 minutes of tape is too long for the format.
Why?
It's a continuous loop. The tape gets pulled from the inside of the loop, then wrapped around the outside of it. Because of that difference, the less tape the better. The more tape there is the bigger the difference between the circumference between the take up and supply. Too much difference makes the tape pack too tightly on the loop, thus it will jam.
Under 45 (11 : 15 x4) minutes is ideal 60 (15 : 00 x 4) is the max. Anything longer that that will jam after a few plays.
Fast forwarding can also pack the loop too tight.
That may be an individual's experience, but is not accurate overall. If something like that was happening, it would indicate a weakness in the deck in one of a number of areas. A properly functioning deck is designed to handle tapes with total play times of up to 120 min.
Did you recently watch The King and I ?? Etc ,etc , etc . 😄😂😆😅🤣😃
Hmm, was going to add something to a comment I left last night giving info and my experience with having owned 3 of these decks in the past, but it doesn't appear to be here anymore. Deleted? If so, am curious why. I didn't feel the any of it was rude or questionable..
That’s weird… Not deleted as far as I know. Sorry if UA-cam lost the comment it’s happened before
@@Recordology ah, ok. Weird. I did edit a couple typos right after maybe something happened in that process. Will redo it.
You're going to have to replace all those old pressure-pads that are all crumbly or they will drift between tracks & you don't want that ✌️😢
Not positive but I think the 8 track is next closet to reel to reel..
The VU meter is for the microphone only.
Well it worked on line in.
No. least not with this unit. I had one of these, and the VU's worked on playback and a line-in source.
Looks like a mechanical eject button........
The sound of an eight track is very dependent on the condition of the tape and player.
People who hear my set up can't believe they are eight tracks with the quality I get from mine.
I got these player new, and they were actually pretty bad. There's a reason why they didn't sold it for long.
You used a 90 minute tape. There lies the problem. Try a 60 minute..
hi again what i do i find alot of tapes the same make and find one in them with a break in the tape and move it to a spool i am lucky
i have a otari mtr 12 and play back tape i can tell what the sound is like and on the akai 1800ss there's a full track head i can 100% kill all the old recording of
and i test all the makes of 8 track this way i have find alot about them hi low out put and how thin tape s can be you mate is very right
not i stopped using 8 track recorders up against a fostex m80 and some soft ware and jazz deck they lose big time
hi there's a format you lot are missing 100% not vhs or betamax hi -fi betacam sp quad audio WOW blow away vhs hi-fi big time
i been using beta hi-fi for a long time and getting alot of drop out getting my back up
i came in to some first gen betacam sp in V the tv show mike the cam man was using a betacam
first time i see the betacam cam first gen one
ex bbc audio man said bob you be better getting ex hire betacam decks as price of them is going to bottom out yes he was very right
i stopped buying 8 track no money i now buy new sealed betacam sp tapes as the price is crazy low now
i used to buy them in there 100's at a time 20p to 50p each at car boot sales in the uk now you don't see any at all over on ebay at silly
prices now
crazy up and down the formats go i have this model love the akai 1800ss decks there's 2 models
i know this deck can record a 8 track at 7 1/2 to do with the speed button at the top of the deck
it got to be at the low setting for 8track speed i left it on high
when i played tape in my akai quad decks it was very slow
Oh yes we have talked about BetaSP. Have a lot of those. Metal tape formulation etc..... great stuff. Only downside is that the machines are MASSIVE.
hi some are buying them in the uk
the wife's are making there men sell them
i have had deck from alot because of this
last one i pick up from london she said it's got to
go
i sold all my records in the past to make room
for the new gear because of my cats they are ladies as well they love the big decks
still watch record things like your site because
i was the same once