So...you took the plunge! You got your self a reel to reel deck! A Fostex M-80 no less!
Only your wet dreams of perversely saturated mixes bursting with "Mojo" and all your friends lapping it up like liquid crack in a neighborhood no C.I.A agents family members live in, is about to take a plunge of its own...
.....right down the crapper!
The P.O.S doesn't work!
Why!?!??!
Well, Dre..... it's probably either broken or you using the wrong kind of tape, they aren't THAT complex if it ain't working, and you can't figure out why then either you are too dumb to be using a reel to reel in the first place, or it's revival has passed beyond your level of expertise...
Time to call 911 and scream in your least manly vocal register:
"HELP! I NEED A WITCH-DOCTOR! TO RAISE A TAPE TECH FROM THE DEAD! MY M80 ISN'T WORKING AND I PAID $75 BUCKS ON EBAY FOR IT! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!"
OKAY...calm down there Conan, let's make sure you aren't as dumb as you look through your computer's camera, nice T-shirt BTW.......OKAY.....creepy jokes aside, let's do a quick idiot check here.
1. Are you using either 456 or 457 tapes?
Yes? GOOD!
No? IDIOT!!!!!!
2. Is the tape correctly threaded? Starting from the left reel the tape goes: OVER THE MOVING THINGY,
a.THEN UNDER IT, UNDER THE THINGY THAT DOESN'T MOVE,
b.STRAIGHT UNDER THE BIG THINGY WITH THE FOSTEX LOGO,
c.PRESS THE GODDAMN BUTTON AT THE RIGHT SO IT DOESN"T IMPEDE THE TAPE PATH,
d.THEN PRESS THE GODDAMN BUTTON SO IT SNUGGLES THE TAPE,
e.THEN IT'S UNDER THE NEXT THINGY,
f.THEN IT'S OVER THE NEXT THINGY,
g.THEN IT'S UNDER THE THINGY THAT MOVES,
h.THEN YOU APPLY THE TAPE TO THE TAKE-UP REEL FROM THE RIGHT SIDE,
i.THREAD THE TAPE INTO THE SLITS CLOSE TO THE CENTER OF THE TAKE-UP REEL
j.TURN IT SO IT GATHERS TAPE FROM THE LEFT REEL
k............AND BEFORE YOU DO ANY OF THIS MAKE SURE THAT THE LIGHT BROWN SIDE OF THE TAPE IS WHAT IS MAKING FACE CONTACT WITH WHAT'S UNDER THE FOSTEX LOGO!!!!!!!!
Did you do all that correctly? Yes? Good!
No.?? IMBICILE!!!!!
3. Do you understand how the input/tape monitoring functions work?
I'll make this really simple.
1.If you want to record on a track, press it's corresponding button so the LED lights, then press record and play.
2. If your input monitor button is depressed and to hit rec without hitting play, you have just switched that track from monitoring tape upon playback to monitoring the input. That means you CAN'T hear what you've recorded!
RE-READ WHAT I WROTE THERE AGAIN AND AGAIN TILL YOU UNDERSTAND IT
Also never forget, Fostex throws you a curve ball, however, let's see if I can remember this...
...OK, so on a Fostex M80, each input is half-normal to its corresponding input in the latter half of those available.
That is to say, that input one is half-normal to input 5, input 2 to input 6 and so on, the same is true in reverse order (7 half-normaled to three, 8 to 4 so on and so forth)
I cannot recall the implications and limitations this manufacturing decision results in, only that it has caused much confusion heartache and rage against Fostex amongst (especially modern) users of the unit, I can recall some users feeling as if Fostex had played a practical joke on their customers.
Research this....feature?....before purchase and see if it is a deal breaker for you,
Also, be advised that Fostex do not have a reputation for durability and parts are no longer available for these units, breakage often results in the ultimate death of the machine, and reel to reel is the most finicky, delicate pieces of gear you will ever encounter, they require constant maintenance.
Not trying to talk anyone out of using these, just want people to have all the pertinent info available to them.
If you buy a functioning unit, the FIRST thing you need to do is locate a tech and make friends with him.
After that, just remember, the Fostex M80 is here for a GOOD time not for a LONG time,
BTW
I'm a tape guy, I have and still do use all these things. And for my money, the Fostex A8 (The first 8 track budget reel to reel ever) actually SOUNDS better than the M-80,
Also, while I've owned countless M80's and provided them with palliative care before they made that last great transfer to the master reel in the sky......
....My A8 is like a crotchety old grandfather, whose birthday we stopped celebrating after 100 because he's no longer trying to conceal his bad attitude, smells funny, and occasionally loses control of his functions.
But goddamn, you catch him on the right day, steer the conversation properly, you're going to get a HELL of a WW1 story out of him.
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