What is the meter doing in playback mode?Have you tried monitoring the track with the safe not engaged? This would be playback to the studio phones mode after a take to check the track.....I've owned an Otari 5050 and I loved it....If you have a meter rise similar to the one you got in recording mode then the problem is with the output selection or possibly the output amp...What are you moniotring through?Sometimes something like this is as simple as a button on your monitoring amp......Also...check the tape and make sure its riding against the playback head in this mode...seems I remember the 5050 having a set of tape lifters to keep the tape off the heads not in use and if you didnt rout the tape correctly it would not ride on the playback head in this mode....

How old is the tape? Ampex /Quantegy had trouble with the binder for the magnetic particles gumming up the machine when it aged.

Also, check and see if it plays back properly in the "sync" mode instead of repro, if so this indicates a problem with the repro heads or switching.
As well try some of the other tracks - perhaps the problem is only showing up on track 1. Could also be a lack of bias.

Check the heads to see if they are clean and there is good tape to head contact as mentioned in the above post. With the quantegy the black side is the side of the tape to contact the heads.

Hi There Dave,

Thanks for your reply.
The meter is hardly moving in playback mode, "safe" or "ready" doesn't seem to make any difference on playback also.

To simplify matters, I am just working on track 1 to try and record a 1k oscillation signal.

If I have Track 1 in "ready" mode, then the main button on "Individual" and tracks 1's own lever set to "Input" the 1k tone comes through the headphones real loud..

Then I hit record, for a few seconds.

then switch track 1's lever down to "sel-rep" and "Repro" and replay the recording - the signal dies to a very low volume.

I am monitoring this through my headphones plugged into the unit.

The tape seems to be routed correctly also

I really can't understand what is going on, Is there a way I can do a sure test ?

I wish there was more info online about these things - It is such a wonderful machine, and I am dying to use it! - I am trying to get hold of a manual too.

I do hope that there is nothing that needs fixing on the unit, I vought it on Ebay, and the guy who sold it to me worked for otari for 8 years - he said that it worked fine before shipping..

sorry if i come accross vague, its 04.18am in London and these sort of problems never let me sleep !

Thank you,

The tape is brand new, although I mentioned that we had it routed wrong to start, which rubbed the tape to the extent of leaving a some silver dust come off next to the area it was rubbing as it was feeding through - Could this have damaged the tape enough to make it unrecordable?

Can't see a "sync" mode, do you know where that switch is?

The other tracks have the same result unfortunately. It seems like a record or playback issue, as the levels are fine coming in to the machine..

The heads are also clean.

Is the Bias a possibility? not sure where/what this is.. Do I adjust this at the back with a screw driver for each track?

Hope i am not annoying you with these anwers.. I'm thinking that it may be worth someone looking at it...

I think the repro level adjustment on the back of the machine (the ones you can adjust with a screwdriver) is low. It adjust the playback level of the reproduction head. You should purchase a MRL tape to do that repro adjustment.

ah ha, that sounds interesting...
Is there a way I can adjust the repro adjustment without the MRL tape? so i can definately know that is the problem?
I wouldn't want to mess it up.

The only screws I can see on the back to adjust are the screws by the XLR inputs/Outputs..... thanks peeps

When you are listening to the tone you are going from E TO E (in tape terms) so that indicates you are getting signal to the electronics. When you put the signal onto the tape is when you are having problems. I would do two things. I would try and borrow a 1/2" alignment tape from someone and play it back on the Otrari. It is the only way you will know IF the PLAYBACK electronics are working correctly. Once you know the PLAYBACK electronics are working correctly then you can start to trouble shoot the RECORD electronics.

On this deck their should be switches on the front that are labled input, sync and tape or playback. The sync selection will use the record head as a playback head so you can "sync" up other tracks to that track when you are recording on other tracks.

Are you sure the tape is loaded in correctly? Are you sure the oxide side is next to the heads. In the old days the shinny side when out and the dull, oxide side, when in next to the heads. But that all changed when back treated tapes came in and they looked wrong because the back side, coated, looked duller than the oxide side. The back side was normally dark brown/black.

Go here and download the .pdf file for the Otari 5050. http://classes.berklee.edu/mpe/pdf_files/manuals_pdf/ that should get you started and answer some questions.

Until you know if your machine will properly playback a tape you will never be able to start your trouble shooting.

Not seeing what you are doing and not knowing more about the machine it is almost impossible to trouble shoot it over the net.

Hope this helps.

-TOM-

You guys are soo helpful - Thanks a million for the pdf download!

PROBLEM SORTED !

The wrong side of the tape was facing the head, What a silly mistake...

Thanks Thomas for pointing that out!

What a relief, now I can sleep!