Nakamichi CR-4 Only Recording on One Channel...need help!
Hi Experts,
I bought a used Nakamichi CR-4 from eBay and it turns out that it only records on the Left channel and not on the Right channel.
When I use the manual calibration function present on this deck, it calibrates the Level to 0db but only goes upto -20db when Bias is calibrated using TDK SA cassette even after turning the Bias knob clockwise to the max. I have also tried calibrating using an EX tape with the correct tape type and equilizer setting but still cannot calibrate the Bias to 0db.
I have aligned the playback head using test tapes but when I try to align the recording head height and azimuth using 400Hz and 15KHz test tones, it only outputs to the Left channel and I only get a very small voltage on the Right channel as compared with the left channel.
Also, when recording the 15KHz test tone the voltmeter displays 15KHz on the left channel but it barely registers 1KHz (and that is also fluctuating between 500Hz and 1KHz) on the right channel.
I did go ahead and aligned the recording head based only on the output readings of the Left channel in the hope that it may bring the Right channel somewhat back into alignment if it was very mis-aligned, but to no avail.
Any thoughts on what could be wrong with the deck, any suggestions on how to fix it? Any help will be geratly appreciated.
I am kind of amazed that you think that it is really a stupid question just because you assumed that I did not clean the head.
If you read my post, I did mention that I was trying to calibrate the deck and when tried to align the recording head I found that it was not recording on one channel. I know the procedure very well and always clean and de-magnetize the heads first before any recording or calibration.
I also mentioned that I did go ahead and aligned the recording head using the output voltage only on the one working channel which I thought would bring the other non-working channel back to alignment (somewhat). So the head height and azimuth is roughly correct (for the working chanel at least).
I do have the schematics for this deck and will try and chek if there is Bias present on the right channel of the recording head. Since I did record a very small voltage on the right channel while I was aligning the recording head, I think that there may be a little Bias current present.
I will look into all of your suggestions, except the head cleaning one, and see if I could diagnose the fault.
Thanks for your feedback.
Best regards,
NadeemHi Rob!
I am kind of amazed that you think that it is really a stupid question just because you assumed that I did not clean the head.
If you read my post, I did mention that I was trying to calibrate the deck and when tried to align the recording head I found that it was not recording on one channel. I know the procedure very well and always clean and de-magnetize the heads first before any recording or calibration.
I also mentioned that I did go ahead and aligned the recording head using the output voltage only on the one working channel which I thought would bring the other non-working channel back to alignment (somewhat). So the head height and azimuth is roughly correct (for the working chanel at least).
I do have the schematics for this deck and will try and chek if there is Bias present on the right channel of the recording head. Since I did record a very small voltage on the right channel while I was aligning the recording head, I think that there may be a little Bias current present.
I will look into all of your suggestions, except the head cleaning one, and see if I could diagnose the fault.
Re: Nakamichi CR-4 Only Recording on One Channel...need...
HELLO THERE!
I AM AN AUDIO CASSETTE DUPLICATOR TECH,AND LAST WEEK AFTER USING MY IN CASSETTE DUPLICATOR TASCAM 2640,I FIGURED THAT I LOST ALMOST 95% OF ONE CHANNEL AFTER CLEANING WITH THE TASCAM HEAD CLEANER IT REMAINS THE SAME,SO I DECIDED TO USE CLEAN ACETON,AND I WAS SURPRIZED THAT THE DEAD CHANNEL CAME BACK LIKE A HERO WITH NO PROBLEM.
AMAZING WHAT A BIT OF ACETON CAN DO.
SIMON.
Re: Nakamichi CR-4 Only Recording on One Channel...need...
Hmmm.....heres a really stupid question but........is the head clean ? There may be a bit of oxide shorting the one side of the head out. Try cleaning the head with a q-tip and some 99% pure isopropyl alcohol. If you have done that ( you seem to be more knowledgeable than most ), I would suspect either the circuit that drives the right channel record head, or the head itself. Is the head running flat against the tape?. Is there a record/play relay or record relay somewhere in the circuit ?. I think at this point you really need a schematic. Do you have the AC oscillator signal ( bias ) present on the right record head ?. I would try this first, then look into a manual.......Good luck...Rob
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To switch off the alarm on the Nakamichi NM-CR-C90, you can follow these steps:
Locate the "Alarm" button on the top panel of the device. Press and hold the "Alarm" button for a few seconds until the alarm time display begins to flash. While the display is flashing, press the "Alarm" button again to turn off the alarm. The alarm time display should stop flashing and return to the current time. If the above steps do not work, consult the user manual for further instructions or contact the manufacturer's customer support for assistance.
Hi chris
If you mean that the tv has to be on channel 4 instead of 3 then look at the back of your vcr , there is a swich to select the output channels 3/4.
Hope this help
If you're referring to programming your VCR for recording, that works just like it did before the cable box was installed, but with two major differences.
The first difference is that the VCR must always be programmed to record on the converter box output channel. Usually this is channel 3, but may also be channel 4. The cable box selects the channel from the cable system, but it's always outputting to your TV on the same channel. That channel is what the VCR needs to record from.
The second change to programmed recording is that you can't program your VCR to record programs on different channels. The reason is because, as mentioned above, the VCR is actually recording from the cable box which is always on the same output channel. Unless you are home to change the channel on the box, you're stuck. For example, if you want to record a show at 10PM on channel 8 and another at 11 on channel 26, those are the cable channel numbers. The box output is channel 3 (or 4) in both cases. The VCR can't switch the box for you. It's only going to record the program on the channel you selected before you left home. You also need to leave the cable box turned on, but the TV can be off. This is probably the thing most people find confusing about dealing with a cable box.
Now having said all that, some brands of cable box do include a timer feature of their own that allows you to program the box to switch channels. This feature is used in conjunction with timer recording on the VCR. You still always program the VCR to record on channel 3 (4), but now the box can be programmed as well to switch to the channel on the system you want to record. This allows you to get around the limitation described above. If your box offers this feature, it will be accessed through its setup menu using the remote control. Ask your cable company if this is available if it's not clear from the setup menus or instructions the installer left you with.
With your setup, the VCR gets its input from the cable box output, which will be on either channel 3 or 4. It depends on how you've set the box. The channel you are watching on TV or want to record is picked on the cable box.
The VCR will only ever see a channel 3 or 4 signal, so it must stay on that channel. That means when you record, set the VCR to record on channel 3 or 4, the box OUTPUT channel. The biggest mistake people make when they have a cable box is to set the VCR to record on some channel other than 3 or 4, and the result is snow. There's nothing on any other channel for the VCR to record. You also need to have the cable box turned on and set to the channel you want to record if you set the VCR for timer recording. That's another pitfall people meet.
This is probably way too late an answer, but I just ran across your post. No TV made in 2002 has digital tuning, so you would need the converter box to watch off-the-air digital broadcasts.
To hook up the pieces, take the converter box output and run it to the VCR antenna input jack. Then run the output from the VCR to the TV's antenna input. Leave the VCR and TV both on channel 3 (or channel 4 if that's what you have the converter box output set for).
To watch TV, leave the VCR off and the signal from the converter will pass right through to the TV. You'll do your channel changing with the converter box, so the TV stays on channel 3. To record a program, just remember that the VCR will always need to be tuned to channel 3 (4), since it will have to be on the converter box output channel. Again, you pick the actual TV channel with the converter.
Note that this arrangement will allow you to program your VCR to record while you are out, but there are some limitations. You can't record things on different channels, since you won't be home to switch channels on the converter. The VCR is always recording on channel 3 (4), and the program you'll be recording is whatever channel the box is set for. If another program comes on on a different channel later, you won't be around to switch. But you could program different recording times on the same channel, anyway. You also can't record one program while watching a different channel, unless you had a second converter box.
Hope you can still use the information provided here. If this has been helpful, please take a moment to rate this a fixya. Thanks for asking here!
You need tro set up the monitoring capability in your recording software under either hardware profiles or audio settings. All "good" recording software has this monitoring capability. There's another thing - I got rid of my Multimix 8 USB, because it wasn't allowing me to monitor as I recorded new tracks. At first it did, then about a year into using it, this function stopped, and when I investigated further, it was coming up as a single duplex sound card in my hardware profiles in Windows XP. It is as if that functionality of the soundcard component had burned out. Maybe on the circuit board...
I now have a gina Echo that I bought off eBay, and it was the best thing I ever bought. It is a hard card - no latency! Full monitoring! 24 bit recording! A hard card with a breakout box instead of USB! My recordings have never sounded better. The best thing about it is that I sold my ALesis adn was able to by the gina and have money left over - they are out of production (stupidly) and can still be purchased for anywhere between $50.00 - $80.00
You may or may not have a problem with your mixer - check your software settings first. If that isn't the problem, eBay is open 24 hours...
It's supposed to only record on the left side. When it's in "INST/MIC" mode the left channel has your mic on it and the right channel has your instrument, so you can mix them separately. Just configure your recording software to put the left channel on one track and the right channel on another track.
Hi Rob!
I am kind of amazed that you think that it is really a stupid question just because you assumed that I did not clean the head.
If you read my post, I did mention that I was trying to calibrate the deck and when tried to align the recording head I found that it was not recording on one channel. I know the procedure very well and always clean and de-magnetize the heads first before any recording or calibration.
I also mentioned that I did go ahead and aligned the recording head using the output voltage only on the one working channel which I thought would bring the other non-working channel back to alignment (somewhat). So the head height and azimuth is roughly correct (for the working chanel at least).
I do have the schematics for this deck and will try and chek if there is Bias present on the right channel of the recording head. Since I did record a very small voltage on the right channel while I was aligning the recording head, I think that there may be a little Bias current present.
I will look into all of your suggestions, except the head cleaning one, and see if I could diagnose the fault.
Thanks for your feedback.
Best regards,
Nadeem
What if the recording L/R channels don't go out before recording tapes?
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