Early this year I bought a minty/hardly used Akai 202D-SS 4 channel deck from a man whose grandson showed NO interest in using it. He probably was an iPod head. For only $20, I just could not walk away. Then I bought a copy of its manual on eBay. Most parts I can understand. Then the fun part started - so I thought. I have no trouble playing back recorded tapes, but I'm having trouble recording anything, period.
Here is a stupid/newbie question. (Don't laugh :D ) Do I need a quad/4 channel receiver/amplifier to record anything with it? My receiver is a Kenwood KR-7600 (standard 2 channel). The UV meter don't jump at all when the deck is connected to my Kenwood.
TIA to all.

Generally, it should be ok to use it with just 2 channels. I tried finding more info on the front panel of your deck and I see its got 4 adjustments for the line inputs on the front. Looks like the two on the left are the front channel, and the other 2 the rear. I would imagine you'd hook up the tape out from your Kenwood to the Tape Input or Record Input for the front channel. Now, assuming you have the unit in the Record mode, I would think adjusting the knobs at the bottom for the front channels would yeild something. But there could be something wrong with the unit too. Maybe someone else here can better explain.
- Mike

It sounds simple, but if even I've botched this before, chances are, at some point, all of us at least once made this often overlooked mistake, especially if you have a complex system:

Make sure that INS are connected to OUTS when connecting the RCA cords.

Yeah Des, that was the first thing I checked. Thanks Pioneer - your observation is correct. The record light comes on, the reels turn, but the needles in the UV meter don't show any signal. I think I'll take my deck in to have it checked out by a local service guy. It can probably use a good tune up/clean up job even though the deck looks hardly used. Even with this problem, I'm beginning to enjoy my R2R. Unlike cassette, it has heft and there is something soothing/mesmerizing about seeing the reels turn.
Thanks guys.

If you "record" over previously recorded tracks is it at least erasing that information?
What has been the source of your recording - Phono, Mic, Line?

Here's a cool Akai Website, fun machines to mess around with, just bought a second one a few weeks ago, nothing better then shiny metal, wood and buttons.....

http://home.planet.nl/~oomen118/home.html

Thanks Bone. Yeah I know about the site. I bookmarked it the first time I found it after I got my Akai. Mopic - my deck is not 'erasing'. I tried AUX (CD), FM, and phono. Maybe the record head is bad.

This problem does not sound like a bad record head at all. This is an electronics problem, plain and simple.

The fact that all four channels will not deflect the VU meters implies that this might be a power-supply issue to your record amplifier board. Other cuases are possible too, but this is the most likely, considering the symptoms that you have reported.

I did not see you answer an important question above: Does it erase your tapes when you put it into record, or not? I have no idea where you live, but many techs won't touch R2Rs anymore. You don't want to take this to the first tech you find in the phonebook, you need to make certain that this guy actually knows how to work on R2Rs.

No, my Akai did not erase while trying to record using FM, CD, and phono. I live in the Los Angeles area. There is a shop in Pasadena that can deal with vintage gear. I've done business with them and fortunately they're both comepetent and reasonable. Electronics problems huh? You maybe right Goldear. Thanks for your input.

Hi Ta,

Since you're not even getting erase funtion (seperate head), most likely you've got a switch contact or control board problem. I'm not too familiar with Akai, but hopefully your vintage techs in the LA area are.

If they say that your record function can be restored, have them give it a general servicing while they have it opened up - ie. - clean, lube, bring take-up/hold-back tension and pinch roller tension up to specs.

Good luck, and be sure and post back what was up with this Akai, so we can all learn from it.

- Mopic5

Curious, is there a switch with the captions, source or tape. Sometimes these need a little love. Some decks require you to put it into source mode also when you record.:banana:

Sure, I'll report back Mopic5. No cableguy2, my Akai does not have that switch.

Try using headphones to see if you are getting sound from the input jacks. If so, is the audio clear or distorted? Try some deoxit on the line level pots and see if there is any improvement.

No erase AND no record? The bias oscillator is not working.

I got my Akai back from the shop today. Mopics - you guessed right. It was a switch contact problem after all - according to my vintage gear specialist. He gave my baby a good clean up job and she sounds great now. :music: Looking back, this kind of machine was WAY beyond my pocketbook when it was supreme and I was young. :scratch2: The only way I could have afforded one of these was for me to stop eating and live on a park bench for a month. Now I'm lucky enough to own two. I still have good hearing and excellent health. Life is good. Thanks guys. :thmbsp:

ta131js,

Good to hear you're fully up and running. Don't know whether you're into pre-records or not. But some can be a real treat (recorded on high-end studio slaves from close generation masters). They can be pricey - but this market has softened quite a bit over on the 'Bay. If you're patient, you can snag 'em for $4 to $7 apiece. Some gouge on shipping, but many still ship for $3.50 to $4.00 with an extra buck a tape for combined winning/shipping).
Enjoy that unchained Akai!
Mopic5

I often wondered about those commercially recorded R2R tapes that I (rarely) see at GW, library sales, Salvation Army etc. :scratch2: So far, I have been ignoring them - thinking that prerecorded tapes can't be any good - just listen to prerecorded cassette tapes.

So there are more candies to sample in vintage stereo - how exciting!
Thanks Mopics.:thmbsp:

The reason that you rarely see them at G.W./S.A. is that someone has set up a "hot line". As soon as they land in sorting, a call goes out and somebody swings by to pick up the entire lot.
I couldn't tell you how many used record stores I've been in where I've been told, "Commercial Reel to Reel tapes? Oh, we have a guy that we call who buys everything that comes in."
The fact that many 1950s 2-tracks can sell for $100 to $200 and "in demand" 4-tracks for $40 to $90 on eBay reveals what's going down here. These are nothing like commercial cassettes recorded at insane duping speeds.
For sure, some of the high prices paid for reel to reels is the "collector" factor in the market.
But there's intrinsic value behind the market as well. For many, these are the golden fleece of analog - especially 2-tracks produced by RCA, Mercury and Sonotape (Westminster/Decca) - recorded at playing speed with amazing detail, depth and lush saturation.
Garage sales are still the best bet in side-stepping the market. Trouble is, more and more garage sellers are beginning to check out the 'Bay before things go out in the driveway.

Too many insiders huh? No wonder those R2R tapes are hard to find. The last one I saw was one by a country western vocalist. I could not recall his name - Eddie Arnold's contemporary.