Two S(nazz)y Additions

On Wed, 16 Nov 2005 21:15:58 GMT, "ommadawn"
wrote:

....IN THE BOX! Nice score!

How do these sound? Most of the Orrtronics carts done by GRT that I
have are pretty well recorded...hot levels, good (not great) top end.
Later GRTs in Module-8s seemed much inferior in audio quality, and
suffered from swollen and/or eccentric pinch rollers. All my Steely
Dans are Module-8s and are sonically so-so and every one of them
needed to have the pinch roller turned in the lathe due to swelling.
Otherwise, they're near-mint wiht bubble-free labels and good low time
tape.

dB

Steely Dan is too commercial for me.

I haven't had a chance to play them as all my players are no longer working.
I did buy one on Ebay, but it was DOA.
I need a nice, stable player that won't chew up my tapes.
Auto 8-Mate's from GRT are my favorite carts of all time. I remember many,
many years ago, buying one of my first tapes, an 'Ansley Dunbar
Retalitation' tape in the $1.99 bin which was on this type cart. I love the
look and squareness of the cart, and especially the fact it comes with an
outer art-box; even better than Ampex covers, which were cut-out.
One drag-the 'Nazz Nazz' tape is on a Lear Jet cart, while I have a rougher
conditioned one on an Auto 8-Mate, minus cover. It would be great if this
copy w/ box was on this cart.
Did GRT change carts on some titles? And is this Lear Jet version a later
issue?

On Sat, 19 Nov 2005 16:30:22 GMT, "ommadawn"
wrote:


I haven't had a chance to play them as all my players are no longer working.
I did buy one on Ebay, but it was DOA.
I need a nice, stable player that won't chew up my tapes. snip

Maintenance is the key to successful 8 track playback. Most "chewed
up" tapes are usually caused by dirty/sticky capstans and/or "Scotch
tape" splices. The handiest tool I have to keep my car deck's capstan
and head clean is the "double ender" head/capstan cleaner...a few
seconds, and you're good to go, although I always use a few drops of
isopropynol on both the "ScotchBrite" for the capstan and the paper
tape for the head. A more thorough cleaning with long handled swabs
is done when I demagnetize, which is about every 3 months.

Auto 8-Mate's from GRT are my favorite carts of all time. I remember many,
many years ago, buying one of my first tapes, an 'Ansley Dunbar
Retalitation' tape in the $1.99 bin which was on this type cart. I love the
look and squareness of the cart, and especially the fact it comes with an
outer art-box; even better than Ampex covers, which were cut-out.
One drag-the 'Nazz Nazz' tape is on a Lear Jet cart, while I have a rougher
conditioned one on an Auto 8-Mate, minus cover. It would be great if this
copy w/ box was on this cart. snip

The "Auto 8-Mate" carts were a product of Orrtronics, Inc. of
Sunnyvale, CA, a decendant of the original Robert Orr organization
which started Irish, the first US manaufacturer of magnetic audio tape
in 1946, which eventually became Ampex's tape division. When clean
and working right, Orrtronics carts exhibit flutter far lower than
most more common carts, although they're mechanically more noisey, as
a rule.

Did GRT change carts on some titles? And is this Lear Jet version a later
issue? snip

GRT went from using Orr products to the "Module 8", which was far
inferior in design and quality, but was much cheaper to produce. I do
not know if the Lear cart is a reissue or not, as I don't know the
album chronology that well on Rundgren stuff. I'd tend to believe
that the Lear cart is original release stuff, as Lear carts went away
fairly early when Ampex took over the Lear cart duping operation.

dB

Yes, but I DO have this tape on both versions.
I would gather Lear Jet is after 8 Mate...

On Sat, 19 Nov 2005 17:31:37 GMT, "ommadawn"
wrote:


Yes, but I DO have this tape on both versions.
I would gather Lear Jet is after 8 Mate... snip

They could be contemporaries. Orrtronics carts started showing up
after the original Lear Jet project got off the ground with Ford in
'65, and were sold through the 1960s. Due to production limitations
at the time, I'm sure it wasn't uncommon for a label to contract to
more than one duplicating house in order to meet demand. Thus, you
could have a Lear/Ampex and an Orrtronics sold at approximately the
same time. Of course, the "Lear" cart later became the Ampex cart
when Ampex bought out Lear's interest in the duplication business.

I seem to recall that GRT moved from Orrtronics to the inferior
"Module 8' blue carts somewhere around 1971. Orrtronics did keep
producing carts into the '70s; many Reader's Digest compendiums were
released on later versions of the Orrtronics "K-wrap" carts, and
they're generally of high quality.

dB