Akai 4000DS

Was looking through rapidonline. com for parts . they have bulbs that have the wires on them do not remember what voltage they are . and cannot remember what the voltage is on the akai . They are not diode's they are just light bulb without fitting and are used on many bit off equipment for lighting up the meters . If they are the wrong voltage all you do is bais them up to suite . My Technics tape deck uses them on the meters and they are 18 volt . . They are called Wire ended Filaments Bulbs . 5.0 volt 41-0220 (part nos) 12 volt 41-1225 (part no ) that thiers nos .

There are other sizes and voltages hope this helps . Well checking the wiring diagram to see how the head switch is wired . Mine just spat out a contact . Needs new one or make one from another switch off the same make ,and era .
Well it is wired on the 5 volt winding off the transformer so the 6 volt bulbs will do the job and think they are just held with a blob off UHU glue .
So the Rapid Electronics part 41-0220 will do at 26 pence each plus vat min delivery is £4.99.
The do a good range off leads and connector as well .

Hope this was helpful

Allister

I have exactly the same problem. Recently purchased the AKAI DS4000 from eBay. Everything working apart from the RIGHT Channel center recording level control which is supposed to pull outward to monitor a mono recording.
This is not moving at all. I do not want to risk applying too much force for fear of damaging the control or the unit.
Hence I am hearing two mono-tracks at the same time in the Headphones or from the line-outs at the back of the deck.
Makes it difficult to transfer the single track to computer.
My solution for the moment is to just use the appropriate line out (left or right) exclusively from the back of the deck to isolate the track. Monitoring through the headphones is not possible however.

Did you ever get a solution to the problem with your deck?

M

mjnorris53@gmail.com

The Akai 4000DS uses a single AC motor to run the whole beast, a 4-pole induction motor if my memory serves.
Regardless!
The motor can and only does run at one speed: however, the machine can be set up to run at 2 speeds; either 3-3/4 ips (inches per second) or 7-1/2 ips.
You don't mention what the indicated playback speed for that Epic Stereo Tape that you're trying to play is supposed to be. Given that you have this problem, I'll assume that you are not very familiar with the capabilities of your machine, and perhaps about open-reel tape decks in general?
If your machine appears to be playing at some steady speed, and it sounds approximately twice as fast as it should be, then there is a very simple fix to your problem.
The Akai 4000 has a rather unique method of selecting speed! It isn't exactly intuitive, so I suppose that this is what is messing you up.
There is a switch on the front panel for EQ during playback for either of the two speeds, so that is basically just a tone control and doesn't affect what the motor does. Ignore it for the moment.
Since the motor only runs at one steady speed that is governed by the AC mains frequency (50 Hertz in Europe and most of Asia, 60 Hertz in North America & Japan), Akai uses a mechanical method to change the speed.
What they do is: They change the diameter of the capstan!
The capstan is the steel pin that presses against the big rubber wheel, which is called a pinch roller. It is called that, because if you notice, the tape is "pinched" between that steel pin and the rubber surface of the wheel/roller during playback & recording. This arrangement maintains the steady speed required for proper operation.
What Akai does to change the operating speed is that they use a metal sleeve that fits over the capstan pin, and it is held in place with an attractive little metal stub shaped like an eraser from a mechanical pencil. This little stub screws onto the end of the capstan pin, and it holds the larger diameter capstan sleeve that is used when you are operating at the higher speed of 7-1/2 ips.
I'll assume that your Epic Tape is intended for playback at 3-3/4 ips, which is the lower speed for which you need to remove the capstan sleeve and locking stub.
If this is the case, then what you need to do is to shut off the machine to stop the motor entirely, since when the machine is on the motor is always running, and the capstan is always spinning, even when you are fast-forwarding, rewinding, or just plain idling!
Once the motor stops spinning after turn off, you can unscrew the little capstan stub. This should be easy enough, given that its surface has knurling on it to facilitate grip.
Once it's been removed, the outer capstan sleeve can be slid off. You have just switched your machine from 7-1/2 ips to 3-3/4 ips...congratulations!
Now, you don't want to lose those little bits!!! There is a pin located above the black head nest cover just for this purpose: it is an exact replica of the capstan, you just put the outer sleeve and metal stub/screw on it, nice and safe!
I hope this solves your problem, I've got two of these machines and have owned one of them for 35 years. I've seen many others, and have NEVER come across one where the motor runs at a faster speed due to any defect. I think this all but impossible, given that it is a simple type that locks onto the mains frequency; no speed control circuitry is used in the machine whatsoever (servos, for example).

I have some tapes recorded in 1968 at 1.875. The slowest speed of the Akai 4000DS I have is 3.75. I plugged the Akai output into an amp, then used an inexpensive Griffin iMic, to record them to my Mac. I downloaded the free Audacity software and used its wonderful Change Speed menu item which affects both tempo and pitch. Works like a charm for spoken word audio. I set it at "-45"

Greg

Hi Steve
there is a switch between the reels for 50/60 Hz this will need to be set according to the voltage for your country (consult the owners handbook) as it alters the position of the capstan belt on the flywheel and must be adjusted with the motor running . this is almost certainly the problem as people often fiddle with things they dont understand !! it turns in or out 180 degrees with a flat screwdriver. if this doesnt cure the problem then the motor run capacitor may be faulty although this is unlikely as these are very robust machines . Good luck . Gordon UK.

Steve , the capstan and pinch roller together pull the tape through and the takeup reel just collects the tape by way of a slipper clutch in the takeup hub. If the pinch roller is missing then the machine wont play . Also is the pause on(press the little chrome button on the right hand side of the machine to release pause) the takeup reel should now spin.

Yes you can ,however it might spill tape slightly when stopping the tape from ffwd or rewind due to the gyroscopic effect of the larger reel. Playback will be fine though !!

My personal recommendation for reel to reel service is: Joey Stumpf in New Mexico. Email - joeystumpf@hotmail.com. I have read nothing but positive reviews, and very highly recommend her. Web site is: http://www.fieldengineer.homestead.com. Really worth checking out, I promise. Be advised however that she specializes in RESTORING reel to reels, not just particular repair issues, so it can be quite expensive, but well worth it if you value your machine and recordings. You will get a fully restored operational machine back! She is working on my Teac X2000R now, and I can hardly wait to get it back in my system.

Tapes become a different issue. I have "Googled" recording tape and found some sites that offer them. Again quite expensive -- compared to what they cost 40 years ago. You could also try eBay for raw tape.

I hope this helps you out some, and good luck!

~Stu

I am looking for a the same answer whether external speakers need to be used. It is hard finding speakers which take banana plugs like the 4000DS seems to need. If anybody knows the answers to this I would appreciate a comment. Thanks

You may have the answer by now but, just in case:
VOLTAGE CHANGE
On the back of the unit, unscrew and remove the fuse which sits in a round circular base. There is a notch in the round base, showing the voltage the unit is currently set to. Then, grip the round base and pull. It will come out, and you will see it is actually a plug. Underneath it, there are alternative voltage settings. Rotate and replace the plug, so it shows the new voltage setting you require, replace and screw in the fuse. Done.

HERTZ CHANGE
There is a 50Hz / 60 Hz switch on the back of the unit, so just select the Hz you require. Also, you have to change the 50Hz / 60 Hz ´screw´too, or the tape speed will be wrong.

That´s it. Good luck. Bye.

Don't overlook the track selector switch. Mine has been noisy and intermittent.

Maybe one of the four LD3141 IC (obsolete) is defective.

Jean