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Topic: Azimuth Adjustment (Read 6441 times) previous topic - next topic
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Azimuth Adjustment

Hi. This is probably a really simple question to answer...  I want to use azimuth adjustment on my Nakamichi DR-2 but I don't have a a service manual and I'm not sure which screw is the azimuth adjustment screw.

Could anyone please help me? (Please be specific) I know the general area, but I'm not sure what screw is what. (I don't want to mess up my tape deck by playing with the wrong screw.)  I've tried searching online and nothing really points what the azimuth screw is obviously because they are different for different models.

Pictures would be most helpful but a detailed description would be fine as well.

Thanks,

Alex

Azimuth Adjustment

Reply #1 –
Quote
If you are keen on adjusting the azimuth, simply leave the door off, and adjust the azimuth with a small screwdriver. If you look at the head mount design, there are a group of toothed plastic wheels to adjust the head heights, tilts and azimuths for the record and play heads. The play azimuth is simply the largest toothed wheel on the right. It even has click stops, so you can easily return to the original setting.

In my general opinion, any cassette is usually so inaccurate that it's not worth my time to set azimuth more than once, but I suppose if you are fussy and believe you can hear a difference, adjust it as often as you need. The same with changing the EQ. Most cassettes are made with the bias, Dolby level and so on, so out of whack that the minor change in IEC EQ on Naks is a non-issue to me. If it sounds off, simply EQ in the digital domain until it sounds good.

Link

Edit: Service manual for 14.99$ here.

Azimuth Adjustment

Reply #2 –
Normally, the azimuth screw is the one with the spring, located on the far end of the head's tape leading fork.
The name was Plex The Ripper, not Jack The Ripper

Azimuth Adjustment

Reply #3 –
HELP!  Does anyone know how (where?) to adjust the azimuth on a Nakamichi BX-300?  Would the adjustment be similar to the DR-2 that I was just reading about in this forum?  I printed out the complete service manual for the BX-300 but am having trouble interpreting it, since I'm not a technician.  Are there two different azimuth adjustments on Nakamichi decks:  one for PB and one for Record??  This is so confusing.  On most cassette decks there's simply one azimuth screw (as far as I know) -- sometimes conveniently located in a little hole beneath the face-plate, like on most of my 1980's 3-head Aiwas.  I've always assumed that that basic screw adjusts the azimuth both for playback and recording, but is that because most decks have just one single playback/record head whereas Nakamichis have two separate heads???  In the above-mentioned manual, there seem to be two different azimuth screws and two different head height screws (!!).    If there's anyone in Los Angeles who's experienced with repairing or adjusting Nakamichis and could come over and help me, I'd be happy to pay him for his trouble.  Azimuth makes a TREMENDOUS difference in the cleanness of the sound especially in the highs.  Before making tapes for friends, I always first have them send me a little sample tape, and then I determine their machine's azimuth and use that setting to make all tapes for them.  But I recently got a BX-300 and an MR-1-Pro, because I'll be exchanging CD's and cassettes with someone who's based overseas who has a Nak DR-10 and I just wanted to use a Nakamichi to make his tapes (because of the notorious EQ differences between Naks and other brands of cassette decks).  I'd be so grateful for any help, if anyone could e-mail me.

>>> Paul Miller (forlino@ca.rr.com)

Azimuth Adjustment

Reply #4 –
Yes, it has been over 4 years since this thread was responded to, but the information is relevent.  I came across this while searching for Nakamichi azimuth adjustments.  I have a CR-1 and would like to be absolutely certain which is the correct screw for adjusting the azimuth.  I have done this many times on many other decks.  As Paul M stated in the previous post, this is essential when playing back tapes made from different tape decks if one expects maximum high frequency playback tracking. 

Since I have many cassette tapes from over the years to transfer to wav files for restoration; many are live recordings.  I have a Nakamichi CR-1 with new belts and cleaned controls, dedicated to the task to adjusting azimuth for the purpose of transfer/restoration.  I say this to be clear that this is not a practice I recommend anyone do to their everyday home deck.  Tapes made on your machine should not have the azimuth adjusted because it will already playback those recordings perfectly as it is.  It is only tapes made from other decks that will likely have a perceivable shift in high frequency accuracy because the alignment of one tape deck's recording path is often not exactly the same as another deck's.  Unless you have a Nakamichi or other deck from a company who's quality control is exceptionally consistent in this respect, count on tapes being made on one machine will likely sound best on that machine, and likely mistracking on another machine, even though it may not sound like it until the azimuth is adjusted to audibly point this out .  That is why a dedicated deck in solid working order comes into play if one wants to hear a tape recorded from any other machine correctly; with as much high frequency information as possible, otherwise information will be diminished or missing. 

Regardless of the age of the thread, others have likely been brought here by this question and will see additional discussion to help explain the purpose of this.  Meanwhile if anyone that happens to already know could kindly add the info Paul M was asking about and also point to the correct azimuth screw on a Nakamichi CR-1, that would be great for anyone else passing through too.  Thanks in advance.