This
page has a performance demo of the Wollensak 5750 EV (Early Version) playing
a commercial tape produced in 1966. It is recorded by a digital camera monaural
microphone and does not do justice to the full sound output of the tape recorder
(see last paragraph for more info).
The
head cover has been removed to show the "power
cam",
capstan and pinch roller (on the right) and pressure pad assembly (on the
left).
The
5000 series was unique in having a single "head" for all functions
- erase, recording, and playback. Most machines of the time had at least
two heads, an erase head and a record/playback head. High end units had three
heads, erase, record, playback. While the goal was for the three head design
(more reliable electronically and sonically), Wollensak seems to have chosen
to move in the opposite direction, possibly to keep the overall design of
their machines more compact.
The
5750 came in two models, the EV (Early Version) shown here - dating from
approximately 1967, and the LV (Late Version) of unknown date (the 5000 series
was produced between 1965 and 1969).
In
the EV, the "power cam" assembly had no provision for lifting the
tape away from the combination erase/record/playback head when activated,
resulting in an unpleasant "woo - wow - squeal " sound as the machine
lost speed and connection between the tape and the head during the "power
cam" operation. This is clearly evident in the video.
The "direct
line" pressure pad assembly (two spring loaded straight plastic bars
with felt pads on the end) were an unconventional design that sometimes made
the tape misalign with the combination erase/record/playback head. The design
of this assembly made it impractical for a simple lever operation to disengage
them, so they only release when the entire transport is moved away from the
head by the "power cam".
The
EV main drive idler wheel (not shown here, see "Main Cabinet" in the Restoration
section, or just click here) never disengages from the motor and capstan
flywheel, leaving it vulnerable to developing "flat
spots" if the machine is not used for an extended period of time.
The
LV had changes made to the design of the main drive idler wheel assembly,
the pressure pad assembly (opting for the more conventional "swing arm" style,
which could easily be disengaged by a simple lever), and the "power
cam" to correct these problems.
Nevertheless,
the sound output from the Wollensak 5750 EV is excellent. This video, made
with a digital camera, has a mono sound track through a built in microphone
with an ARL (automatic record level) circuit and does not do the sound quality
full justice by any means. However, the "echo" heard (which is actually the
stereo imaging being captured as a form of reverb by the microphone on the
camera) hints at the full quality of the output from the Wollensak 5750.
A
Stereo Treat - You Won't Believe Your Ears!
The
stereo effect of the 5700 is particularly good, and the volume is quite loud.
In this video demo, the two volume knobs (located above the fast forward,
rewind lever) are only set to "3", providing
more than enough music power to fill an entire room. The limitations of the
camera microphone make this hard to tell on this page. But there is a better
solution:
You
can hear an amazing full stereo MP3 recording taken directly from the pre-amp
outputs of the Wollensak 5750. MP3 does not improve sound, it is simply a
compression routine for the computer, so the sound you hear is actually LESS
that what the Wollensak 5700 produces.
For a sample of
stereo playback performance of a commercial tape, please
click here.
For a sample of
recording performance, please click here.
Please
note that ClydeSight Productions DOES NOT rebuild or sell vintage
reel to reel tape recorders, nor can we help anyone involved in such a project.
The tape recorders shown in these pages are part of a personal collection
and are not for sale. We Do Not recommend
that unqualified or inexperienced persons attempt to restore vintage audio
equipment.
Visit
www.clydesight.com Master Site
Web site copyright ©ClydeSight
Productions - 2007
