Cantata 700 - Techmoan Nil
In this video I revisit the 3M Cantata 700 BGM tape system in an attempt to resolve some unfinished business.
https://youtu.be/fgwIs1QaJms
Behind the scenes I’m experiencing a bit of disruption at home while I get some work done. It’ll mean that eventually I should have more room available for working on projects and perhaps I’ll finally be able to set some things up that until now have had to remain in storage. I’ll explain more in the next update but I just wanted to let you know now, just in case in the meantime it creates some delays. The last time I had some guys round they cut through the fibre optic broadband…twice.
I hope you’re well and you’ve settled into 2025. It still sounds like a date from a cheesy science fiction film to me.
Comments (60)
You might be interested in Xytronic AX106 side cutters (other companies make them too). They capture and hold the lead when trimming from a board. Preventing the leads from flying across the room when you cut them. They work well, very simple.
The music sounds like the ones David Lynch used to use! In Eraserhead for example. Perfectlt pleasant! :) Thank you for your great work!
I really enjoy watching your adventures with repairing things. I know I’m not the only viewer cheering you on! Is he going to get it working? Maybe! Maybe not! It’s great viewing! Keep on doing the great work you’re doing!
What you're hearing is what tape based BGM systems sounded like, I remember them from the 90's - and they just kinda sounded like that. Particularly if the tapes were worn/old - which by that point, they all were.
I'm watching this for the second time, what are the other connection points on the amplifier board? I'm sure they won't fix the issue it just seemed odd they were unpopulated and they seem interesting. I can see PFI 2 Test near them but that means nothing to me. Also I feel that lubrication might help but it's likely, based on prior videos, that you did that off camera.
Unfortunately lubrication would only affect the speed variation, the muffled sound would remain unaltered. I didn’t spend too much time looking at the board, even on something so simple I wouldn't have a clue what I was looking at, however all the connectors that should be connected were connected and this was the result. Perhaps one day I’ll bite the bullet and rethread a tape to see of the problems lie with the media rather than the player.
Another great techmoan video! Hope all is well :)
It’s been one of those weeks (again) but I’m still here. Hope you’re well.
Maybe try demagnetizing the head? Not that it's ever made a major difference when I've done it, but you never know...
I wonder now if the azimuth was the issue with the JVC "boombox" we had in the 1980s. It was auto-reverse, yet side two of every tape sounded muffled. Turn it over as normal, and it sounded fine. Though, being about nine, I would have had no idea.
That sounds very likely. Auto reverse did have a habit of shifting the heads out of alignment, which is why it was a feature shunned by so many of the high end decks.
I'd call that an entertaining nil-nil draw.
Was working at a garden centre a couple of years back doing electrical work and was surprised to see an AEI propac player sat with the tannoy equipment, wasn't in use anymore but very cool to see these devices that Matt shows us in a place that once used them.
I'm not 100% sure but was playback running a little slow on the machine? I was playing back at 1.25x speed & it was sounding a bit better
2025 is just nuts to me as well!! I mean we've had about 1/4 of the 21st century done! Just weird being a 1980s MTV kid.
Well you tried. And that's what I'm here for. Also thanks for the link to that other channel where the music is archived! Also also, I can't tell you how many times I've thought to myself "hm, you know who he should partner up with to fix this thing....", so thanks for addressing that before I embarrassed myself.
2025 is just one digit off of "In the Year 2525".
I think a collaboration with another channel would be good. Not necessarily with Mend it Mark, but someone equally as skilled.
Collaborations are easy to imagine but hellishly complicated to organise. If this were a colab video it might be weeks before you would get see the end results of whatever the other person did. No one is waiting on my old junk arriving, they'd usually have their own thing going on. Whatever they did next though would have to be on their channel rather than this one. Also if I'd sent this away to get fixed there wouldn't be a video this week - this one would just be left pending until the next thing happened. On top of that though - I really don't know anyone, I'm a loner, I've just had a birthday and got five cards all from immediate family. Beyond that my circle stops.
Have you thought of starting a YouTube repair channel? You could call it "Mend It Mat"!
These are my favorite types of videos of yours. some history plus some tinkering. Loved every second of it especially the twist ending….. I wonder if the problem is the motor? Sounds to me like it may be modulating the speed of the tape?
AI created this cheesy 2025 movie poster: https://ibb.co/YLZqJ7M
I run my soldering equipment at 350 C. That usually works well
I must admit I was intrigued by the ear to line little box you had. I have so many questions on how the hell that works. now I come to think of it, how can the out put of that player be for an amp or speaker. I would have thought there must be a switch or something.
When it played the music, it made me think about "The Shining" Fun to see the Cantata again though. Loved the video. As always, Thank You Mat.
Despite the eventual outcome, that was a really interesting video, Mat. If you have an old working tape player, you could try disconnecting the Cantata head connection and wiring it to the head input on the other tape player and hitting play on both. Use the Cantata just as a tape transport. If the sound is OK, you have a Cantata electronics problem, if it isn't you have a tape or head problem. Just a thought. 😵
Perhaps something for another day. The next time I encounter a tape deck with a failed mech but a working amp, I'll try to remember to hang onto it.
Full marks for effort, Mat - it certainly made for an interesting and entertaining video. I do have to wonder what type of establishment would have chosen that sort of music to encourage its employees to strive harder or stimulate shoppers to fill their trolleys with more goods - even it wasn't that muffled, it would have them heading for the nearest exits in droves....
Ugh, nothing more frustrating than knowing you've exhausted all your efforts. Then it seems silly to go through it all when someone else already has uploaded what's on the tapes! But you get that nagging feeling like you want to get your own device working. I've held onto projects too long thinking I'll get to eventually. But you're right, sometimes you gotta known when it's time to move one. The original video on this system was one of faves of yours! Great to see another player!
"...and you’ve settled into 2025. It still sounds like a date from a cheesy science fiction film to me...." For us 60's brats...Oh Yea. 100% Agree. Your fortitude in just trying whatever to get old equipment working is amazing, sir. Just Another Excellent Video. A wise man knows when to call it. Kudos on seeing the difference in the screws!
I have a reel tape that I recorded in the early '80s on a reel with tape from the early '60s...it sounds just as good today as when I recorded it...but head alignment matters...and the tape (sticky) might have lost a bunch of oxide.
The 1950s stereo tapes I’ve played in a couple of videos still sounds amazing. It’s possible that these carts might have been played for thousands of hours though. Maybe one day I’ll give in and rethread one onto a regular reel to find out how it sounds when played on decent equipment.
Thanks for sharing your efforts on this one, Mat! It's always frustrating when something can't be fixed, but it is still enjoyable going through the journey with you. P. S.: My ears were grateful when the outro music started 😁
Mat, if you see, drop me a mail. The ones I’ve got for you, keep bouncing. Andy AVAV Cheers
I was about to say I'd love to try and fix this for you. Then I remembered it's American voltage/frequency so definitely couldn't help. Jackery supply was definitely ok during this test? How do you charge the Jackery?
Fortunately the Jackery charger is a universal voltage power brick with a standard kettle lead socket.
You did a great soldering job, but since sound didn't change much it seems to tell these old caps may still be good after all this time.
From what I understand it’s the 1980s and 90s ones that tend to fail. These old ones were probably still working fine.
Pretty nice kit, that desolder station, for someone who doesn't know what they're doing. I suppose the definition of a professional is someone who gets paid for doing something. Oh, that's you 🙂 It takes a certain strength of character to know when to call it quits. I don't. I wonder how it would sound if the cart was re- recorded. Take a permanent erase magnet from an old cassettes recorder, stick it in place with blutac. Desolder the wires from a cassette recorder head and sold them directly onto The playhead of this player instead of it's own wires. Turn on the cart player and record using the inputs on the old cassette recorder. Then throw the cart in the bin because it's probably ruined.
Although Mat tried something similar in the past, I think a known good amplifier which could take the direct output from a play head would be a useful test device for him.
I've said this before...your tireless efforts to make whatever comes into your hands work, in one way or the other, is to your huge credit! Please keep on doing your thing, we're all here for that. Thanks as always, Mat!
Well thanks for that, it doesn’t feel as much of a wasted effort now.
That so called music, could make you a fortune, sell it to some shady organization for some evil purpose like getting folk to talk for example... "Please STOP THE MUSIC! I will tell you E V E R Y T H I N G I know NOW!"
Yes it’s definitely not the best, muffled or not.
You're doing it wrong (I've never soldered anything in my life)
I think that more than qualifies you as an internet expert.
• Holy mackerel, you weren't kidding when you said it's been a rough week. • I really enjoyed the capacitor replacement despite it not resolving the sound quality issue. • I think the date on that circuit board is 3 March 1978. I would have been nearly one month old at that time. I don't work as well as I used to, either. • These tracks have a bad polka flavor to them. Every time you turn off the music my ears rejoice, and I tend to tolerate BGM fairly well. • I'm amused by that YouTuber name CrapTwenty. • Doubtful, but are you expanding your studio into the micro spare bedroom? Here's hoping the invasive workers efforts prove worthwhile. • '2025' sounds like an apocalypse movie, and I'd expect an apocalypse after Monday. Enjoy your evening and take care. 🤍
I really don’t like having people round, but it’s a means to an end. It’s like going to the dentist or having a prostate exam, I’ll be glad when it’s over. It’s really odd at the moment because the media in the UK spends an inordinate amount of time talking about two individuals in the USA, whose antics should have zero impact on a late middle aged bloke living in Wigan. However even if their decisions did somehow have a bizarre transatlantic knock on effect, what do they expect me to do about it.
Because it looks so similar you have sent me down a 3M copies rabbit hole. https://clickamericana.com/topics/money-work/vintage-copy-machines-office-photocopiers-1960s-1970s-1980s
3M is an interesting company. I suspect someone has written a good book about them that I’d never get around to reading.
I liked this Mat, I know you battled with the repair going wrong videos. I liked it and it was good to see inside of it and, in a way, the spirit of "give it a go, no one will otherwise" I have an amplifier I cleaned and went on to protection after working absolutely fine before on my list.
I think you could categorise this one as a Shaggy Dog Story. It goes on a long time and nothing really happens in the end.
What an excellent video! This was absolutely excellent, and I never expected a TechMoan recap video :D
I’ve yet to see any benefit from replacing any capacitors, but I can guarantee if I hadn’t done it this time, the majority of the comments would be from people adamant that the sound issue was caused by them.
This one I consider a thoroughly satisfying repair video. Did you get the thing back into top-notch condition? No, but you did everything within your ability and although the sound quality was just as rubbish at the end as it was at the beginning, you did all you could and didn't make it any worse. And of course, we were all entertained in the process so all in all, a job well-done.👍🙂
I suppose there are worse ways to spend a week.
I'm so used to hearing percentages and turning them into approximate old school fractions in my head on the job that I've more or less settled into the fifth quarter instead.
Snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Annoying when you are sure you have found the issue, just to spend time and money to find out you just wasted the time and the money. On the plus side, you got more experience with soldering. I've been soldering regularly for 35 years and your finished solder joints looked ok to me.
But that’s because you’re a reasonable chap who doesn’t start every sentence with the word ‘Actually…”
Idontcare@mywheeliebin.com classic techmoan thanks for the laugh