Technics ST-8600 tuner - meaning of the jacks

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

(moved over from ra.misc)

I just bought an old Technics ST-8600 Tuner, about 28 years old.
I hooked the Output [Variable] on the back of the Tuner to the
Tuner input on my amp. The sound is lovely, with or without
an antenna.

But I'm confused by the other jacks at the back of the Tuner:

Output T A P E D E C K A M P - T U N E R 4 CH MPX OUT
Variable Rec Out Playback LineIn LineOut Horiz FM Mulipath
Vert
: : : : : :

so there are six x 2 (L-R) = 12 jacks at the back of
the unit. Tape Deck Playback seems to have extra shielding.

I have a tape deck, but it is connected to the Amp. Actually, I've run
out of Amp inputs, so if I can somehow connect the Tape Deck via the
Tuner and make the Amp think the Tuner & Tape Deck are just a Tape
Deck, I'd be happy. Is that the idea?

On the front of the tuner, there is a rec/playback switch with three
positions: amp source tape

So could I, for instance, connect the Tuner to the TapeDeck i/o of the
Amp, and the Cassette Deck to the TapeDeck i/o of the Tuner, and thus
free up an Aux input on my Amp? Would the rec/playback switch on the
Tuner thus allow me to record other devices attached to the Amp?

The last set of jacks don't seem to be useful to me, as I don't have
an oscilloscope.

Finally, I've noticed some play in the tuner knob. In other words,
I'll rotate the knob, but the pointer doesn't necessarily move, or
moves fitfully. The knob is tight and weighty and the torque feels
good. Is there something I can do about this?

There are some specs of this classic tuner at:
<a href="http/www.classic-audio.com/technics/ST-8600.html">Technics
Model ST-8600 Details Page <i>on www.classic-audio.com</i></a>

Thanks!

--
Jonathan Berry

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

On 14 Jul 2004 08:01:59 -0700, jberry@islandnet.com (Jonathan Berry)
wrote:

>I have a tape deck, but it is connected to the Amp. Actually, I've run
>out of Amp inputs, so if I can somehow connect the Tape Deck via the
>Tuner and make the Amp think the Tuner & Tape Deck are just a Tape
>Deck, I'd be happy. Is that the idea?
>
Yes.

>
>So could I, for instance, connect the Tuner to the TapeDeck i/o of the
>Amp, and the Cassette Deck to the TapeDeck i/o of the Tuner, and thus
>free up an Aux input on my Amp? Would the rec/playback switch on the
>Tuner thus allow me to record other devices attached to the Amp?
>
Yes. Connect the tape deck to the tuner and the tuner to the amp.

Gary E
--
|Gary A. Edelstein
|edelsgNO@SPAMyahoo.com.invalid (remove NO SPAM and .invalid to reply)
|"We have met the enemy and he is us." - Walt Kelly's Pogo

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

Thanks, Gary. I've had partial success, but first I want to tell you
about a result that seems "impossible" to me. The Tuner is connected
to the Amp via the Amp's Tape I/O. There is no device in the Amp's
"Tuner" input. The TapeDeck is connected to the Tuner. If I play a
tape in the deck, with the Tuner's rec/playback switch set to "AMP",
and I have the Amp's selector set to "Tuner", the tape comes through
like a bell. If I turn the Amp's tape monitor on, there is no sound.
This seems just the opposite of what I would expect. All three
devices are Technics products (though not matched in any way). If I
connect a device to the "Tuner" input on the Amp (e.g. the Tuner
itself), both devices get amplified at the same time.

One success is that if I connect the Amp's Tape > Rec out to the
Tuner's Amp/Tuner > Line In, the TapeDeck hears the CD player through
the Aux input, even with both the Amp and Tuner powered down.
Connecting the Amp to the Tuner "the other way" doesn't work.

However, I have not discovered a way for the Tuner itself to be
amplified unless I connect the Tuner's Variable Output to the Amp's
Tuner input (which I had been using for the TV). Thus the Amp now has
one more device to play than it has inputs. Among the four extra sets
of jacks on the back of the Tuner, only the Tape Deck > Line Out seems
to send the tuner signal along.

I'm hopeful that because of the "impossible" result, it's just a
problem with the way I have things connected and perhaps this can be
worked out.

Gary A. Edelstein <edelsgNO@SPAMyahoo.com.invalid> wrote in message news:<ceraf0p1jfa4q3i98tk026n8jolmvd0uas@4ax.com>...
> On 14 Jul 2004 08:01:59 -0700, jberry@islandnet.com (Jonathan Berry)
> wrote:
>
> >I have a tape deck, but it is connected to the Amp. Actually, I've run
> >out of Amp inputs, so if I can somehow connect the Tape Deck via the
> >Tuner and make the Amp think the Tuner & Tape Deck are just a Tape
> >Deck, I'd be happy. Is that the idea?
> >
> Yes.
>
> >
> >So could I, for instance, connect the Tuner to the TapeDeck i/o of the
> >Amp, and the Cassette Deck to the TapeDeck i/o of the Tuner, and thus
> >free up an Aux input on my Amp? Would the rec/playback switch on the
> >Tuner thus allow me to record other devices attached to the Amp?
> >
> Yes. Connect the tape deck to the tuner and the tuner to the amp.
>
> Gary E

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

Gary A. Edelstein <edelsgNO@SPAMyahoo.com.invalid> wrote in message news:<ceraf0p1jfa4q3i98tk026n8jolmvd0uas@4ax.com>...
> On 14 Jul 2004 08:01:59 -0700, jberry@islandnet.com (Jonathan Berry)
> wrote:
>
> >I have a tape deck, but it is connected to the Amp. Actually, I've run
> >out of Amp inputs, so if I can somehow connect the Tape Deck via the
> >Tuner and make the Amp think the Tuner & Tape Deck are just a Tape
> >Deck, I'd be happy. Is that the idea?
> >
> Yes.
>
> >
> >So could I, for instance, connect the Tuner to the TapeDeck i/o of the
> >Amp, and the Cassette Deck to the TapeDeck i/o of the Tuner, and thus
> >free up an Aux input on my Amp? Would the rec/playback switch on the
> >Tuner thus allow me to record other devices attached to the Amp?
> >
> Yes. Connect the tape deck to the tuner and the tuner to the amp.
>
> Gary E

How can you connect a tape deck to a tuner? It has to be the other way
around. The tuner connects to the record/ in jacks of the tape deck,
then the tape deck connects it's out/play jacks to the amp. To listen
to the tuner you push tape on the amp, then set the tape deck to
monitor it's recording input, the tuner. On older tape decks you may
have to leave the tape deck in record-pause mode to have it monitor
the tuner.

CD

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

You haven't been following this thread. This tuner does indeed have various
input jacks etc. Almost more of a pre-amp tuner combo.

Mark Z.

--
Please reply only to Group. I regret this is necessary. Viruses and spam
have rendered my regular e-mail address useless.


"Codifus" <codifus@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:7d43e2e8.0407171642.4bee463d@posting.google.com...
> Gary A. Edelstein <edelsgNO@SPAMyahoo.com.invalid> wrote in message
news:<ceraf0p1jfa4q3i98tk026n8jolmvd0uas@4ax.com>...
> > On 14 Jul 2004 08:01:59 -0700, jberry@islandnet.com (Jonathan Berry)
> > wrote:
> >
> > >I have a tape deck, but it is connected to the Amp. Actually, I've run
> > >out of Amp inputs, so if I can somehow connect the Tape Deck via the
> > >Tuner and make the Amp think the Tuner & Tape Deck are just a Tape
> > >Deck, I'd be happy. Is that the idea?
> > >
> > Yes.
> >
> > >
> > >So could I, for instance, connect the Tuner to the TapeDeck i/o of the
> > >Amp, and the Cassette Deck to the TapeDeck i/o of the Tuner, and thus
> > >free up an Aux input on my Amp? Would the rec/playback switch on the
> > >Tuner thus allow me to record other devices attached to the Amp?
> > >
> > Yes. Connect the tape deck to the tuner and the tuner to the amp.
> >
> > Gary E
>
> How can you connect a tape deck to a tuner? It has to be the other way
> around. The tuner connects to the record/ in jacks of the tape deck,
> then the tape deck connects it's out/play jacks to the amp. To listen
> to the tuner you push tape on the amp, then set the tape deck to
> monitor it's recording input, the tuner. On older tape decks you may
> have to leave the tape deck in record-pause mode to have it monitor
> the tuner.
>
> CD

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

Codifus, here is the jack array on the Tuner, in case you missed it:

"I just bought an old Technics ST-8600 Tuner, about 28 years old.
I hooked the Output [Variable] on the back of the Tuner to the
Tuner input on my amp. The sound is lovely, with or without
an antenna.

But I'm confused by the other jacks at the back of the Tuner:

Output T A P E D E C K A M P - T U N E R 4 CH MPX OUT
Variable Rec Out Playback LineIn LineOut Horiz FM Mulipath
Vert
: : : : : :

so there are six x 2 (L-R) = 12 jacks at the back of the unit. Tape
Deck Playback has two removable dummy terminators which I guess
provide shielding."

This was a fancy tuner for its time, costing over $300 sometimes.
Codifus, I might follow your advice anyway, because that would solve
my problem of not having enough inputs to the amp. However, what
would the 2 sets of jacks for "AMP-TUNER" be for in that case? I was
kind of hoping that an owner or former owner of this tuner (or another
with the same design philosophy) would provide the simple answer.


"Mark D. Zacharias" <mzacharias@yis.us> wrote in message news:<2lu8piFh0jggU1@uni-berlin.de>...
> You haven't been following this thread. This tuner does indeed have various
> input jacks etc. Almost more of a pre-amp tuner combo.
>
> Mark Z.
>
> "Codifus" <codifus@optonline.net> wrote in message
> news:7d43e2e8.0407171642.4bee463d@posting.google.com...
> > Gary A. Edelstein <edelsgNO@SPAMyahoo.com.invalid> wrote in message
> news:<ceraf0p1jfa4q3i98tk026n8jolmvd0uas@4ax.com>...
> > > On 14 Jul 2004 08:01:59 -0700, jberry@islandnet.com (Jonathan Berry)
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > >I have a tape deck, but it is connected to the Amp. Actually, I've run
> > > >out of Amp inputs, so if I can somehow connect the Tape Deck via the
> > > >Tuner and make the Amp think the Tuner & Tape Deck are just a Tape
> > > >Deck, I'd be happy. Is that the idea?
> > > >
> > > Yes.
> > >
> > > >
> > > >So could I, for instance, connect the Tuner to the TapeDeck i/o of the
> > > >Amp, and the Cassette Deck to the TapeDeck i/o of the Tuner, and thus
> > > >free up an Aux input on my Amp? Would the rec/playback switch on the
> > > >Tuner thus allow me to record other devices attached to the Amp?
> > > >
> > > Yes. Connect the tape deck to the tuner and the tuner to the amp.
> > >
> > > Gary E
> >
> > How can you connect a tape deck to a tuner? It has to be the other way
> > around. The tuner connects to the record/ in jacks of the tape deck,
> > then the tape deck connects it's out/play jacks to the amp. To listen
> > to the tuner you push tape on the amp, then set the tape deck to
> > monitor it's recording input, the tuner. On older tape decks you may
> > have to leave the tape deck in record-pause mode to have it monitor
> > the tuner.
> >
> > CD

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

On 17 Jul 2004 12:33:55 -0700, jberry@islandnet.com (Jonathan Berry)
wrote:

>Thanks, Gary. I've had partial success, but first I want to tell you
>about a result that seems "impossible" to me. The Tuner is connected
>to the Amp via the Amp's Tape I/O. There is no device in the Amp's
>"Tuner" input. The TapeDeck is connected to the Tuner. If I play a
>tape in the deck, with the Tuner's rec/playback switch set to "AMP",
>and I have the Amp's selector set to "Tuner", the tape comes through
>like a bell. If I turn the Amp's tape monitor on, there is no sound.
>This seems just the opposite of what I would expect. All three
>devices are Technics products (though not matched in any way). If I
>connect a device to the "Tuner" input on the Amp (e.g. the Tuner
>itself), both devices get amplified at the same time.
>
>One success is that if I connect the Amp's Tape > Rec out to the
>Tuner's Amp/Tuner > Line In, the TapeDeck hears the CD player through
>the Aux input, even with both the Amp and Tuner powered down.
>Connecting the Amp to the Tuner "the other way" doesn't work.
>
>However, I have not discovered a way for the Tuner itself to be
>amplified unless I connect the Tuner's Variable Output to the Amp's
>Tuner input (which I had been using for the TV). Thus the Amp now has
>one more device to play than it has inputs. Among the four extra sets
>of jacks on the back of the Tuner, only the Tape Deck > Line Out seems
>to send the tuner signal along.
>
>I'm hopeful that because of the "impossible" result, it's just a
>problem with the way I have things connected and perhaps this can be
>worked out.
>
You may have hooked it up incorrectly. Here's what I suggest, now
that I know your tape in/out is actually a tape monitor loop. The
rule of thumb is out to in and in to out. I'm going to call your main
amp a receiver to avoid confusion.

Tuner Amp-Tuner Line Out to receiver Tape In (or Tape Monitor In or
Playback)
Tuner Amp-Tuner Line In to receiver Tape Out (or Tape Monitor Out or
Rec)

Tuner Tape Deck Rec Out to Tape Deck Line In (or Rec)
Tuner Tape Deck Playback to Tape Deck Line Out (or Playback)

Modes:

To listen to tuner: Tape deck monitor on receiver switched in (or to
tape). Tuner rec/playback switch on source.

To listen to tape deck: Tape deck monitor on receiver switched in.
Tuner rec/playback switch on tape.

To record from a source hooked into the receiver except the tuner:
Tuner rec/playback switch on amp.

To record from the tuner: Tuner rec/playback switch on source.

To listen to another source other than the tuner or tape deck: Tape
deck monitor on receiver switched out (or to source).

Try this and let us know if you still have problems.

Gary E
--
|Gary A. Edelstein
|edelsgNO@SPAMyahoo.com.invalid (remove NO SPAM and .invalid to reply)
|"We have met the enemy and he is us." - Walt Kelly's Pogo

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

Gary A. Edelstein <edelsgNO@SPAMyahoo.com.invalid> wrote in message news:<u60of0trl8ipg4719f1vaa69q39mp1t1bd@4ax.com>...

Thanks again, Gary! Still not quite there. See below.

> On 17 Jul 2004 12:33:55 -0700, jberry@islandnet.com (Jonathan Berry)
> wrote:
>
> >Thanks, Gary. I've had partial success, but first I want to tell you
> >about a result that seems "impossible" to me. The Tuner is connected
> >to the Amp via the Amp's Tape I/O. There is no device in the Amp's
> >"Tuner" input. The TapeDeck is connected to the Tuner. If I play a
> >tape in the deck, with the Tuner's rec/playback switch set to "AMP",
> >and I have the Amp's selector set to "Tuner", the tape comes through
> >like a bell. If I turn the Amp's tape monitor on, there is no sound.
> >This seems just the opposite of what I would expect. All three
> >devices are Technics products (though not matched in any way). If I
> >connect a device to the "Tuner" input on the Amp (e.g. the Tuner
> >itself), both devices get amplified at the same time.
> >
> >One success is that if I connect the Amp's Tape > Rec out to the
> >Tuner's Amp/Tuner > Line In, the TapeDeck hears the CD player through
> >the Aux input, even with both the Amp and Tuner powered down.
> >Connecting the Amp to the Tuner "the other way" doesn't work.
> >
> >However, I have not discovered a way for the Tuner itself to be
> >amplified unless I connect the Tuner's Variable Output to the Amp's
> >Tuner input (which I had been using for the TV). Thus the Amp now has
> >one more device to play than it has inputs. Among the four extra sets
> >of jacks on the back of the Tuner, only the Tape Deck > Line Out seems
> >to send the tuner signal along.
> >
> >I'm hopeful that because of the "impossible" result, it's just a
> >problem with the way I have things connected and perhaps this can be
> >worked out.
> >
> You may have hooked it up incorrectly. Here's what I suggest, now
> that I know your tape in/out is actually a tape monitor loop. The
> rule of thumb is out to in and in to out. I'm going to call your main
> amp a receiver to avoid confusion.
>
> Tuner Amp-Tuner Line Out to receiver Tape In (or Tape Monitor In or
> Playback)
> Tuner Amp-Tuner Line In to receiver Tape Out (or Tape Monitor Out or
> Rec)

As I had it

> Tuner Tape Deck Rec Out to Tape Deck Line In (or Rec)
> Tuner Tape Deck Playback to Tape Deck Line Out (or Playback)

Oops, I was reversed. Dummy me.

> Modes:
>
> To listen to tuner: Tape deck monitor on receiver switched in (or to
> tape). Tuner rec/playback switch on source.

Does not work. No sound.

> To listen to tape deck: Tape deck monitor on receiver switched in.
> Tuner rec/playback switch on tape.

Works

> To record from a source hooked into the receiver except the tuner:
> Tuner rec/playback switch on amp.

Works

> To record from the tuner: Tuner rec/playback switch on source.

Works (and thank goodness for the Input Level knob on the tape deck
because the Aux device coming through the "receiver" is way louder
than the Tuner)

> To listen to another source other than the tuner or tape deck: Tape
> deck monitor on receiver switched out (or to source).

Works

> Try this and let us know if you still have problems.

Just the one problem now! Maybe a circuit in the Tuner is blown!? Or
maybe it's designed that you have to use the Variable Output jacks.

Thanks,

--
Jonathan Berry

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

On 19 Jul 2004 15:39:54 -0700, jberry@islandnet.com (Jonathan Berry)
wrote:

>> Modes:
>>
>> To listen to tuner: Tape deck monitor on receiver switched in (or to
>> tape). Tuner rec/playback switch on source.
>
>Does not work. No sound.
>
Try: Tape deck monitor on receiver switched in (or to tape). Tuner
rec/playback switch on amp instead of source.

If it doesn't work then hook up the variable output to another input
on your receiver (amp), as you've already tried successfully.

Gary E
--
|Gary A. Edelstein
|edelsgNO@SPAMyahoo.com.invalid (remove NO SPAM and .invalid to reply)
|"We have met the enemy and he is us." - Walt Kelly's Pogo