triceratops Posted April 3, 2004 Share Posted April 3, 2004 I picked up a used Nakamichi Dragon cassette deck with no manual. Can anyone offer any insight into how I go about setting the bank of 12 level and bias controls on the front panel? Anyone have a PDF of the owner's manual? Thanks for any and all help! Best in horns, triceratops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1stcav Posted April 3, 2004 Share Posted April 3, 2004 Artto still owns the DRAGON if I'm not mistaken...he may be able to provide you with a copy of the manual. I bought my DRAGON back in '83, but like a fool I sold it many years ago thinking that I'd never listen to cassettes again (how wrong I was, and now own a newer DR-1, which is nice, but no DRAGON)! If I'm not mistaken, each tape type (standard ferric (EX), chrome/ferricobalt (SX), and metal (ZX) tapes) have their own seperate set of bias and record-level control knobs per channel (L&R). To set the bias and level calibration for recording onto a blank metal tape for example, you'd depress the ZX button, then to adjust the bias, press the Bias (15kHz) button to generate the test oscillator tone, and turn the left and right channel knobs and calibrate the proper setting for this tape on the LED peak level meters (I don't remember where on the meter exactly). Then repeat the process for the recording level by depressing the Level (400Hz) and adjusting the left and right knobs under that button to set the level for this tape. Hope this helps. Good luck with your "new" Nakamichi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klipsch Employees Trey Cannon Posted April 4, 2004 Klipsch Employees Share Posted April 4, 2004 Try contacting www.soundtowne.com this is where I frist started selling klipsch. We sold that unit...They may still have an owners manual...ask Bruce or Todd... Bruce is the owner, Todd the right hand man.....Tell them I sent you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triceratops Posted April 4, 2004 Author Share Posted April 4, 2004 jt1stcav and Trey-- Thanks for your replies! I bought the unit from the original owner's son and he found the box, but the manual is still AWOL. jt1stcav, do you think the meters are set for a typical recording level like 0 dB when adjusting these bias and level controls? I'll try artto and see if he might have a copy and will also drop a line to soundtowne. Thanks again! Best in horns, triceratops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1stcav Posted April 4, 2004 Share Posted April 4, 2004 For the life of me, I just don't recall anymore if the calibration level on the LED meter is at 0dB or higher depending on the tape type. My DR-1 is totally different, and you only set the bias on this deck. I wish for your sake I could remember, but it has escaped me! Hopefully Artto can scan his manual for you (if he has one). Probably no sense in contacting Nakamichi directly seeing how they don't manufacture cassette decks, amps, preamps, receivers, or even DVD players anymore. Since ol' man Niro Nakamichi is heading up a new audio firm (http://www.niro1.com/en/index.html), Nakamichi is only a shadow of its former self. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdepot Posted April 4, 2004 Share Posted April 4, 2004 Try calling Jeff Galin at www.eslabs.com They worked on a 682ZX for me and it works like new. Not inexpensive but quality work shouldn't be expected to be cheap. I suspect that he would have a manual to copy or be able to talk you through the calibration process. Old Naks sound great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triceratops Posted April 4, 2004 Author Share Posted April 4, 2004 Good News! I got a response from the Naks website and was referred to a link to downloading a Dragon manual: http://members.lycos.nl/audiofriends/manuals/Nakamichi%20Dragon.pdf I'm up and running now! Thanks to all for the help! Best in horns, triceratops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1stcav Posted April 4, 2004 Share Posted April 4, 2004 Good for you. You'll be pleased with the DRAGON, it's one helluva cassette deck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted April 5, 2004 Share Posted April 5, 2004 yes, I have a dragon & can help you. email me if you need to. too much to post here right now. I might add.....CAUTION! DO NOT USE MONORUAL TAPES IN IT! The automatic azimuth alignment uses the phase differences between the 2 channels to determine the optimum azimuth alignment of the playback heads. Playing back a tape that was recorded in mono virtually guarantees the tape will be eaten as the heads pivot & keep trying to find 2 channels for phase differences that don't exist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klipsch Employees Trey Cannon Posted April 5, 2004 Klipsch Employees Share Posted April 5, 2004 Good call Artto....I forgot about that...well it was 1983-4 the last time I played with the dragon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1stcav Posted April 5, 2004 Share Posted April 5, 2004 I sold mine back in '91 (stupid move on my part), so I forgot all the fun I had making recordings of all my LPs and CDs for the tape player in my car. I almost bought this used DRAGON on eBay last year, but it was either that or the BEZ 6SN7 preamp and 300B SET amp. Hell, I still haven't received the 300B amp yet, but I'm glad I settled on the tube gear. My Nakamichi DR-1 will have to do, I suppose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triceratops Posted April 5, 2004 Author Share Posted April 5, 2004 Thanks to all for the suggestions. Artto, thanks for your offer and for your insight about the mono tapes! Last night I was playing a live Tom Petty tape I recorded at Memorial Auditorium in Louisville, Ky in 1978. I recorded it on my old Sony TC-152SD with a hand-held stereo mike, which I'm sure had very little separation. But I guess it was enough of a stereo signal that the tape survived. Now that I know about the auto azimuth function, I can watch to see if the machine is locking in or searching for a proper alignment in vain! jt1stcavcool photo! It seems like there are still plenty of these Nak machines out there with lots of life left in them. Youll certainly be able to snag another Dragon someday Best in horns (and analog signal sources), triceratops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1stcav Posted April 5, 2004 Share Posted April 5, 2004 Thanks, but that's okay. I have my DR-1 (need to hook it up again now that I have a preamp). She may not be as pretty as the DRAGON, but my DR-1 still gets the job done, plus she sounds just as good as the DRAGON but without the added cost IMO! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 I had the Nak RX-505 which I thought was a tremendous unit, I traded it 4 years ago for a Nakamichi DVD-10 DVD Player. Prior to that I had a Teac R-888X and a R-999X both fantastic cassette decks. I gave away all my tapes that I had purhcased and recorded after I traded the Nak 505. The tapes I was purchasing while stationed overseas in the USAF were the TDK MAX-G's, you know the killer ones with the Metal frames and Metal tape. With a DBX Range Controller and Dolby C and played back in my Nakamichi TD-500 car deck they sounded awesome. I don't miss tapes though. I still have a deck for my little girls tapes a Pioneer CT-S88R that is a decent deck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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