Brand New tape cartridge for your Echoplex, Tubeplex and Fulltone tape echo machine in a 3D printed case. Loaded with NOS Echoplex tape for long lasting high quality tone. The best part about our new tape cartridge is it's RE LOADABLE. Thats right. When the tape wears out all you need to do is send it to Orbit Electronix and they will reload it with brand new tape. This means that THIS cartridge is the ONLY one you need. It can be reloaded with new tape over and over. No more hunting around for new tape cartridges EVER AGAIN!!!

Some info about the tape used:
"Mastering tape" is OK for a $30,000 Studer machine. Mastering tape is not bad for your heads. POOR maintenance is bad for your heads. There IS no lubed tape in production, so mastering tape is the best we have now.

The echoplex tape design is really poor, the tape just hangs out of the cartridge as you can see in the picture. It can get crimped or mangled in shipping. So please don't expect to get a perfect tape, I'm sorry for the poor design but it's not our fault if the tape is bad so please don't order if that would upset you. if the tape is bad, please Contact Orbit and they can rewind it for you and maybe it won't get ruined in shipping again (but it might). I will stop selling these tapes if we have to spend time dealing with returns and complaints, but I want to make them available for people who understand that this machine and it's tapes are very temperamental. Please don't order if you are nervous about this, thank you!

NO RETURNS FOR ANY REASON, EVEN IF YOU DID NOT OPEN THE PACKAGE. Sell it on ebay or reverb if you don't want it, thanks for understanding.


INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Removing Old Cartridge:

Turn Power Off.

Remove 2 thumbscrews and remove the plastic tape deck cover.

Observe the present path of the tape and the manner in which pressure pad is now installed.
Remove pressure pad.

Remove the tape from between the capstan and the pressure roller (B). Remove tape from the sliding head (D) and the plastic roller spool (E).

Remove the 2 thumbscrews (A). This will unfasten old cartridge. Remove the old tape cartridge. NOTE - this is a good time to clean heads, rollers and capstan. Use a cotton swab dipped in head cleaning solution. Do NOT use any metallic object to scrape heads, as the slightest scratch on the head surface will permanently damage the head.

2. Installing New Cartridge:

Secure new cartridge in place with two thumbscrews, Thread tape around roller (E), Thread tape between the sliding record head and its two guides (D). Now thread tape past playback head (C) and between capstan and the pressure roller (B).

Hold the tape in the plastic roller (E) and install the pressure pad with the felt part against the tape on the spool. Pull excess tape past the capstan. Now momentarily snap the power on, then off, and watch tape flow to make sure it runs properly.

If tape runs properly replace the plastic cover and install the thumbscrews.

On the older tube type Echoplex, should the tape not return smoothly to the cartridge, it is necessary to raise the low end of the tape cartridge. This can be done by placing washers or cardboard of about 1/8 thickness under the cartridge at the left thumb screw (A).

The following is a suggestion to help prolong the life of an Echoplex Tape Cartridge.

Do not turn unit on at this time. Remove deck cover from Echoplex unit and note position of tape before turning unit on.

This represents the normal tape path. A new cartridge or one that has not run for a prolonged period of time will take a "set" in the oval shape of the cartridge.

New and old tapes can feed more tape out than is rewound for a short period of time. This happens until the tape becomes more pliable and loses this "set". When the machine is turned on for the first time, watch the tape and make sure it does not twist, turn over, or become tangled in any of the mechanism. If this happens, turn machine off and correct the problem. Tum unit on again and watch for any further problem. When tape is running in its normal path replace the cover and your Echoplex is ready for use.

We recommend that the felt part on the pressure pad be cleaned often. After several hours of running, remove the pressure pad and strike it against the corner of a table; Re-instalt the pressure pad.
This will remove any accumulation of oxide and graphite