This was a pretty good tutorial. One thing I would add to this is that I've found a high quality JVC cassette deck at the Goodwill store that had had very little maintenance over its life. When I got my newest treasure home and played a tape, I found that the tape levels were rather low and the sound wasn't very good. And this was after I tried to thoroughly clean the heads. Eventually, I found that there was some very stubborn tape oxide on the head that had built up to the point where it lifted the tape slightly away from the playback head. No amount of Q tips and alcohol would clean this old tape residue off. I had to use my fingernail and very lightly scrape the oxide away from the head manually. After it was really clean, the deck played like a dream and sounded wonderful.
Thanks for posting this excellent video! I've just acquired an AKAI GXC-715D deck to add to my hi-fi, and its been many,many years since I used cassette. This video has been a great 'reminder' for setting up and maintenance. Thanks!
I have a cassette shaped demagnetizer that I bought at Radio Shack about 10 years ago, and it still works. It has a button cell battery inside, an LED indicator light in the center of the shell, a small microchip with wires running from it into the main demagnetizer in the center of the shell, where the playback/recording head usually goes to read the tape.(like in cassette adapters, where the head lines up with the deck's head). When you press play, the playback/record head pulls forward in the machine & the head presses on the demagnetizer assembly. When the head presses on it, it triggers the prongs attached to the demagnetizer which then turns on the demagnetizer. Since there's no hubs or any movement in the cassette shaped demagnetizer, the deck will automatically shut itself off in a second or two. And that's exactly how much time you need to demagnetize the tape head(s). You need to make sure that the volume is completely turned down or it might blow and damage your speakers. There would be that loud tone sound even when the volume is at low setting when demagnetizing, that's why they recommend to completely turn down the volume.
A very helpful tutorial, thank you very much! I just got a Nakamichi cassette deck, so I'm having to learn all the ins and outs of tapes all over again. It's much appreciated.
(continued from my last comment) At the time, I didn't care as much about compatibly with other people's tape decks, but I did want my own recordings to sound the best as possible, when I played them on my Walkman. Since the Walkman had no way to adjust azimuth, and since I wanted Dolby B to work properly (alignment is even more crucial when Dolby NR is involved). I would actually realign the heads on my home recording deck, to best match the Walkman! Truly, a trial and error process!
The 4-track head method for auto reverse, is found in some PLAY ONLY cassette decks. No consumer record deck does this, as it would also require a second erase head which would needlessly add to the complexity of the design - not to mention, additional drag on the tape.
A much easier way to de-mag the heads is with a TDK HD-01 cassette head demagnetizer. You have to change the battery every few years but it is simple. Just pop in the cassette shaped demagnetizer, press play and a little light will go on when done. I've had my HD-01 for over 35 years and it works.
Normally, you would find the dual capstan arrangement on auto-revesre decks, where the pinch roller on the right side engages if you're playing Side A and the one on the left side engages for Side B. Nakamichi however, used both at the same time to better stabilize the tape, as it runs across the heads. Since this design completely eliminates the need for the pressure pad inside the cassette, there is a cage around the head that lifts the pressure pad off the tape during play/record.
I just got a Technics RS-B965 deck.I was very dirty with signs of nicotine.At first it seemed to work pretty well but on day two problems started.When pressng play it would work a few seconds then shut off.The transport was noisy and it tried to eat a couple of tapes.I also noticed during recording on day one the dbx would shut off at times.I cleaned and demaged the heads the best I could but I think it needs a good lube and detail job by someone qualified...any thoughts?
I've found (on two separate players) that if you apply a bit of light pressure on the play button when your playing the tape the sound is much better does this mean a height alignment issue?
I've experienced the problem of incomplete erasion of previous recordings, when recording OVER a recording, i.e. I could still faintly hear the previous recording that I'd recorded OVER, any idea what this means ?
Nice! I have a B&O Beocord 5000 cassette player and it worked perfectly just some months ago then I haven't used it. Just moved it. For some reason when I turn it on, now the capstan is spinning when power on? and when I press in a tape it tries to play and 1 sec after it just shuts off? Any idea why?? All the best!
Unfortunately, none of the newer Walkman models I've had, actually have an easy way to adjust azimuth. The head is generally fixed in position, and not by set screws :( I stand corrected, on the Dragon.
I got one from Radio Shack. Bought it 10 years ago and it still works. It has a button cell battery inside and an LED light in the center of the shell.
I changed the belts, the entire machine works. I cleaned the head only. The rewind and forward works and evreything spins around, except when using the play mode, you will see that the second wheel does not spin, so you will hear the music well but after 30 seconds it will eat the cassette. Please help me! Any suggestions! I use the sony tmc 4000
Thanks for the information on cleaning Cassette decks. I use the 91% Alcohol To clean the metal tape path. On my Four Nakamichi Tape Decks. I have read it is not good to use 91 % Alcohol on the rubber pinch rollers Please explain Thanks Jeff
@FelixTheHouseFreak Pull back slowly and unplug the demagnetizer after you have it at least three feet away. That will reduce the magnetic field very slowly and leave the head at neutral. Move from part to part in the machine slowly, as well. You gotta sort of look like a sloth while you're doing it :) JC
Do you know of a device that automatically aligns the two screws on each side of the heads of a dual cassette deck? I tried by hand and one cassette sounds clear, while another one doesn't. I would like these screws to be factory aligned and proper epoxy to keep the screws from moving again. I stupidly, when i was young messed with the screws when a cassette sounded muddy. SMH!
Which model do you have? I would imagine that yours is probably one of the older ones, made before they decided to start making the tape transport mechanisms out of cheap plastic. I was referring to many of the cheaper plastic ones that were available in stores from the late 1990s to just a few years ago. I've gone through a few of those myself (with my constant use and abuse, they never lasted more than a year or so).
I have a question. I have an older Sony rack Audio system.The cassette player, the stobs (capstans??) that the cassette sits on aren't turning to record from the CD. The lights are lit up indicating it is recording......but the tape isn't moving. What's wrong and how do I fix it???
My tape deck plays and I hear music but the wheel on the right is not spinning and the tape is getting bunched up on that side in the player How do I fix that? TIA
Hi Scotty D, If pre recorded cassettes with Dolby b sound fine with no Dolby b switched on the deck, but soon as you switch Dolby on they sound dull and crappy does that mean the azimuth is out, or more likely to do with the Dolby levels Thanks
@@jeffrymiekevanoort3953 Dolby B reduces tape hiss by boosting the high frequencies that are recorded. When Dolby B is off or a Dolby B tape is played in a non-dolby deck you hear the boosted higher frequencies. Some people prefer this and frequently record with Dolby on and listen with it off to get a better sound on cheap tape. This is assuming they don't have bad tape hiss. When Dolby is turned on the high frequencies are reduced, along with the background hiss. The recording sounds as it would normally but the hiss drops through the floor. To get lower hiss as well as better recording of higher frequencies people use better tapes. Type 2 tapes are much better than the generic type 1 tapes (there are variations). Type 4 is best but good luck finding those! So take a type 1 tape, record with Dolby B, play with no Dolby on = nicer sounding audio while cheaper than using Chrome (type 2) tape. However if you add an equaliser with your tape deck you can turn on Dolby to kill the hiss and use the equaliser to boost the highs.
I noticed that I have a portable boom box that introduces a slight click/pop every second onto the tape during playback. I have been told that this is possible when the capstan becomes magnetized in a specific spot. All I know is a few of my tapes have begun to pick up a slight click or pop on the left channel after making a pass through this one player. Anyone else heard of this. I can take it to be demagnetized. Has anyone seen a tape player do this from being magnetized?
This has happened to some of my tapes when I record to them. The recorder was cheap and well used. I don't know what the cause is but I don't think it's the capstan as it rotates faster than once per second. Perhaps the pinch roller has a buildup of oxide that is doing it. The roller will rotate slower than the capstan so might be what imprints a magnetic field.
Thanks, needed the info! One more question. You said if i accidentally unplugged the demagnetizer while it was working it could leave a stronger magnetic charge on the head and parts. So knowing this, is there a proper way to pull back the demagnetizer from the head? I assume kind of like a screen degausser were you have to pull it back away slowly? Thanks again!
That could also be the record/ play switch... it will be inside the machine 2 to 4 inches long ... give it a shot electrical contact cleaner and work the switch a few times and any degraded contacts inside to the switch will be cleaned/de-oxidized and make the good connections inside the switch
Hi there - I really hope you can help me. You are the only expert that has explained Cassett maintenance so clearly. However, more specifically, I need help with cassette players found in 80s toys. Similar to a Walkman, how do I fix Wow and flutter on one of those toy cassette players ? Thank you so much.
Likely the belts are causing the wow/flutter. A belt can have the correct size, yet still cause excess W/F. If there is a way to get to them and see if they are worn or if they need replacement, I would recommend starting there.
use 91% alcohol on the heads and capstan but not the rubber on the pinch roller. Alcohol will dry and possibly crack the rubber over time. use a rubber cleaner.
Actually luke warm (NOT hot) distilled water will do a reasonably good job but you will just have to do a little more work to get the tape residue off. Although in most quality decks made from the early 80s and beyond the pinch roller is not made of pure rubber and can be cleaned with alcohol as well. But distilled water is still the safest method.
NICE! Summing to mono like that, is exactly the way I align my tape decks before dubbing each cassette. I've found that many prerecorded cassettes (often from the same company) are made on machines with different azimuth adjustments. I have even come across quite a few that require realignment for Side B! I know it's not the fault of a warped/worn pressure pad, because both Nakamichi decks I own are dual capstan.
My 'new' car that I just bought a 2001 Alero says 'clean heads' when I put a cassette tape in. Any tips on cleaning the tape heads in my car cassette player? Mark
I used to have one of cassettes that demagnetize your heads, it had a battery inside it. you put the machine in play for a few seconds and it would demagnetize.
OK Bri.G i have the same cassette: it's a TDK and seems to have done its work quite well, but how is it that in all cleaning&demag. tutorials this kind of cassette is never mentioned? Could it be that it doesn't do the work properly? Any idea?
The thing is about the cassette demag tape cartridge... it ONLY does the head ... there is at least one more metal part (the capstan itself should be included as part of demagging the tape path ... any metal part the tape touches should be included in addition to the audio head ... an electric erase head isn't really a neccessary one because it will be de-magnitized when the unit records ... leave the permanent magnet type erase head alone all together
Nope. In the later years, there were several Walkman models which used normal heads, and had them mounted in place with plastic guides. There were no spring loaded set screws, and therefore no way to re-adjust azimuth once it left the factory.
Oh and also, bit of a silly question should i expect any sound from the demagnetizer? Just making sure mine isnt dead hahah. I plugged it in and i was expecting perhaps a 60hz hum to come out of it but that doesnt happen.
You misunderstand me. The older Walkman units did let you adjust the azimuth. In the later cheaply made Walkman units when most parts changed from metal to cheap plastic however, the head COULD NOT adjusted on these cheaper units becuase in order to cut down on cost, the spring loaded set screws were replaced with cheap plastic mounts. The heads were often misaligned when they left the factory, and there was no way to fix this.
Hmm ... as of early May 2019, someone on eBay was selling a black, dual-cassette-deck boombox made in 1990. As of February 22, 2022, I can end the mystery and state that it is (or ("was") a Fisher PH-D800. The sound system has auto-reverse technology in Tape Deck 1 (the non-recording deck), perhaps not in both decks. It has detachable speakers and a built-in single-disc CD player. The item is interesting but it is also flawed. (Why else would the item be sold?) Part of the brief description of one tape deck of the item states "...when playing a tape it just sounds like static, could be a [sic] easy fix." Is that true? Would such a problem be an "easy fix"? What's even more disappointing is that the description does not say whether it is Tape 2 (the recording deck) or Tape 1 that has the "sounds like static" problem. (Shrug) Could the problem simply be with the audiocassette that the seller tested the stereo with? (Oh, you wish LOL. Though I have this pre-recorded, professionally mastered tape of early 1980s performances of the works of Tchaikovsky. That cassette has an awful screech for much of the playback. It doesn't seem to matter whether it's played with auto-reverse or non-auto-reverse cassette decks. Even the non-recording deck of a CD "burner" that we have at home doesn't play that tape well SMH. I bought that tape as one of three used music cassettes on eBay in early 2017. I doubt that I've ever listened to that Tchaikovsky tape in full because of that awful screech. There was this tiny felt part that had come loose underneath the audiotape itself. I did a bit of repair on it using Gorilla Glue or Krazy Glue, but that didn't seem to help with the sound at all. Amazingly, a RUclips thumbnail showing a guy holding an older audiocassette and describing "the Cassette Tape Pressure Pad" was sitting for a while in the "Up Next" column next to this long message of mine. NOW I know what to call that "tiny felt part" SMH) Or could the “rather low” problem with the “tape levels” of the “high quality JVC cassette deck” bought from a Goodwill store (in 2018?) by commenter THOMMGB be the same problem that afflicts at least one tape deck of the Fisher PH-D800 that I have in mind?
When JC mentions "RCA cables", he is referring to the name of the type of connection that is used in consumer home audio and video equipment. He is not referring to the brand name of the cable.
No, unfortunately this was omitted on many later models. Instead, the head was fixed in position by plastic guides, and could not be adjusted once it left the factory. This was done to further cheapen the design, and the head alighment was quite often way off :(
Nail polish was commonly used in radio stations to lock screws into place but if you prefer, you can use standard loctite blue liquid but it's a little more than these screws need to stay in place. DO NOT USE LOCTITE RED as it's too heavy duty for this application.
Do not use less tha 99% IPA for cleaning the tape path. Do NOT fiddle with the tape head allignments unless you have the skills. You will, inevitably, ruin your deck. Let professional technicians do the job if at all needed. The procedure of demagnetizing the tape path is as follows: Make sure no magnetic sensitive tape material or i.e. electronics, like CRT screens, speakers, other tape decks etc., are near by. Make also sure the tape deck is OFF power and that there's access to the full tape path. Make sure that the tip of the defluxer is covered with rubber/plastic or similar material. Take the wand type defluxer and power it up at a distance of 1,5-2 meter from the tape path. Approach slowly the defluxer towards the tape path and when getting there, make sure not to actually touch anything in the tape path with the defluxer. Move the defluxer slowly from left to right over all metal parts in the tape path as slowly as possible in small circling movements. When the defluxer has passed all metal parts in the tape path, without touching any of them, you just as slowly as before, move the defluxer away from the deck to the position 1,5-2 meters away where you original turned on the power of the defluxer. Let the defluxer touch a potential magnetic material at that position just before you turn the defluxer off. This procedure is NOT possible to follow with the cassette shell demagnetizer type. The cassette shell type demagnetizer is way less powerfull, will only have the demagnetizing field above the central tape head and it will even touch it. It will only be able to operate with the deck OFF power if the deck is one of the "Piano Key" decks. I advise NOT to use cassette shell type demagnetizers at all. If the defluxer gets extended hot, you need to end the procedure in the described secure way.
This doesn't look cinematic enough! Could you please mess up the aspect ratio even more next time, so that the aspect ratio is even mor fucked up? Because the picture is not squashed enough!
+whiterottenrabbit You can thank RUclips back when this video was uploaded which messed up the aspect ratio. The video actually was normal when we produced it.
These type of cassette demags are next to useless. In fact, if you know why you need to demag and how one works, you'll get why this design is also terrible. If they actually work, they will do more harm that good in most users hands. Buy a mains one.
Хобби
This was a pretty good tutorial.
One thing I would add to this is that I've found a high quality JVC cassette deck at the Goodwill store that had had very little maintenance over its life. When I got my newest treasure home and played a tape, I found that the tape levels were rather low and the sound wasn't very good. And this was after I tried to thoroughly clean the heads. Eventually, I found that there was some very stubborn tape oxide on the head that had built up to the point where it lifted the tape slightly away from the playback head. No amount of Q tips and alcohol would clean this old tape residue off. I had to use my fingernail and very lightly scrape the oxide away from the head manually. After it was really clean, the deck played like a dream and sounded wonderful.
Thanks for posting this excellent video! I've just acquired an AKAI GXC-715D deck to add to my hi-fi, and its been many,many years since I used cassette. This video has been a great 'reminder' for setting up and maintenance. Thanks!
Thankyou so much! I have successfully adjusted the azimuth and cleaned my cassette deck. It's like a a completely different deck now! Awesome video!
Best video on this topic - thank you!
I have a cassette shaped demagnetizer that I bought at Radio Shack about 10 years ago, and it still works. It has a button cell battery inside, an LED indicator light in the center of the shell, a small microchip with wires running from it into the main demagnetizer in the center of the shell, where the playback/recording head usually goes to read the tape.(like in cassette adapters, where the head lines up with the deck's head). When you press play, the playback/record head pulls forward in the machine & the head presses on the demagnetizer assembly. When the head presses on it, it triggers the prongs attached to the demagnetizer which then turns on the demagnetizer. Since there's no hubs or any movement in the cassette shaped demagnetizer, the deck will automatically shut itself off in a second or two. And that's exactly how much time you need to demagnetize the tape head(s). You need to make sure that the volume is completely turned down or it might blow and damage your speakers. There would be that loud tone sound even when the volume is at low setting when demagnetizing, that's why they recommend to completely turn down the volume.
Very in-depth video, explains the whole process of the tape deck
This is probably the best video about fixing tape heads on the net.
@MagnusVideos Thanks! I'm glad it was useful for you. :) JC
A very helpful tutorial, thank you very much! I just got a Nakamichi cassette deck, so I'm having to learn all the ins and outs of tapes all over again. It's much appreciated.
(continued from my last comment)
At the time, I didn't care as much about compatibly with other people's tape decks, but I did want my own recordings to sound the best as possible, when I played them on my Walkman. Since the Walkman had no way to adjust azimuth, and since I wanted Dolby B to work properly (alignment is even more crucial when Dolby NR is involved). I would actually realign the heads on my home recording deck, to best match the Walkman! Truly, a trial and error process!
thanks Scotty that was real helpful
The 4-track head method for auto reverse, is found in some PLAY ONLY cassette decks.
No consumer record deck does this, as it would also require a second erase head which would needlessly add to the complexity of the design - not to mention, additional drag on the tape.
I prefer grain alcohol for tape path maintenance. Then, you can celebrate a job well done with a snort or two.
A much easier way to de-mag the heads is with a TDK HD-01 cassette head demagnetizer. You have to change the battery every few years but it is simple. Just pop in the cassette shaped demagnetizer, press play and a little light will go on when done. I've had my HD-01 for over 35 years and it works.
Still relevant in 2023! Greetings from 🇦🇹/🇸🇰
Several deck designs have dual capstans which are not auto reverse. A good example are the Nakamichi LX-3 and LX-5
Normally, you would find the dual capstan arrangement on auto-revesre decks, where the pinch roller on the right side engages if you're playing Side A and the one on the left side engages for Side B. Nakamichi however, used both at the same time to better stabilize the tape, as it runs across the heads. Since this design completely eliminates the need for the pressure pad inside the cassette, there is a cage around the head that lifts the pressure pad off the tape during play/record.
My Sony TC-K700ES (which has a dual capstan arrangement) does exactly the same thing.
@@ppeterh
Right, I knew some other manufacturers did that on some of their higher end decks. It just wasn’t as common.
Are magnetized screwdrivers okay to use? Would the machine need another “demagnetization” if they’re used for adjustments?
I just got a Technics RS-B965 deck.I was very dirty with signs of nicotine.At first it seemed to work pretty well but on day two problems started.When pressng play it would work a few seconds then shut off.The transport was noisy and it tried to eat a couple of tapes.I also noticed during recording on day one the dbx would shut off at times.I cleaned and demaged the heads the best I could but I think it needs a good lube and detail job by someone qualified...any thoughts?
Will this work on a cars cassette deck. Whenever I play back tapes the audio quality is really low compared to my other cars cassette deck.
I've found (on two separate players) that if you apply a bit of light pressure on the play button when your playing the tape the sound is much better does this mean a height alignment issue?
I've experienced the problem of incomplete erasion of previous recordings, when recording OVER a recording, i.e. I could still faintly hear the previous recording that I'd recorded OVER, any idea what this means ?
Nice! I have a B&O Beocord 5000 cassette player and it worked perfectly just some months ago then I haven't used it. Just moved it. For some reason when I turn it on, now the capstan is spinning when power on? and when I press in a tape it tries to play and 1 sec after it just shuts off? Any idea why?? All the best!
Can you use a degaussing wand designed for CRTs to demagnetize tape heads or is it too powerful?
Unfortunately, none of the newer Walkman models I've had, actually have an easy way to adjust azimuth. The head is generally fixed in position, and not by set screws :(
I stand corrected, on the Dragon.
i used to have a demagnetizing cassette, It had a battery inside it, you pop it in and press play and it would work.
These tapes are still available. Some Euro manufacturers make them.
In ebay you can also fine brand new demagnetizer devices it's even cheapper than demagnetizing cassettes and do better job
I still have one. It's very useful.
I got one from Radio Shack. Bought it 10 years ago and it still works. It has a button cell battery inside and an LED light in the center of the shell.
I changed the belts, the entire machine works. I cleaned the head only. The rewind and forward works and evreything spins around, except when using the play mode, you will see that the second wheel does not spin, so you will hear the music well but after 30 seconds it will eat the cassette. Please help me! Any suggestions! I use the sony tmc 4000
Thanks for the information on cleaning Cassette decks. I use the 91% Alcohol To clean the metal tape path. On my Four Nakamichi Tape Decks. I have read it is not good to use 91 % Alcohol on the rubber pinch rollers Please explain Thanks Jeff
Some people say the isopropyl alcohol breaks down the rubber pinch rollers. Any thoughts on this?
Any thoughts on using denatured alcohol instead of isopropyl?
@FelixTheHouseFreak Pull back slowly and unplug the demagnetizer after you have it at least three feet away. That will reduce the magnetic field very slowly and leave the head at neutral. Move from part to part in the machine slowly, as well. You gotta sort of look like a sloth while you're doing it :) JC
Well done friend !
Do you know of a device that automatically aligns the two screws on each side of the heads of a dual cassette deck? I tried by hand and one cassette sounds clear, while another one doesn't. I would like these screws to be factory aligned and proper epoxy to keep the screws from moving again. I stupidly, when i was young messed with the screws when a cassette sounded muddy. SMH!
@Phedrus1975 I'm glad it helped! :) JC
It is worth changing the entire tape from it's original case to a blank tape it's a Chrome tape? Would i be getting better audio??
Which model do you have? I would imagine that yours is probably one of the older ones, made before they decided to start making the tape transport mechanisms out of cheap plastic.
I was referring to many of the cheaper plastic ones that were available in stores from the late 1990s to just a few years ago. I've gone through a few of those myself (with my constant use and abuse, they never lasted more than a year or so).
I have a question. I have an older Sony rack Audio system.The cassette player, the stobs
(capstans??) that the cassette sits
on aren't turning to record from the CD. The lights are lit up indicating it is recording......but the tape isn't moving. What's wrong and how do I fix it???
Good Stuff! Now, if I only had that $600 Nakamichi deck I bought back in the 80's. :)
That deck may be double that nowadays lol
@TheBeebopper I don't believe I said to do so. I said use nail polish to lock the head alignment screw, though. :) JC
does a magnetised cassette muffle sound?
what about volume levels?
My tape deck plays and I hear music but the wheel on the right is not spinning and the tape is getting bunched up on that side in the player
How do I fix that? TIA
@BadEditPro Alright thanks JC. Got new belts for the machine coming in too.
Hi Scotty D,
If pre recorded cassettes with Dolby b sound fine with no Dolby b switched on the deck, but soon as you switch Dolby on they sound dull and crappy does that mean the azimuth is out, or more likely to do with the Dolby levels
Thanks
thats what i am curious about too
@@jeffrymiekevanoort3953 Dolby B reduces tape hiss by boosting the high frequencies that are recorded. When Dolby B is off or a Dolby B tape is played in a non-dolby deck you hear the boosted higher frequencies. Some people prefer this and frequently record with Dolby on and listen with it off to get a better sound on cheap tape. This is assuming they don't have bad tape hiss. When Dolby is turned on the high frequencies are reduced, along with the background hiss. The recording sounds as it would normally but the hiss drops through the floor.
To get lower hiss as well as better recording of higher frequencies people use better tapes. Type 2 tapes are much better than the generic type 1 tapes (there are variations). Type 4 is best but good luck finding those!
So take a type 1 tape, record with Dolby B, play with no Dolby on = nicer sounding audio while cheaper than using Chrome (type 2) tape.
However if you add an equaliser with your tape deck you can turn on Dolby to kill the hiss and use the equaliser to boost the highs.
That is true. However, they only record one direction. You have to manually turn the tape over, to record on side B.
you can use methylated spirits too. not just isopropyl alcohol.
Pretty good video....
I noticed that I have a portable boom box that introduces a slight click/pop every second onto the tape during playback. I have been told that this is possible when the capstan becomes magnetized in a specific spot. All I know is a few of my tapes have begun to pick up a slight click or pop on the left channel after making a pass through this one player. Anyone else heard of this. I can take it to be demagnetized. Has anyone seen a tape player do this from being magnetized?
This has happened to some of my tapes when I record to them. The recorder was cheap and well used. I don't know what the cause is but I don't think it's the capstan as it rotates faster than once per second. Perhaps the pinch roller has a buildup of oxide that is doing it. The roller will rotate slower than the capstan so might be what imprints a magnetic field.
@BadEditPro Thanks! :) JC
Thanks, needed the info!
One more question. You said if i accidentally unplugged the demagnetizer while it was working it could leave a stronger magnetic charge on the head and parts.
So knowing this, is there a proper way to pull back the demagnetizer from the head? I assume kind of like a screen degausser were you have to pull it back away slowly?
Thanks again!
Yes same principle slowly move to about 3 feet or so then unplug it ... most plug in types do NOT have a switch for that reason... no opppsiesssss
Thanks! This is the most thorough vid about tape deck maintenance I've found. Would the demagnetizer resolve a crackling issue in a recording channel?
Could be the record level pot needs some de-oxit
That could also be the record/ play switch... it will be inside the machine 2 to 4 inches long ... give it a shot electrical contact cleaner and work the switch a few times and any degraded contacts inside to the switch will be cleaned/de-oxidized and make the good connections inside the switch
Hi,what should i do in order to remove oxides or corrosion from the heads and capstan when alcoohol doesn't work??thanks a lot
KOSTAS PS I’ve used tcut as a last resort
Hi there - I really hope you can help me. You are the only expert that has explained Cassett maintenance so clearly. However, more specifically, I need help with cassette players found in 80s toys. Similar to a Walkman, how do I fix Wow and flutter on one of those toy cassette players ? Thank you so much.
Likely the belts are causing the wow/flutter. A belt can have the correct size, yet still cause excess W/F. If there is a way to get to them and see if they are worn or if they need replacement, I would recommend starting there.
@FelixTheHouseFreak Thy're quiet in operation. It will get hot after a while and may even shut itself off. :) JC
use 91% alcohol on the heads and capstan but not the rubber on the pinch roller. Alcohol will dry and possibly crack the rubber over time. use a rubber cleaner.
+Chad Slocum what kind of cleaner do you suggest?
Actually luke warm (NOT hot) distilled water will do a reasonably good job but you will just have to do a little more work to get the tape residue off. Although in most quality decks made from the early 80s and beyond the pinch roller is not made of pure rubber and can be cleaned with alcohol as well. But distilled water is still the safest method.
@@Federico84 Windex for the pinch roller.
My tapedeck head has 2 screws. How do u adjust azimuth when there are 2 screws?
Same problem here.
NICE! Summing to mono like that, is exactly the way I align my tape decks before dubbing each cassette. I've found that many prerecorded cassettes (often from the same company) are made on machines with different azimuth adjustments. I have even come across quite a few that require realignment for Side B! I know it's not the fault of a warped/worn pressure pad, because both Nakamichi decks I own are dual capstan.
My 'new' car that I just bought a 2001 Alero says 'clean heads' when I put a cassette tape in. Any tips on cleaning the tape heads in my car cassette player? Mark
Use a head cleaning cassette that uses liquid.
I used to have one of cassettes that demagnetize your heads, it had a battery inside it. you put the machine in play for a few seconds and it would demagnetize.
OK Bri.G i have the same cassette: it's a TDK and seems to have done its work quite well, but how is it that in all cleaning&demag. tutorials this kind of cassette is never mentioned? Could it be that it doesn't do the work properly? Any idea?
The thing is about the cassette demag tape cartridge... it ONLY does the head ... there is at least one more metal part (the capstan itself should be included as part of demagging the tape path ... any metal part the tape touches should be included in addition to the audio head ... an electric erase head isn't really a neccessary one because it will be de-magnitized when the unit records ... leave the permanent magnet type erase head alone all together
I recently read that it is not recommended to clean the pinch roller with alcohol. Windex should be used instead.
Nope. In the later years, there were several Walkman models which used normal heads, and had them mounted in place with plastic guides. There were no spring loaded set screws, and therefore no way to re-adjust azimuth once it left the factory.
Oh and also, bit of a silly question should i expect any sound from the demagnetizer? Just making sure mine isnt dead hahah. I plugged it in and i was expecting perhaps a 60hz hum to come out of it but that doesnt happen.
Good question.
Put it to your ear it isn't a super powerful de-magnitizer ... they didn't want any unattached metal objects to come flying at the user LOL
You misunderstand me. The older Walkman units did let you adjust the azimuth. In the later cheaply made Walkman units when most parts changed from metal to cheap plastic however, the head COULD NOT adjusted on these cheaper units becuase in order to cut down on cost, the spring loaded set screws were replaced with cheap plastic mounts. The heads were often misaligned when they left the factory, and there was no way to fix this.
Hmm ... as of early May 2019, someone on eBay was selling a black, dual-cassette-deck boombox made in 1990. As of February 22, 2022, I can end the mystery and state that it is (or ("was") a Fisher PH-D800. The sound system has auto-reverse technology in Tape Deck 1 (the non-recording deck), perhaps not in both decks. It has detachable speakers and a built-in single-disc CD player. The item is interesting but it is also flawed. (Why else would the item be sold?) Part of the brief description of one tape deck of the item states "...when playing a tape it just sounds like static, could be a [sic] easy fix."
Is that true? Would such a problem be an "easy fix"? What's even more disappointing is that the description does not say whether it is Tape 2 (the recording deck) or Tape 1 that has the "sounds like static" problem. (Shrug)
Could the problem simply be with the audiocassette that the seller tested the stereo with? (Oh, you wish LOL. Though I have this pre-recorded, professionally mastered tape of early 1980s performances of the works of Tchaikovsky. That cassette has an awful screech for much of the playback. It doesn't seem to matter whether it's played with auto-reverse or non-auto-reverse cassette decks. Even the non-recording deck of a CD "burner" that we have at home doesn't play that tape well SMH. I bought that tape as one of three used music cassettes on eBay in early 2017. I doubt that I've ever listened to that Tchaikovsky tape in full because of that awful screech. There was this tiny felt part that had come loose underneath the audiotape itself. I did a bit of repair on it using Gorilla Glue or Krazy Glue, but that didn't seem to help with the sound at all. Amazingly, a RUclips thumbnail showing a guy holding an older audiocassette and describing "the Cassette Tape Pressure Pad" was sitting for a while in the "Up Next" column next to this long message of mine. NOW I know what to call that "tiny felt part" SMH)
Or could the “rather low” problem with the “tape levels” of the “high quality JVC cassette deck” bought from a Goodwill store (in 2018?) by commenter THOMMGB be the same problem that afflicts at least one tape deck of the Fisher PH-D800 that I have in mind?
When JC mentions "RCA cables", he is referring to the name of the type of connection that is used in consumer home audio and video equipment. He is not referring to the brand name of the cable.
Also known as 'phono' cables.
What am I supposed to do if the screw is completely stripped? I can't turn that thing whatsoever, it's absolutely destroyed.
do I need isopropyl alcohol 99.9%?
Isopropyl works best for heads and rollers.
91% works fine
No, unfortunately this was omitted on many later models. Instead, the head was fixed in position by plastic guides, and could not be adjusted once it left the factory. This was done to further cheapen the design, and the head alighment was quite often way off :(
So what is your question, exactly?
Ok but how to change to New head
Jc is Joe Colins.
Music from Big Pink. Nothing wrong with your taste in music!
use water to solve the dirth alcohol will evaporate to fast to make the dirth weak. eventually with a little soap.
never clean rollers with alcohol, it damages them, use rubber cleaners for printers, for heads alcohol can be used
Dial-up
i wouldn’t use alcohol to clean the pinch roller- it’ll dry the rubber out.
You do not need to demagnetize two head tape decks...
u had me then came the nail polish and NO PICTURES of the screws you want me to seal? No....I won't be using the polish
Nail polish was commonly used in radio stations to lock screws into place but if you prefer, you can use standard loctite blue liquid but it's a little more than these screws need to stay in place. DO NOT USE LOCTITE RED as it's too heavy duty for this application.
There is no need to demagnetize a two head deck.
Do not use less tha 99% IPA for cleaning the tape path.
Do NOT fiddle with the tape head allignments unless you have the skills.
You will, inevitably, ruin your deck.
Let professional technicians do the job if at all needed.
The procedure of demagnetizing the tape path is as follows:
Make sure no magnetic sensitive tape material or i.e. electronics, like CRT screens, speakers, other tape decks etc., are near by.
Make also sure the tape deck is OFF power and that there's access to the full tape path.
Make sure that the tip of the defluxer is covered with rubber/plastic or similar material.
Take the wand type defluxer and power it up at a distance of 1,5-2 meter from the tape path.
Approach slowly the defluxer towards the tape path and when getting there, make sure not to actually touch anything in the tape path with the defluxer.
Move the defluxer slowly from left to right over all metal parts in the tape path as slowly as possible in small circling movements.
When the defluxer has passed all metal parts in the tape path, without touching any of them, you just as slowly as before, move the defluxer away from the deck to the position 1,5-2 meters away where you original turned on the power of the defluxer.
Let the defluxer touch a potential magnetic material at that position just before you turn the defluxer off.
This procedure is NOT possible to follow with the cassette shell demagnetizer type.
The cassette shell type demagnetizer is way less powerfull, will only have the demagnetizing field above the central tape head and it will even touch it.
It will only be able to operate with the deck OFF power if the deck is one of the "Piano Key" decks.
I advise NOT to use cassette shell type demagnetizers at all.
If the defluxer gets extended hot, you need to end the procedure in the described secure way.
This doesn't look cinematic enough! Could you please mess up the aspect ratio even more next time, so that the aspect ratio is even mor fucked up? Because the picture is not squashed enough!
+whiterottenrabbit You can thank RUclips back when this video was uploaded which messed up the aspect ratio. The video actually was normal when we produced it.
Scotty D
I see...
These type of cassette demags are next to useless. In fact, if you know why you need to demag and how one works, you'll get why this design is also terrible. If they actually work, they will do more harm that good in most users hands. Buy a mains one.
You are bored of your empty videos. Tell me better where to get new rubber for tape recorders now ???