Mystifying Cassette Recorder Issue

Gear Acquisition Syndrome: A tendency to purchase more equipment than justified by usage and/or price.

Moderator: Modulators

User avatar
The Mysterious Creep
Noise Artist
Posts: 217
Joined: Sun Jan 26, 2020 4:12 pm
Location: United States
Has thanked: 88 times
Been thanked: 32 times
Contact:

Re: Mystifying Cassette Recorder Issue

Post by The Mysterious Creep »

NoiseWiki wrote: Sun Aug 23, 2020 6:58 pm
Okay well can you take a picture of the record? The only thing I can think of is that maybe the head is really dirty.. get a cotton swab and some rubbing alcohol and wipe it off.
20200824_122710[1].jpg
The best photo I could get due to using my phone, unfortunately, as the door doesn't open very wide. I've looked into cleaning it before, but I can't actually tell what object in there is the head, because my knowledge of these things is unfortunately rather minimal.
Even if you took a few years and learned all the chords you'd still have a limited number of options. If you ignore the chords your options are infinite and you can master guitar playing in one day. - David Fair
User avatar
NoiseWiki
Wiki Bastard
Posts: 3811
Joined: Thu Apr 04, 2019 3:38 pm
Location: Los Angeles
Has thanked: 1084 times
Been thanked: 1249 times
Contact:

Re: Mystifying Cassette Recorder Issue

Post by NoiseWiki »

Hard to tell but it looks like it could use a cleaning.. like I said just find some isopropyl alcohol.. it's a common household item and a qtip and wipe it off.. if it leaves residue on the qtip repeat a few times or until it doesn't.
image.png
Viewed 1307 times
User avatar
The Mysterious Creep
Noise Artist
Posts: 217
Joined: Sun Jan 26, 2020 4:12 pm
Location: United States
Has thanked: 88 times
Been thanked: 32 times
Contact:

Re: Mystifying Cassette Recorder Issue

Post by The Mysterious Creep »

I thought that was what it was, but I couldn't be sure. I got some residue with a dry Q-tip before because we didn't have rubbing alcohol where it was normally kept but I'm sure it's somewhere.
Even if you took a few years and learned all the chords you'd still have a limited number of options. If you ignore the chords your options are infinite and you can master guitar playing in one day. - David Fair
User avatar
RUBBISH
Merzbish
Posts: 3638
Joined: Fri Nov 22, 2019 9:37 am
Location: Home
Has thanked: 761 times
Been thanked: 752 times

Re: Mystifying Cassette Recorder Issue

Post by RUBBISH »

I'm willing to throw $5 in pot for you to get a better tape recorder...and just rip this damn thing apart and see what the hell is wrong with it...I'm betting its a shitty solder job somewhere :D
place holder
User avatar
NoiseWiki
Wiki Bastard
Posts: 3811
Joined: Thu Apr 04, 2019 3:38 pm
Location: Los Angeles
Has thanked: 1084 times
Been thanked: 1249 times
Contact:

Re: Mystifying Cassette Recorder Issue

Post by NoiseWiki »

RUBBISH wrote: Tue Aug 25, 2020 10:17 am I'm willing to throw $5 in pot for you to get a better tape recorder...and just rip this damn thing apart and see what the hell is wrong with it...I'm betting its a shitty solder job somewhere :D
It really could be as simple as a dirty head..
User avatar
The Mysterious Creep
Noise Artist
Posts: 217
Joined: Sun Jan 26, 2020 4:12 pm
Location: United States
Has thanked: 88 times
Been thanked: 32 times
Contact:

Re: Mystifying Cassette Recorder Issue

Post by The Mysterious Creep »

Cleaned today (didn't have bottled rubbing alcohol so I had to squeeze the contents of a rubbing alcohol swab onto the Q-tip), got a lot of residue off the head. If this is what the problem was I am gonna be relieved but also disappointed. Since there seems to just be one all purpose head, what are the odds this will improve any other facets of the machine?
Even if you took a few years and learned all the chords you'd still have a limited number of options. If you ignore the chords your options are infinite and you can master guitar playing in one day. - David Fair
User avatar
NoiseWiki
Wiki Bastard
Posts: 3811
Joined: Thu Apr 04, 2019 3:38 pm
Location: Los Angeles
Has thanked: 1084 times
Been thanked: 1249 times
Contact:

Re: Mystifying Cassette Recorder Issue

Post by NoiseWiki »

The Mysterious Creep wrote: Tue Aug 25, 2020 11:49 am Cleaned today (didn't have bottled rubbing alcohol so I had to squeeze the contents of a rubbing alcohol swab onto the Q-tip), got a lot of residue off the head. If this is what the problem was I am gonna be relieved but also disappointed. Since there seems to just be one all purpose head, what are the odds this will improve any other facets of the machine?
Cleaning the head won't improve anything other than playback and recording. My guess is that perhaps playing tape loops in this deck got adhesive on the head which for some reason is only blocking the recording of tape but not the playback.

If you have any other solvents around.. like nail polish remover or even vinegar it might be worth using that to get this thing cleaned off. If you use nail polish remover do not get any on anything plastic or rubber as it might dissolve it.
User avatar
The Mysterious Creep
Noise Artist
Posts: 217
Joined: Sun Jan 26, 2020 4:12 pm
Location: United States
Has thanked: 88 times
Been thanked: 32 times
Contact:

Re: Mystifying Cassette Recorder Issue

Post by The Mysterious Creep »

NoiseWiki wrote: Tue Aug 25, 2020 11:55 am
The Mysterious Creep wrote: Tue Aug 25, 2020 11:49 am Cleaned today (didn't have bottled rubbing alcohol so I had to squeeze the contents of a rubbing alcohol swab onto the Q-tip), got a lot of residue off the head. If this is what the problem was I am gonna be relieved but also disappointed. Since there seems to just be one all purpose head, what are the odds this will improve any other facets of the machine?
Cleaning the head won't improve anything other than playback and recording. My guess is that perhaps playing tape loops in this deck got adhesive on the head which for some reason is only blocking the recording of tape but not the playback.

If you have any other solvents around.. like nail polish remover or even vinegar it might be worth using that to get this thing cleaned off. If you use nail polish remover do not get any on anything plastic or rubber as it might dissolve it.
The residue stopped coming off by Q-tip number two, so I don't think that'll be necessary. I didn't know vinegar was usable as a solvent like that, my grandmother actually suggested that when I was looking for rubbing alcohol and I said no because I assumed as a food product it would be a terrible idea to use that.
Even if you took a few years and learned all the chords you'd still have a limited number of options. If you ignore the chords your options are infinite and you can master guitar playing in one day. - David Fair
User avatar
crochambeau
Merzwow
Posts: 599
Joined: Fri Nov 22, 2019 11:21 am
Location: Cascadia
Has thanked: 241 times
Been thanked: 184 times
Contact:

Re: Mystifying Cassette Recorder Issue

Post by crochambeau »

The Mysterious Creep wrote: Tue Aug 25, 2020 12:06 pmI assumed as a food product it would be a terrible idea to use that.
The goal with whatever fluid you're using as a head cleaner is that it leaves no residue. You could probably use distilled water in a pinch, but ISO is nice in that it evaporates quickly and is not terrible to expose to any rubber bits (unlike MEK, Acetone, Toluene, etc. which should be avoided).
When in doubt, add resistance.

http://www.rochambeau.net/
User avatar
NoiseWiki
Wiki Bastard
Posts: 3811
Joined: Thu Apr 04, 2019 3:38 pm
Location: Los Angeles
Has thanked: 1084 times
Been thanked: 1249 times
Contact:

Re: Mystifying Cassette Recorder Issue

Post by NoiseWiki »

The Mysterious Creep wrote: Tue Aug 25, 2020 12:06 pm The residue stopped coming off by Q-tip number two, so I don't think that'll be necessary. I didn't know vinegar was usable as a solvent like that, my grandmother actually suggested that when I was looking for rubbing alcohol and I said no because I assumed as a food product it would be a terrible idea to use that.
Vinegar at one time in history was the strongest acid known to man.. but that was a long time ago and they didn't have tape decks back then.

Well I'm dying to know if you can record now or not.
Post Reply