How To Clean And Demagnetize Your Tape Recorder

Here is a 'how to' video about keeping your tape heads clean and demagnetized. There is a lot of bad info floating around on this subject and I wanted to set the record straight. :) JC

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Tape
• Audio
• Tape Recorder
• Hi-Fi
• Audio Recording
• Cassette

[MrSethJM]

Hello BadEditPro, I'm wondering where I might find a "tab" to press in order to make my tape deck run without a tape in it. It will not let you run the machine unless there is a tape in it and the door closed. (I have a Pioneer CT-W404R double autoreverse deck, which I got from a thrift store for--I think it was--$5. Looks great, works great, sounds great. I was happy with the deal.)

[BadEditPro]

@MrSethJM Later model decks have a ta[e sensor located in the top of the well. It is usually close to the tab that detects whether a tape has the erasure protection tabs still in it and the tape type.detector. Just push those little switches up until you find the right one that tells the machine there is actually a tape in the well. :) JC

[HamtaroEL]

@BadEditPro: I've just bought a Sony (Walkman) WM-FX21. When I play the machine, (I didn't play any tapes yet) there was a humming sound and when I fast forward and rewind the machine, that hum is louder. Is it the machine or does that tape player needs demagnetizing? Thanks.

[BadEditPro]

@HamtaroEL Demagnetizing probably won't make this go way. A lot of these really small players leak motor noise into the audio circuit. Everything is packed so tightly there's really no way to avoid it completely. If the machine does not record, you may be able to get way with not bothering to demagnetize. Just keep it clean. :) JC

[Paspiedreamcast]

It would be awesome if I could find these demagnetisers in the UK! For some reason they are very rare here. Is it fine to use demagnetisers that are just a tape that you put in a machine to demagnetize it? That's the only one I can find.

[BadEditPro]

@Paspiedreamcast It would be better than nothing... You could try MCM Electronics. They would be happy to ship you one over to the UK. :) JC

[Greenballed]

Good vid. Usefull info. I have an echoplex EP3 I need to do this to. I found the exact demagnetizer you have for $9 on Amazon.

[dontneednomofovhs]

Even in 2011, people still worry about cleaning those tape heads!

[MsKarebear10]

Thanks for the info. That's why they pay the pros the big bucks

[Paspiedreamcast]

I suppose it depends. I have just bought a Marantz deck today (waiting for it to arrive), I'll give the heads, capstans and rollers a clean when I get my hands on it and if it performs alright than I won't bother with the latter part (most users don't do any of it at all and don't have much if any problems). I have lots of old tapes with content I don't care about anymore that I can test it with.