Tape Guide (Q and A) (Feb. 1974)

by Herman Burstein

Tape Sticking & Heads

Q. There are a few things I would like to ask you about tape recording. First, does it really make a difference to use a tape advertised as low noise? Is lubrication necessary in open reel recording tape? A disc jockey I've spoken to claims that the ads about low noise, extended frequency response, and lubrication are just sales gimmicks. It all leaves me wondering, and hence this letter.

Please tell me what to watch for to detect if my heads have begun to wear to the point which warrants replacement.

With a few of my tapes, one of which is an expensive name brand I've had a problem. The tape coming off the supply reel tends to stick to itself causing irregular speed. I've cleaned the tape several times with silicone cloth, and run it fast forward and backward to no avail. I've surmised that it was static electricity causing the problem, but if it is, I don't know how to overcome it.

-Thomas M. Nicholson, Las Vegas, Nevada

A. If a tape recorder is properly adjusted for low noise tape-bias increased, treble boost decreased, and audio drive current increased-the net result is a moderate but significant improvement in signal-to-noise ratio. Good tapes are optimally lubricated; that is, they have enough lubrication for smooth passage over the heads and guides, but not so much as to cause tape slippage when engaged by the capstan and pressure roller. Such tapes should require no additional lubrication on the part of the user. Adding lubricant entails the danger of slippage, with consequent wow and flutter.

When treble response starts to deteriorate in playback, this usually signifies that the playback head should be replaced. The other heads may have to be replaced when they show marked physical wear.

I don't know of a cure for the sticking problem you describe, except to suggest that you stay away from the particular brand which gives you this trouble. You state that you have run this tape at fast speed in order to relieve the static charge; possibly this made the situation worse. A remote possibility is that transferring the tape to another type of reel may help matters.

Buying A Recorder In Europe

Q. I plan to make a business trip to Europe, and it occurred to me that this might be an excellent opportunity to purchase a high quality tape deck. This idea has brought to mind several questions: Where is the best place to purchase a deck? What problems might be encountered in bringing it back? Might servicing be a potential problem?

-Name Withheld

A. When you arrive in Europe, you might inquire of your host, and use the telephone directory, to find places of purchase. In making your purchase, be sure that you get a unit designed for the American market, so that it operates at 60 Hz line frequency and 117 volts; has the type of input and output jacks customarily used in America; has the equalization (NAB) employed in America; uses parts readily available to technicians in America; meets the electrical standards of American underwriters; etc. Consult American customs about problems in bringing back the unit.

Harm From Demagnetizers

Q. Can a tape head demagnetizer introduce a magnetic field of sufficient strength to damage either the head or the electronics to which the head is connected? I don't suspect the commercial demagnetizers made for this purpose, but I'm considering building one from an old solenoid.

-Don L. Davis, Seattle, Washington

A. I doubt very much that a head demagnetizer roughly of the size of a commercial one will damage the heads; and certainly not the electronics. However, if you construct something of the strength of a bulk eraser, you should be careful about coming too close to the head; there is a slight possibility that a very powerful magnetic field might disturb the head windings. The same applies to the VU meter if there is one in the tape deck.

(Audio magazine, Feb. 1974; Herman Burstein)

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