Hello Mark and thank you for this video. I have a model similar to the one you have and I need some advice. The wheel on the right side (right as I look at it in front of it) is making a high pitch squeal. Idk how to fix this. The wheel moves freely. What do I need to do to fix this issue? Thank you in advance.
I am sorry, but I don't know how to repair these kind of machines. It sounds like a belt is going bad. Maybe you can call a VCR repair shop in your area to see if they could help or refer you to someone that can. Sorry again that I can't help you out on this one. Thank you for watching!
Thanks for the video. (Although the extra sound effects were completely unnecessary) Effective head cleaning fluid seems to be pretty difficult to ship here in Canada. Ugh. I could buy rubbing alcohol but because the equipment is so rare and expensive (especially 4-tracks at 1 7/8 and 3¾ speeds), I don't want to risk and degrade the heads and have to replace that equipment. So, yeah, still, thanks for the video.
@TheMediaNerdMT Thank you for a very helpful video. We have an AKAI GX-280 1/4" featuring playback and recording in both directions...I'm guessing it's from the 70's, including the dust from that era. It's cleaned up pretty good, and the playback of our old tapes is functioning well for our digitizing (with Audacity). However, the tape now seems to be "slipping" on the playback head - we are getting one forward track and one backward track on playback. I'm guessing we have to re-align the head somehow. Is there anything in your library of help videos that describes how to do a DIY at home head alignment? I looked through your videos and shorts, but nothing jumped out. I did notice you have an AKAI GX-220 though!!! Awesome!! Thank you in advance for any guidance you might have. Greetings from Berlin, Germany!!
Hello Berlin! It is great to see that my videos are going across the pond! I don't know about the head alignment but I can look into it! Did you clean the rubber wheel pretty good? When audio was recorded forward and backward on the reels, it can only utilize one track (I believe) so you will only get one track of audio on playback. If they did record in stereo, then it would fill both tracks so you would only have audio going in one direction. Make sense? If you hit play in stereo mode and there are different recordings on both sides, then you will hear both recordings but one will be playing in reverse. Thanks for watching! Please help support the channel by hitting the subscribe button!
I had purchased the cleaners on Amazon which is no longer available unfortunately. I did do a search on Google and it looks like you can purchase the cleaners from various sites which I have not done yet. If you are only going to clean your machine a couple of times, rubbing alcohol will work but don't do it too often because it will dry out the rubber eventually.
I don't know if you can clean an audio tape. I have not come across a video dealing with this topic. I will look around. Thanks for watching and please subscribe to help support the channel!
Hello have almost the same model and I have this crazy hiss in the right input any I dea how I can combat that..,..pre recorded tapes play just fine its the stuff I record into the machine that give me the problem 😊
Are you using the back audio outputs or the headphone Jack? Which ever you may be using try switching. You need to trouble shoot one area at a time going from the out of the player to your digitizer connection to the in out of the computer. Trouble shooting also consists of trying different audio cables and also a different digitizer if you have one. No easy answer.
Yes. I did for this video because my back outs were not working at the time. You need to control the out put with the volume knob. It is really sensitive. You need a headphone adapter from quarter inch to female red and white rca. You can find this at a music store or amazon
It’s on its back, not it’s side. Just use denatured alcohol to clean the heads and metal tape contacts. It’s less expensive and it doesn’t leave any residue.
