TCD 340A constant rt channel PB distortion

[mmc350]

Hi all and Happy Holidays.
This started as distortion on power-up for a minute or so and then cleared up. Did this for a few days, and then it took longer to clear up. Now, it's constant (left channel is fine). However, it seems if I lower the machine's output slider significantly (REALLY low) and turn up the amp, the distortion appears to go away. . . but the slightest increase on the output slider brings it back. It's not static from a dirty volume pot. Both output sliders are dead quiet. The best description I can give is distortion with static. I hooked up an old speaker for fear of damaging a good one.
Now I'm pretty good mechanically, but dumber than a stump where electronics are concerned. I can find it, take it out and put one back, but which one is way beyond my abilities. So, I defer to you.
Been reading you guys since late summer when I first found this forum. Absolutely amazing.
If anyone has any ideas and cares to pass them along, I'd be in your debt. Thanks, Jim

[Warped Bezel]

This is a receiver then, not a tape deck?

Have you tried working all pots and switches?

It sounds a lot like my Sansui 350, bad PA-like in the right channel and lights the protection light for that channel only.

I think I've got a bad diode or resistor but make sure your ground is good and you aren't shorting a speaker wire on the chassis as well. Since you said you switched speakers I'm not sure that the speaker itself is at fault.

TAPE DECK, try working the record-play switch dusting it with air, cleaning it with cleaner if needed. The switch is likely dirty.

[mmc350]

This is a tape deck (Tandberg cassette deck - vintage 1979?), not a receiver. The speaker was changed simply to prevent possible damage to it. Both speakers - original and replacement - exhibit the same sound, so I doubt it's a speaker problem (sounds the same on headphones, too).
The deck is clean and in surprisingly good condition. I'd be very surprised if the problem were dirt/dust related. Everything worked perfectly until this problem raised it's ugly head!
Thanks for your input.

[Hypnotik_Infekted_Analog]

I hate to say this,..
But, it sounds like you've got a blown channel. (Let's hope it isn't)

I have a TCD-320 (I've got it posted up in an album on my profile here), so I'm familiar. I've also owned a couple of the TCD's in the past. The one I have now,..was passed on to me from my father.

Let's just say,.. I've owned, and still do, quite a few mixers, decks, etc.
and from my experience with a couple blown channels in the past,...
That's what it sounds like to me, from your description.

Do I know how to fix a "blown channel",...??? The answer is NO.

I'm pretty handy with a solder gun...but I do not know anything about capacitors, transistors, resistors, etc.
I do know a bit about recording, though.

I would suggest a thorough cleaning, demagnetizing, and check for loose
solder joints on the board inside.
Again, I am no expert,...this is merely a suggestion.

[mmc350]

Thanks for your reply.
I've already done as you suggested - removed boards and looked for bad solder joints. . . with a magnifying glass. It didn't turn up anything unusual, at least not to my untrained eye. However, I have found bad ones in the past on other equipment so I do know what some REALLY bad ones look like. No joy here, though. Thanks again.

[tandberg]

Are you familiar with A/B test ? If its noise in B test and not i A test, it's likely in the playback amp.

If vice versa, it's likely in the input or record amp.
This might help you to locate the problem.

A-test = 'Source', B-test = 'Tape'