Issue with Denon HD7 tape

[Mr. Lin]

Many of you probably saw my thread the other day with pictures of the 5 HD7 tapes I just got in the mail. I think they're the coolest-looking tapes in my collection so far, and was eager to try one out.

Initially I didn't hear any problems, but tonight I listened to an entire side and there are points throughout where the sound seems to blur for an instant (hard to describe), but not drop out. I listened to the other side, same problem. I thought maybe the tape was saturated but it happens during quiet and loud passages. I'm pretty sure the problem is with the tape or the way I recorded it because I'm having no such problems with any of my other tapes.

Any ideas?

[Web Police]

I don't know what it could be. I guess I would bulk erase the tape and record it again to see if the problem is still apparent.

[braxus]

Its probably smaller dropouts. I have some Denon metal tapes from the same era as yours and they have degraded somewhat compared to new. One tape was really bad, another one way ok but I noticed the bias calibration the meters were blipping up and down suggesting dropouts. It seems Denon tapes don't keep well over time.

[Scorpion8]

I've got a big stash of Denon tapes since they are my favorite. So far I haven't had any of these problems.

[Mr. Lin]

I've got a big stash of Denon tapes since they are my favorite. So far I haven't had any of these problems.

You just never have any problems with anything do you?;)

I hope the tapes aren't bad, but I guess it's not the end of the world.

[Scorpion8]

No, maybe I'm just lucky. I've got some real crappy BASF stuff and one Scotch FeCr that is shedding with each passing day. But maybe it's because the Denons I've already recorded on I play every day and they stay well used, and the others I haven't touched because I'm hoarding them. HD6's, HD8's and a few HD7's. I've been looking to stock up on HD4's if I can can find any, but I've got a sizeable stash of Sony HF and BASF's in Type I, even some radioShack stuff too.

[Mr. Lin]

No, maybe I'm just lucky. I've got some real crappy BASF stuff and one Scotch FeCr that is shedding with each passing day. But maybe it's because the Denons I've already recorded on I play every day and they stay well used, and the others I haven't touched because I'm hoarding them. HD6's, HD8's and a few HD7's. I've been looking to stock up on HD4's if I can can find any, but I've got a sizeable stash of Sony HF and BASF's in Type I, even some radioShack stuff too.

Well next time you use one of your older Denon tapes please let me know if you have any problems with it.

[Scorpion8]

Absolutely. Did you ever get your UDS-II's?

[Mr. Lin]

Absolutely. Did you ever get your UDS-II's?

No I did not.

[Mr. Lin]

Ok now I just made a tape with one of the Akai and I'm experiencing the same problem. This time it seems to be in louder passages and in the lower frequencies, it almost sounds like it's skipping or something, but it's not the CD. It's especially bad at the beginning of the tape. Perhaps I had it too "hot," it's Dvorak's Symphony No.9, which is pretty loud.

What's going on here?

[NAD613]

When was the last time you cleaned the heads & tape path on your deck?

[Scorpion8]

Clean and demag the tape deck heads. Clean and demag the capstan too. Check the pinch roller for lint or dust.

[Mr. Lin]

When was the last time you cleaned the heads & tape path on your deck?

About a week ago, but I've only ever used the cleaner/demag in a cassette - the real demagnetizer hasn't gotten here but should arrive within a couple days.

[Scorpion8]

Q-Tips and 99% isopropyl alcohol. Give the heads and capstan a good scrubbing.

[Des-Lab]

Some pretty good pointers above. I can't think of anything to add to it except maybe to try fast forwarding and rewinding the tape(s) first before using them. That's always good practice to do before using any new tape-especially a ten or twenty plus year old NOS roll.

I too have never had any problems with any Denon tape either.

Scorp: You sure you don't mean the DX4?

I don't think the "HD" series ever went below 6. I know there's a guy on Fleabay that sells DX4 ten packs on a semi regular basis. But they are C-60's only. Maybe keep an eye out for those.

[Scorpion8]

Scorp: You sure you don't mean the DX4?

I don't think the "HD" series ever went below 6. I know there's a guy on Fleabay that sells DX4 ten packs on a semi regular basis. But they are C-60's only. Maybe keep an eye out for those.

Yup. My bad.

[Scorpion8]

Well next time you use one of your older Denon tapes please let me know if you have any problems with it.

Listening to an HD7 right now that I recently re-taped with Jethro Tull ~ Stormwatch. No issues at all.... Also played a HD6 this morning with Bruce Hornsby ~ The Way it Is that I recorded off LP back when that album first came out, and that tape even sat in my car over a few East Coast winters many years ago.

ETA: I'm sure there are good tapes and bad tapes in any brand out there. I have some Maxells with dropouts but they've been "abused" by previous owners, not up to my standards.

[Mr. Lin]

I don't have any 99% alcohol on hand and I'm having trouble finding any at stores (including Walgreens), but I do have a little bottle of the Radioshack cleaner that's supposed to be dropped on the tape for cleaning the heads. Is it ok to just put some of that on a q-tip? It says the contents are Isopropanol 67-63-0.

Also, the demagnetizer came in the mail today. I'm not going to be able to use it tonight since I'll have to pull everything apart and take the Nak off my desk, there's just too much stuff on and around it.

Here's another question: You're supposed to remove the red rubber cover from the tip of the demagnetizer, right? Just seems kind of dangerous to rub that hard-edged metal tip over the tape heads.

[Des-Lab]

I would not recommend removing the rubber or plastic tip on any wand style demagger. It was put there for a reason. And that reason is exactly what you said: it would be way, WAY too easy to do some irreperable damage to your head(s). Whoever told you to remove it needs to have THEIR head examined. And I'm not referring to erase, record, or playback.

99% alcohol IS getting hard to find. I used to get it at Longs Drugs. But even now it's hard to find; being very hit-or-miss. Best bet now would be to try a medical supply store. You know...the ones that sell things like wheelchairs, canes and walkers, et cetera. Almost all of them also have supplies for diabetics. And many diabetics require insulin injections. Needles gotta be cleaned, right? Hence the sterilizing alcohol.

[Mr. Lin]

I would not recommend removing the rubber or plastic tip on any wand style demagger. It was put there for a reason. And that reason is exactly what you said: it would be way, WAY too easy to do some irreperable damage to your head(s). Whoever told you to remove it needs to have THEIR head examined. And I'm not referring to erase, record, or playback.

99% alcohol IS getting hard to find. I used to get it at Longs Drugs. But even now it's hard to find; being very hit-or-miss. Best bet now would be to try a medical supply store. You know...the ones that sell things like wheelchairs, canes and walkers, et cetera. Almost all of them also have supplies for diabetics. And many diabetics require insulin injections. Needles gotta be cleaned, right? Hence the sterilizing alcohol.

Thanks for the info. Actually nobody told me to remove the cover on the demagnetizer tip, I was just wondering if that's what you're supposed to do.

But in the meantime, is there any reason any of you know of why I shouldn't use the Radioshack cleaner on a q-tip?

[Des-Lab]

But in the meantime, is there any reason any of you know of why I shouldn't use the Radioshack cleaner on a q-tip?

I can't think of any. As long as the solvent you are using is an approved cleaner (whether it's actually labelled as such or else the 99% alcohol), putting it on a Q-tip should be fine. After all, it's just cotton. Makes no difference if the swab shaft is wood, plastic, or paper. You are only cleaning with the cotton tip. The only caveat I can think of would be to not MIX two seperate cleaning agents onto one swab. Use one or the other. But not both at the same time.

[Mr. Lin]

Thanks again!

[Mr. Lin]

I just cleaned everything in there, but I'm going to wait until tomorrow night after I use the new demagnetizer to try recording again - I'll have my fingers crossed at that point.

[Acoustic]

99% alcohol IS getting hard to find. I used to get it at Longs Drugs. But even now it's hard to find; being very hit-or-miss. Best bet now would be to try a medical supply store. You know...the ones that sell things like wheelchairs, canes and walkers, et cetera. Almost all of them also have supplies for diabetics. And many diabetics require insulin injections. Needles gotta be cleaned, right? Hence the sterilizing alcohol.

Over the counter it is hard to find 99% alcohol since most medical applications 70% is just fine. If you can't find it, go to a Target pharmacy and they can special order it for you and get it in 1-2 business days. Last bottle I got was around $4.

[Mr. Lin]

Over the counter it is hard to find 99% alcohol since most medical applications 70% is just fine. If you can't find it, go to a Target pharmacy and they can get it for you in 1-2 business days. Last bottle I got was around $4.

Very good, thanks.

Just for the record, at this point I highly doubt the issue is with the Denon tape, since I'm basically now having the same problem with an Akai tape.

[NAD613]

Try this site for tape care supplies. This guy does complete cassette & RTR restorations for a living.

http://www.vintage-electronics.cc/vparts.html

[Mr. Lin]

Try this site for tape care supplies. This guy does complete cassette & RTR restorations for a living.

http://www.vintage-electronics.cc/vparts.html

That's very useful, thank you.

[macster]

I use the head cleaner (S-721-H2) and the cotton swabs (CS-2) from this site http://http://americanrecorder.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=12 (http:americanrecorder.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=12) I have used this product and it's earlier interrations for a long time. *reelspin*

M~

[NAD613]

I use the head cleaner (S-721-H2) and the cotton swabs (CS-2) from this site http://http://americanrecorder.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=12 (http:americanrecorder.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=12) I have used this product and it's earlier interrations for a long time. *reelspin*

M~

I think you may have one too may "http:" in your link; I got the dreaded 404 screen when I clicked it. Easy enough to find, though. Thank you for posting that link; another site for us tapeheads!

http://americanrecorder.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=12&osCsid=6d62bb49de416ff241a7ba729d802b75

[Mr. Lin]

Any site called American Recorder has got to be good.

I cleaned the heads last night, tomorrow I'm going to demagnetize it, and then I'll try again. Not going to waste anymore time recording until that's done, because something is definitely not right, and I really hope this will fix it.

BTW nice avatar NAD, it's very appropriate for you.

[NAD613]

BTW nice avatar NAD, it's very appropriate for you.

Thank you! I thought it was about time for a change.