Loss Of Sound

[Nowhere-Man]

My trusty seventies cassette recorder packed in last night. I was recording my singing to a track I'm working on. On playback, there was no sound. Then after rewind and forward, still no sound. You can hear the volume rise through the switch but no pick-up. The rollers and tape heads seem to be contacting the tape.

I don't have time for major repair at this time but I did quickly open it up. Nothing was obvious. There is a noise when you tap the extension speaker socket or earphone jack - I was wondering if they were causing a problem.

It's a bit of a nuisance as my time is too limited to mess about with it at this time. I was just wondering if there may be some obvious cause. Given I had been recording I wonder if it's somehow stuck on record somehow, even with the record button disengaged.

I suppose really I need a Tascam digital portable studio but I'll see if I can fix the cassette player if I can free up some time.

[tiv48]

Try a tape (not one you treasure ) that is known to have a recording on it.
if that plays all right then it would be worth cleaning the record/playback switch.
Rob T

[Murphyv310]

Also check that no connections have come off the record playback head.

[ppppenguin]

As Rob said, get it right in playback first. ANother quick check if you don't have a known recording to hand is to put it in "play" and touch the connections to the playback head. You should hear something.

[Murphyv310]

Hi.
Again a model number would be useful
Most faults of the era would be the R/P switch and wires off the head.

[Nowhere-Man]

Hi.
Again a model number would be useful  
Most faults of the era would be the R/P switch  and wires off the head.

I checked all that. I can't recall the model as I'm not at home now but it's a typical seventies rectangular tape mono cassette player. I had it close to my keyboard on record and then on playback it was silent (apart from background hiss). Whatever tape I play is silent now, I took it apart very briefly and all the wiring seems fine. The belt is still on. So, it looks like I'll have to seek out the service manual which is a pain as I'm so busy at the moment.

Ultimately I need a digital portable studio. I think Tascam do one that's pocket sized. Soon as I get time I'll delve deeper into the cassette player.

[Murphyv310]

Not even a make!!!!!

[Crackle]

This sounds like what you need, the Cutec 4 track recorder.
http://www.forum.radios-tv.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=11807

Mike

[Nowhere-Man]

This sounds like what you need, the Cutec 4 track recorder.
http://www.forum.radios-tv.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=11807

Mike

I had a quick look and it's an Alba. A very typical mono cassette recorder of the seventies. I haven't had time to bother too much with it at this stage as I've been working on the tube radio all day. I was hoping it would be some simple problem so I quickly took it apart and can see nothing that evident. All wires seem intact. The speaker is still making some background hiss and the volume switch will increase that hiss as it's rotated. I might try taking a look at the plug sockets in case somehow it's been silenced. There's an earphone jack and the player was on its side when I was last recording, propped to my synth speakers. Could be something simple I that area.

The quality of recording hasn't been that great but it wasn't bad for recording practice sessions.

Amazingly, Murphy's Law was in full force as I'd grabbed another spare cassette player I had under my bed. No sooner did I press play and record, the play button snapped in half. It's now dangling way down in the chassis and will also need to be fixed.

I was thinking of a digital recorder mainly as it stores files and I'm told those pocket digital studios are quite amazing for their size.

Basically I make and record music. Some of it is psychedelic or maybe Rock and pop - even Jazz on occasions.

[Crackle]

Or use the sound card in your PC, a mixer is not necessary if you use a program such as "Audacity" which is free to download and use.
All you need is a decent microphone and plug it into the mic input on the PC.
You can record a new track whilst playing along to a song all in the same project, and then mix them together to make the master recording.
Editing is a doddle using software like Audacity, (when you have practised and got used to how to do it)
This is a song my son recorded almost in an afternoon and evening using audacity, after hearing me play an old Neil Diamond record.
Each instrument was played and recorded individually by Sam then mixed into one master recording.
He used a keyboard for most of the instruments, an electronic drum kit and guitar, and recorded his own harmonies.
I believe once the rhythm track has been recorded, whilst playing along to the original sound track, each of the other instruments were recorded one at a time again listening to the rhythm track.

I have to admit that this version is the HiFi version and incorporates many re-recordings of some of the tracks, at a high sample rate, but the original recording wasn't bad either.
http://www.swatchway.pwp.blueyonder.co.u...0Rosie.mp3

Mike