The Age from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia • Page 56

Thursday November 1887 By UES CAROtUNt kROBLEMSwtalcbcraei slowly iQbiLji IF cassette deck might hardly be noticed from day to day, but over a period of time their cumulative effects can SUi Sk -'-a-. itiZt? -h nwafc-IW-5 -S- a v- I Abo, a demagnetiser can generate sSjaals in the heads which are loud enough to send the needles in the level-meters and daare speakers in the system unless the -efir'-is switched off or the volume turned down while the demagnetising operation is carried out Specific instructions with the demagne-tiser shquld be rehearsed and then followed very carefully. Provided tt is executed properly, however, demagTietisingiTiay be dooe frequently without detrimental effect on toe deck. Care should be exercised also not to scratch-the heads with metal parts of the demagnetiser. Basically, there are two kinds of demagnetiser.

One is held in the hand and applied individually to parts or areas of the oeck which have to be demagnettsed. The other fits into be deck like a cassette and may be operated either from batteries or driven by the deck mechanism as though playing a cassette. The hand-held version is more versatile In that it can be used on a variety of machines, includlnk -i- cassette decks open-reel recorders; and dees not depend on neck layout However, it iriay be difficult touse effectively in some car stereo sets where they are installed. To been the safe side-the handheld- demagnetiser should be kept away from tapes and switched off when not in use, to prevent accidental erasure of tapes nearby. I -The cassette-shaped demagnetiser which fits into the deck, on the other hand, offers convenience of operation but is restricted in its use to cassette decks and players.

The versatUity of the cassette-shaped demagnetiser depends on Its construction and; number of demagnetising points. One such device is the Discwasher Dllag Cassette Deck Demagnetiser. The Sllag ts simply inserted, like a cassette Jnto.the deck and operated by pressing the Fast-Forward and Rewjind buttons. The process takes only about 10 seconds. It is especially convenient for demagnetising car stereo cassette players and Idecks which tend to a cassette for playing.

Demagnetisation of critical parts of the deck is brought about by a spinning array of -magiretsj arranged like spokes, in a orbiting wheel mside the D'Mag. TaWerMOag magnet assembly moves smoothly past toe headsand other nietalnartoof toe deck near the path) taken by a tape, and leaves ihem demagnetised, according to manufacturer. -C ---I The AmericanHnade xyilaf rktcst is entirely mechanical, tuw noefectrtatefsats and, tlierefere, does not reatfra taetiM--sells for m93 (receminet4M retaaprtce). More iofonnatioanbout Vtitx and Diac washer tape kead cleaners: VJctorhm. dis-tributorB, Tlte Australian JSouaeV Cofxoiany Pty Ltd, Ii3 Market Street, South Melbourne 3208896277.

cause a significant downturn in the quality of sound from cassette tapes. Dirty and magnetised heads (and other metal parts of the deck) are prime exam' pies. But both faults can be remedied fairly easily, and sometimes dramatic -improvements may result simply from cleaning and demagnetising the heads in a cassette deck or car stereo player. -a Dirty heads is a term used to describe a buildmp of magnetic oxide or metal-dust particles across a fine gap in the metal face of a record or playback-head 4a a tape deck. Magnetic powder, stripped from the moving tape, packs firmly onto the face of the head, reducing the volume level of the sound and killing off the crisper treble notes in music and other recorded programs.

Until it is removed, its audible effect is to make recorded programs sound dull and muffled. It can happen quite suddenly, or it might build up slowly over a long period of time; it can affect new and old decks alike. A dentist's mirror can be used to inspect the inside of the cassette compartment and around the heads in a deck, and an oxide deposit will be observed typically as a small, dark-brownish smudge on the face of the head where it touches the tape. But troublesome deposits are not always visible to the naked eye. IPUORTUNATELY, dirty heads can usually be cleaned fairly readily using a patent cleaner, or cleaning device available from an audio accessories In no circumstances however, should the heads be scraped or jubbed with metal: tools or harsh abrasivesin an attempt to dislodge a persistent build-up of oxide.

The surface of the head which makes contact with the tape normally is mirrorsmooth; if Jt is scratched or chipped, the head will scour oxide from tapes and tend to foul up more frequently: it might even spoil a good collection of cassette tapes. A head with chips or scratches on its playing surface should be replaced Immediately. SpecksefJoose oxide might also stick "to the playing surface of the tape or its plastic backing and prevent the tape from making intimate contact with the head "while it is As a result, the sound will "drop our momentarily, aad stereo images may appear to dart back: and forth annoyingly between toe Left and JUght channel whenever dirt passes over the head. Carpet lint and finding its way inside cassettes will have similar effects a the sound; for mat reason, cassettes should always be kept la their protective eases when sot to use, especially in cars. r- CAPSTAN I TAPE HEAD CAPSTAN TAPE GUIDE SAMARIUM COBALT MAGNETS The D'Maapms high-energy samarium cobalt magnet through the path of the tape.

ffcASSETTES should also be kept away from loudspeakers and their enclo-W sures. Speakers employ large, strong magnets-capable of erasing programs from cassettes or making them sound- noisy. A slow whooshing" sound occurring at about the same rate a the: reels of tape inside the cassette are turning would be typical of a cassette which has heen near a strong magnet, j. a Magnets can affect tapes even through wooden panels and cabineav glass doers an non-ferrous metals. Color TV.

sets, too. can have-an undesirable effect on audio and video tapes nearby. -r If needs and other parts near the tape path in a cassette deck become magnetised, this can also adversely, affect 4he quality of sound frem cassettes. Typically, magnetisation occurs slowly over period of time. It tends to make taped programs sound Ussier and duller by wiping off some of the higher, treble crtspness in toe recorded sound.

A fuller appreciation of just how much the sound might have deteriorated may not be realised until the set is demagnetised and the Improvement Likely causes of a set's becoming magnetised would Include magnets nearby speakers or enclosures and even the EarthV magnetic fiekL Faults in the set can also magnetise tape heads. the heads and other -I metal parts of a cassette deck needs to 'ee handled-vercarefully: For example, some Aahugnettsers wtti nbo par-' flnflj. rtrnnTMitlsf rnnmiftai pnil tnpoi if they get too close or are stored among them in a cupboard. r. JMCUMftTf tft WEEK COMMENCING: 5 KQVKSSCVTS37 MELA 3s- Bk 1 SINGLES CHART ALBUMS CHART IAST WffllS 1 -ELECTRKBUJE 2.

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