Need immediate help with tape and recording issue

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

Hey guys, I know this sounds really stupid, but, I have an MSR 16 that won't RECORD. I'm in the process of eliminating the possibilities. My first one is this.
WHICH side of the tape goes against the heads...the black oxide, or the brown mylar? I know that sounds stupid, but all of a sudden, I'm confused about some things.

Next on the list. Last night, I wanted to record some stuff, but I didn't have a blank tape, nor did I have a bulk tape eraser, so I desided to erase ALL 16 tracks on the full tape that I did have. I put all 16 tracks in record mode, and played the whole tape. For the most part, it worked, but when I tried to record, now it won't work. Should I demag the heads now? I'm concerned that maybe running all 16 channels in record mode with NO signal, may have done something. Any ideas????

Man, I need to solve this as fast as possible.
thanks
fitZ

[themaddog]

The brown side should go against the heads.

Run through the basics first:
Is everything on the machine clean?
Are you sure your mixer is hooked up correctly?
What kind of tape are you using? How old is it?

-MD

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

Thanks themaddog. Well....., I cleaned everything, demaged, and discovered the rubber idler was so sticky, it was causing stuff to stick to the tape. For now, I just wrapped a piece of electricians tape around the idler to get through the session. All is well. I think alzhiemers is setting in. It is recording just fine now. Thanks again.
fitZ

[jjones1700]

Originally Posted by RICK FITZPATRICK

Thanks themaddog. Well....., I cleaned everything, demaged, and discovered the rubber idler was so sticky, it was causing stuff to stick to the tape. For now, I just wrapped a piece of electricians tape around the idler to get through the session. All is well. I think alzhiemers is setting in. It is recording just fine now. Thanks again.
fitZ

Dude, get that replaced ASAP!! Once that stuff really starts to let go, the rubber slides off the sleeve and is like black tar. It's a bitch to clean off that crap.

[A Reel Person]

eh fitZ???.................

After your immediate session, is the plan to have the pinch roller refurbished? I hate when rubber breaks down after 15-20 years! Where's durability these days???

[jpmorris]

To reiterate what the others are saying, get something done about the roller. If you can get a new part from TASCAM or their parts resellers, that's one way. Otherwise, this guy can refurbish them:

http://www.terrysrubberrollers.com/

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

Hello guys. Man, what a mindboggle. Thanks for your immediate help and suggestions. Everything came out fine. My friends and I had an absolute ball and they are on their way back home in Sacramento and Michigan. We planned this get togeather for months. My only regret is I hadn't had time to fully study understand my M3700 nor the MSR's/midiizer, even though I've had the MSR's for years and the M3700 for over 8 months. They might as well been a cockpit in a 747 Seems like studio building had to take precedence in order to even use them, and I still didn't get my acoustical treatments up. But its all over now, and time to get back to reality. I've had 2 weeks off work for this little project, and now....fuck. :( Oh well. Thanks again. BTW, I'll be posting pictures of my control room as it stands now, on the Studio building forum in the next few days. Maybe in a month I'll be able to get back to finishing it. In the meantime, its back to work and reality. Eck.
fitZ

[jjones1700]

I'm glad everything turned out okay in the session.

Seriously though, get that idler wheel/pinch roller replaced before you start messing around with playback of that master tape. If not, definitely make a backup copy.