Copy the tape if it is damaged and clean the heads
Anybody out there still using the old ADAT machines? I am in quite a pickle right now. My machine started giving me some noFo messages, which I suppose can be attributed to dirty heads. Am I right on this? Anyway, in trying to trick the machine into working during a mix (probably a mistake) I ejected it and the machine decided it wasn't ready to part with my tape. So it scuffed it up a bit and now I can't even get the thing to read but I imagine I am royally screwed. Am I correct or is there anything I can do to fix this eaten tape?
As a side question, why does god hate me?
You need to not play the tape again through the damaged area otherwise it will dirty the head again, best thing to do is copy the tape to another ADAT machine ASAP, throw away your damaged tape, then clean your heads correctly (look online on how to properly clean your ADAT rotary heads) very important to clean the rotary ADAT heads properly or you can damage them and bend them out of alignment, it is very expensive to have them replaced and or re-align the heads!!!
Then you should clean all the transport rollers that touch the tape, and also clean the rubber idler wheel, idler capstan knurled brass shaft and the fast forward and rewind plastic spools where the brake touches, clean the plastic roller for rewind and the idler wheel again and the other fast forward plastic roller, clean both plastic rollers. Clean them with 99% Isopropyl Alcohol and cotton Q-tips.
Finally swab on some Rubber Renew by Chemtronics, use this chemical only on the rubber idler wheel and the rubber capstan wheel, do not get it on any of the plastic rollers or any plastic parts. wait for it to all dry at least ten minutes. Rubber Renew is only for rubber and can melt plastic so be careful, works great on rubber to bring it back to a new supple soft state, like brand new rubber hence Rubber Renew!!!
Then test a SVHS tape you don't care about. Test it in play/record format/rewind/fast forward and eject etc. If it stills eats tapes, then make sure idler wheel is clean of any grease residue and clean it again and again any metal or plastic rollers the idler wheel touches, clean it again with 99% alcohol. If it still eats tapes then you may have to replace the rubber idler wheel. It is cheap and easy to replace.
If it stills says no format error after the heads are properly cleaned, then some one screwed up the head alignment, and you will have to take it in to a technician for head alignment and or replacement. Or just use the machine for ADAT parts.
This happened to me with a brand new ADAT machine, the technician did not know how to clean the heads correctly and so he bent or chipped off several of the rotary heads and gave me the machine back, so now it will not record format or payback. What a idiot technician!!! So make sure you have someone or yourself clean the heads correctly and knows what they are doing, or you will have an expensive paperweight and an extra parts machine.
And no God does not hate you and sorry I posted this so late, I did not see this forum until now, wow three or four years later you get my answer'.