AIWA TP-40 recording question

[hgoodspeed]

Hello there, I just recently purchased a lovely little AIWA TP-40 and though it plays the existing tape perfectly (older recordings from pervious owner) when I try recording audio (with a little Sony PC-62 mic) the tape picks up my voice but dramatically fades to little more than a whisper after 5 or 6 seconds and is reduced to a barely audible level.

I'm not sure how old the tape is, if that could be an issue, but I'm assuming something internal, a wire or something, is not functioning correctly and could be easily replaced. The device is quite old, so I'm assuming something inside has to be a little corroded. I could open it up, but seeing as how that seems to be a bit of an undertaking I thought I'd ask you all if you had any idea of what it could be.

I think this is probably a common problem with older equipment that is being used for the first time in a long time. Thanks a lot for any advice or help you can give me, I'm certainly not above bringing this to a retailer/shop if it requires it.

-Hiller

 

[Bobbsy]

My first instinct is the tape. Old tapes can shed oxide at an alarming rate and, as the erase and record heads are in the stack before the playback, they can pick up the worst of the oxide deposit. If your record head is gradually getting gucked up (highly technical phrase!) by a pile of loose oxide, that could explain your problem.

 

[hgoodspeed]

Alright, thanks for your help. I'm going to look for some new tape and hopefully that'll solve the issue.