Head adjustment/alignment help.

[fellwinter]

Hi all,

I just got a couple of brand new Quantegy 456's for my A-3440 4 track.

Now here is the thing, I really cleaned the heads well, and then demagnatized them.

Then I threaded up the new tape, ff - rwd it.

Then I started up recording, just straight from a CD source.

On tracks 1 and 2, it seems to kind of fade in and out, and I put through a hot signal but there is like no volume.

Track 3 sounds perfect, all clear, high level of volume, crisp highs, and nice lows.. makes me glad I bought some new tape.

Track 4, nothing, very very low playback.

Is the record head off? I don't have a test tape, so I will have to wing it, but any help on what is going on would be great!

 

[fellwinter]

Nevermind, I figured it out! The heads wern't as clean as I had thought, I really went at them with head cleaner and some Q-tips! Then track 4 was still dropping out.

Well, I did some playing around with the adjustment screws, turns out the erase head was 'just off' but a little but.

Voila, man this machine sounds sweet with new tape!

My wife thought it sounded just like the CD!

 

[A Reel Person]

That's cool!

............

 

[cjacek]

Nevermind, I figured it out! The heads wern't as clean as I had thought, I really went at them with head cleaner and some Q-tips! Then track 4 was still dropping out.

Well, I did some playing around with the adjustment screws, turns out the erase head was 'just off' but a little but.

Voila, man this machine sounds sweet with new tape!

My wife thought it sounded just like the CD!

I recall when I bought my 2nd 3440, that I had to go through about 20 of those cotton make up remover pads moistened with 99% alcohol to remove the hardened brown oxide that had build up from the previous owner.

The 3440 does indeed sound great! It reproduces cd detail at only 7 1/2 ips but it also has a 15 ips option!

~Daniel