muffled playback

[gororbs]

I'm working with a fostex R8. Recently, on playback, I'm hearing the sound turn from, well...a normal playback sound, to a muffled playback sound. Would this be the tape heads dying?

Not sure what the problem is.

 

[Lt. Bob]

First guess would be dirty heads ........ second guess would be heads that need demagnetizing.

Heads dying would be way WAY down on the list.
How long has it been since you cleaned/demagged the heads?

 

[EDAN]

Could be the tape itself as well.

 

[littlesongs]

from what i understand, heads get louder when they are dying...

goo, on the other hand, makes things quiet indeed...

are you using fresh tape stock?

old tape -- especially the cursed ampex 456 of the last two decades -- will gum it all up in no time at all...

 

[Rodger Hartlett]

could be tape/head alignment as well.
but really sounds like dirty heads.