You must make absolutely sure,...
that the tape is threaded correctly, and oriented properly on the reel.
You'd be surprised, at how common a mistake improper tape threading is, & that it's somehow perplexing to new users. And, it's easier than you might think, to wind the tape upside-down on the reel, without even knowing it.
In general, not to insult your intelligence, but just for reference, with most tape, such as 456, the record-side is shiny brown, and the backing side of the tape is dull black.
Also, when you arm the track for "record-ready", the LED should flash, and when you engage Record, the [track-arming] LED should go solid red, as well as the LED above the Record button, itself.
Tape threading,... back to that subject,... should be simple, but it's surprising how many people get it wrong. Check the manual, if you have it available. Also, the Fostex machines have a tape head shield, that's retractable, and sometimes new users thread the tape over the head-shield, thinking it's the head. The head shield is a spring loaded gizmo, that retracts when pushed down, and the actual heads are located underneath the shield.
You probably have one, or a combination of the above simple procedural problems. Good luck.
