9 year old, rarely used, DRR-M31, has suddenly started eating the tapes viz:- insert a cassette, close the drawer, press play, you heaf the replay mechanism engaging, but no sound. When play is stopped and the drawer opened, you find the cassette has unravelled into the mechanism cavity (Both capstans driven ?).

Foward and reverse wind operate without problems.

Would like to restore function so that I can continue listen to old tapes.

I was thinking that one of the drive belts might have perished.

Any ideas ?

Niick.

Might be dirty rollers, especially the rubber ones - the tape will stick to them, try cleaning them with isoprol alcohol and some cotton buds.

What's a cassette tape?

What's a cassette tape?

It's a new-fangled thing designed to replace the 8-track you've got. :p :p :p

Might be dirty rollers, especially the rubber ones - the tape will stick to them, try cleaning them with isoprol alcohol and some cotton buds.

+1 :thumbup:

*if* you can find one: Allsop 3 cassette cleaner used to do the trick for me. Mechanical device cleaned the heads and the rollers nicely

Tried a cleaning cassette, but no improvement. Tapes still unravell on playing.

I'll have the lid off in slower time, so tbat I can see what' s going wrong.

This Denon kit isn't durable at all.

I had to get the sister unit to this one, a DVD/CD/Receiver, repaired by the supplier under warranty.

Whereas, the 28 year old Sony turntable (Shock and horror) next to it operates faultlessly.

Nick

Denon kit was VERY well regarded, was the tape cleaner an Alsop 3 "wet" cleaner?? The "dry" cleaners were not worth the packaging they came in, you really need the 3's isopropl soaked pads to get the muck off of the rollers, and it it is chewing every tape, then you will need to run it multiple times, or go through a dozen cotton buds to get the things clean.

If it is still chewing after that, then there is a mechanical problem, either a belt perished or the head is way out of alignment - they are mounted on tiny adjustable spring suspension and can get knocked skewiff

Denon kit was VERY well regarded, was the tape cleaner an Alsop 3 "wet" cleaner?? The "dry" cleaners were not worth the packaging they came in, you really need the 3's isopropl soaked pads to get the muck off of the rollers, and it it is chewing every tape, then you will need to run it multiple times, or go through a dozen cotton buds to get the things clean.

If it is still chewing after that, then there is a mechanical problem, either a belt perished or the head is way out of alignment - they are mounted on tiny adjustable spring suspension and can get knocked skewiff

Agreed. personally, I'd go with cotton buds and a manual clean.

Agreed. personally, I'd go with cotton buds and a manual clean.

That's how I used to clean my tape drives, not done that for a good few years, still have an old deck in the loft somewhere.

Paul

These, I believe, are a new replacement for Blue-Ray.

Equipement will be in in the shops in time for next Christmas.

ahhhhh tapes, listening to the Top 40 on a sunday, pressing pause just as the track finished, a pencil to rewind them, a small phillips to dismantle and salvage the good bit of tape, small boys in the park, jumpers for goal posts, isn't it wasn't it hmmm hmmm ahhhh those were the days.

ahhhhh tapes, listening to the Top 40 on a sunday, pressing pause just as the track finished, a pencil to rewind them, a small phillips to dismantle and salvage the good bit of tape, small boys in the park, jumpers for goal posts, isn't it wasn't it hmmm hmmm ahhhh those were the days.

And some Jamboree bags & Bazooka Joe bubble gum awwww yeah. :think:

And some Jamboree bags & Bazooka Joe bubble gum awwww yeah. :think:

don't forget the 10p back from Corona and Barr bottles :p

Wasn't that a drawer loading Denon? If so, I remember more problematical than the normal ones.

Denon built their reputation on cassette decks and cartridges although the best cassette deck I owned was a Pioneer.

Best I ever owned was an Aiwa ADF880, more controls than a F15 and could really wring the last drop of juice out of ANY cassette type.

Hiya Nick,

It sounds like you've already checked the take up spool drives and that they are turning OK. I'd therefore start by checking the capstan and pinch roller next to the tape head - check they are both free and rotating if you can as these are what actually drive the tape across the head - if they stuck then the tape will unravel inside the mechanism. If they are not then it could be a belt disintegrating (I fixed an old TEAC deck recently where the belts had turned to jelly with age) or just that they need freeing up. If it is the belt then you should be able to get replacements relatively easily (I got some from Bob at Vintage Electronics in the US)

Other than that have you checked the cassette spools are actually free? They can jam really easily and the take up drive capstans have a friction clutch on them so they don;t stretch the tape. It's always worth fast forwarding and rewinding tapes a few times before use if they've not been played for a while...

I'm sure eBay is also your friend as I imagine cassette decks are generally fairly unwanted despite their potential performance. They definately don't command the same prices as used turntables etc.

Many people discounted cassette decks but recordings I made were very close to the original source, which at the time was a very good LP12.

I'm sure eBay is also your friend as I imagine cassette decks are generally fairly unwanted despite their potential performance. They definately don't command the same prices as used turntables etc.

Many people discounted cassette decks but recordings I made were very close to the original source, which at the time was a very good LP12.

Yup Had a Revox B215. Recordings were almost identical. Have kept a small 3 head Marantz 330 portable to back up to CD.

Advice would be Denon is/was good stuff. But will be easier to pop into your local charity shop and look out for a minty cassette deck. As above Aiwa Denon Pioneer Yamaha.

Edited 1 October, 201213 yr by goonybird

Did you have any success? If you have enough tapes to warrant a replacement I'd recommend a Nakamichi CR model as they come up on ebay for £50-80 quite often (parts still available).

Still got mine and bring a smile listening to Tommy Vance in the 80's ;0)

On 24/09/2012 at 07:16, GentleGiant said:

Denon kit was VERY well regarded, was the tape cleaner an Alsop 3 "wet" cleaner?? The "dry" cleaners were not worth the packaging they came in, you really need the 3's isopropl soaked pads to get the muck off of the rollers, and it it is chewing every tape, then you will need to run it multiple times, or go through a dozen cotton buds to get the things clean.

If it is still chewing after that, then there is a mechanical problem, either a belt perished or the head is way out of alignment - they are mounted on tiny adjustable spring suspension and can get knocked skewiff

hi I have exactly the same problem , it’s chewing my tapes up , I’m not very techie though , would you advise I can work out myself how to clean the tape heads with this liquid you mention, do I just open the cassette drawer and use cotton wool to clean inside and how can I check they are spinning correctly if the drawer is open ? 
 

thanks 

On 02/09/2020 at 10:31, Siobhan_Malik said:

hi I have exactly the same problem , it’s chewing my tapes up , I’m not very techie though , would you advise I can work out myself how to clean the tape heads with this liquid you mention, do I just open the cassette drawer and use cotton wool to clean inside and how can I check they are spinning correctly if the drawer is open ? 
 

thanks 

 

Hi Siobhain, i cant help with your issie, but I know Gentle Giant hasnt been on for a couple of years now. 

and Clunk (Nick, the OP) was possibily permanently banned for being a ..... difficult member.. definitely banned and definitely not back since..

Edited 5 September, 20205 yr by mac11irl

On 02/09/2020 at 10:31, Siobhan_Malik said:

hi I have exactly the same problem , it’s chewing my tapes up , I’m not very techie though , would you advise I can work out myself how to clean the tape heads with this liquid you mention, do I just open the cassette drawer and use cotton wool to clean inside and how can I check they are spinning correctly if the drawer is open ? 
 

thanks 

 

get some q-tips ..cotton buds,...& some IPA...isopropyl alcohol..or use meths....get the cotton bud moist..but not soaked!...& gently insert & clean the rollers & head....

 

or get a cleaning cassette like this..the "wet" type...

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vinyl-Styl-Cassette-Cleaner-Demagnetizer/dp/B07DYCDSSN/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=cassette+head+cleaner&qid=1601495978&refinements=p_72%3A419153031&rnid=419152031&s=electronics&sr=1-1 

I've got the same issue with a DRR-M30 (same mechanism, both service manuals available online).. Looking closely at mine it's the slightly-up-and-down-movable bits of the hubs that are 'sticking' down if they get nudged down by a tape during loading and not springing back up to properly engage with the teeth in the hubs of the cassette itself. Therefore while the pinch roller and capstan are merrily drawing tape through, the take-up reel isn't turning at all, so tape spools out onto the pinch roller and surroundings..   

 

It seems the spring on the forward take up reel is weaker (different part number to the other spring), so it's that one that presents the problem... hence on mine reverse play and rewind is ok but forward play and ffwd are not.

 

I hope it just needs a stronger spring, but I don't know where to get one or why they would have originally specced a weak one. Also I'm suspicious of the hub mouldings themselves - I've taken them apart and cleaned and lubed to try and get rid of 'sticktion', and parts move smoothly in my hand, but as soon as i put them back in the machine there's a 'gritty' quality to the movement... so something's going on..

 

I haven't got to the bottom of it yet, but I've started a thread on tapeheads so I'm hoping with their help we'll solve this apparently common problem...