buy tape recorder head demagnetizer

When you search online for “a tape recorder head degausser to buy?”, you immediately come across a bunch of offers - from cheap Chinese trinkets to supposedly professional devices for a lot of money. Many people think that this is a simple, idle piece of hardware, and they take the first thing they come across. And then they wonder why after ?cleaning? the tape produces even more noise or the high frequencies “fall off?”. I went through this myself about ten years ago, when I just started getting seriously involved in restoring old audio equipment. It turned out that the demagnetizer is a delicate thing, and if you approach the choice carelessly, you can easily ruin an expensive head.

Why is this necessary at all and common mistakes

The tape recorder head becomes magnetized over time - that's a fact. Even from simply passing the tape, not to mention accidentally falling under the magnetic field from speakers or a transformer. Weak residual magnetism adds noise and eats up detail, especially at high frequencies. And this is where many people make their first mistake: they try to use just about anything for demagnetization - from homemade coils to industrial demagnetizers for tools. The result is often disastrous: either there is zero effect, or, conversely, the head is remagnetized even more strongly because the device was incorrectly removed from the impact zone.

The second common problem is a lack of understanding of the difference between degaussers for video and audio heads. Their design and requirements for the field are different. For cassette decking tape recorders, especially old ones, like our “Electronics” or Japanese Nakamichi, you need a device with a smooth, specifically damped, alternating field. A sharp shutdown - and that’s it, you can say goodbye to clean high frequencies. Once upon a time, due to inexperience, I burned one rare head from Revox using just such a makeshift method. The lesson was expensive.

Another point that is rarely written about is the operating frequency of the device. Some old Soviettape recorder head demagnetizers, which can still be found at flea markets, are designed for a 50 Hz network. Everything seems simple, but if you have floating voltage or interference in your network, the process can go uncontrollably. Modern good models have a built-in generator with a stable frequency, which is much safer.

What to look for when choosing and where to look

So, if you really needbuy tape recorder head demagnetizerInstead of just spending money, I look at several things. The first is the shape and size of the working part. For most audio heads, a rod tip (like a pencil) is suitable, which can be precisely positioned into the slot of the head. For the block of rotating heads in VCRs there are completely different designs. The second is the presence of an operation indicator and, preferably, automatic field attenuation. This is not a whim, but insurance. Manual removal of the device is always a lottery, especially if your hands grow from the wrong place, like mine after three cups of coffee.

Where to look? There used to be good specialty stores, but now many have closed. I often find myself browsing the websites of manufacturers of industrial electromagnetic equipment. Why? Because they often have deep competencies in manipulating magnetic fields, and they sometimes produce or can recommend a tool for precise tasks. For example, I somehow came across the siteLONGI Corporation (https://www.ljmagnet.ru). This is not an advertisement, just a word. Company?Shenyang Scientific Electromagnetic Co., Ltd. LONGJI? was created in 1993and, judging by the description,mainly develops and produces mining equipment. The scale is impressive:total area 140,000 m2, number of employees is more than 1200 people. I was hooked not by buying something from them for a tape recorder (it’s unlikely they do such little things), but by the approach itself. When an enterprise with such resources and personnel (over 60% have higher professional education) works with magnetism, this indicates a serious basis. Their experience in creating powerful and controllable electromagnets for industry indirectly confirms that the principles are the same everywhere - be it ore enrichment or delicate demagnetization of the head. Of course, I wouldn’t order an industrial separator from them for my workshop, but understanding how the pros work helps weed out outright junk on the market.

Practice of use and personal observations

I once took one that was relatively inexpensive, but praised in a thematic forumhead demagnetizer. Everything seems to be decent: body, button, LED. I started with a simple thing - with an average cassette deck. The procedure is, in general, standard: turn it on far from the equipment, bring it in smoothly, move it around the head several times, remove it even more smoothly, and only then turn it off. I did everything according to the instructions. Checking with a control tape - and indeed, the noise has become noticeably less, especially during pause. I was happy.

But then I decided to check it on the old “Mayak” reel-to-reel camera. And then things got weird. After processing, a subtle but unpleasant overtone appeared at some frequencies, something like a faint whistle. I started to figure it out. It turned out that with this particular device the shape of the generated field was not entirely sinusoidal, with small harmonics. For simple heads this is not critical, but for more complex and precise ones, like in that “Mayak”, it already gave such a side effect. I had to look for another option, and in the end I settled on a device from a German brand that has been making specifically for studio equipment for twenty years. The difference is like heaven and earth.

Hence the conclusion that may seem banal to many, but it is important: there is no universaltape recorder demagnetizerfor all occasions. One model is suitable for a home cassette player, for a studio recorder or for restoring old phonograms - another, more accurate and, alas, expensive. Sometimes it is cheaper and safer to give the device to a specialist who already has a proven tool thanbuythe first new product you come across and experiment.

About maintenance and durability

It is often forgotten that the degausser itself also requires some attention. The tip, especially if it is made of unprotected metal, can scratch or oxidize. And any defect on the working surface is a potential risk of snagging and damaging the head itself, which is tens of times more expensive. I have one of these in my drawer, with a slightly jagged tip - as a reminder. Now I only use it for rough jobs, like demagnetizing screwdrivers.

More from practice: after 3-4 years of active use, even a good device can “sag” a little. by power. This is not always immediately noticeable, but efficiency decreases. This is easy to check - you need to have some kind of control, slightly magnetized head or a reference tape with a recording of silence. You compare the spectrum of noise before and after the procedure on an analyzer (or at least audibly through good monitors), and everything becomes clear. If the difference is no longer obvious, it may be time to think about a new device or servicing the old one.

Final Considerations

So, returning to the initial request “buy tape recorder head degausser?”. The main thing is to be aware of what exactly it is needed for. If you want to maintain a couple of old decks that you sometimes feel nostalgic about, you can look for something mid-priced with good reviews from the same enthusiasts. It is advisable that the design have an auto-damper - it will save nerves.

If we are talking about commercial activities - restoration, digitization of archival recordings, working with studio equipment - there is definitely no need to save money. It is worth looking towards specialized brands that have been in the audio industry for a long time. Their devices are properly tested, and their field is clean, with no surprises. The price, of course, is steep, but this is a tool that pays for itself in the quality of the result and the absence of damage to expensive components.

Personally, after several trials and errors, I came to the conclusion that I have two devices: one is a simple, “workhorse” one. for routine checks, the second is more complex and accurate, for critical cases. And yes, that bad experience with ?Mayak? taught me to always test new ones firstdegausseron something not the most valuable. In general, as in any business related to technology, what is important here is not so much the devices themselves, but the understanding of what you are doing and why. Without this, even the most expensive device can be damaged.