Audacity Forum

I have several old cassettes that I want to record. Anyone have a fix for when the tapes won't play at normal speed? It's like they're binding up in the cassette.

OK Gunns, First question,

Anyone have a fix for when the tapes won't play at normal speed?

What do you mean won't play at normal speed? do you mean on the cassette player? Do the tapes play OK on the Player? If not, then you can try to fast forward and rewind the tapse several times. you can also try using a compressed air and blow clean the reels, and repeat the fast forwarding and rewinding.

You will also have to make sure the player is working properly, get a tape that you know is good, has to have been either commercial or if you have to, use a different cassette reecorder and make a new tape and then play it on your player to see if it plays ok. If you make the cassette with the player you have it will play just fine as it will have recorded the tape and will play it back the same way. Ofcourse if it is the player then all you can do is have it fixed or get a new recorder/player.

Hope all of this helps

As Thor says and ...

Make sure the capstan (the small shiny post thingy that drives the tape) and the pinch-wheel (the big rubber wheel) are clean. Oxide from the tape can build up on these over the years. Do not use alcohol-based solvents on the pinch wheel.

There are loads of articles on t'interweb re cleanind and setting-up tape decks.

WC