Sound carriers

On this page extensive information about maintenance and repair of sound carriers.

Difficulty Index:

★ = Easy
No danger to you or the device you work with.

★★ = Challenging
You are not in danger but your devices are so be careful what you do. Expect some challenge.

★★★ = Average
You work with electrical appliances and fragile parts, you disassemble and examine appliances. Although power to the device is not always necessary during work, there is a risk of electric shock.

★★★★ = Difficult
You are going to test devices with power on. There is very little room for errors and parts are rare, expensive or no longer available.

★★★★★ = Expertise
Fast rotating parts, electricity and measurements. Replacing or treating small fragile parts. Almost impossible repairs, work only if you have the right knowledge, and are not afraid of breaking your device if you make a mistake.

There is also a indication of the costs, these are based on parts to be purchased, and are calculated on the basis that nothing breaks during the process.

Purchase costs of the device/medium itself are not included.

Finally, some repairs are not yet completed, the button to these is colored orange.

Low = €0 to €50
Medium = €50 to €100
High = €100 or more!


The Compact Cassette, sometimes these too have their bad day, on this page we walk along the possible problems of the tape, but of course also look at the solutions and ways to get a broken tape working again. I'm betting that pretty much anyone can solve these problems, if you use the right tools.

Difficulty:
★ = Easy
Cost: Low


8-Track cartridges have not always withstood the test of time, parts almost always have to be replaced and there is a chance that your tape has jammed. In the worst case scenario, you'll end up with a spaghetti of tape, especially if you open it wrong. Look further at this challenging type of media.


Difficulty:
★★ = Challenging 
Cost: Low to Medium


Appeared on the market as a promising sound carrier, only to be forgotten just as quickly, not because of its excellent qualities. But purely because the compact cassette was more popular.

The daring Elcaset, very expensive cassettes and parts that will let you search your room for an hour if they jump away. Very specific instructions, all tapes must be maintained before you use them.

Difficulty:
★★ = Challenging
Cost: Low


The largest cassette tapes ever, with spools over 20 cm in diameter held together like a sandwich by a thick plastic housing. With all kinds of built-in components that should ensure a working whole.

Watch me take a stack of these cassettes apart, clean them, repair them and make them working again for use on a device at least as large.

Difficulty:
★ = Easy
Cost: Low