CHART EIGHT

Tape recorder

Tape player

No improvement:

see below.

Sound OK:

Bad commercial tape copy, or tape was damaged by poor storage conditions or exposure to magnetic field.

Sound poor only on new recordings made by this machine:

Clean and demagnetize tape heads.

Sound poor on playback of all tapes, new and old:

see below.

Sound OK:

Heads were dirty or magnetized.

No improvement:

Try recording from another source.

Clean and demagnetize tape heads.

Sound poor on mikes, OK on other input:

Connect left mike to right mike input and vice versa.

Sound poor on both sets of inputs:

Tape machine defective.

Sound still poor:

Use left-channel output cable between right-channel output and right preamp input and vice versa.

Sound OK:

Tape heads were dirty or magnetized.

Sound poor on other channel:

Mike, mike cable, or plug defective.

Sound poor on same channel:

Tape machine is defective.

Sound OK on both channels:

One cable was intermittent or making poor contact.

Sound poor on same channel:

Cables OK. Connect left-channel output to right-channel preamp input and vice versa.

Sound poor on other channel:

Cable defective.

Sound poor on other channel:

Tape machine defective.

Sound poor on same channel:

System preamp or integrated amplifier defective.