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Maintenance
• Cleaning
Cleaning the head
As the XR-3 is used, the record/playback head will become coated with dust and oxide
residue from the tapes. If this residue is allowed to build up, recordings will contain more
noise, and dropouts may occur during playback. Even invisible dirt could cause the high
range to be affected, creating a muffled sound. To prevent this, regular cleaning is important.
Use a commercial cleaning kit etc. to clean the head.
Capstan and pinch roller
The capstan and pinch roller are important parts that hold the tape and move it along at the
correct speed. As with the head, these parts can also become dirty with oxide residue and
dust, which will cause increased wow or flutter, or even damage the tape by pulling it out
of the cassette.
Since cassette tape is very thin, it is especially dangerous to use a cassette deck with dirty
pinch rollers. As with the head, it is important to always keep these parts clean. Clean them
using a cotton swab or gauze soaked in cleaning solution or isopropyl alcohol. Never use
organic solvents such as lacquer thinner, since this will severely damage the pinch rollers.
Demagnetizing the head
After long periods of use, the head begins to develop a magnetic field in addition to the oxide
residue described above. This can also occur if a magnet or a magnetized object (scissors,
etc.) is allowed to come near the head or touch it. If the head or capstans become
magnetized, frequency response will be degraded and noise will increase. In extreme cases,
noise can be created on previously-recorded tapes that you playback, rendering them
useless.
Once a month or so, you should use a demagnetizer (head eraser) to demagnetize the head.
Carefully read and follow the instructions included with your demagnetizer, and do not
allow it to come near recorded tapes.
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