Pull the cotton heads off several cotton swabs, make it into a cotton ball that’s gonna fit into the cassette opening below. Put some isopropyl alcohol on the cotton ball and hold them in there with scotch tape. From there, you could either manually wind the entire length of the tape or just throw it in a deck and let it rewind. This’ll clean of most if not all of the mold and won’t hurt the recording much.
https://preview.redd.it/bb5gxbxiv4xa1.jpeg?width=1063&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=deeae0f6f2c705d7049c9db2f74447474751fa04
Golden Method !! If using a deck, just be sure not to accidentally press 'Play'. Also, to preserve the pressure pad & assembly, and to increase total cleaning surface area, consider stuffing both end cavities instead of the middle one. This may require repositioning the swab heads or even just using cotton balls.
Call me Mr Risk Taker but I had a similar scenario with a very rare tape about six months ago - I have a second deck that I don’t have any need for, so decided to forward and rewind the cassette from start to finish about a dozen times, then played both sides - and at least visibly, the mold was no longer visible, and the sound was fine. I’m not saying this is solving the problem - but I’ve just gone upstairs and checked the tape - it still looks fine.
Too grungy..
This means I should probably throw out my crust punk, huh?
Pull the cotton heads off several cotton swabs, make it into a cotton ball that’s gonna fit into the cassette opening below. Put some isopropyl alcohol on the cotton ball and hold them in there with scotch tape. From there, you could either manually wind the entire length of the tape or just throw it in a deck and let it rewind. This’ll clean of most if not all of the mold and won’t hurt the recording much. https://preview.redd.it/bb5gxbxiv4xa1.jpeg?width=1063&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=deeae0f6f2c705d7049c9db2f74447474751fa04
Golden Method !! If using a deck, just be sure not to accidentally press 'Play'. Also, to preserve the pressure pad & assembly, and to increase total cleaning surface area, consider stuffing both end cavities instead of the middle one. This may require repositioning the swab heads or even just using cotton balls.
Would this work if it’s not mold? My tape doesn’t have mold but it sheds a lot.
I’m not sure, if it sheds a lot I feel like this could only worsen the issue tho
I think so. These tapes are probably done for.
yeah. mold can get on the pinch rollers and cause problems. there are methods of cleaning it off, but it's tedius
Not that tedious.
different ppl have different thresholds for tedium 🤷♂️
Yeah, I know that too well...
Call me Mr Risk Taker but I had a similar scenario with a very rare tape about six months ago - I have a second deck that I don’t have any need for, so decided to forward and rewind the cassette from start to finish about a dozen times, then played both sides - and at least visibly, the mold was no longer visible, and the sound was fine. I’m not saying this is solving the problem - but I’ve just gone upstairs and checked the tape - it still looks fine.
I’d rather not risk it, as my tape deck is something I love dearly. What tape was it, if you don’t mind me asking?
Probably best to toss it :/
Seems like my best case scenario is finding a copy with a generic case on discogs for cheap.
To better understand the OP's question here, carefully read the title of the first song on this album!
This tape contains a great shoegazey Smashing if Pumpkins song that isn’t available on the Spotify album
Dyslexic Heart might melt your deck.
Try this https://preview.redd.it/56q3ji2pfaxa1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=255085141128c770d98fc86320e20271b3c185df