I have a Sony PCM-7010F DAT Recorder. Just recently, the Playback Condition light came on indicating distortion. I did not need the light to tell me that, I could clearly hear it. I think the rotary head needs cleaning. I tried a cassette dry cleaning tape with initial success; but now, it no longer works. I believe it needs a wet cleaning and perhaps a repair for what ever is causing the head to be so dirty in the first place. I only have about 470 hours on this 20 year old recorder. I fear attempting to wet clean the rotary head myself since others tell me doing such with out any skill can cause need to replace the head. At any rate, who in the USA is still fixing DAT recorders? No one in my area does it and it appears that Sony Professional in LA no longer shows service for my unit.
My first question is: - What are you using this machine for? Second question is: - How old are the tapes.
Unfortunately DAT machines are very prone to head fouling on the rotating heads. This is especially true now as the tapes get older and the binders deteriorate.
If dry cleaning has not helped, then you need to open the machine up and expose the rotating head drum.
Now you need a tape head demagnetizer, pure isopropyl alcohol and lots of Q-tips.
First thing is to thoroughly clean the tape heads with the alcohol and Q-tips. Do this until absolutely no further oxide comes off on the Q-tips.
Now demagnetize the heads. Make sure you start the demagntizer, and with it functioning, gradually bring it close to the heads, but DO NOT touch them. Leave it close to each gap for at least 5 sec. Without switching off the demagnetizer, slowly and smoothly withdraw it. Do not stop the demagnetizer until the tip is well away from the rotating heads, otherwise you will magnetize the heads. Make sure you also clean and demagnetize the guides and the erase head.
This will usually do the trick. If however you have used the machine with fouled heads, then you may have burnt out the record/playback heads. Tape heads take considerable power in record mode. Fouled heads lower the impedance of the record heads gaps, and create a magnetic short of the gap and increase current through the heads.
Now stationary magnetic head and rotating head machines are now obsolete. Making recordings is hard on them.
In my view tape machines should only be used for playback for archiving.
Tape machines have always needed a lot of maintenance and adjustments. I know, I have and do own quite a few of them. Looking after them is a dying art. I find it hard to believe you would find a local repair shop to service a machine like that.
If you want to make recordings these days, then you should either build or buy a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) I really only use my machines now for archiving to my DAW.
If you are going to own and use tape machines other than cheap cassette decks then you need service skills and equipment. The equipment list is alignment tapes for the machines you own. An audio generator, a dual channel O-scope, a high impedance voltmeter/distortion analyzer and a frequency counter. Those are the basics, for keeping them in original working condition.
There are numerous adjustments that have to be made, to keep accurate frequency response and minimize distortion. Small changes in record bias current cause big increases in distortion and upset frequency response.
I also keep a pretty big war chest of vintage parts carefully acquired.
Finally you only need this machine if you are archiving DAT material. These days as a replacement for any magnetic tape machine is a DAW. It is more reliable, easier and much less trouble.
Rotating head machines were always a problem as there is no really precise editing. With a DAW you can make quicker and better edits than with a stationary head machine. Though if you are skilled with an editing block and razor blade you can do excellent edits on stationary head reel to reel machines. You need to get used to your equipment though. I still use the EMIBLOCK I used as a child.
I moved to a DAW in 2002 and believe it or not, I'm still using the first one I built.
