DCC 951 - SMDs in the audio chain & head design

Recorders, Players, etc.
1

Hi. I have a DCC 951 which has a channel imbalance when playing analogue tape. Fine for digital. Are any if the surface mount capacitors in the analogue audio chain ?

Also how does the replay head work? Could there be a head issue ie it will play and record digital but not analogue?

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2

If the analog output is weak, it usually indicates a electronic problem .

Download the service manual and try going in service mode to see what the head reports back.

Here is what you can do:

  • clean the head intensively
  • check the pinch rollers for small bumps
  • check multiple analog cassettes
  • check if the adjustments screws on the head feel loose (the should be locked down
    With glue). If the seal is broken, someone has tampered with it.

The head could be bad, capacitors leaking.

All the smd capacitors on the read-write board could be changed next.
It is the small board on too of the mechanism.

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3

Thanks for this. Are the r/w board caps in the audio signal line ie does the audio signal pass through them or are they control caps or something else?

Could the issue be on the main board?

If the head is reading the digital signal ok does that mean the head us fine or is the tape head split into different parts ie one part for analogue and the other for digital?

Hope this all makes sense

4

P.s. Looking at the r/w circuit diagram it is suggesting the analogue signal is read by a separate ‘coil’ and that the signal does run through at least two 10uf caps. No 2827 and 2826

5

Try and replace those 10uF first.