#616

Well this may not help you diagnose it, but if you can find the problem this might help:

Marantz-PMD-430-Service-Manual.pdf (6.2 MB)

Marantz CP/PMD-430 Record issue - Tapeheads Tape, Audio and Music Forums this problem sounds somewhat similar to yours and someone suggested “Maybe clean the mechanical record/playback switch.” for whatever that’s worth… Not the most helpful thing, but all I could find lol.

Again, a PMD 430 owner will likely be more help to you, and I’m pretty sure there’s a few of them around here!

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#617

I have a PMD-221 that does this same thing, including the “touching the strap hooks” part. Weirdly, I was usually able to get the noise to go away by setting the deck vertically, but not super reliably. The deck is currently at a local shop getting a basic servicing; if it comes back without the issue I can let you know.

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#618

and

When you get the buzz is it only via the RCA line in?

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#619

Hi, yes.
There’s buzz only via RCA line in.

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#620

Do you get any audio at all or is it just buzz? Does the buzz go away if you unplug the RCA cables? If so, how about with just one RCA cable attached? Buzz on both L and R?

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#621

Hi,
There’s audio too, but it is far behind the buzz though.
Buzz goes away when I unplug the RCA cable,
with just one cable connected there’s buzz only on the side plugged in.

Thank you for your help!

#622

Sounds like it’s probably a ground issue. Either the RCA jacks on the tape recorder need to be checked out for a broken/weak solder joint—common and simple issue, could have happened in shipping or just because these decks are old—or the grounding issue is somewhere in all the gear being plugged into the tape recorder. Try plugging your RCA cable into a set of speakers to confirm the noise isn’t up there. From here I’d go to the topic about ground loop issues.

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#623

Cables are ok, I tried them plugged from line output to speakers and they didn’t produce any buzz with a prerecorded cassette.

I also tried recording via RCA line inputs with different cables/configurations and I always had various degrees of the same buzz:

  • Cassette Walkman headphone out (mini jack) to RCA line in
  • Handheld recorder line out (mini jack) to RCA line in (made in a different room with different active speakers)
  • Mixer rec out (RCA) to RCA line in
  • Turntable Phono Preamp out (RCA) to RCA line in

Again, I’m really grateful for your help!

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#624

First patch with a modded cassette player-recorder that @coitmusic put together for me. It’s excellent. (Similar ones are in the possession of @nkozi and @renegog.) The audio is a Buddha Machine as sequenced in a PO-33, recorded to tape, and then played back, the speed altered by an LFO from a Batumi (via a WMD/SSF SPO). I think it’s within the realm of this thread to post the end result.

Additional pictures of the device at:

https://disquiet.com/2021/01/22/cassette-bent/

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