anirban420
Well-Known Member
Many problems are often noted when cassettes are improperly stored. The appearance of fungus in the tapes is an issue which is one of the common and unavoidable problems in majority cases. This problem can be solved by playing back the cassette several times. The fungal dust is deposited over the Head surface and other tape paths that can easily be wiped off by standard means. But a real problem occurs when the fungal dust deposits on the backside of the tape, it is the side of the tape which the Head does not read, it faces towards the pressure pad. In this scenario, the cassette makes a high pitched squeaking sound during playback. The sound is amplified in the speaker and also noticeable very clearly if we switch off the volume knob of the amplifier. Its the "Crying Cassette". For a long time, I did not know why it happens. After doing some research, I found that the phenomenon is straightforward to interpret. The backside fungal dust is deposited on the Pressure Pad. When the tape moves, it experiences friction with the tiny dust particles over the pad, making the noise. This noise is somehow picked up by the Head and reproduced as a high pitched squeaking noise throughout the playback.
I found an easy solution to the problem. Here are the steps.
1. Locate the pressure pad.
![IMG_20200603_125800 hfv.jpg IMG_20200603_125800 hfv.jpg](https://www.hifivision.com/data/attachments/33/33044-3ead2d5a634962e295d5def3e7b1b2eb.jpg?hash=Pq0tWmNJYu)
2. Pull out the tape by some means.
![IMG_20200603_125840.jpg IMG_20200603_125840.jpg](https://www.hifivision.com/data/attachments/33/33045-f8a1af2a0184a6094a12a8d75eba9c10.jpg?hash=-KGvKgGEpg)
3. You can see the dust build-up over the pressure pad.
![IMG_20200603_130131 hfv.jpg IMG_20200603_130131 hfv.jpg](https://www.hifivision.com/data/attachments/33/33046-42de1d448fc22bbbb0abbd3215dcd8d7.jpg?hash=Qt4dRI_CK7)
4. Clean the dust with isopropyl alcohol using a suitable tool. I use my pre-cleaned finger only; however, Q-tip or any appropriate tool can also be used. In some extreme cases, the surface needs to be scrapped off by fine-tipped & shape razor blade, but do it only when it is hugely necessary with very caution
That's it. The cassette is again ready for playback.
I found an easy solution to the problem. Here are the steps.
1. Locate the pressure pad.
![IMG_20200603_125800 hfv.jpg IMG_20200603_125800 hfv.jpg](https://www.hifivision.com/data/attachments/33/33044-3ead2d5a634962e295d5def3e7b1b2eb.jpg?hash=Pq0tWmNJYu)
2. Pull out the tape by some means.
![IMG_20200603_125840.jpg IMG_20200603_125840.jpg](https://www.hifivision.com/data/attachments/33/33045-f8a1af2a0184a6094a12a8d75eba9c10.jpg?hash=-KGvKgGEpg)
3. You can see the dust build-up over the pressure pad.
![IMG_20200603_130131 hfv.jpg IMG_20200603_130131 hfv.jpg](https://www.hifivision.com/data/attachments/33/33046-42de1d448fc22bbbb0abbd3215dcd8d7.jpg?hash=Qt4dRI_CK7)
4. Clean the dust with isopropyl alcohol using a suitable tool. I use my pre-cleaned finger only; however, Q-tip or any appropriate tool can also be used. In some extreme cases, the surface needs to be scrapped off by fine-tipped & shape razor blade, but do it only when it is hugely necessary with very caution
That's it. The cassette is again ready for playback.