Yamaha MT8XII - Manual (Page 56)

Appendix
49
MT8XII—Owner’s Manual
Appendix
Maintaining the MT8XII
The MT8XII requires regular maintenance to remain in top working condition. You should per-
form the following two maintenance procedures before each new recording session or when you
notice any of the following symptoms:
• Increased tape hiss
• Dull sounding recordings (i.e., high-frequency loss)
• Wow and flutter
• Fluctuating sound or signal output
Cleaning the Record–Play Head and Other Parts
As the tape passes over the record–play head, a tiny amount of oxide residue is left on the head.
During normal use, this oxide can build up to the point where audio performance is affected.
Therefore, you should clean the record–play head, capstan, pinch roller, and erase head at reg-
ular intervals using a commercially available head-cleaning kit. These kits usually contain
specially-made cotton swabs and an isopropyl alcohol-based cleaning solution, and are available
at audio and electronics shops. Follow the directions on the kit, carefully wiping the record–play
head, capstan, and erase head with a swab soaked in cleaning solution. It’s best to clean the pinch
roller with a non-alcohol based rubber cleaning solution, which is often included in the cleaning
kits. Alcohol tends to dry out and corrode the rubber part of the roller. It’s recommended that
you clean the record–play head, capstan, pinch roller, and erase head before each new recording
session or after every 10 hours of use, whichever comes first.
For easy access to the tape heads and other parts, MT8XII features a Maintenance mode. In this
mode, the tape heads are raised just like when a cassette is inserted. To enter Maintenance mode:
1. While holding down the [PLAY] and REC SELECT [1] buttons, turn on the
MT8XII.
REMAIN flashes on the display.
2. Open the cassette compartment.
3. Press the [PLAY] button.
The heads rise up from under the head cover, providing easy access for cleaning.
4. Press the [STOP] button to lower the heads.
5. When you’ve finished, turn off the MT8XII, wait a few seconds, and then
turn on again.
Note: Be sure to cancel Maintenance mode by turning off the MT8XII before continuing with
normal operation.