Disconnecting the eraser-head

[cedtic]

I would like to be able to disconnect the eraser-head of my (now) old Sony WM-D6C cassette recorder. Anybody knows the process ? Thanks.

[Nigel Goodwin]

What exactly are you trying to do?.

[cedtic]

(sorry for my bad english) well i would like to use this cassette recorder in a different way than usual : to re-record and re-record (...) without erasing the previous recording(s). It seems that the only way to do that is to disconnect the eraser-head ?
Thanks

[Nigel Goodwin]

There are many problems with this - to record you need bias on the record head (to prevent huge distortion), this commonly comes from the erase oscillator - and the erase head is usually an integral part of the oscillator.

The bias on the record head will also tend to erase the existing audio on the tape anyway.

I'm presuming you're wanting to multi-track?, this isn't the way to do it!.

[Frank Berry]

If you try to record new audio over existing audio, the bias on the record head will partially erase the previous track. You will lose the high frequencies.

If you still want to try this experiment, I suggest that you move the erase head out of the tape path. Do not disconnect the erase head as it is required to provide the proper load for the bias ocsillator.

[unclejed613]

put a piece of blue masking tape over the erase head gap

[cedtic]

Thanks a lot for all these leads.

By the way the 'blue masking tape' solution is perfect ! Simple & non destructive. Thanks.

To answer Nigel : of course I know this isn't the proper way to do multi-track - my idea is to do something really different, as mentioned in "Cities of the Red Night" By WsB, for example.

Best