I just got into the amazing world of cassette player and decks, and I'm very interested in getting myself a cassette desk for quality recording. However, in where I live the price for a working cassette deck is way too high and unreasonable. So I decided to purchase a NG but repairable Sherwood DD-4030C (as far as the seller claims) in hopes of learning how cassette player technologies work while I attempt the restoration. After some Googling and YouTube video surfing, it seems the following gears are required to make sure the deck is in good working condition: 1. Oscilloscope - To check for wow and flutter, tape head azimuth 2. 3000 Hz tape - To adjust playback speed 3. Millivolt meter - To check L/R channel playback level 4. Tape head demagnetizer 5. Basic electronics work equipment (soldering station, multimeter) I have a multimeter, soldering equipment, a oscilloscope, and a function generator right now (if it has any use). I'm planning to purchase the other equipment if they are absolutely necessary, so it would be really nice if someone can share their thoughts and experiences about the list. Do I miss something or some of the item is not strictly necessary? Please let me know!
There's a great thread over on AK that cover's all audio equipment. https://audiokarma.org/forums/index...udio-gear-eh-heres-the-tools-you-need.333423/ I have a blue silicone electronics mat, A Yuasa Soldering Station, isopropyl alcohol (IPA), and foam or cotton swabs. They make those cool USB-C pencil soldering pens now, those are really easy to work with. I do like my tape testing equipment (wow and flutter meters) but these are going for silly money these days, Leader Units tend to be popular on Ebay. My 3M Mincom is very high tech with a ton of test sets, sometimes you get lucky and they're getting dumped on ebay. Marantz/Superscope Service Manuals are nice because they walk you through test procedures, some of these might apply to other equipment or help you get going in the right direction.
You have to weigh up the cost of the equipment vs the cost of the tools. Technique is probably just as important. As @Cassette2go says take lots of photos so you know how to put things back together. I recently bought some JIS screwdrivers but that was only because I was working on a £100 Weltron. Not knowing your local market can't you pick up something old to practice on. It might even be worth buying a cheap new cassette player from Amazon to practice dismantling and examining. p.s. Don't worry if things go wrong, a few years ago I wrecked a Technics cassette deck despite being being a qualified electronics engineer since before it was made. p.p.s Have you watched any VWestlife videos e.g.
