VHS Audio Buzzing - How to fix?

[MermaidNatalia]

Sony SLV-675HF
The Hobbit

I'm having an issue playing this tape, please see the attached video/photos. The audio buzzes constantly, and is too muffled to hear.

This is what I've tried so far:

• Cable swaps (A/V, coaxl)
• Adjusting treble/bass (reducing treble quiets the buzzing, but the audio is still muffled)
• Head cleaner
• Channel tracking adjustment
• Manual tracking adjustment

Note: This is a HIFI VCR, but this tape is mono. I can tell because the VCR displays "STEREO" when playing stereo tapes.

Is there anything else I can try? Is the tape just too damaged for repair? To be clear, I cannot see any damage on the actual tape, itself. The tape ribbon doesn't look crumpled/folded, and I can't see any evidence of mold or obvious dust inside the tape.

PS I'm a noob, so I may have missed something obvious.

[timtape]

OK. Do other non stereo/HiFi tapes sound OK on this VCR? Have you tried playing it in another good VCR?

[MermaidNatalia]

This is my only working VCR at the moment. My other tapes work fine and the sound comes clearly.

[timtape]

Right. Did this particular tape ever sound OK in this VCR? I'm trying to work out if it was a faulty recording from new, or the tape has been damaged since.

[MermaidNatalia]

I bought this second hand recently-- This was my "first" time playing it. (I say first because I have tried playing it several times while trying to fix it)

[timtape]

Tracking adjustment wont help as that's only for the picture and HiFi/Stereo sound, not linear audio as this appears to be.

All I can think of now is;

1. Poorly recorded in duplication (cant be fixed)

2. Badly misaligned linear audio track when duplicated (can potentially be fixed or at least improved but normally specialist work)

3. Accidentally erased soundtrack or almost completely so. (cant be fixed).

4. A tape crease line at the linear audio track, due to previous damage in a faulty VCR. (audio can potentially be improved but not to 100%, and again normally specialist work).

It's a commercially recorded tape. Maybe you could source another copy. I see this was quite a big production ($3 million) with big name actors, and also released on DVD.

[MermaidNatalia]

This is super helpful, thank you!! I'm going to now assume that there is nothing else I can fix, and that the tape is simply too degraded. I'm going to hunt down a new copy.

[timtape]

You're welcome. Hope you find a copy.

[dpalomaki]

FWIW; That VHS tape content (The Hobbit animation) was also released on DVD by Warner Home Video, in about 2001, catalog #566; UPC 12569-05662, with English, French, and Spanish subtitles for Region 1. 78 minutes.