Robert,
Demagnetizing improperly can leave your machine magnetized, and lead to permanently damaging your tapes. If your machine is magnetized and you don't demagnetize it you can permanently damage your tapes. What a quandary! What to do?
There's only one way out, and it's not that hard. Here's what you have to do: demagnetize your machine properly. Get the right tool for the job, an Annis Han-D-mag. Move any tapes and other sensitive materials (like credit cards or anything else with magnetic stripes) a couple of meters away. Turn off the power to the tape machine. Holding the Han-D-Mag a meter away, plug it in and slowly bring the tip close to the head assembly, gradually approaching whatever metal part is closest to the left end of the headstack, whether it's a head or a tape guide. Move it gently around that part, barely touching it. Then gradually, slowly, move the demagger away from the head assembly until it's at least a meter away. Then slowly bring it back close to the next metal part in the head assembly. Move it gently around that part, barely touching it, for several seconds, then withdraw it slowly until it's at least a meter away. Repeat this process for the next metal part to the right, and the one after that, until you have done each metal part in the head assembly. After the last one, with the demagger at least a meter away from the headstack, unplug the demagger. Put it away in its designated storage location.
After this, congratulate yourself on a job well done, secure for yourself your favorite adult beverage, thread up a Tape Project tape, turn down the lights and turn up the volume, and enjoy music at its finest.
You shouldn't have to repeat the first part of this process for another year. The second part, however, should be repeated as often as you can manage.
