VHS audio clicks

[Hypersonic1]

My VHS-C tapes have this constant clicking sound. Does anyone recognize this sound?
http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=2v1p1tl%3E&s=8#.VP-bGeGrl2s

[JVRaines]

It's very close to 4 clicks per second with major accents every 8 clicks and minor accents every 4 clicks. It sounds like a musical 4/4 pattern at MM=120. Were you using unshielded cables during the recording? You could have picked up a radio station.

[Hypersonic1]

I am not sure if it is the cable. I hope it is not the VCR.

[Hypersonic1]

I am moving the cable around and disconnecting and reconnecting, but the sound is not changing. It is making the exact sound with every tape.

[lordsmurf]

Attach an audio sample to the post, PM me, and I'll look at it.
Or post it at digitalFAQ.com.

Clicking is often an easy error to fix.

Is it on all VHS-C tapes, in any camera VCR? In other words, is it a playback issue, and a recording issue.

[johnmeyer]

It sounds like the linear audio track. I've heard various artifacts from mis-aligned linear audio, but nothing that sounds like this. If your VCR lets you switch between Hi-Fi and linear sound, you might switch back and forth and see if you get different audio. However, this will only work if the tape has both linear and Hi-Fi audio, something that will only be available if the camera which recorded the video was purchased after 1990, and even then, many of the cheaper units did not feature Hi-Fi audio.

If you have a blank VHS-C tape, try playing that and see if you have the same problem. Also, if the tape is blank, try recording and then playing back.

Given your previous posts, you have obviously been using equipment that is not in the greatest shape, so you need to do some test to figure out of the problem lies in the tape or in the camera.

Bottom line: play some more tapes, and then report back.

[Hypersonic1]

My VCR says 4 Head Hi-Fi Stereo on it, but these tapes were recorded in the early 90s and a couple from the late 80s, so I doubt I would be able to change it.

I just tried another tape, the same sound. I also tried plugging the audio into the component audio just to see what would happen. The audio is difficult to hear, but the same clicks sound just as loud. I doubt that it is the cable.

[Hypersonic1]

I just plugged it into the TV. The sound is the same.