For a current list of degrading analog tapes, click here. For several years, we have been discussing the differences between Sticky Shed Syndrome (SSS) and Loss of Lubricant (LoL). It appears from my latest research (presented at the 2006 Audio Engineering Society’s 121st Convention in San Francisco in October) that LoL does not really factor …
Often a tape comes in for restoration that has been poorly wound or poorly stored. Here is an example: One of the interesting things about this particular tape was it had been recently wound on a constant-tension professional machine prior to shipping to me. We think that the entire tape had not been re-wound, allowing …
For all formats on this page, also please look at the Noise Reduction page. 2-channel is a popular mastering format. Note: There appears to be some discrepancy on the track widths of this format. Please see the discussion here: track configurations 2-Channel 3M DynaTrack is explained briefly here. While this was a 2-channel system, it …
One way of loading C-0 cassettes is to unscrew the shell and drop the old tape into the new shell. I have found that reloading using a modified cassette machine is much faster and easier. The following images should explain the process: Splice one end of the original tape into the C-0:
Quarter-inch formats and two-channel erase heads. Click on the images to open a larger view in a new window. For details on the track width of the centre track timecode, please see the drawing on my Synchronization page. Note: Audio tape is generally A wind (oxide facing the hub of the reel). The tape is …
Click on the image to open a larger view in a new window. Note: Audio tape is generally A wind (oxide facing the hub of the reel). The tape is recorded/played so earlier material is at the right (i.e., tape moves left to right). This view is THROUGH the tape looking at the heads, with …
0.15 incg (3.81 mm) wide tape is best known today for its use in the audio cassette, but it also has other uses. This is the narrowest audio tape in common use. In most applications, this tape runs at 1-7/8 inches (47.625 mm) per second (although a few run one or two speeds slower or …
There are some things to consider about how a tape is wound onto its reel or hub. Tapes should be stored with as smooth a wind as possible. The practice with audio tapes has normally been to put them away after playing without rewinding them. This is called “tails out.” Many late-model recorders had a …
In order to make this manageable, we have divided tapes into the following categories: Analog audio tapes (reels, cassettes, cartridges) Sprocketed magnetic film is addressed with film Analog audio on videotapes (VHS HiFi, Beta HiFi) Data tapes Dedicated digital audio tapes (reels, cassettes, cartridges) Digital audio on videotapes (PCM-F1, dbx 700, 1630) Instrumentation tapes (analog …
At the top level, we are not making a distinction between cassette, cartridge and reel tapes. We will start by creating sub-groups for the different tape widths. While similar tapes were used for instrumentation and logging purposes, they are addressed on their separate pages and are not discussed here. There is further discussion of equalization, …
For all formats on this page, also please look at the Noise Reduction page. 8-track has been produced as a “boutique” format in very limited quantities. 16-track was the first 2-inch audio tape. It was soon followed by 24-track which was a long-lived standard. Resources for transfer: Sonicraft, New Jersey – Dreamhire, New York – …
For all formats on this page, also please look at the Noise Reduction page. 2-channel a high-resolution mastering format. Resources for transfer: Dreamhire, New York 4-channel was widely used for recording in Europe. Resources for transfer: Sonicraft, New Jersey — Joav Shdema, Israel 4-channel 3M DynaTrack is explained briefly here. While this was a 4-channel …
In 2006, I wrote a blog post (here) called “Let Sleeping Tapes Lie: What to do with poorly wound tapes”. For years, tape experts have been suggesting that it is not as good an idea to rewind tapes as was originally thought. This was partially based on the fact that most rewinding in archives was …
It appears that many old acetate tapes when played on high-quality audio recorders will suffer spoking when left in a play wind condition. I have discussed this problem here. Since posting that, I have taken one of my Racal Store 4DS recorders and removed the heads to save them from wear and now use that …
I recently received two 7-inch reels of Kodak Type 31A Triacetate tape (1250 feet, Durol Base) that smelled of vinegar even before I got the envelope open. These tapes were badly warped due, most likely, to the vinegar-syndrome induced differential shrinkage. Other factors may have been poor winding during long-term storage (I had received them …
There was yet another discussion about winding tapes for long term storage. This time it was on the Society of American Archivists list. While it was focused on VHS tapes, where it was decided that it was more important not to leave the tape in the middle with active content exposed, some discussions of the …