Need Help With These Tapes

Fred · Apr 4, 2015

Greetings all. A couple of years ago I picked up a bulk lot of old Ampex tape from an eBay auction. At the time had no interest in the tape itself, I just wanted the reels so I could mount new tape on them. Most of the reels where very good condition Ampex 456 reels, but a few were different Ampex formulations and the reels were not in suitable condition for my purposes. However, the tapes appear to have come from some studios and seem to be masters of artists that I've never heard of before. I'm going to try to attach some photo's that I took of them here and would appreciate any info or feedback as to what they might be. The Who's, Were's, Whatevers...etc.

Thanks in advance, I'm hoping it may be some material that some of you may recognize from years back.

Ki Choi · Apr 9, 2015

Before we talk about the music on the tapes, you can be sure that the first and third 456 tapes will be inflicted with SSS (sticky-shed-syndrome) and shouldn't be even spooled until you do the baking. No mention of the tape type on the second one but judging from date of recording noted, it will be SSS as well.

Ki

Fred · Apr 9, 2015

Ki Choi said:
Before we talk about the music on the tapes, you can be sure that the first and third 456 tapes will be inflicted with SSS (sticky-shed-syndrome) and shouldn't be even spooled until you do the baking. No mention of the tape type on the second one but judging from date of recording noted, it will be SSS as well.

Ki

I agree. I had no intention of trying to use them. I was more interested if anyone might know something about the studios or perhaps the artists. They're obviously masters, but of what I have no idea.

Have you met with success with the baking process?

Ki Choi · Apr 10, 2015

Although baking is a temporary solution to SSS but it works. If you do bake (there are many recipes on Internet), you need to dub the music onto modern RMGI or ATR tapes before the master tapes turn SSS again may not be playable next time.

Ki

Fred · Apr 11, 2015

Ki Choi said:
Although baking is a temporary solution to SSS but it works. If you do bake (there are many recipes on Internet), you need to dub the music onto modern RMGI or ATR tapes before the master tapes turn SSS again may not be playable next time.

Ki

That's good advice. If I'm not mistaken Ampex either patented or applied for a patent on a baking formula.

What method have you used?

Bodyslam · Jun 22, 2015

I can tell you a bit about the studio that the third reel came from, since I was one of the owners. I don't have any recollection of an artist called Circle Star, but there was a well known performance venue called the Circle Star theater in San Carlos at that time. I thought I had trained all my engineers to label tape boxes better than that, however. It should have had the engineer's initials at least. I looks like it contains nothing but a set of alignment tones.

Anyway, it was a sweet little studio, already built when we moved in. It had been built for a management company called White Rabbit. The owner of White Rabbit partnered with us briefly in the beginning, and the only lasting contribution he made was to insist on adding the "u" in "Harbour."

It had been built by Scott Putnam, the elder son of Bill Putnam, so it was of course a Putnam style studio. One small studio, a small control room, plus support areas. We recorded Van Morrison, ConFunkShun, Chris Isaak, among others. Analog 2" 24 track. I think we moved in in 1981, and ran it until some time in 1984. I was working there and also mastering at the Automatt in San Francisco at the same time, so I didn't get much sleep during those years.

Tom B. · Jun 23, 2015

Ah, the thrill of the hunt. If you can get past the monotony of re-spooling and baking old tapes such as these, you occasionally come across something interesting and worth keeping. Occasionally being the key word, I'd guess I found perhaps a dozen keepers and one or two gems after going through literally hundreds of tapes, most in boxes marked no better than what you found.

Still, there must be some good stuff out there.

c1ferrari · Jul 1, 2015

Bodyslam said:
I can tell you a bit about the studio that the third reel came from, since I was one of the owners. I don't have any recollection of an artist called Circle Star, but there was a well known performance venue called the Circle Star theater in San Carlos at that time. I thought I had trained all my engineers to label tape boxes better than that, however. It should have had the engineer's initials at least. I looks like it contains nothing but a set of alignment tones.

Anyway, it was a sweet little studio, already built when we moved in. It had been built for a management company called White Rabbit. The owner of White Rabbit partnered with us briefly in the beginning, and the only lasting contribution he made was to insist on adding the "u" in "Harbour."

It had been built by Scott Putnam, the elder son of Bill Putnam, so it was of course a Putnam style studio. One small studio, a small control room, plus support areas. We recorded Van Morrison, ConFunkShun, Chris Isaak, among others. Analog 2" 24 track. I think we moved in in 1981, and ran it until some time in 1984. I was working there and also mastering at the Automatt in San Francisco at the same time, so I didn't get much sleep during those years.

Thanks for sharing that, Paul.

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Need Help With These Tapes

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