Tape Woe's I Think

tony ky ma

Industry Expert
Aug 21, 2010
630
5
930
Whitby Ontario Canada
I heard those old scotch pancake tape 30 years old needs bake and check, after bake and play if black stuff remain to heads means bad , if clean that means OK, I don't know about RMG I468 's sound, but RMG SM900 is not as good as Quantegy GP 9 or 499 but RMG still in production
tony ma
 

RogerD

VIP/Donor
May 23, 2010
3,734
318
565
BiggestLittleCity
Guys all this talk about OLD and BAKING tapes, the tape in question here was not old tape, it was brand new stuff!!! RMGI 468.

Jay

Hi Jay,

No error codes....hmmmm

and this was new tape manufacture, sometimes it could be the tape pack. you might try the library wind feature and then play it and see if that works out better. My Studer does some weird stuff sometimes but usually throws a error code. If all fails message Ki and see what thoughts he might have. Good luck.
 

jcmusic

Well-Known Member
May 20, 2010
400
6
925
Just Outside New Orleans, La.
Hi Roger,
I have already spoken with KI and he is of the same opinion, must be the tape. No error codes the PLL LED was lit and everything else seemed to be correct, also I have made several recordings since and no issues at all. I threw the tape away didn't want to take any chances it was cheap enough anyway, I just got out another and went forward so far so good!!! I am really hoping it was just that tape and so far it does look like it was!!!

Jay
Hi Jay,

No error codes....hmmmm

and this was new tape manufacture, sometimes it could be the tape pack. you might try the library wind feature and then play it and see if that works out better. My Studer does some weird stuff sometimes but usually throws a error code. If all fails message Ki and see what thoughts he might have. Good luck.
 

Ki Choi

Member Sponsor
May 13, 2010
764
29
1,590
Seattle WA area
Unless the machine is new to you and it has no previous track records, sudden changes in speeds are in most cases related to tape conditions. It is generally a good idea to put a picece of tape or indicator dots on where your tension rollers are positioned when everything is running well. For Jay's A810 it should be below 10 deg from horizontal 0 deg position of the tension arc for both supply and take up tension rollers.

If there are any challenges from the tape, you will see immediate changes on one or both tension roller positions. Most sticky or about-to-be-sticky tapes will cause rapid oscillation of the tension rollers before developing the dreaded gunk build up on tape heads and paths

In my limited tape experiences, I have not had any luck with the NOS tapes. Only ones I found to be acceptable were the tapes that were made prior to say... 1970... they are still good after all these years.

YMMV

Ki
 
Last edited:

jcmusic

Well-Known Member
May 20, 2010
400
6
925
Just Outside New Orleans, La.
Ki,
That's where the tension rollers are, I made sure to set them as the manual says between 10-15 deg below 0 or horizonal. Everything seems to be back to normal I have recorded a few more tapes since the issue without any more issues!!!

Jay
Unless the machine is new to you and it has no previous track records, sudden changes in speeds are in most cases related to tape conditions. It is generally a good idea to put a picece of tape or indicator dots on where your tension rollers are positioned when everything is running well. For Jay's A810 it should be below 10 deg from horizontal 0 deg position of the tension arc for both supply and take up tension rollers.

If there are any challenges from the tape, you will see immediate changes on one or both tension roller positions. Most sticky or about-to-be-sticky tapes will cause rapid oscillation of the tension rollers before developing the dreaded gunk build up on tape heads and paths

In my limited tape experiences, I have not had any luck with the NOS tapes. Only ones I found to be acceptable were the tapes that were made prior to say... 1970... they are still good after all these years.

YMMV

Ki
 

Gregadd

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
10,517
1,774
1,850
Metro DC
Martin Logans in the shower,tapes in the oven, records in the dish washer. Now, that's a home.
 

Gregadd

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
10,517
1,774
1,850
Metro DC
Well I would not recommend it. I did it with no harm. You have to let t the little foam strips dry out. Vacuuming seems sufficient and does not require disassembly.
 
Last edited:

fas42

Addicted To Best
Jan 8, 2011
3,973
3
0
NSW Australia
Well, I was amazed that someone would consider directing a stream of water onto a high priced speaker!! Obviously, there is a method to the "madness", there is a correct way of doing such a thing it to get rid of foreign bits: he may be already aware of such, or could look it up if he feels it's of value to try it ...

Frank
 

Gregadd

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
10,517
1,774
1,850
Metro DC
Well, I was amazed that someone would consider directing a stream of water onto a high priced speaker!! Obviously, there is a method to the "madness", there is a correct way of doing such a thing it to get rid of foreign bits: he may be already aware of such, or could look it up if he feels it's of value to try it ...

Frank

Look Here
 

Gregadd

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
10,517
1,774
1,850
Metro DC
Thanks Don,Sam. I was trying to advance my computer skills. It actually worked on another forum. I was trying to show off.:eek:
 

Mark (Basspig) Weiss

Well-Known Member
Aug 3, 2010
682
37
940
New Milford, CT
www.basspig.com
Cleaning alone is only half the battle. Tape-head binding still happens. The solution is to follow all cleanings with a properly formulated head lubricant. This not only makes the head surface slippery enough to prevent sticking and releasing (chatter), but it also protects the metal surfaces from ambient moisture/humidity and retards corrosion.
 

DonH50

Member Sponsor & WBF Technical Expert
Jun 22, 2010
3,947
306
1,670
Monument, CO
What do you use for the lubricant? A specialty product, or something else? Wax, liquid (when applied), or dry? I have seen a number of different types but since I've been out of R2R for ages have no idea what is in vogue now.

Curious - Don
 

bblue

Well-Known Member
Apr 26, 2011
360
3
388
San Diego, CA
Do people still bake tapes?
Most certainly. At the very least anything from Ampex with black (non-slip) backing from the 70's and 80's. Some of it is so bad you can't even forward or rewind it.

I don't waste time trying to see if it needs it. If it's Ampex Grand Master, bake it first. Then carefully examine it before proceeding too quickly with forward/rewind operations. Watch for excessive shedding in play.

--Bill
 

Mark (Basspig) Weiss

Well-Known Member
Aug 3, 2010
682
37
940
New Milford, CT
www.basspig.com
What do you use for the lubricant? A specialty product, or something else? Wax, liquid (when applied), or dry? I have seen a number of different types but since I've been out of R2R for ages have no idea what is in vogue now.

Curious - Don


I prefer pure silicon lubricant, but in a pinch, I have some Radio Shack head lubricant that I bought in 1980 and still am using from the same bottle to date. A little goes a long way. It is not necessary to apply it excessively. Just a tiny amount is enough to break the bonds that can develop between tape and head surface. Many of the older Robbins lubricants I used to use from the late '50s worked well and were silicone-based. As I still have enough left to last me the rest of my natural life, I haven't looked on the market recently to see what products are available for this purpose. By now, it's likely becoming a specialty product.
 

About us

  • What’s Best Forum is THE forum for high end audio, product reviews, advice and sharing experiences on the best of everything else. This is THE place where audiophiles and audio companies discuss vintage, contemporary and new audio products, music servers, music streamers, computer audio, digital-to-analog converters, turntables, phono stages, cartridges, reel-to-reel tape machines, speakers, headphones and tube and solid-state amplification. Founded in 2010 What’s Best Forum invites intelligent and courteous people of all interests and backgrounds to describe and discuss the best of everything. From beginners to life-long hobbyists to industry professionals, we enjoy learning about new things and meeting new people, and participating in spirited debates.

Quick Navigation

User Menu

Steve Williams
Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator
Ron Resnick
Site Co-Owner | Administrator
Julian (The Fixer)
Website Build | Marketing Managersing