that's good news about the temperature vs humidity
Need Reel to Reel Tape Primer Sources
Where can I learn about reel to reel tapes so I can purchase intelligently blank reel to reel tapes? I've read bits and pieces about tape age, binders, sizes, thickness, Maxcell vs. Ampex vs. Scotch vs Realistic?, Regular tape vs. Chrome-magnetic, metal tape holders vs. plastic?, etc..., but no coherent explaination in one or two places that makes sense. Can anyone point a newbie in the right direction for information and grounding in this new undertaking? Or, share a few good pointers? I just bought a TEAC A 5500. Thanks.
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Jwong, 3 years ago i looked for a place to get my Reel to Reel questions answered, and there was not a place like that. now there is a place where there is both very good information and lots of real knowledgable people to answer questions; The Tape Project Forum the best place to start on that forum is the FAQ here; beginners guide to tape basics then there is a separate forum on raw tape here; raw tape forum OTOH Atmasphere is also a great resource too.... |
I've been browsing on that forum but thanks for pointing me to the tape basics thread. I visited an audio repair shop today to pay a friendly visit, the owner went over a little of what is invloved in setting bias and said I could watch him do one of my decks when I was ready (he said I needed a calibration tape, a scope, an oscillator and an ac voltage meter if I wanted to do it myself). I want to make some dubs of some of the more valuable tapes I have so I can listen to them without fear of the tape breaking or other mishaps. There was an ad on craigslist locally for an A/V company having a garage sale, one of the items they listed was a tascam br-20, I figured out the name of the company and gave them a call before the sale and it turns out they had a pair, but they wanted $1000 each, that's crazy talk. I decided to go the second day of the sale (today), the decks were very clean and the heads looked spotless with basically no wear at all. I told him I would give him $200 each and was suprised to walk out of there with the pair for $450. Listening to an early rca perez prado 2 track, sounds good. Let the sickness begin! |
I finally took the time to read the "beginners guide to tape basics" on the tape project website (as noted by Mikelavigne, thanks!). I am glad that I have been careful to not play a collection of vintage tapes I acquired and will go over each of my decks carefully inspecting the tape path components. I would highly recommend anyone interested in preserving and mainting their decks and tapes to read that thread, it is a great reference |
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