Re: [ARSCLIST] Risk assessment tool Q2

[Steven Smolian <smolians@xxxxxxxxx>]

My experienes are centered around cassette tape ageing and abuse.  I do a 
fair amount of rehousing in the course of the year.

The cause of most of their problems by far is that users never clean their 
transports.    The worst offenders are lawyers and medical offices.  Pre CD, 
when I'd rent a car, my travel kit alsways included a Radio-Shack type 
cassette player cleaner.

Undoing the damage done by tape eaten by the machine is a nuisance process, 
but I've had some luck.  120s are the worst offenders.  100s can also 
present problems.

The other issue is figuring out if Dolby B or the like was used.  With cheap 
tapes, this is a trial and error issue.  Also, some of their surfaces seem 
to coarsen with time.  They play but wear the heads faster and have a 
greater hiss level.

And, of course, there are the issues centered around disassembling 
tack-welded cases, poor azimuth from lousy pads, pads coming unglued, 
tape/leader splices giving way and, worst of all, tapes a client has 
attempted to repair.

Micros present special problems as well.   The tape is fragile indeed and 
I've never done a successful shell transplant- not enough hands.  If it was 
important enough, I could probably rig up a jig to hold one part while I'm 
dealing with others.

That said, they are probably the most stable of the tape formats, long term.

Steve Smolian


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard Warren" <richard.warren@xxxxxxxx>
To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, January 05, 2006 3:04 PM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Risk assessment tool Q2


> At 02:14 PM 1/5/2006, you wrote:
>
> First, one P.S. about the first set of questions: Here the tapes which 
> died of stickiness (backing adhered to oxide and pulled it off, causing 
> dropouts or total loss of signal) were Ampex 406, the most common type of 
> tape to have shown SSS here.
>
> Comments on Set 2 are below.
>
> Best, Richard
>
> > Hi,
> >
> > The second set of questions that I am looking for help with relate to
> > audio cassettes.
> >
> > 1. What problems are encountered in transferring cassettes? How does
> > deterioration manifest with cassettes?
>
> Stickiness, broken splices to leader or breaks at hub attachments, loss of 
> pads, twisted tape, dirt and junk on tape.
>
>
> > 2. Does the audio signal on a cassette deteriorate in any way over time?
> > [I have heard it suggested, for example, that the signal to noise ratio
> > gets comparatively worse over time on a cassette (compared to open reel)
> > but have not seen any data]
>
> My experience is the same as yours.
>
>
> > 3. Do Type IV (metal) tapes exhibit any problems not found on other
> > types? Do chromium dioxide tapes deteriorate faster than ferric oxide?
> > [this has been suggested by one report]
>
> I've heard the same but have no experience, partly because I've always 
> been warned against using Type IV's.
>
>
> > 4. Have you noticed any brand-related problems?
>
> No.
>
>
> > 5. Have you noticed any age-related problems?
>
> Only the obvious: the older the dryer, the more loss of lubricant, the 
> greater the chance of missing pads ...
>
>
> > 6. Problems with C-120s are well-known. Any similar problems with C-90
> > or C-100s?
>
> No experience with C-100's; no problems with C-90's.
>
>
> > Again, many thanks for your help.
> >
> > Mike
> >
> > --------------
> > Mike Casey
> > Associate Director for Recording Services
> > Archives of Traditional Music
> > Indiana University
> >
> > micasey@xxxxxxxxxxx
> > (812) 855-8090
> >
> > Co-chair, ARSC Technical Committee
>
>
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