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how to ID / play back 1970's reel-to-reel tapes?
i have some reel to reel tapes found in the attic of a family member
that i'd like to play back, and i'm trying to figure out what kind of player unit i need. the tapes were recorded in the late 1970's or early 1980's. they are in the original boxes, which are marked: Scotch recording tape with "Superlife" coating 3M company Dynarange Series extra length 1/4" x 1800 ft, 7" reel silicone lubricated 1.0 mil polyester backing there is a hand-written notation on the box that says "TEAC counter", with counter values and content notes, so i assume the recordings were made with a TEAC reel-to-reel unit. the owner seems to recall that it as a consumer-type unit that lay flat, and not a stand-up unit; probably mono or stereo. any suggestions on how i might determine what equipment i need to play these back? thanks! |
#2
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mike wrote: i have some reel to reel tapes found in the attic of a family member that i'd like to play back, and i'm trying to figure out what kind of player unit i need. the tapes were recorded in the late 1970's or early 1980's. they are in the original boxes, which are marked: Scotch recording tape with "Superlife" coating 3M company Dynarange Series extra length 1/4" x 1800 ft, 7" reel silicone lubricated 1.0 mil polyester backing there is a hand-written notation on the box that says "TEAC counter", with counter values and content notes, so i assume the recordings were made with a TEAC reel-to-reel unit. the owner seems to recall that it as a consumer-type unit that lay flat, and not a stand-up unit; probably mono or stereo. any suggestions on how i might determine what equipment i need to play these back? thanks! Short answer? *Probably* either 3 3/4 or 7 1/2 IPS (the speed, inches per second), quarter track stereo (two channel); kinda standard fair for Teac (and most other consumer HiFi machines of that vintage...) Grab just about any consumer machine of the era and try to play them back; if it's the wrong speed etc no harm will be done. That being said, there's a much smaller statistical chance that they *could* be 15 IPS, or half track stereo (more obsure setups for Teac machines), but FWIW if you end up with a *four track* (four channel) 1/4" tape machine to try playback on, it'll play either half track or quarter track stereo for you. Hope this helps, -Robert QTS http://www.Braught.com |
#3
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"mike" wrote...
any suggestions on how i might determine what equipment i need to play these back? Likely 50% chance that they are "4-track stereo" and ~25% that they may be "2-track stereo". Other (lesser) possibilities are full-width mono, or 8-track. If you knew something more about them you might be able to make a better guess. You can likely find recording studios that can copy them to CD (or what- ever). Equipment to play them back may be becoming more scarce, but you need to establish the track format before buying (or renting) anything. |
#5
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In , on 02/14/05
at 06:09 PM, mike said: i have some reel to reel tapes found in the attic of a family member that i'd like to play back, and i'm trying to figure out what kind of player unit i need. the tapes were recorded in the late 1970's or early 1980's. they are in the original boxes, which are marked: [ ... ] there is a hand-written notation on the box that says "TEAC counter", with counter values and content notes, so i assume the recordings were made with a TEAC reel-to-reel unit. the owner seems to recall that it as a consumer-type unit that lay flat, and not a stand-up unit; probably mono or stereo. We'll all be guessing to some extent, but most TEAC machines were quarter track stereo dual speed (3 3/4 and 7 1/2ips [inches per second]). They were not very common but TEAC did build some 7 1/2 - 15ips machines. All of the machines were dual speed. There are three possible track configurations and a variation. A "track" is a path on the tape that is the recording of one channel. 1): "Full track": One channel is recorded that occupies almost the full width of the tape. These tapes would be monophonic. I don't recall TEAC making any full track machines. Typically, full track tapes are recorded at 15ips (for maximum quality). 15ips is used mostly for professional work. 2): "Half track": Two channels, each occupying almost half of the tape width. These tapes could be monophonic, but would usually be stereo. In the era quoted, half track tended to be used mostly for professional work and mostly at 15ips (but I would not be shocked if I came across a 7 1/2ips half track tape). 3): "Quarter track stereo": Four tracks, each occupying almost a quarter of the tape width. These were stereo machines. The left channel is along the top edge and the right channel is just below center. One could reverse the tape (end to end) and play the other two stereo channels. Quarter track 3 3/4 - 7 1/2ips machines were the norm for TEAC, they sold tons of them. Most likely this is the format of your tapes. 3a): "Quarter track 4 channel": Some TEACs were outfitted with 4-channel heads and could simultaneously record four independent channels. These machines were more likely 15ips, used 10 1/2" reels, were used for live recording or semi-professional work (advanced amateurs or pro's on a very very tight budget), and were most often used in the stand-up position. Examine the notes and try to determine if there are two "sides" (there may be mention of "A" and "B" sides) to the tapes. If so, then you most likely have quarter track stereo tapes. If your relative was a quality nut, the tapes would have been recorded at 7 1/2 or 15ips. If he was cheap, then they were recorded at 3 3/4ips. --- My best guess, and it is only a guess, is that the tapes are quarter track stereo recorded at 3 3/4 or 7 1/2 ips. If you have only a few tapes, I recommend taking them to a pro and having them transferred to CD. 30 years is pushing your luck with magnetic tape, especially when it has not been stored properly. The cost for professional transcription will probably be similar to the cost of a machine you'd buy on the internet and you won't have to go through "sweating palms" hoping that the machine you purchase will actually work as advertised or that it might be the wrong format. (Mostly, the online sellers don't know the true condition of the machine and may not know its track configuration. The machine has been sitting, unused in a closet for 20 years and they decided to sell it. A tape machine that's been sitting for years and years, usually has some sort of problem.) ----------------------------------------------------------- spam: wordgame:123(abc):14 9 20 5 2 9 18 4 at 22 15 9 3 5 14 5 20 dot 3 15 13 (Barry Mann) [sorry about the puzzle, spammers are ruining my mailbox] ----------------------------------------------------------- |
#6
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mike wrote:
i have some reel to reel tapes found in the attic of a family member that i'd like to play back, and i'm trying to figure out what kind of player unit i need. the tapes were recorded in the late 1970's or early 1980's. they are in the original boxes, which are marked: Scotch recording tape with "Superlife" coating 3M company Dynarange Series extra length 1/4" x 1800 ft, 7" reel silicone lubricated 1.0 mil polyester backing there is a hand-written notation on the box that says "TEAC counter", with counter values and content notes, so i assume the recordings were made with a TEAC reel-to-reel unit. the owner seems to recall that it as a consumer-type unit that lay flat, and not a stand-up unit; probably mono or stereo. any suggestions on how i might determine what equipment i need to play these back? I agree that they're likely standard 4-track stereo (a good tape for the day too), but a local studio can find out from the signal on the channels, as well as determine if they were recorded at 3 3/4 or 7 1/2 ips. As for the sound quality, it all depends how they were stored, especially if they were subject to extreme temperature changes. But I've transcribed ~30 year old tapes to DAT and CD with few problems. The problem will be the sound level used when they were recorded and tape noise. I personally would recommend recording them to DAT for easier recording control, and it gives you better control recording to CD. But the studio should know what to do to get the best sound from the tapes. Good luck. --Scott-- |
#7
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i have some reel to reel tapes found in the attic of a family member
How hot was that attic? You may have some trouble with the tape if it's been exposed to high heat for too long. |
#8
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You basically need a working Reel-to-reel player.
The typical speeds are 3-3/4ips and 7-1/2ips, with 15ips being the rarest home recording speed. Once you have a good Reel to reel player, buy some Q-tips and a bottle of Head Cleaner. After each tape clean the mechanism (head, pinc-roller, guides, etc.) to remove any oxide. Old tapes tend to shed particles. A good reel to reel is not an easy machine to find. Reels tend to be mechanically challenged devices. BR/ Rich "mike" wrote in message ... i have some reel to reel tapes found in the attic of a family member that i'd like to play back, and i'm trying to figure out what kind of player unit i need. the tapes were recorded in the late 1970's or early 1980's. they are in the original boxes, which are marked: Scotch recording tape with "Superlife" coating 3M company Dynarange Series extra length 1/4" x 1800 ft, 7" reel silicone lubricated 1.0 mil polyester backing there is a hand-written notation on the box that says "TEAC counter", with counter values and content notes, so i assume the recordings were made with a TEAC reel-to-reel unit. the owner seems to recall that it as a consumer-type unit that lay flat, and not a stand-up unit; probably mono or stereo. any suggestions on how i might determine what equipment i need to play these back? thanks! |
#9
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mike wrote: i have some reel to reel tapes found in the attic of a family member that i'd like to play back, and i'm trying to figure out what kind of player unit i need. the tapes were recorded in the late 1970's or early 1980's. they are in the original boxes, which are marked: Scotch recording tape with "Superlife" coating 3M company Dynarange Series extra length 1/4" x 1800 ft, 7" reel silicone lubricated 1.0 mil polyester backing (snip) Hate to bring you down but I have a number of scotch tapes of that vintage suffering from the dreaded squealing and jamming in playback. Tape is "hydrolised" I think thats the term, as the compaines used whale oil in manufacture, and the binder absorbs moisture from the air. That is curable in the short term by "baking " (google it or go to yahoo groups reel to reel) I would recommend looking in your local paper's small ads, or posting an ad yourself, to try and find a cheap second hand reel recorder. Akai and Sony are probably the easiest Hi Fi models to come across. try your luck but dont spend a fortune; see the deck in use before parting with the cash! good luck ,Ben |
#10
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In article . com,
wrote: Hate to bring you down but I have a number of scotch tapes of that vintage suffering from the dreaded squealing and jamming in playback. Tape is "hydrolised" I think thats the term, as the compaines used whale oil in manufacture, and the binder absorbs moisture from the air. The story I've heard (and it's of uncertain reliability) is that the older tapes (before the mid-1970s) often did use whale oil as one component, and don't suffer from sticky shed. The manufacturers reportedly stopped using binders incorporating whale oil, and switched over to a purely synthetic tape binder in the mid-1970s, and it's this "polyester urethane" binder which tends to absorb moisture and become sticky and sheddy. Ampex is reported to have switched over to a different binder formula in late 1994 or early 1995, and tapes made after this point seem to be much more stable. -- Dave Platt AE6EO Hosting the Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads! |
#11
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Dave Platt wrote: (snip) The story I've heard (and it's of uncertain reliability) is that the older tapes (before the mid-1970s) often did use whale oil as one component, and don't suffer from sticky shed. The manufacturers reportedly stopped using binders incorporating whale oil, and switched over to a purely synthetic tape binder in the mid-1970s, and it's this "polyester urethane" binder which tends to absorb moisture and become sticky and sheddy. that is entirely possible. It's been a while since I read up on the phenomena, so my assumption on the use whale oil may be incorrect. One thing is for sure, the tapes I have, from the same manufacturer (and from most others), from before about 1974 seem fine, and I have never had any kind of problems at all with most 1960s tape such as brown EMItape. It seems to be a mid 70s cut off point for reliability. I bought a few RadioShack tapes in the early 90s and had no touble with them - yet! ;-) regards, Ben |
#12
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Dave Platt wrote: (snip) The story I've heard (and it's of uncertain reliability) is that the older tapes (before the mid-1970s) often did use whale oil as one component, and don't suffer from sticky shed. The manufacturers reportedly stopped using binders incorporating whale oil, and switched over to a purely synthetic tape binder in the mid-1970s, and it's this "polyester urethane" binder which tends to absorb moisture and become sticky and sheddy. that is entirely possible. It's been a while since I read up on the phenomena, so my assumption on the use whale oil may be incorrect. One thing is for sure, the tapes I have, from the same manufacturer (and from most others), from before about 1974 seem fine, and I have never had any kind of problems at all with most 1960s tape such as brown EMItape. It seems to be a mid 70s cut off point for reliability. I bought a few RadioShack tapes in the early 90s and had no trouble with them - yet! ;-) regards, Ben |
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