Hi

Actually, my first concern is the analogue tape itself and then the
equipment, simply because the machine can be fixed by the terrific
technicians stil alive and available to do this because 'they know' what the
heck they are doing.  Tape problems are a different factor in the mix given
the different brands, etc, etc, and many of us are trying to address this in
our own way and on an international basis.

Corey, please tell me, what are the ingredients of the Last Factory stuff
you use?  Do you know?

Cheers
Marie

On Thu, Dec 17, 2009 at 10:23 PM, Corey Bailey <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Hi Richard,
>
> I would be interested in exploring our different experiences with LAST
> lubricants. Perhaps we should compare findings off list.
> Starting in the early 90’s, I experimented with a number of lubricants and
> application methods until I discovered the Last Factory. Some of those
> lubricants did work well but the resulting mess and possible harm to the
> equipment seemed to be not worth the results. Consequently, I never
> published
> my findings. I would agree that the majority of squeal problems occur on
> tapes
> recorded at slower speeds however I have also encountered the problem on
> music
> masters recorded at higher speeds. Perhaps I should have noted in my post
> that
> the example on your website did not utilize a standard audio tape deck and
> the
> speed was quadrupled. I’ve always admired your work because you think
> outside
> the box but with a scientific approach. My concern was the possible
> oversight
> of the details regarding your particular procedure and some would think it
> just
> fine to try a 3-3/4ips tape run at (for example) 15ips and I wanted to
> point
> out the possible pitfalls.
>
> Anymore, I’ve pretty much come to the conclusion: “If it ain’t Scotch 206,
> Bake
> it!’ Of course, that excludes acetate but I have found that stabilizing the
> oxide solves a number of problems right off and polyester doesn’t seem to
> be
> bothered by the process.
>
> Cheers!
>
> Corey Bailey
> Corey Bailey Audio Engineering
>
>
> Quoting "Richard L. Hess" <[log in to unmask]>:
>
>  > At 10:00 PM 2009-12-16, Corey Bailey wrote:
> > >Having dealt with squealing tapes at virtually all recorded speeds and
> > (most)
> > >widths, the simplest and most effective solution I've found is to
> lubricate
> > >them. That said, the most effective lubricant I've used so far is from
> Last
> > >Factory.
> >
> > Hi, Corey,
> >
> > I have had pretty much the opposite results with The Last Factory
> products.
> >
> > >1) Unless you have modified your play electronics, playing, for example,
> a
> > >7.5ips tape at 15ips will invoke a different EQ alignment curve which
> will
> > >result in inaccuracies when pitching the file back down in the digital
> > domain.
> > >(Something I don't like to do in the first place for a number of
> reasons)
> >
> > There are many ways to handle this and most of the times I record an
> > MRL test tape to make sure it's all fine at the end.
> >
> > In my experience, this is a problem that is mostly limited to
> > personal and oral history tapes as they are the ones usually recorded
> > at slow speeds. I've had little or no issues with master tapes,
> > especially on the single-head reproducers.
> >
> > >2) Having tried this and observed the signal with calibrated test
> equipment
> > >showed that the squeal is, more often than not, still there and
> > >although it may
> > >not be (as) audible, it is having an effect on the audio in other ways
> such
> > as
> > >increased harmonic distortion, induced wow and flutter, etc.
> >
> > That certainly may be true in some instances, but in others, there is
> > a threshold where the squeal stops. It was actually Jay McKnight of
> > MRL who suggested the higher playing speed (I think I mention that in
> > my blog post) and this was based in part on the analysis he did of
> > the mechanical properties of tape for Ampex.
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Richard
> >
> > Richard L. Hess                   email: [log in to unmask]
> > Aurora, Ontario, Canada       (905) 713 6733     1-877-TAPE-FIX
> > Detailed contact information:
> http://www.richardhess.com/tape/contact.htm
> > Quality tape transfers -- even from hard-to-play tapes.
> >
>