Danny,
This is my understanding as well. I also find that when I find old paper
leader, it is often brittle, unwieldy and slippery --and a bad friend of
adhesive, as Tom Fine points out.
However, I admit I do not know how to look or listen for potential problems
arising from electrostatic charge in leader tape. If anyone has found these
problems, I think the class would probably like to hear about them.
Marcos
--On Friday, March 31, 2006 4:15 PM -0500 Richard Warren
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> As I recall, general wisdom in ARSC suggests that for archives the use of
> NO leader tape at all has always been recommended for tapes to be stored,
> since attaching leader(s) involves the use of splicing tape, another
> material to be avoided as much as possible. Obviously one must deal with
> splices that come in on tapes; but except for attaching leader or blank
> tape temporarily to allow capture of beginnings and endings on recordings
> lacking sufficient unrecorded "slack", why ask for trouble ?
>
> Richard
>
> At 03:56 PM 3/31/2006, you wrote:
>
>> I wonder about the value of the recommendation to â??replace plastic
>> leaders with paper leadersâ?? (Capturing Analog Sound for Digital
>> Preservation; 1.1.2.3.3 Leader).
>>
>> I think that the concern about â??electrostatic chargesâ?? may be
>> overstated (and probably has its origins from another era, perhaps when
>> PVC was used a leader tape base). Using modern anti-static polyester
>> leader as a â??replacement leaderâ?? (not to mention the high coercivity
>> of magnetic tape in general), makes the electrostatic charges from
>> leader tape issue, I feel, almost negligible. Video shares many of the
>> same preservation issues as audio and Iâ??m not aware of this â??paper
>> or
>> plasticâ?? question ever coming
>> up in that field; video preservation specialists use polyester leader and
>> have done so successfully for decades. Is there a distinction between
>> magnetic audio media and magnetic video media (or even data storage tape,
>> another magnetic medium that uses polyester leader) that Iâ??m
>> overlooking that would require paper tape to be used in audio?
>>
>> Certainly too other arguments could be made for not using paper leader:
>> it is less durable than polyester, it will absorb moisture, and
>> -particularly with non-buffered paper, it becomes brittle and therefore
>> may fail to maintain the tension on the tape pack (when tacked down at
>> the head or tail) needed for long term storage.
>>
>> Feel free to set me straight.
>>
>> Best,
>>
>> Danny
>>
>>
>> Daniel Sbardella
>> The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
>> 40 Lincoln Center Plaza
>> New York, NY 10023
>>
>> 212.870.1609
Marcos
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