Regarding the RCA Victor cartridge, I'm located in NYC (if you consider
Queens as qualifying) and have considerable experience extracting tapes and
wires from their enclosures.

An interesting recent case was that of a Norelco cartridge with 1/8" tape:
ran perfectly in an ordinary cassette shell

Art Shifrin


On Wed, Jan 19, 2011 at 12:00 AM, ARSCLIST automatic digest system <
[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> There are 9 messages totalling 376 lines in this issue.
>
> Topics of the day:
>
>  1. Dolby A-type level standards (2)
>  2. 15/16 Recording Speed
>  3. RCA Victor Tape Cartridge (2)
>  4. Rek-O-Kut (2)
>  5. Otari MX5050 Bii adjust tape speed. (2)
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Date:    Mon, 17 Jan 2011 23:03:03 -0600
> From:    Scott <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Dolby A-type level standards
>
> I worked at Criteria in Miami, we had racks and racks of Dolby. They were
> aligned every day for every session that used them, just as the machines
> were. It wasn't difficult, although the most common error in-house was
> getting distracted and making the adjustments in the wrong order. It was
> enough that I provided a check list that was to be used by every studio
> tech
> who came near them. Certainly we got tapes from other studios that could
> show vastly messed up Dolby encoding. Usually I could make deliberate
> mis-adjustments that would play those tapes reasonably well, but without
> tones (WHO would send tapes without tones???) it could be a bit of a crap
> shoot.
>
> Scott
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tom Fine
> Sent: Monday, January 17, 2011 5:15 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Dolby A-type level standards
>
> Hi Fred:
>
> This could well be the case, too. In any case, as long as I can get a good
> playback, it's not a huge issue. When a tape without tones come in, that's
> another matter. It's hard to believe that all professional studios that
> could afford those Dolby units back in the day wouldn't have the expertise
> to read the manual and set their machines accordingly, but apparently some
> or many didn't.
>
> -- Tom Fine
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Fred Thal" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Saturday, January 15, 2011 12:58 PM
> Subject: [ARSCLIST] Dolby A-type level standards
>
>
> > Apologies if my following points have already been made by others. I
> > only occasionally look at digest versions of this list.
> >
> > Tom Fine writes:
> >
> >> I've run into the same thing with Dolby A reels, with azimuth aligned
> with a scope, the level-set
> >> tones are sometimes lower than expected and in those cases it's great to
> have Dolby tones to get
> >>  > the CAT22 to track well on decode. I've always ascribed this to
> self-erasure over time.
> >
> > I think you are mistaken. There have always been differing standards
> > for what constitutes Dolby level. It is hardly uncommon to see Dolby A
> > encoded tapes recorded at different fluxivities.
> >
> > Regarding describing azimuth as being aligned with a scope, this is
> > always somewhat ambiguous unless you also state whether you mean that
> > two tracks were aligned for minimum inter-channel phase difference, or
> > that one (or both) of those tracks were aligned for peak short
> > wavelength amplitude response.
> >
> > Fred Thal
> > Audio Transfer Laboratory
> >
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Tue, 18 Jan 2011 08:17:38 +0200
> From:    D P Ingram <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: 15/16 Recording Speed
>
> > I forget, were you the person who was looking for the 5-track head a =
> while ago for logging tape recovery? Did you ever get that project =
> completed?
>
> It doesn't ring any bells for me immediately, but the tape transfers are =
> a little down the list currently.=20
>
>
> Darren
>
>
> =A6 D P Ingram =A6 Ab Ingram Oy =A6
> =A6 darren at ingram.fi =A6  www.ingram.fi =A6=20
> =A6=20
> =A6 MUSIC LIBRARY FINLAND - www.musiclibrary.fi=20
> =A6
> =A6 +358 6 781 0275 (FIN) =A6 extn 8001
> =A6=
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Tue, 18 Jan 2011 09:28:50 -0000
> From:    Ted Kendall <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Dolby A-type level standards
>
> I checked the tape noise masking theory with Ken Gundry, who was already
> with Dolby at the time, and he discounted it. The insistence on 185 for
> Dolby level, he says, was an attempt at standardisation, which ultimately
> failed - and that it would have been better to be more forceful about the
> use of Dolby tone earlier. But then, as this thread indicates, lots of
> studios regarded line-up in general as a subtle irrelevance.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Scott" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2011 5:03 AM
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Dolby A-type level standards
>
>
> >I worked at Criteria in Miami, we had racks and racks of Dolby. They were
> > aligned every day for every session that used them, just as the machines
> > were. It wasn't difficult, although the most common error in-house was
> > getting distracted and making the adjustments in the wrong order. It was
> > enough that I provided a check list that was to be used by every studio
> > tech
> > who came near them. Certainly we got tapes from other studios that could
> > show vastly messed up Dolby encoding. Usually I could make deliberate
> > mis-adjustments that would play those tapes reasonably well, but without
> > tones (WHO would send tapes without tones???) it could be a bit of a crap
> > shoot.
> >
> > Scott
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
> > [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tom Fine
> > Sent: Monday, January 17, 2011 5:15 PM
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Dolby A-type level standards
> >
> > Hi Fred:
> >
> > This could well be the case, too. In any case, as long as I can get a
> good
> > playback, it's not a huge issue. When a tape without tones come in,
> that's
> > another matter. It's hard to believe that all professional studios that
> > could afford those Dolby units back in the day wouldn't have the
> expertise
> > to read the manual and set their machines accordingly, but apparently
> some
> > or many didn't.
> >
> > -- Tom Fine
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Fred Thal" <[log in to unmask]>
> > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > Sent: Saturday, January 15, 2011 12:58 PM
> > Subject: [ARSCLIST] Dolby A-type level standards
> >
> >
> >> Apologies if my following points have already been made by others. I
> >> only occasionally look at digest versions of this list.
> >>
> >> Tom Fine writes:
> >>
> >>> I've run into the same thing with Dolby A reels, with azimuth aligned
> > with a scope, the level-set
> >>> tones are sometimes lower than expected and in those cases it's great
> to
> > have Dolby tones to get
> >>>  > the CAT22 to track well on decode. I've always ascribed this to
> > self-erasure over time.
> >>
> >> I think you are mistaken. There have always been differing standards
> >> for what constitutes Dolby level. It is hardly uncommon to see Dolby A
> >> encoded tapes recorded at different fluxivities.
> >>
> >> Regarding describing azimuth as being aligned with a scope, this is
> >> always somewhat ambiguous unless you also state whether you mean that
> >> two tracks were aligned for minimum inter-channel phase difference, or
> >> that one (or both) of those tracks were aligned for peak short
> >> wavelength amplitude response.
> >>
> >> Fred Thal
> >> Audio Transfer Laboratory
> >>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Tue, 18 Jan 2011 09:07:40 -0500
> From:    Michael Dolan <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: RCA Victor Tape Cartridge
>
> Hello -
>
> Does anyone know of a lab, preferably in the NYC or Mid-Hudson Valley
> area, that can transfer an old RCA Sound Tape Cartridge to CD?   A
> friend found it among his father's things and would like to hear
> what's on it.  It is 1/4" and the box says it is type 264 C1.
>
> Any information would be helpful.
>
> Thank you.
>
> Michael Dolan
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Tue, 18 Jan 2011 10:35:44 -0500
> From:    "Richard L. Hess" <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: RCA Victor Tape Cartridge
>
> Hi, Michael,
>
> I can do these and I'm not too far away, but I'm busy with some large
> and rush projects that would keep me from doing this probably until at
> least the summer.
>
> There is no magic to them if you decide to take the tape out of the
> shell (which I do and return it on a reel) since it is a standard
> quarter-track configuration at either 3.75 in/s or 1.88 in/s.
>
> I have a Sony APR-5000 configured to play this format.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Richard
>
> On 2011-01-18 9:07 AM, Michael Dolan wrote:
> > Hello -
> >
> > Does anyone know of a lab, preferably in the NYC or Mid-Hudson Valley
> > area, that can transfer an old RCA Sound Tape Cartridge to CD?   A
> > friend found it among his father's things and would like to hear
> > what's on it.  It is 1/4" and the box says it is type 264 C1.
> >
> > Any information would be helpful.
> >
> > Thank you.
> >
> > Michael Dolan
> >
>
> --
> Richard L. Hess                   email: [log in to unmask]
> Aurora, Ontario, Canada           (905) 713 6733     1-877-TAPE-FIX
> http://www.richardhess.com/tape/contact.htm
> Quality tape transfers -- even from hard-to-play tapes.
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Tue, 18 Jan 2011 11:26:09 -0500
> From:    "Sager, David S" <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Rek-O-Kut
>
> Can anyone speak to the quality of the Esoteric Rek-o-Kut CVS-14 or 16?
>
> Thanks
>
> DS
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Tue, 18 Jan 2011 09:52:42 -0800
> From:    Roderic G Stephens <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Rek-O-Kut
>
> I've had the 16 for many years, and love it. =A0It doesn't have side
> tracki=
> ng weights or a lever to lower the stylus to the disk, but it's quiet and
> s=
> teady by my experience. It makes great transfers with a Stanton 500
> cartrid=
> ge and=A0changeable=A0styli.
>
> --- On Tue, 1/18/11, Sager, David S <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> From: Sager, David S <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: [ARSCLIST] Rek-O-Kut
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Date: Tuesday, January 18, 2011, 8:26 AM
>
> Can anyone speak to the quality of the Esoteric Rek-o-Kut CVS-14 or 16?
>
> Thanks
>
> DS
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Tue, 18 Jan 2011 19:50:55 +0000
> From:    Daniel Roth <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Otari MX5050 Bii adjust tape speed.
>
> Hello folks,
>
> I need to change the speed setting on my Otari MX5050 Bii-type
> reel-to-reel=
>  deck from 7 1/2 ips to 3 3/4 ips. Currently the unit is set up for 7 1/2
> a=
> nd 15 ips, respectively. I have found instructions on how to do this by
> ope=
> ning the unit and manually selecting the alternate position of "Switch
> S1."=
>  However, I cannot locate said switch inside the unit as instructed.
>
> Any insights, comments, diagrams, images, etc. would be appreciated.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Dan Roth
> Walter J. Brown Media Archives and
> Peabody Award Collection
> University of Georgia
> Athens, GA
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Tue, 18 Jan 2011 12:18:54 -0800
> From:    Karl Miller <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Otari MX5050 Bii adjust tape speed.
>
> There is a small hole in the middle of the large circuit board. The switch
> =
> doesn't=A0look like a switch, but a little lever...which is green (brown?)
> =
> as I recall. With the machine turned off, just stick a small screwdriver
> th=
> rought the whole and you can flip the lever.
> =A0
> Karl
>
> --- On Tue, 1/18/11, Daniel Roth <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>
> From: Daniel Roth <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: [ARSCLIST] Otari MX5050 Bii adjust tape speed.
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Date: Tuesday, January 18, 2011, 1:50 PM
>
>
> Hello folks,
>
> I need to change the speed setting on my Otari MX5050 Bii-type
> reel-to-reel=
>  deck from 7 1/2 ips to 3 3/4 ips. Currently the unit is set up for 7 1/2
> a=
> nd 15 ips, respectively. I have found instructions on how to do this by
> ope=
> ning the unit and manually selecting the alternate position of "Switch
> S1."=
>  However, I cannot locate said switch inside the unit as instructed.
>
> Any insights, comments, diagrams, images, etc. would be appreciated.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Dan Roth
> Walter J. Brown Media Archives and
> Peabody Award Collection
> University of Georgia
> Athens, GA
>
> ------------------------------
>
> End of ARSCLIST Digest - 17 Jan 2011 to 18 Jan 2011 (#2011-19)
> **************************************************************
>