Again thank you guys. How can I lubricate said cassette tapes please?
What is the process? Getting tape head cleaner is a problem too since
the demise of VHS and cassettes and reel2reel tapes. Is it ethyl
alcohol? Maybe eBay has it? Huh - cotton buds are easy to get - even
though they are mainly of plastic. BTW right now the weather is damp
and raining with high humidity. Maybe I should put the cassettes in
front of a hot air heater? I have a brand new top of the range
(ex-display) Technics dual cassette player arriving next week. Chris
B.
On 01/04/2018, Corey Bailey <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Hi Chris,
>
> First of all, DO NOT use your microwave for any type of tape
> restoration. This has been tried and the results are disastrous. Second,
> do not use any kitchen appliance, that is used for food, for baking
> audio tapes. The baking of audio tapes produces out-gassing that should
> be considered as toxic.If you are going to consider baking the cassettes
> in question, you will need to invest in a device that can be dedicated
> solely to that task. A food dehydrator will work fine but know that
> there is a learning curve. Research the process. The information is out
> there. I have written an article about baking audio tape which is posted
> on my website under "Useful Information." I am not a fan of baking
> audio tapes. I use the process as a last resort. First, I will try
> lubricating the tape and for cassettes, I have a transport that I have
> modified (hacked) for this procedure. That said, Marie O'Connell posted
> that she has successfully baked audio cassettes. So have I and many
> other qualified personnel. So, obviously, it's possible.
>
> Cheers and, Happy Easter!
>
> Corey
>
> Corey Bailey Audio Engineering
> www.baileyzone.net
>
> On 4/1/2018 1:11 AM, CJB wrote:
>> Hi guys. Thanks for the heads up. The cassettes are off-air recordings
>> many from the 1970s from Long Wave / Medium wave and some FM. They are
>> Beeb airings - likely all long since deleted, wiped or junked. These
>> are the only recordings extant. It is important to rescue the
>> contents.
>>
>> The situation started after a few cassettes had gone though. The
>> C-120s seemed OK. I then decided to process the C-60s first: Ferro,
>> Scotch and BASF. I had two cassettes loaded. Huh - I fell asleep and
>> the first started all over again. When I checked the digital file -
>> using Audacity - I found that the first was nearly perfect first time
>> round - but then when it got repeated the sound level was not only
>> lower but it was also muffled. I used a tape head cleaner and tried
>> again, the sound came back as loud as it should have been, but then
>> quickly deteriorated.
>>
>> I'm not sure that I can retrieve the situation. It seems that the
>> tapes are shedding and clogging the heads badly. I am nervous about
>> baking - I only have a microwave!!
>>
>> Issues with azimuth lining is rather too advanced for the project
>> which is more one of rescue rather than faultless archiving.
>>
>> Chris B.
>>
>>
>> On 31/03/2018, Marie O'Connell <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>> I have had good success with baking cassette tapes suffering from SSS
>>> and
>>> the brands are random. Keeping the heads clean is paramount.
>>>
>>> Like Steve, re-housing the cassette can help along with renewing the
>>> slip
>>> sheets. As a matter of course I check the felt to make sure it's
>>> intact.
>>>
>>> Happy Easter!
>>> Marie
>>>
>>> On Sun, Apr 1, 2018 at 8:23 AM, John Haley <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I am not recalling exactly what I paid for the Nak Dragon, but it was
>>>> something like $1100. I bought it on Ebay and got lucky--it is in
>>>> flawless
>>>> condition.
>>>>
>>>> The Nak Dragon is missing one desirable feature--there is no speed
>>>> control. But it is rock-steady with moving the tape--probably getting
>>>> rid
>>>> of the tiny bit of friction of the tape pulling past the pressure pad
>>>> helps. It has a piece that pushes back the pressure pad so it is out
>>>> of
>>>> the way, and tape tension against the heads is provided by the closed
>>>> loop
>>>> dual capstan design.
>>>>
>>>> Best,
>>>> John Haley
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Sat, Mar 31, 2018 at 1:57 PM, Steven Smolian <[log in to unmask]>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> If I remember correctly, the NAK draws the tape away from the pad,
>>>>> bypassing
>>>>> it.
>>>>>
>>>>> For what it's worth, I've found the slip sheet inside the cassette
>>>> housing
>>>>> will exhibit signs of sticky shed.
>>>>>
>>>>> One answer is to rehouse each cassette into a new shell. I've done
>>>>> that
>>>>> many a time.
>>>>>
>>>>> Steve Smolian
>>>>>
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
>>>>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Lou Judson
>>>>> Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2018 1:02 PM
>>>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>>>> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Sticky shed - clogged heads?
>>>>>
>>>>> Dragon is the gold standard, the Rolls Ryce of cassette decks. Wish
>>>>> the
>>>>> project I have could make it affordable! :-)
>>>>>
>>>>> Maybe I don't want to know what you had to pay for it. ePay shows
>>>>> $1200
>>>>> -
>>>>> 3200 today.
>>>>>
>>>>> I got my lesser Naks for around $400 each. one needed service, the
>>>>> other
>>>>> was
>>>>> perfect.
>>>>> <L>
>>>>> Lou Judson
>>>>> Intuitive Audio
>>>>> 415-883-2689
>>>>>
>>>>> On Mar 31, 2018, at 9:35 AM, John Haley <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> I recently bought a Nak Dragon, which automatically sets the azimuth
>>>>>> and keeps monitoring and resetting it as the cassette plays. And I
>>>>>> recently dubbed a cassette in which the felt pad was missing. It
>>>> played
>>>>> fine. The
>>>>>> sound quality is astonishingly good. It really beats my Tascam
>>>>>> unit.
>>>>>> Best,
>>>>>> John Haley
>
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