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Thanks for the info. I also found some links (via Richard Hess' site) describing similar problems with the AGFA tapes. It's interesting to hear they were shedding pretty much from day one though. I assume it's the result of a failed experiment/change in the formula? Cleaning before transfer seems to be the most sensible option (hopefully there won't be too many more!). Cheers. Tom -----Original Message----- From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Corey Bailey Sent: 17 February 2012 06:35 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] AGFA PE46 problems To Tom Ruane: Try wiping the tape with pelon or a Texwipe (linnen) while winding it at a 'library wind' speed. If that is not successful, you might try lubricating the tape(s). I use and recommend Tape LAST from Last factory products. http://lastfactory.com/ (I have no connection with the company, I just like their products.) You could try a small segment and see if it helps. I write a little more about it here: http://www.baileyzone.net/analog%20tape%20diy.htm The paragraph on lubricating tape is second to last on the page. Richard Hess uses a chemical known as D5. Contact Richard via his webpage: http://www.richardhess.com/tape/index.htm or perhaps, he will pick up on this and direct you to some of his writings on the subject. To Malcolm: The first AGFA 2" tape that I knew of was introduced to the Hollywood studio scene in the mid 1970's. it was PEM468 and I believe the product name has not changed. It gained immediate popularity because you could pound it pretty hard without noticeable tape compression. AGFA, in fact, suggested you could run PEM468 at a reference level of +6, which I was never comfortable with. The first shedding problems I experienced with PEM468 was around 1977 or 78. I was working on Cheryl Lynn's "Got To Be real" album at Sunset Sound. The tracks were recorded at Studio 55 on PEM488 and the project moved to Sunset Sound where we started experiencing oxide shedding. At first, I suspected the Ampex 1200 deck. Studio 55 had Studer 80 series decks but a test on the Studer that recorded the tracks at Studio 55 proved that the tape was indeed shedding. My suggestion was to migrate the project to Scotch 206 because I had never had a problem with it and Ampex was in the process of recovering from bad batches of 456. I was voted down and the project was migrated to 456 with "absolute" guarantees from Ampex that the supplied stock was stable. It wasn't and a few (expensive) horn overdubs later, we were in the same mess again. The project was migrated a second time to Scotch 250 and remained on that tape. By the time we got to mixing, the tracks that came off the 468 really sounded like a second generation transfer. Fortunately Cheryl's vocals were the last things to go on (except for the song "Daybreak" which was recorded with the session musicians) and her vocals carried the record. Cheers! Corey Corey Bailey Audio Engineering > I remember when AGFA began marketing 2" tape (I don't recollect their numbers, though). It must have been right around 1982 or 83. They sent me a reel to preview claiming a better frequency response, more headroom and better signal to noise ratio than Ampex 456. I spooled it through once and so much oxide dust came off the tape it looked like a small brown tornado hovering over the transport. That was the first and last AGFA reel I ever used. > Malcolm > > ******* > > > On 2/16/2012 10:29 AM, Scott D. Smith wrote: >> Sound like a batch of tapes with slurry issues. I have run across this one a few occasions. Usually the shedding has been pretty light, with most of the oxide coming from the edges. >> I've never experienced flaking with these tapes, though-just some light shedding. Richard Hess will probably have some better info. Scott D. Smith CAS >> Chicago Audio Works, Inc. >> --Scott >> On 2/16/2012 9:01 AM, Ruane, Tom wrote: >>> Hi, >>> We've got some AGFA PE46 tapes that are shedding a brownish/yellow 'powder' when played back. The layers of the tape aren't adhering to each other or squealing, but the shedding particles are magnetic so presumably it's the actual oxide. There are no obvious physical defects >>> that I can see other than the oxide layer having 'streaky' parallel lines running the length of the tape. It seems to be affecting about one in fifteen, with the others playing back okay. >>> The batches of tapes are from the same recordist and have presumably been stored in a similar condition, he's also made a note on several tapes stating 'cleaned of powder' or 'powdery' about a year after they were recorded (1970's). >>> Any ideas what the problem might be? >>> Thanks in advance. >>> Tom >