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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 >> > >> >