Quad Reel Playback Problem

[dr8track]

While my quad collection primarily consists of Q8 recordings, I do have a small collection of quad reels. I've noticed a problem with a few of the reels and was wondering if anyone knows of a solution. During playback on some of the reels a squeaking noise can be heard through the speakers during playback. I have done some troubleshooting on this problem and it is definitely related to the specific tape, not the actual player. I can take the reels off when I hear the squealing while playing on one machine and will experience the same noise when I put the reels on another machine. I'm guessing this has something to do with the age of the tape and perhaps an original tape lubricant is no longer present? Anyway, just wondering if there's any way to cure this problem. I've tried cleaning and using tape head lubricant to see if I can eliminate the problem. It has some effect, but does not totally cure the problem.
Has anyone else experienced this? Any suggested solutions?
Thanks,
George

 

[quadgdiaz]

hi George

the squeaking noise you hear is that the tape is all dried up. no more tape lubricant is present and you need to cook the reels, and do not play the reel like that or you are going to strip the emulsion on the tape and damage the reels forever, i remember that i saw the way to cook the reels but i can't remember where, will ask quadbob he has an easy reel cooker ???? he's doing one of mine now. thanks Gerardo

 

[Quadwreck]

The problem you are having can come from a dried-out tape, but more often from a "sticky" tape, the result of the binding agents breaking down. After the oil shortage of 1973-1974, magnetic tape manufacturers began looking for a non-petroleum based method of binding the iron oxide particles to the polyester backing, and they found some that worked well - but the unforseen downside was the way the chemicals would break down and get sticky ten to twenty years later.
Rich Rarey of National public Radio did some extensive research on restoring these affected tapes, if not for permanent re-use, at least for several plays so they could be converted to other recordings. He found that baking them at low temperatures (130 degrees farenheit, I think)for about 24 hours worked best. Perhaps he still works there. His articles were published in Radio World in the early 1990s. Somewhere I have those articles, and if you can't find them on gthe internet, I can mail you photocopies when I find them. Let me know.

 

[dr8track]

Quadwreck,
Thanks for the info. Yes, I'd like to see those articles. Please contact me via email and I'll send you my mailing address.
Thanks,
George

 

[AllAroundSurround]

George , here is the link to bake a tape!

Rob

www.tangible-technology.com/tape/baking1.html

 

[dr8track]

Thanks for the link. I'll check it out.

 

[JonUrban]

Good job, Rob. Thanks Again!

:-jon

 

[AllAroundSurround]

It's on , or in this section and I saved it to favorite places for quick access on my computer! about 10 down from this post!
Rob

P.S. George, though I've never tried to "Bake A Tape" if you do it , Let us know how it - Tastes -err. - comes out !

 

[dr8track]

I read the article and followed the link to the site with the dehydrators for sale. The model they recommend is actually on sale. With the holidays coming up maybe I'll buy it and wrap it up for my wife for a Christmas prestent. She'll never suspect anything unless she catches me dehydrating tapes in it.
I'll be sure to let you all know the results if I try it. I'd actually heard of this method quite awhile ago. A friend of mine has worked with bands since the 70's. He told me that several years ago when Pat Benatar was supervising the re-release of some of her recordings they were actually baking the masters in their house. It sounded crazy at the time, but now I understand the reason for it.

 

[JonUrban]

Hmmmm---Baked, not Fried!

:-jon