Cleaning a tape?

[galvano]

When I bought my tascam 38 I got a few old reels included.
Now these old tapes are pretty damaged from lying around in a smoky and moist environment (spelling?).
When I record with these tapes I get a layer of dirt on the ereaser head and so naturally my machine wont erease old recordings properly or record well.

Question is, is there a way to clean tapes?
Or do I throw them away and hope to find new tapes?

/Thanks, Matt

[apl]

I unreel them and put them in the dishwasher. Then I use the clothes dryer to get the moisture out and rewind them.

But if it ain't to dirty I use the clean up VST plug in.


















jk, i like to give the analog guys a hard time.

[cjacek]

Originally Posted by galvano

When I bought my tascam 38 I got a few old reels included.
Now these old tapes are pretty damaged from lying around in a smoky and moist environment (spelling?).
When I record with these tapes I get a layer of dirt on the ereaser head and so naturally my machine wont erease old recordings properly or record well.

Question is, is there a way to clean tapes?
Or do I throw them away and hope to find new tapes?

/Thanks, Matt

That's a no brainer. Clean the entire tape path on your 38. Toss the old tapes and get new ones.

~Daniel

[A Reel Person]

or PM The Ghost of FM for details.

[Seeker of Rock]

Originally Posted by galvano

When I bought my tascam 38 I got a few old reels included.
Now these old tapes are pretty damaged from lying around in a smoky and moist environment (spelling?).
When I record with these tapes I get a layer of dirt on the ereaser head and so naturally my machine wont erease old recordings properly or record well.

Question is, is there a way to clean tapes?
Or do I throw them away and hope to find new tapes?

/Thanks, Matt

It is not dirt. Correct me gentlemen, but it is some kind of oxide...zinc oxide maybe? Anyway, that is why people bake tapes. Don't use the ones you have anymore until you bake them or get new ones!!! It will keep happening and you will keep a cleanin'
You know they still make new reel tape for sale, right? Just a money issue sometimes, I understand.

[Beck]

Sticky tape shed is the first thing I would check. Information dealing with sticky-shed is in bits and pieces all over the web. The tapes most likely need to be baked to get the moisture out. See the following.

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

We've discussed it on this board in great detail -- Use the search feature to search this board:

Sticky shed
Sticky tape
Tape shed
Bake tape
Baking tape

Late 1994 is officially when Ampex changed to the new formula. Anything before that could develop sticky-shed. The reason you hear more about tapes from the 70's and 80's is because it takes time for the binder to deteriorate. Also the whole mess was discovered when studios tried to use archived tape from that time period to remaster and release old albums on CD.

Magnetic Reference Laboratory (MRL) puts the new tape at anything after early 1995 -- probably just to be on the safe side. Here is their contribution to the sticky tape saga in PDF.

http://www.flash.net/%7Emrltapes/pubshed2.pdf

I've had problems with all my Ampex 456 from 1986 through 1993 production.

-Tim