New tape Procedure

[ShebaStudios]

Hi all,

I'm getting ready to do some drum tracks through my Tascam series 70 on
1/2". I bought a couple of new reels and can't seem to remember the correct proccedure for using a new reel. They are new(in plastic) Quantegy 456 reels. Should I be FF or Rewinding through the whole reel before initial use?

Thanks so much

[A Reel Person]

I'd put the new reel on the right hub, rewind & conduct the session. After recording, I'd play or spool the tape entirely from the left to right reel, then dismount the reel & store it "tails out". This procedure of keeping your master reel on the right hub & spooling to tails out gives an even packing of the tape for storage, as an uneven wind leaves the tape susceptible to edge damage from handling. Most FF/RW operations on a R/R gives an uneven packing of the tape.

Storing tape tails out also prevents any print through from becoming pre-echo, which is very annoying. Post-echo as print through at least sounds natural, even if print through itself is an unwanted side effect.

[ShebaStudios]

Thank you very much

[FALKEN]

where did you get that tape???

the last batch of RMGI I ordered came with a sheet that said that you should rewind/FF the tape before use....

[Beck]

Yep, what Dave said... I put the new reel on the right and rewind it onto an empty reel.

A heavier 6-screw balanced, precision reel is recommended for the left side. This can make a night a day difference in the pack of the rewound tape.

Many (probably most) home recordists just use a light empty reel that tape came on, however for ½” tape and wider a dedicated high quality take-up reel is a good investment. At playback speeds it's not a big deal, but with rewind and fast-forward it will handle the tape more gently, cutting down on edge damage and stretching… thus helping to give the tape a longer usable life.

Just another little detail that often didn’t make it from the pro environment to the home/project environment, and now with analog being out of vogue this information just plain gets lost.

Scotch, AMPEX, and BASF all had their own versions of these heavy 6-screw reels and they are all good. I have different styles to match the brand of tape I’m using so everything is symmetrical… I’m kinda quirky that way. I wouldn’t dream of putting the classic 3M style reel with the long windage holes on the same machine with a reel of Quantegy tape and their classic AMPEX styling.

[ShebaStudios]

I purchased the tape from Long & Mcquade. Here in Winnipeg, Manitoba.They had about 5-6 reels. I assume it is old stock. $120.00 Canadian a reel.

Ended up tracking drums with 2 414's as overheads into 2 SeventhCircle N72(neve 1272 clone) pre's. D112 on the kick and a beta 57 on the snare. I put kick and snare through my presonus firebox to use the pre's in it. Then straight to the series 70.

Sounds very warm and large, I am very impressed. I was lucky to be using a drummer who was able to track on the first couple of takes.

My series 70 is hardly used, I aquired it through a local University about 15 years ago where it had been for 10 years and had only 10hrs documented time on it. Very clean and running well. Need new belts for the counter as they have stretched but otherwise mint.

[_DK]

Long & McQuade charge way too much for 1/2" Quantegy. It's not very old though...