The other forum pointed out that if I was running a small section of old tape hard with lots of RW/FF I may have had the tape shift slightly in the transport and start shedding oxide off the edges. That's why once I loosened some tension and tightened it back up it slowed down a little and there was less flaking. Just putting the tape back through the transport correctly should be enough to solve the issue in the short term. It could be the track 1 heads on the machine catching the edge, but my machine was serviced by TEAC and the heads were fine when we started. I stopped everything once I saw the flaking/shedding so that no further damage could be done until I got it figured out. I did not want a gummed up machine.
I specifically stated I had other reels. They are NOS. I specifically stated my other sealed NOS 1/4" reels did the same thing at first and then it just stopped. This is one used 206 reel I have, so it does make sense it would be degraded somewhat, but it's still in fairly good condition.
So why would I take my good NOS reels and risk getting them chewed up because something is off a little bit on the transport? And if its fixable why chuck good tape or spend the money on new tape? I'm trying to diagnose what the issue is for the sake of getting more experience, and contributing to the forum. "Buy new tape" isn't helping anyone.
I was only trying to deduce the source of the issue, which there could have been a few. Some of us are disabled and cant always throw money at things so we work with what we have at hand. So when this guy, who totally shit all over me trying to get this tape in the first place a few years back is telling me just to buy new tape (again) it's a little aggravating. 206/207 is reliable. My machine is set up for it. I dont have money to have it worked on AND buy tape, so It was cheaper to get the NOS 206/207 in the long run, and I can guarantee you any experienced poster on here would buy up all of my NOS reels if I put them up for sale right now, if only just to flip them on ebay for more money. Some analog users consider that the tape. So no, no overreaction. He knows the situation, and I've explained this before. I stopped posting a few years ago when he was shitting on me for trying to get the tape, and now I come back looking for legitimate help, and get shit on for having it?
What a joke.
Please point to where/who was "shitting" on you a few years back around here.
I think you view any advice that doesn't meet your expectations as "shitting" on you....but maybe you're just living in denial.
Fist off...you claim your machines was recently serviced...but now with this tape shedding issue, you're messing with the transport tension in order to get around a chronic tape problem. Well done.
Second...just because someone sold you "NOS" tape...it doesn't mean it will behave the same as when it was new/fresh. You have no idea even how that person stored that "NOS" tapes for years before selling it to you.
So you have this tape sitting in boxes, unused, and you think that it will last like that forever, especially when you are already seeing issues with one reel.
It matters not that it's a "used" reel. I've got 20-year old used reels that play smooth as butter, because they were not prone to any kind of SSS issues.
It isn't just about them being "NOS" or "unused" that makes a difference, it's about the formulation and what happens to it over time...even sitting in the boxes.
So...you are now monkeying around with a deck that was recently serviced...trying to deduce if you can minimize the tape that is shedding, and you're afraid to open one of the "NOS" tapes because it might to do same.
Just bite the bullet and crack open one and see what happens...but of course, you've already messed with the transport, so do you know how to put it back or maybe you should have it serviced again so that it is correctly setup before you try any more tape.
Again...the simple, obvious solution is to buy a reel of current production, new tape...THAT will be your only true reference point to know is it the tape or the deck, but then, you've already messed with the deck tension from where it was when serviced.
Sorry dude, that's not "shitting" on you...that's "reality" and "common sense".
Trying to help you here...but you want to get pissy because you're rejecting that.
PS...if that "other site" you're getting your info from has the words "tape" and "heads" in the title...many of those guys are very misguided confused and living in some alternate tape use dimension.
Heck...if you listen to them long enough, they will tell you to use car polish to "fix" the tape "SSS"...though recently, one of the main pushers of that idiocy has finally thrown in the towel and admitted that car polish doesn't really save the tape, and has no more value than temporarily baking tape...though the car polish method is about 10 times messier.
Here...read this along with the link I posted earlier...it's all info about SSS and which tapes are affected.
Audio-Rescue | Audio-Rescue | Sticky-Shed & Archival Shed
Tape Trail
-Degrading Tapes – Richard L Hess—Audio Tape Restoration Tips & Notes
You may not be seeing the sticky goo...but your tape is shedding. So how much is your music worth to you, and do you really want to mess with a recently serviced deck, to accommodate tape that is shedding?
That's like having your car alignment adjusted for unevenly worn out tires....it doesn't work, and as soon as you put on good, new tires, the wonky adjustment will mess them up too.
Do what you want...