Definition of One Pass Tape

[thinbrownline]

Hi folks

RANT MODE ON:

On behalf of those people who are buying used tape for their studios, my heart sinks when I see tape described as being "One Pass" or "Single Pass", and I hope the folks buying it are doing so with their eyes open.

To me, One Pass Tape has a very simple and narrow definition. It is also quite rare. A brand new reel is mounted on a machine. It is recorded on. Once. Maybe it was wound back, although there is no good reason to do so. Then it was put into storage. Then, years later, it is bulk erased and offered for sale. As true One Pass Tape.

How would this happen? I can think of a couple of situations only, somewhat related to each other:

1. It is a safety copy of a master reel, either a mixdown or a multitrack.
2. It is a live concert recording, where the artist deemed the performance unworthy of further listening.

That's it.

Have I ever seen One Pass Tape? Yes. Years ago when I was a young man in England with a little demo studio, I bought some tape from Decca Studios in London. They were selling quarter inch Scotch 206 from their vaults, all safety copies of masters that were no longer valuable. No edits, no nothing. They had never been played. One pound sterling per NAB reel.

That was good stuff!!!

Now, if any of you have seen the Classic Albums documentary of the making of Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, heard Trevor Horn talking about the Video Killed the Radio Stars sessions, or read Geoff Emerick's book when he talks about the Band on the Run sessions, all describing tape you could almost see through, you might wince if you were offered bulk erased reels from any of those sessions.

Unless you were going to frame them of course...

RANT MODE OFF

I open this up for comments!

Cheers


David Ollard
Thin Brown Line
www.thinbrownline.com
Multitrack Analog to Digital Transfers

 

[sweetbeats]

David,

Hear-hear.

I have some 1" 499 on the way which the seller honorably described as "recorded on once". Mighta been shuttled a bunch or replayed a bunch, who knows. Sounds like single session tape but I agree: true "single-pass" tape would be a rare thing indeed, and I appreciate that, in this most recent experience of mine, the seller didn't say "single-pass".

I know I risk ridicule for buying used tape. $20 per reel for the 1" 499, but I always buy knowing it may arrive completely worthless. I've not been stung yet but it will happen eventually.

Rule of thumb #1: don't buy used tape

Rule of thumb #2: assume that, regardless of what the seller claims, you have no idea or gaurantee what the tape has been through or if your are getting anything at all like you expect. Doesn't matter if it says splice-free, single-pass sprinkled with fairy dust...

 

[Dr ZEE]

Yeah, guys,
when it comes to buying tape there are really only two choices available:
1. Brand New Factory Sealed.
2. Unknown Condition.

 

[miroslav]

I think most of the ignorant sellers think that "one pass" means it was only recorded on one time...even if it was played back and RW/FW a thousand times!

One thing though...a lot depends on the tape AFA how many passes it can handle. If someone had a great price on any EMTEC/BASF used tape that looked to be in good physical condition, I wouldn't hesitate too much. I find the EMTEC/BASF tape holds up to hundreds and hundreds of passes without any noticeable degradation. I rarely even get a smudge on my Q-Tips when cleaning the tape path after day-long RW/FW sessions.

 

[Lance Lawson]

Buying used reel to reel tape is IMO useless except for the reels and boxes. Case in point I have a library of recorded on once RTR tapes that I made off of virgin LP's on the first play. But each and every one of those recordings have been listened to 30 or 40 times over the years. I'm shocked at the prices some of the used better Maxell RTR tape sells for on ebay. Much better off coughing up the $$$ for new RMGI or ATR.

That said the cleanest running NOS tape I've found is Ampex 632. It's NOT repeat NOT the Ampex sticky shed formula so it's safe and stable. 631 and 641 are much the same but are said to be voice grade although people are using it for music with decent results.

 

[Blue Jinn]

When I see "one pass" I think either the seller is trying to BS me or has no clue what they are talking about, so I move on.

I'm OK with buying used tape though occasionally for the reels and I budget accordingly. I bought some Scotch 177 a while back, for the reels, but I took a shot and recorded some LP's on it with my A-3300SX and was pleasantly surprised by the sound.

Tape was meant to be more than one pass, how many passes, I don't know, but certainly more than one. I've read that Queen overdubbed bounced, overdubbed, bounced, etc etc etc, to get those thick vocal parts. That's more than one pass...

Concur on the 6 series Ampex, I have a lot of it, it ain't 456 though, and 6x1 is noticeably duller than 6x2 in my unscientific comparison.

 

[Beck]

My definition of one-pass tape is: Something you should not buy. As I've said many times, not only do you not have any idea how much it's been used, but you don't even know if the tape on the reel is the tape type being offered. The seller may not even know. You must trust him and all the people he trusts to buy tape from. Once the seal is broken it could be any kind of tape, and in large studios where the tape may have originated all bets are off, as things could be quite disorganized when trying to keep track of the volume off tape used.

So one-pass tape is a concept, not a reality because it can't be proven that it's one-pass. Theoretically speaking true one-pass tape would be a master tape or safety copy, but since you can't be sure of a tapes history unless you know the person and are familiar with the project it was used for, it doesn't matter.

There are two types of tape:
1) Sealed, either of recent manufacturer or New-Old-Stock
2) Unsealed, unknown type and history of use

There's nothing in between those two types unless you're buying tape from a trusted friend who says she bought it new and used it once.

 

[sweetbeats]

You must trust him and all the people he trusts to buy tape from.

Sounds like a campaign against venereal disease...

 

[Chilljam]

Once the seal is broken it could be any kind of tape...

Yes, very important point. I would be far less concerned whether some one has only recorded on the tape once (true one pass tape) or whether they have played it back a few times as well than I would be that they have replaced their 'claimed' tape with some 40 year old voice grade tape.

They can't prove they have only recorded on it once and you can't prove what tape is wound on the reel... definitely stay away!

 

[miroslav]

...you don't even know if the tape on the reel is the tape type being offered.

I always liked the way BASF/EMTEC use to print the tape type on the back-coat of their 468...so there's never any doubt what it is, even if there is no box or label of any kind. Don't think they ever did it on any of their 911/900...and it appears that when it became just "EMTEC" in the blue boxes, they even stopped printing it on the 468 tape. *shrug*

I've only purchased some 7" used reels off a guy on eBay who also was selling brand new 7" reels of 468. Most of it was new...but he said only 3-4 reels were used once (or whatever)...and he was honest. Plus the "used" reels looked as good as the new stuff.
I also like that most of the BASF/EMTEC tapes have a barcode lable with serial numbers...etc...so if someone was going to go to the trouble of collecting those lables off of genuine BASF/EMTEC...and then transfering them to reels of crap tape...well, that's an awful lot of work for a few extra bucks.

The problem is that it's getting harder and harder to find NOS tapes...so it's coming down to only the RMGI as "readily available" new tape...so people are looking closer at the used (or "one pass" ) stuff.
If I needed to buy some used tape...I would get maybe a couple of reels...and tell the seller if they check out OK, I would be back for more. Not *all* sellers are ripoffs.

 

[Blue Jinn]

I think consumer tape that came from an estate or somebody's attic is more likely to be whatever the box says it is. I'm guessing that was probably like cigarettes: brand loyalty.

if you (and for that matter the seller) are budgeting accordingly, I don't see a problem. If I get some decent used tape, cool one up for me, if I get some decent used reels, well I got what I paid for.

 

[Beck]

Sounds like a campaign against venereal disease...

LOL no doubt! Oh wait, do you mean a campaign to advocate for spreading it or stamping it out? And just for the record let it be known I did not coin the term virgin tape, but now wish I had because it all makes so much sense to me now. We're naturally attracted to one pass tape because she's been around, she's wild and mysterious and a bit naughty. Ok fine, have your fun but don't take her home to mom.

 

[Beck]

Yep, and another reason I like PEM468/SM468. If one day we can only find one-pass that would be my first choice. Mine still has 468 printed on the EMTEC in the blue box, but I've never seen it on RMGI, and what a shame too. It's a great idea.

I always liked the way BASF/EMTEC use to print the tape type on the back-coat of their 468...so there's never any doubt what it is, even if there is no box or label of any kind. Don't think they ever did it on any of their 911/900...and it appears that when it became just "EMTEC" in the blue boxes, they even stopped printing it on the 468 tape. *shrug*

I've only purchased some 7" used reels off a guy on eBay who also was selling brand new 7" reels of 468. Most of it was new...but he said only 3-4 reels were used once (or whatever)...and he was honest. Plus the "used" reels looked as good as the new stuff.
I also like that most of the BASF/EMTEC tapes have a barcode lable with serial numbers...etc...so if someone was going to go to the trouble of collecting those lables off of genuine BASF/EMTEC...and then transfering them to reels of crap tape...well, that's an awful lot of work for a few extra bucks.

The problem is that it's getting harder and harder to find NOS tapes...so it's coming down to only the RMGI as "readily available" new tape...so people are looking closer at the used (or "one pass" ) stuff.
If I needed to buy some used tape...I would get maybe a couple of reels...and tell the seller if they check out OK, I would be back for more. Not *all* sellers are ripoffs.

 

[miroslav]

Mine still has 468 printed on the EMTEC in the blue box...

I was mistaken...I don't have any 468 in the "blue" boxes...only 911... ...but I do have a bunch of 468 in the gray boxes, with the "468" printed on the back-coat.