Multiple passes over tape: loss in quality?

[Christopher11]

Hi guys. I have some used Ampex 456 that works well with my Tascam TSR-8. I've recorded on it, and liked the results... but i've pretty much been over every track several times. My question: is there a noticeable difference once you've recorded over something 3 or 4 times? To my ear it seems like there has been. I'm tracking drums, and pretty loud, +5 or more on the peaks. Would a new reel sound a lot better in your experience? Thanks so much for any response.

 

[cjacek]

I may sound like a broken record but first off you shouldn't be using used tape [with an unknown history] and also a backcoated one branded Ampex, unless it's dated '95 or later. Even with that, I wouldn't touch used.

It's hard to say how many passes it had when you inherited the tape, how it was stored and / or if it suffers from sticky shed [likely] and what this will do to your signal.....

A good, new tape can take many hundreds, if not thousands of passes but eventually will suffer noticeable quality loss but not after 3 or 4 times.

Another thing to look for is your tape path and if it's stripping away oxide from your 456.

My bet would be that you have a sticky shed tape, one in bad shape.

Do yourself a favor and get new RMGI SM911 or NOS Quantegy 406 / 456.