Odd question

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Blur

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Greetings!
I had an idea a while back and would like some opinions on whether
it would work or not.
I have an old 8-track tape with my grandmother's voice recorded on it.
She has been gone for many years now. The tape is broken.
I would like to try to get the recording back somehow for my father.
My idea was to take the tape out of the 8-track case and put it on a
reel to reel. If I adjusted the skew do you think this would be a
possibility? Or would I be wasting my money to buy a reel to reel deck?
I really want to get this tape working somehow. Thanks
 
If the 8 track cartridge is still in decent shape and the tape inside of it isn't broken, just scoop up a WORKING used 8 track deck off ebay or elsewhere to play it back or transfer it to another medium.

Otherwise, you're going to need an 8 track, quarter inch deck that runs at 3.75 ips and to the best of my knowledge, they don't come in that configuration at any price.

Cheers! :)
 
Blur said:
Do you know what speed a reel to reel runs at?
Click to expand...
Open reel to reel decks that would be the right tape width and number of tracks run at 7.5 ips or 15 ips. A consumer 8track cartridge plays much slower at 3.75 ips to economize on tape and the inherent physical storage size limitations of the plastic cartridge case that houses the tape.

IE; The TASCAM 388 runs at 7.5 ips on 1/4" tape, 8 tracks.

The Fostex R-8 runs at 15 ips on 1/4" tape, 8 tracks.

Is there some reason you want to lean toward the open reel format to accomplish this task? Perhaps a desire to do some overdubbing for a different project after this current topic's goal is met? If not, just score a used 8 track consumer deck to do the job.

Cheers! :)
 
I don’t know much about the 8-track cartridge format, except that it is ¼” tape.

Most consumer reel-to-reels have selectable speeds of 3-3/4 ips and 7-1/2 ips.

The best thing to do is to repair the broken tape and play it back on an 8-track player.

You need this splicing tape:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7387157951

And a splicing block like this (but this seller wants way too much for this one) These were sold by Radio Shack and some independent stores may still have them at about $5.99.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4832193543

Follow these instructions for splicing the tape
www.evergreen.edu/media/pdf/editing_tape.pdf

An 8-track might play on a stereo reel-to-reel deck if the track in question happens to line up with one of the tracks on the reel-to-reel. However, material on adjacent tracks may play back as well, and you couldn't separate the audio signals.
 
If this is beyond your means send me a Private message and we can arrange for you to send me the tape. I have a friend with an 8-track player. I can repair the tape for you and transfer it to CD... or if you just need someone to repair it.

Genealogy is another thing I'm into. Having audio or video of a deceased loved one is a real treasure.

Let me know if I can help. :)
 
Another thought: If the tracks line up with those of a 388, wind it on a reel and dub it from a 388 to a R2R @ 7.5 ips, then play ythe R2R back at 3.75 ips.
 
Thank you all for all the responses. I'll read up on splicing
the tape. If I can't get it done, I may take you up on
your kind offer Beck. It would really mean a lot to me
to get this done and give it to my Dad. Thanks again.
I'll let you know how it goes.
 
technoplayer said:
Another thought: If the tracks line up with those of a 388, wind it on a reel and dub it from a 388 to a R2R @ 7.5 ips, then play ythe R2R back at 3.75 ips.
Click to expand...
One problem;

The 388 doesn't play back at 3.75. Only at 7.5 ips.

Second problem;

The 388 has full time dbx nr which would be incompatible with the original tape.

Cheers! :)
 
Blur said:
Thank you all for all the responses. I'll read up on splicing
the tape. If I can't get it done, I may take you up on
your kind offer Beck. It would really mean a lot to me
to get this done and give it to my Dad. Thanks again.
I'll let you know how it goes.
Click to expand...

Best off luck.

I have a video of my late father at an Air Force museum showing us the different planes he flew in WWII, complete with a few stories of Narrow escapes from the Japanese and some humorous anecdotes as well.

Seeing my dad and hearing his voice is just priceless, but it makes my wife cry, so I have to watch it alone or with my sons. ;)
 
The 388 has on off switches jeff for dbx. You can turn on or off in groups of 4.
 
...and I think I said (or at least what I meant) was set the R2R to record at 7.5 ips (same as the 388) and then PLAY IT BACK at 3.75 ips (or HALF SPEED).
Same kinda technique as hi speed cassette dubbing....sort of.The result would be same speed as the original 8 track... :p
 
technoplayer said:
...and I think I said (or at least what I meant) was set the R2R to record at 7.5 ips (same as the 388) and then PLAY IT BACK at 3.75 ips (or HALF SPEED).
Click to expand...
Alternatively you could record to a PC at 88.2 kHz and then convert to 44.1 to record to CD.
 
technoplayer said:
...and I think I said (or at least what I meant) was set the R2R to record at 7.5 ips (same as the 388) and then PLAY IT BACK at 3.75 ips (or HALF SPEED).
Same kinda technique as hi speed cassette dubbing....sort of.The result would be same speed as the original 8 track... :p
Click to expand...
The question remains;

Play it back on what? :confused:

Cheers! :)
 
I got the tape apart tonight. It's broken at one of
the foil connectors and the connector is still on
one side. Will superglue work OK or should I try
something else?
 
That's good news... it should make this a lot easier. Super glue is not a good bet for audiotape. A silicone based glue that remains pliable after curing would work better. It should be a very thin coat, like what you might but on a stamp with no oozing around the edges.

You can also buy a new foil strip that has an adhesive backing -- no glue needed.

Radio Shack used to have these, but I'm not sure if they still do.

You can get it here, but it's a little pricey:

http://www.tapecenter.com/noname7.html

Here are some on eBay as well:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4831277271

-Tim
 
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I went to Radio Shack yesterday and also to another local
electronics store. Neither had any tape splicing paraphenalia.
I'll try to find some glue that will work. If not, I'll try that
foil on ebay. Thanks Beck.
 
One thing to know about Radio Shack is there are two types. There are the Radio Shack franchise stores like in the mall, and there are Radio Shack dealers that may have a section in a True-Value or Ace hardware store.

The franchise stores have the inventory controlled by the head office, but the dealers can keep old stock on hand… whatever they want.

If you live in a metropolitan area you may see stores listed in the phone book as “Radio Shack Dealer.” These are the best bets to find old reel-to-reel tapes, reels and accessories. There is one about 25 miles from where I live that I will drive to just to look around. The inventory hasn’t changed much in ten years and there is always some little component I walk away with that Radio Shack no longer carries.

Best,
Tim
:)
 
I've repaired the tape, (I hope).
What's the best way to convert the audio to cd?
The tape player I have has RCA type jacks on it.
Do I need an RCA to miniature plug to go to the
input on the computer? And what software should
I use? Sorry for sounding so ignorant about all this.
I'm pretty computer literate, (make cds, mp3's,
burn dvd's), but haven't done any converting like
this before. I'm getting ready to get a Hauppauge
capture card to convert some old 8mm tapes also.
Would I be better off to wait and use that card for
this audio also? Thanks
 
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