Reel to reel 1/2"

  • Thread starter Thread starter alma mater
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alma mater

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Hi, I'm new into this so, first my apologies...
I have inherited dad's reel to reel tapes. They are 1/2" (tape) and 12.5" diameter of reel. I'm looking on the internet and most of the reel to reel recorders are for 1/4" and for 10.5 diameter reels. Can someone tell me on which models can I play'em??
Thanks a lot to averyone!!!
 
Wow- 1/2" X 12.5 inches. What kind of work was your father in, to have a store of such big reels? (I can not imagine an amateur using 12.5's.)
 
Who's tape

What brand and "model" tape is it. Should be some type of product number on the box and a date code.

Regards, Ethan
 
Yes...brand and model would be good to know...12.5" diameter reels sound like possibly video or data. Is the hole in the center of the reels 3"?
 
Almost sounds like data tape, not audio tape.

The Ampex 440 series has the capability to handle CCIR (?) reels up to 11.5". I don't know if you could fudge an additonal inch in there.

Any idea how amny traqks on the 1/2" tape?
 
Woooow !!! Many thanks to everyone for your replies!!!!
I knew dad was into "rare things" using this kind of tapes... (just joking). It should be sound (if not, t will be big surprise to me) what's recorded on the tapes. The tapes are AMPEX 456, but there's no more numbers on the tape or the box... So many mysteries...maybe Angela Landsbury would know...
I'll try finding info about the models some of you suggested would fit.
 
Without know what equipment it was originally recorded on, playback will be a real adventure, for sure!

I remember putting my VIC-20 data tapes in my home audio deck, just to hear what they would sound like.
 
Definitely a 2 or 4 track recording. Are you sure the tape doesn't state whether it's 2 or 4 track? Ampex 456 is almost certainly audio, not video or data. I'm not aware of any other use than audio for 1/2" 456.

A Studer A80, or any studer 1/2" machine will play those. Pretty sure MCI machines will. Otari MTR12's will. I would imagine Ampex has a machine to play them as well. All of the mentioned machines where available in both 2 and 4 track configurations.
 
This might be a silly question, but is the tape taking up the entire 12.5" reel diameter? If not, I wonder if there's any chance of getting it to fit onto a 10.5" reel so you'll have more decks available that can play the things?
 
If you really wanted to audition the tapes, but could only find a 10.5 deck, you COULD build a supply-reel stand, and thus wind the tape onto a 10.5 reel from the 12.5- but watch the take-up reel carefully. Then, you would have to find a point where you could cut the tape without destroying any programming.

Yeah, a PITA, but sometimes, you gotta do whatcha gotta do.
 
Don't forget that you'll probably need to bake that stuff if it's 456 prior to about 1995. Do you have the boxes, by the way? If they have a serial number on them, the format is IIRC something like 95123, where '95' is the year...
 
Bake???

Hi and thanks to you all,
What do you mean by "baking"??? Yes the tapes Ampex 456 were recorded around 1986-1987 I believe..., so prior to 1995...What happened in 1995 ???
 
Ampex

Ampex from the 80's thru about 95 will probably have deteriorated and become terribly sticky. Sticky tape like this will likely be unplayable and will leave a ton of oxide and goo on the heads and tape path. It's bad news all the way around. The tape program material can be damaged, as well as the deck, from undue friction. It's commonly known as "Sticky Shed Syndrome", (SSS). It's a pretty well known problem in analog circles. It comes from the tape absorbing atmospheric moisture and breaking down the binder material.

Once the problem was discovered, before long Ampex technicians devised a stopgap workaround measure, known as baking (the tape). Technically, this started out with a bunch of whitecoat lab techs baking reels of tape in multi-thousand dollar precision lab grade ovens or baking chambers,... can't remember the techical name, but they're lab grade oven devices.

Then, other engineers in the audio field devised a workaround for baking that the layman can do. It involves using a household grade food dehydrator. Apparently it works pretty well. The tape will be temporarily restored to playability, but it will eventually degrade, go sticky & need to be baked again. Or so I've heard. The dynamic function of "baking" the tape is to heat it up & evacuate the moisture from the tape. The heat will aid in re-adhering the tape components back together.

For a 1/2" tape you might need to "bake" it (in the dehydrator) for up to 6 hours or more, depending on the state of the tape. DO NOT use the common household gas oven, it's not the same thing! Not only do household gas ovens lack the precision temperature control at low levels (the tape may melt), but the gas combustion produces moisture (which is counter productive in this case).

This is something I've read about extensively, but have yet to try it myself. Future/TBD.
 
A convection oven is what is normally used. I haven't done it, but have had another person bake a tape and back it up for me. Worked great.
 
A Reel Person said:
Then, other engineers in the audio field devised a workaround for baking that the layman can do. It involves using a household grade food dehydrator. Apparently it works pretty well. The tape will be temporarily restored to playability, but it will eventually degrade, go sticky & need to be baked again. Or so I've heard. The dynamic function of "baking" the tape is to heat it up & evacuate the moisture from the tape. The heat will aid in re-adhering the tape components back together.
Click to expand...

Given that these are 12" spools rather than 10.5", how easy would it be for him to get hold of a suitable dehydrator?
 
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