Shamrock recording tape

  • Thread starter Thread starter Eric Altizer
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From Gerald Gibson, Library of Congress 1996

If you locate vinegar syndrome in your collections remove the 'sick' objects and store them separately to prevent the contamination of other materials by acetic acid. To slow the on-set and/or the advancement of vinegar syndrome, the consensus is that all acetate based materials will eventually develop vinegar syndrome, but it can be delayed for literally hundreds of years if properly maintained - store the materials at temperatures below 40EF, and below 25% relative humidity (RH) (do not freeze tape, as some manufacturers used a lubricant which reportedly solidifies on the surface below 32EF). There is no known method of reversing vinegar syndrome once it begins. If found in time before the base shrinks too much, or is unable to support the oxide, or becomes too brittle- with any luck you should still be able to play and re-record the information.
 
Eric Altizer said:
Thanks, I always clean the tape path after every transfer. How about storage? Do these tapes need to be stored in a metal canister? What procedures need to be followed? Circulation? I am researching this right now.
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At my previous job, I did a lot of sound preservation/restoration. We once got in a batch of tapes that were all infected w/ vinegar syndrome. We had to dedicate a machine to them because we didn't want to ruin any other tapes (especially from the National Archives), and that machine was used in a seperate room from the main preservation lab. They were stored in paper boxes but in a different room, well away from any other tapes. Vinegar syndrome can't really be cured or stopped.
 
MadAudio said:
At my previous job, I did a lot of sound preservation/restoration. We once got in a batch of tapes that were all infected w/ vinegar syndrome. We had to dedicate a machine to them because we didn't want to ruin any other tapes (especially from the National Archives), and that machine was used in a seperate room from the main preservation lab. They were stored in paper boxes but in a different room, well away from any other tapes. Vinegar syndrome can't really be cured or stopped.
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After you made the transfers did you then store the masters in a refridgerator or did you dispose of the them?
 
Eric Altizer said:
After you made the transfers did you then store the masters in a refridgerator or did you dispose of the them?
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We returned them to the client.
 
I was just moving boxes of stuff out of my mother's basement and I found a full carton of Shamrock recording tape on 7 inch reels. 1200ft polyester I believe. Has anyone written a nice complete story about the history of this tape? I used to buy it at Gem Electronics and Lafayette as a kid who had relatively little to spend on such luxuries and magnetic tape. It was cheap. Perhaps $.99 per reel when name brands like 3M were selling for over $3.00 per reel. I know this was tape from Ampex and before that Irish brand from Orr industries product. I know it was over stock and maybe runs of tape that failed in QC that had to be downgraded to something else like white box or Shamrock in the green boxes ready for point of purchase sale. That is all I know and if anyone knows the real story about this tapes history please point me to it if available online or elsewhere?
 
AFAIK it was an off-brand Ampex run of tape.

But what's more interesting here, the history of the tape's manufactring, or the sound that is stored ON the tape? Got any idea what's on it, or if it's something you want? (If so of course, they'll need a good baking.)
 
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