Where do you Store & Maintain your Tapes!!??

[Ginazgifs]

Where do you guys Store & Maintain your Tapes!!??

I'm sure this is gonna sound like a dumb question. But, I was curious to find out what, or where all you guys store your reel to reel tapes in?

Do they sell or can you make some sort of tape storage cabinet, specifically for proper tape storage,
~or could you use something like a wine refrigerator to maintain proper temperature, and humidity?

It just seems like it can be very difficult to find a proper place top store tapes, and to be able to maintain that temp, and humidity level~
So, I was curious what everyone is doing.

 

[technoplayer]

I keep all of my tapes in the house; that is, is a relatively temp and humidity controlled environment. For stuff I want access to easily, I have a pair of inexpensive glass door cabinets (From Target I think) that were originally in my daughters room but got "surplused", so i got em. They are about 22" wide by 3' tall by about 10" deep. Three shelves, deep enough for a 7" reel in a case. These are the kind of furniture that comes knocked down in a box and assembles. They are pretty stout...I have a R2R on top of each one.

I keep them in my "studio"... obviously.

I looked long and hard for cabinets that would hold tapes and these just kind of came along and were the right size. The glass door are nice since they keep the dust out and I can still see the box spines.

For the multitude of tapes I have stored, they are stored vertically in copy paper boxed in a closet in the studio.

Note the main theme here....keep them in a controlled environment.

 

[krhall]

All my tapes are stored and indexed on shelves.
And i have over 100 tape reels and am still after more

Keith

 

[Beck]

There is no trick to storing modern tape as long as you keep them out of extreme environments. Living temperatures and humidity are fine for tape. Quantegy recommends 40 – 90 degrees F (4 – 32 degrees C).

People run into problems when they store tape in a humid basement, or a garage or shed. You don’t want your tape freezing or sweltering – going up and down with the weather. The average home is a “climate controlled environment.”

I store my tapes on a closet shelf in my studio, upright on end (like a book). I recommend keeping tape off the floor.

I wouldn’t put magnetic tape in a refrigerator.

Tim de 1st

 

[_DK]

I keep all the tapes on a book shelf, away from studio gear, power amps and speakers.
If you have any Beatles master tapes or any of that stuff that costs thousands of dollars, then yeah, you would need a temperature and humidity controlled room and storage shelves at a 50 degree angle.

 

[The Ghost of FM]

I have a concrete encased 6ft x 6ft x 8ft walk in closet bunker that is away from all sources of contaminates such as direct sun light, magnetic fields, excessive vibration, dust and is maintained at 72 degrees with moderate humidity.

All the tapes are stored on edge, are cataloged, registered and insured for 75 thousand dollars if they should fall victim to a fire, theft, malicious damage or flood.

This is one of the benefits of living in an apartment building with concrete walls including all the partition walls!

Cheers!

 

[MCI2424]

There is no trick to storing modern tape as long as you keep them out of extreme environments. Living temperatures and humidity are fine for tape. Quantegy recommends 40 – 90 degrees F (4 – 32 degrees C).

People run into problems when they store tape in a humid basement, or a garage or shed. You don’t want your tape freezing or sweltering – going up and down with the weather. The average home is a “climate controlled environment.”

I store my tapes on a closet shelf in my studio, upright on end (like a book). I recommend keeping tape off the floor.

I wouldn’t put magnetic tape in a refrigerator.

Tim de 1st

Yup, I store it up like a book, in it's original plastic container and sprinkle some dessicant packs here and there for good measure. Never had a problem except for tape I had no control over.

 

[MCI2424]

I have a concrete encased 6ft x 6ft x 8ft walk in closet bunker that is away from all sources of contaminates such as direct sun light, magnetic fields, excessive vibration, dust and is maintained at 72 degrees with moderate humidity.

All the tapes are stored on edge, are cataloged, registered and insured for 75 thousand dollars if they should fall victim to a fire, theft, malicious damage or flood.

This is one of the benefits of living in an apartment building with concrete walls including all the partition walls!

Cheers!

Is Hitler in there guarding them too?

 

[The Ghost of FM]

Is Hitler in there guarding them too?

There is security staff in the building as well but I wouldn't characterize them as Nazis!

Cheers!

 

[evm1024]

wine cooler

I keep my master tapes in a wine cooler/safe that has been adjusted to 68 degrees and 45% RH along with my vintage wine.

After a few bottles of '84 bubbley (thats 1884) I sometimes forget the difference between champagne and 456 ampex and try to drink that instead. It has a nice nose and a long finish. With a touch of citrus and a sparkeling brightness that I find pleasing.

499 of the other hand has a more textured feel on the palate with a deeper complexity....

 

[Beck]

I keep my master tapes in a wine cooler/safe that has been adjusted to 68 degrees and 45% RH along with my vintage wine.

After a few bottles of '84 bubbley (thats 1884) I sometimes forget the difference between champagne and 456 ampex and try to drink that instead. It has a nice nose and a long finish. With a touch of citrus and a sparkeling brightness that I find pleasing.

499 of the other hand has a more textured feel on the palate with a deeper complexity....

. . . . . . . . . . . .

 

[A Reel Person]

Nah.

45% humidity is too high.

 

[A Reel Person]

Me? I have a helluva lot of tape...

in bins,...
in boxes,...
on the wall,...
on the floor,...
on bookshelves,...
on desks,...
on racks,...
in tape storage drawers,...
and oh yeah,...
in the closet!

I'd put tape in bins in the garage only in the winter, but then typically move it into the house when the warm weather hits. F/I, I could put tape into the garage now until about mid March or early April, but would be unwise to leave it there May thru September. Though it's very dry, winter temperatures get down in the 20's and teens, but summer temps reach 115'F. Damn, I love the desert!

I have a tentative project to move a bunch of media into bins, (storage totes), then,... eh,... I'm not sure. I'm a person with a lot of rearranging to do.

 

[evm1024]

ampex is OK but lets talk about others

Once I've had enough of the ampex I typically switch over to Scotch. There is noting quite like a 12 year old single malt(er, unspliced) reel of scotch!



Someone else's life chart....

 

[Beck]

in bins,...
in boxes,...
on the wall,...
on the floor,...
on bookshelves,...
on desks,...
on racks,...
in tape storage drawers,...
and oh yeah,...
in the closet!

Would you store them on a train?
Would you store them in the rain?
Would you store them in a house?
Would you store them with a mouse?