[Dixielandjazz] Re: Tape Problem

[Dave Haupt]

Wow, finally a question that a non-musician geek might
be able to answer.

Gerard, you're referring to something called "Dry Tape
Squeal".  Magnetic tapes are manufactured with a bit
of lubricant in them, but over time the lubricant
migrates to the wrong side of the tape.  In the old
days, we used a Freon based lubricant on the tape
machine to fix the problem, at least long enough to
play the tape and transfer it to another medium. 
Today, of course, anything with Freon in it is
considered bad for the environment, so there must be a
new product.

I have not tried it, but I have found references to
the stuff you need.  It's made by Maxell (the tape
company) and is called CL-S.  I don't know if it's an
aerosol spray or a liquid that you dab on with a Q-tip
or what.  Apparently, you apply it lightly to any
non-moving guides on your tape deck, including the
heads and it will last through several old tapes
before you have to re-apply it.

According to the note that I found on the web, the way
you get it is to call Maxell.  Here is a quote from an
email from someone on the A-V techie mailing list:

"Please contact Maxell at (800) 533-2836 and ask for
Pat Byrne, at extension 5922.  She will provide you
with a spec sheet and any other information you may
want."

Be advised that note was posted in 1999, so Pat Byrne
may no longer be with Maxell.  However, the dry tape
squeal problem has not gone away, and it makes sense
for Maxell to offer a solution.  If Maxell doesn't
have a solution, the other company that used to offer
every possible thing you might need in the way of
magnetic tape and accessories, was Nortronics, whom
you can probably find via a Google search on the web.

Good luck,

Dave Haupt
Santa Rosa, CA


Dear listmates,
Can anybody advise me what to do with the following
problem?
I'm putting all my tapes (with broadcasts since the
early Sixties) on CD but
some tapes - after a while - start to squeake like a
sick bird (because of
dryness I suspect) and this awful sound reaches the
recording/playing head
and then is audible through the loudspeakers. When I
wet the tape with a
cotton bud the sound disappears.... But is almost
impossible to do this by
hand for a complete CD....
Does anybody have a better solution? Maybe Bud Taylor?
Thanks for any advice!

Gerard Bielderman, Leie 18, 8032 ZG Zwolle,
Netherlands
Publisher of Eurojazz Discos, Sounds of New Orleans,
Swingin' Americans

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