[Dixielandjazz] Reel to Reel Tape Squeal

[Robert Newman]

Jim -- Thanks for your response.   I first ran into the tape squeal problem 
in about 1985.   I had been  using Radio Shack's black Concertape reels, 
acetate reels and Ampex computer Mylar tape for about ten years.   To my 
consternation, some of the tapes started sticking and squealing.   I 
belonged to the Indiana Recording Club, which published a semi-monthly rag 
called the Tape Squeal which periodically carried articles and letters about 
the squealing problem and various antedotes.

I tried the cooking routine on some of mine.   I used our kitchen electric 
oven, a professional boxed oven temperature gauge with a wired thermocouple. 
The oven held the temperature reliably between 125 and 130F.    I followed 
the cooking and cooling and testing procedure and it was successful.    I 
was told it would not be permanent because the degradation of the tape is 
due to plasticizer migration from the Mylar polyester plastic into the oxide 
coating.    So I did quickly copy some of the cooked tapes.   I noticed, 
however, that the Mylar had suffered stretching problems, which produced 
Wow in the copies.

I didn't mention that in the previous email.   I call the whole thing 
Ridiculous mainly because in my estimation, using tons of household 
electricity to preserve an old collection of mostly 
now-available-music-on-a-much-superior-medium is pointless because it's 
unreliable and electricity is costly.    So is gas.

Applying denatured alcohol to the moving tape with a cotton ball or Q-tips 
actually works and doesn't stretch the Mylar but you have to be young enough 
to live the number of years required if you have, say, over 300 reels. 
Which I did.    I gave 150 reels (condition unknown) and a log book and a 
good tape deck to our Jazz Society.   And threw away another 150 reels (also 
condition unknown).    The only material I was able to preserve is years of 
family voices and bands I played with clear back to high school --  
transferred to cassettes first and now to CD's.   All of that transferring 
was done from reels that did not squeal.

Bob

From: "Jim Kashishian" <jim at kashprod.com>
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Saturday, April 08, 2006 12:29 AM
Subject: FW: [Dixielandjazz] Reel to Reel Playback Problems -- Tape Squeal


>
>
> Somebody else will suggest that instead of trying the ridiculous "cooking"
> process,........
> Bob Newman
>
> There are professional people who have a professional cooking process for
> old tapes.  I don't know about using your wife's oven, though.  I would
> think it would need to be more controlled than that.  It is not 
> ridiculous,
> however.
>
> Jim
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Dixielandjazz mailing list
> Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
> http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz
>