[Dixielandjazz] FW: Videotape preservation

[Jim Kashishian]

I know for a fact that during the 1970's, 80's & 90's, multitrack audio
tapes were rented to a producer if he chose the renting offer, which meant
that he would be given a used tape, and that tape would be used again after
the production was finished. If the purchase offer was accepted, than that
new multitrack tape would be kept at the studio for a period of two years
(if I recall properly) before being put on the "used" rack for rental. 

Master two track tapes were typically saved in a studio, normally in a
darkened (but not necessarily dry!)room for a certain period, also.
Producers would normally take home a 2 track tape, but quite often at a
domestic 7.5 speed, rather than the 15ips studio speed.

I have restored old recordings, but have usually been given 7.5ips copies of
the original masters unfortunately, which of course have a larger amount of
tape hiss than the original master.  

The most famous collection I worked on was the complete recorded library of
the monks of Gregorian Chant fame...the Monjes de Silos.  I worked on that
collection for over two years, transferring to digital the analogue audio
from 15ips two track tapes that had been recorded in the 1950's.  The actual
tape was pre Spanish civil war tape!

Jim