Re: [ARSCLIST] And on the plus side ...

["Marie Azile O'Connell" <marie.oconnell@xxxxxxx>]

I agree whole-heartedly.  Virtually every tape I have encountered from the 50's
and 60's presents with almost no problems, and the sound quality is very good,
if not excellent.  This has been with 3inch, 5 inch and 7 inch reels, and most
10.5 inch reels.  Strangely, the only brands I have had HUGE problems with in
the 10.5 inch reels are AFGA 469 (I think) and PYRAL, or ones that have been
spliced together with different brands of tape, having been recorded, in the
field, on a Uher, and later spliced together and put onto a 10.5 inch reel. 
Once we hit the 70's, all hell broke loose, and they changed the formulas!  In
hindsight, they didn't do us a favour at all!  Infact, they gave/give us 
endless problems - just because it it new, doesn't mean to say it is good, or
the best!

My sixpence worth!

Marie

Quoting Mwcpc6@xxxxxxx:

> In a message dated 3/19/2006 6:40:23 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
> tflists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
> Wow, the tape fairies are in the air! I had the same experience with an early
> 
> 60's reel of AudioTape 
> mylar-backed on Friday evening. 
> *****************
> 
> I've yet to have a problem playing a tape made between 1950 and 1965.  Most 
> of this was the cheapest tape I could buy so I'm not talking about high 
> quality, just that it is now just as good (bad) as it was when new. 
> 
> Unfortunately around 1980 I spent a considerable amount of time transferring
> 
> and editing material from that era to new, professional grade tape. I am 
> having trouble playing some of those transfers. 
> 
> Now should I go back to the originals and spend the time again, though less 
> with the help of digital editing, to make new copies on a possibly even less
> 
> durable medium?  I'm too old to maintain the copies myself for another 25
> years, 
> and who else will?
> 
> Mike Csontos
> 


Marie O'Connell
Sound Archivist/Sound Engineer/Sound Consultant
Center for Oral History & Cultural Heritage
University of Southern Mississippi
Phone: 601-266-6514
Mobile: 601-329-6911