TAPE TRANSFER

 

Tape widths from 1/8" to 2" and track counts up to 24 tracks are catered for. Cassettes and cartridges can be transferred either in their housings or by extraction of the tape and playing on custom open-spool machines. The selection of the correct equalisation curve is vital to correct reproduction, particularly where a noise reduction system is used. We have the equipment and calibration tapes to establish accurate replay to NAB, IEC and Ampex standards. Noise reduction comes in many flavours, and we cater for the most widely used -- Dolby A (including original A301 units), Dolby B, C and SR; dbX I and II -- plus some of the more esoteric varieties, such as Toshiba Adres. Many tapes deteriorate with age, generally owing to issues with the base material or binder. Treatment depends on the particular backing and binder involved. Many tapes from the 1970s onwards suffer from hygroscopic binder breakdown, the extreme form of which is better known as "Sticky Shed". This we deal with by heat treatment, which generally stabilises the tape long enough be transferred. Earlier tapes, on an acetate base, exhibit different problems. Brittleness and coating loss are best contained by care in handling and transfer. Physical deformation, such as wrinkling or "cupping," can be alleviated by hydration treatment in some cases or circumvented by transfer with a dual capstan deck in others. This last is also useful for handling the wayward behaviour of some Mylar-based tapes. Other and more severe deterioration, such as "vinegar syndrome", where acetate tape starts to decompose, requires treatment on a case-by-case basis, usually involving transfer before deterioration can advance further. It is as well to note that not using the appropriate treatment for the base material concerned can cause damage -- baking of acetate stock, for instance, can accelerate or cause brittleness and binder failure.