Records/LPs (was Re: Brainboost.com)

[Bill Vermillion]

On Mon, Jun 07, 2004 at 03:51:33PM -0700, Bill Campbell thus spoke:
> On Mon, Jun 07, 2004, GCC Consulting wrote:


> >I have one turntable that will actually play 78rpm records and
> >a Sony reel-to-reel tape deck (I Have reel-to-reels recordings
> >of some of the best of the 50's music recorded on New Year's
> >eve when I didn't have a date or was too young. Was I ever too
> >young??

> I'm not sure my Thorens will play '78s since I haven't seen
> any sincy my cousin broke the virgin set of a New York cast of
> Porgy and Bess in the late '50s.

> My Revox A77 reel-to-reel still works although I'm afraid to
> try to play some 10.5in tapes that haven't been touched in at
> least 20 years.

The A77 will probably be gentler than others.  We used the Studer
B67 which bred a Revox line [the cheap Studers though Revox's weren't
cheap]

The only problems you will probably encounter can be old splices
that have dried out and come apart.  If you any of the pro-tapes
that were back-coated, Scotch 250 or 226 or Ampex 456, from the
late 1970s' you might have a problem with the tape sticking.
That's because a binder change caused problems [I hope I get the
poly* in the correct order].  As I recall without looking it up,
the binders started using polystyrene on a polyvinyl or polyester
base.  The binder was hygro-scopic and sucked moisture out the air
and changed it's molecular structure.  However putting the tape in
a very low humidty evironment, deep-freezing, or the quick method
of backing [at no more than 130F] will drive off the moisture and
the stickiness would go away.

In the early '80s I was working with some 30 year old masters and
my biggest problem was brittle backing and all the splices wanted
to come apart as the glue had dried.  Very careful hand winding and
examing the tape and stopping at each splice.  Then if the splice
didn't come apart by itself gentle nudging would loosen it.

Then it was a very careful application of cotton swap and alcohol
to get the dried glue off the back taking care not to get any on
the oxide as it could take the oxide off.

So at the end of 3 days, with re-EQing, and adding reverb as the
tapes we used turned out to be pre-masters for the original LP, we
had a finished product. It was released on LP and these tapes were
later used for the current Rhino CD release of "Spike Jones Plays
Dinner Music For People Who Aren't Very Hungry".

You should have no problem if you slow wind or slow play and watch
very carefully being ready to stop at a moments notice.

I still don't know where to get hold downs for your Revox.

Bill
-- 
Bill Vermillion - bv @ wjv . com