Hello,
I'm looking for some help....A lot of help.
I have some old tapes that used to be may Dads and i really want to see what audio (if any) is on them. The tapes are from an old British airliner from the late 60's or 70's i think and there are other tapes that are obviously the same sort of tapes, but from other aircraft (My Dad used to collect airliner stuff).
I would imagine the audio will be all the recorded announcements and also background music. There is a small chance that the tapes might only contain data, but a few of them have BGM written on a label on them which i think is code for background or boarding music.
The actual tape itself is 6mm wide and on a single metal reel that is inside an alloy magazine / cartridge. I have taken one of the magazines apart so i am left with the tape on the metal reel.
The thing that i thought is strange is that there is no end to the tape showing. If you can imagine a metal reel with a large amount of audio tape on it, but the tape loops back on itself across the whole reel into the center of the reel. I can't see how the tape could run in a machine myself, but thats how the tapes are on the reel.
Anyway, my Dad had these tapes stored in an outside shed for quite a few years, so they will need baking i would imagine.
Over the last few years i have contacted many audio tape restorers who offer the transfering of reel to reel audio tapes onto digital format, but i never managed to find anywhere who would actually do the job when it came down to it. Some places wanted me to post the tape to them even though they were only a 20 minute drive from me and for some reason didn't want me to take the tapes to them in person.
I don't want to send these anywhere in the post and i have all but given up trying to find someone who will take the job on, so i want to learn how to do it myself and thats why i'm here.
The first problem is the tape baking that will be needed. I'm looking for any advice on how to safely do this myself. I was thinking about getting a food dehydrator to do this. Obviously i don't want to melt the tape, but i also don't want it shredding when on the machine.
Then there is the eqipment itself. I don't own any reel to reel equipment at all, so i will need to buy everything needed to do the job. I am hoping not to spend a fortune, but at the same time, i want to do the job right and i can always sell the equipment on again when i'm finished.
So to put some of my many questions in order.....
Is it normal for the tape on a metal reel to loop back across itself to the center?
How do i patch up a split in the tape, as i accidentally made a cut in the tape when removing it from the alloy magazine?
What should i buy to dry the tapes out? These tapes will no doubt suffer from sticky-shed syndrome, especially with them being stored in a damp shed for a number of years.
What equipment will i need to do the job, so i can play them and record whatever is on them to digital format.
How do i get the tape from the metal reel onto the reel to reel machines reel? I also want to put the tapes back on the original reels when i'm finished and put everything back as it was.
Will the audio be on both sides of this tape? How do i thoroughly check all audio that may be on them?
I understand that i'm asking a lot of questions here and being a total newbie to the subject, i am asking for a lot of help, but i've been wanting to see whats on these tapes for a good few years now and after wasting so much time contacting so many audio specialists and in the end, all of them coming to nothing, i have been starting to wonder if i will ever complete this task.
Thanks.
I'm looking for some help....A lot of help.
I have some old tapes that used to be may Dads and i really want to see what audio (if any) is on them. The tapes are from an old British airliner from the late 60's or 70's i think and there are other tapes that are obviously the same sort of tapes, but from other aircraft (My Dad used to collect airliner stuff).
I would imagine the audio will be all the recorded announcements and also background music. There is a small chance that the tapes might only contain data, but a few of them have BGM written on a label on them which i think is code for background or boarding music.
The actual tape itself is 6mm wide and on a single metal reel that is inside an alloy magazine / cartridge. I have taken one of the magazines apart so i am left with the tape on the metal reel.
The thing that i thought is strange is that there is no end to the tape showing. If you can imagine a metal reel with a large amount of audio tape on it, but the tape loops back on itself across the whole reel into the center of the reel. I can't see how the tape could run in a machine myself, but thats how the tapes are on the reel.
Anyway, my Dad had these tapes stored in an outside shed for quite a few years, so they will need baking i would imagine.
Over the last few years i have contacted many audio tape restorers who offer the transfering of reel to reel audio tapes onto digital format, but i never managed to find anywhere who would actually do the job when it came down to it. Some places wanted me to post the tape to them even though they were only a 20 minute drive from me and for some reason didn't want me to take the tapes to them in person.
I don't want to send these anywhere in the post and i have all but given up trying to find someone who will take the job on, so i want to learn how to do it myself and thats why i'm here.
The first problem is the tape baking that will be needed. I'm looking for any advice on how to safely do this myself. I was thinking about getting a food dehydrator to do this. Obviously i don't want to melt the tape, but i also don't want it shredding when on the machine.
Then there is the eqipment itself. I don't own any reel to reel equipment at all, so i will need to buy everything needed to do the job. I am hoping not to spend a fortune, but at the same time, i want to do the job right and i can always sell the equipment on again when i'm finished.
So to put some of my many questions in order.....
Is it normal for the tape on a metal reel to loop back across itself to the center?
How do i patch up a split in the tape, as i accidentally made a cut in the tape when removing it from the alloy magazine?
What should i buy to dry the tapes out? These tapes will no doubt suffer from sticky-shed syndrome, especially with them being stored in a damp shed for a number of years.
What equipment will i need to do the job, so i can play them and record whatever is on them to digital format.
How do i get the tape from the metal reel onto the reel to reel machines reel? I also want to put the tapes back on the original reels when i'm finished and put everything back as it was.
Will the audio be on both sides of this tape? How do i thoroughly check all audio that may be on them?
I understand that i'm asking a lot of questions here and being a total newbie to the subject, i am asking for a lot of help, but i've been wanting to see whats on these tapes for a good few years now and after wasting so much time contacting so many audio specialists and in the end, all of them coming to nothing, i have been starting to wonder if i will ever complete this task.
Thanks.
