[net.audio] need advice on tape trouble

551rcg@hound.UUCP (R.GANNS) (06/21/84)

         I have a problem with a tape cassette. I recorded some music on
      it, and it played back fine for many playings. I make a point of
      keeping my heads clean and demagnetized, and keep my cassettes away
      from heat, magnetic fields, etc.  Suddenly, the tape sounds lousy:
      it sounds like it is being played at an uneven speed, but none of my
      other tapes have this problem. Any exlanations? I am afraid that
      whatever caused the problem may attack my other tapes, many of which
      are irreplaceable, so naturally I want to find out the cause.

                                         Rich Ganns  hound!551rcg
                                                     (201) 949-0315

hartwig@ihuxo.UUCP (Max Hartwig) (06/23/84)

I am posting this rather than sending direct mail because this
may be helpful to more than one person.

Before recording, I rewind and fast-forward my new tape. It is
not proven, but I believe that doing this will not only stretch
the tape a little, but also equalize static that may be hiding on
the tape, thus reducing the 'wows' and dropouts later on in life.

I have recorded over some of these tapes quite a few times and
have had little problems with sound quality(maybe just lucky).

Perhaps, at one time, the tape jammed and stretched a little, but
it is hard to say.

simard@loral.UUCP (Ray Simard) (06/24/84)

Winding a new tape from end to end before use is an excellent
practice.  It is also a good idea to do the same thing for tapes
which have not been used for six months or more.
-- 
Ray Simard
Loral Instrumentation, San Diego
{ucbvax, ittvax!dcdwest}!sdcsvax!sdccsu3!loral!simard