Date Code On Ampex Tape?

[EricK]

I have several reels of Ampex 456 and 499 lying around. I think you are
supposed to be able to tell the date of manufacture from the sticker on
the spine. Does anyone know how to decifer the code?

For example, one says "91281"

[Steven Sena]

"91" The Year "281" day of the year
--
Steven Sena
XS Sound Recording
www.xssound.com

Post by EricK
I have several reels of Ampex 456 and 499 lying around. I think you are
supposed to be able to tell the date of manufacture from the sticker on the
spine. Does anyone know how to decifer the code?
For example, one says "91281"
--
Eric
www.Raw-Tracks.com

[EricK]

Post by Steven Sena
"91" The Year "281" day of the year

Am I safe to use 15 year old 456 if it is still sealed in the factory
plastic. Or is there a chance it is junk?

[Steven Sena]

Well, the rule-of-thumb around here has always been not to record on tape
that's over one year old...
We always felt that sound quality starts to suffer after a year or so...
But these days I think anything goes...
Try it on your machine it should work, I mean you will not hurt anything. If
it sheds or sticks, clean you recorder and dump the reel... Good Luck.
--
Steven Sena
XS Sound Recording
www.xssound.com

Post by EricK

Post by Steven Sena
"91" The Year "281" day of the year

Am I safe to use 15 year old 456 if it is still sealed in the factory
plastic. Or is there a chance it is junk?
--
Eric
www.Raw-Tracks.com

[Techmeister]

Post by Steven Sena
Well, the rule-of-thumb around here has always been not to record on tape
that's over one year old...
We always felt that sound quality starts to suffer after a year or so...
But these days I think anything goes...
Try it on your machine it should work, I mean you will not hurt anything. If
it sheds or sticks, clean you recorder and dump the reel... Good Luck.

Where on Earth did you come up with the 1 year concept???

News to me after 35 some years. If the binder is intact, tape should have no
noticeable shelf life issues....

Test for shed and record away.

db

[b***@aol.com]

well, since I haven't been able to find any 1" 456, I tried baking and
rerecording. Not one problem. In fact, I rerecorded on a 14 year old
tape (just to try it)- not a single dropout.

[mcp6453]

Post by Techmeister

Post by Steven Sena
Well, the rule-of-thumb around here has always been not to record on tape
that's over one year old...
We always felt that sound quality starts to suffer after a year or so...
But these days I think anything goes...
Try it on your machine it should work, I mean you will not hurt anything. If
it sheds or sticks, clean you recorder and dump the reel... Good Luck.

Where on Earth did you come up with the 1 year concept???
News to me after 35 some years. If the binder is intact, tape should have no
noticeable shelf life issues....
Test for shed and record away.
db

David Butler, huh?

[Mike Rivers]

Post by EricK
Am I safe to use 15 year old 456 if it is still sealed in the factory
plastic. Or is there a chance it is junk?

It's never junk, but check it first, and if it's sticky (as it's
likely to be) bake it first. Contrary to the seemingly obvious, it can
get sticky even when sealed in its original wrapper. It's a chemical
breakdown process, not a "gets damp and turns to glue" process.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers - (***@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

[EricK]

Post by Mike Rivers
It's never junk, but check it first, and if it's sticky (as it's
likely to be) bake it first. Contrary to the seemingly obvious, it can
get sticky even when sealed in its original wrapper. It's a chemical
breakdown process, not a "gets damp and turns to glue" process.

Thanks Mike. I don't think I would want to bake it in order to record
onto it. That seems counter-productive to me. But you're saying it can
go sticky even if it's still factory sealed. That's good to know. I
guess the only way to know will be to try it.

[Mike Rivers]

Post by EricK
Thanks Mike. I don't think I would want to bake it in order to record
onto it. That seems counter-productive to me.

What's counter-productive about making the tape good as new again?
Haven't you been reading about how difficult it is to buy new audio
recording tape these days?

We've learned a few things about the chemistry of tape binders since
the early days of the discovery of the sticky shed syndrome. There are
a number of articles on the web (including one of mine) that haven't
been updated and are based on the initial theory that the binder
becomes like a sponge and absorbs water from the air, making the tape
sticky. Baking drives out the water and then it will be OK long enough
to recover the recording (but no longer).

Recent information is that what really happens is that certain
materials in the binder become molecularly unbound and the actual
chemical composition of the binder changes. This is a function of age
and not water absorption. Heating the tape allows the chemicals to
recombine and the tape goes back to its original physical state. It
may take as long to get sticky after baking as it did to get sticky
after original manufacture - but you don't really know when it reached
the 'unusably sticky' state.



--
I'm really Mike Rivers - (***@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

[EricK]

Post by Mike Rivers
What's counter-productive about making the tape good as new again?
Haven't you been reading about how difficult it is to buy new audio
recording tape these days?

Mike,

I have been talking about new old stock tape still in factory sealed
plastic. I am not going to bake tape so I can record on it.

Post by Mike Rivers
We've learned a few things about the chemistry of tape binders since
the early days of the discovery of the sticky shed syndrome. There are
a number of articles on the web (including one of mine) that haven't
been updated and are based on the initial theory that the binder
becomes like a sponge and absorbs water from the air, making the tape
sticky. Baking drives out the water and then it will be OK long enough
to recover the recording (but no longer).

Right, I know. Again, we are talking about recording onto NOS tape. I am
sure I could bake tape so that I can record onto it. But then, it
wouldn't be long before I'd have to bake it again to play it back. That
is what I am saying is counter-productive.

[Mike Rivers]

Post by EricK
I have been talking about new old stock tape still in factory sealed
plastic. I am not going to bake tape so I can record on it.

First sentence understood. Second sentence not understood. If you
don't try it, you might as well toss it. Of maybe you can sell it on
eBay at a good profit.

Post by EricK
Right, I know. Again, we are talking about recording onto NOS tape. I am
sure I could bake tape so that I can record onto it. But then, it
wouldn't be long before I'd have to bake it again to play it back. That
is what I am saying is counter-productive.

According to Bill Lund, formerly of 3M and one who has probably done
more research on this than anyone else (as well as testing), it would
be long before you'd have to bake it again, like maybe ten years.

But suit yourself. You'll be very lucky to find "young" tape today.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers - (***@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

[EricK]

Post by Mike Rivers
According to Bill Lund, formerly of 3M and one who has probably done
more research on this than anyone else (as well as testing), it would
be long before you'd have to bake it again, like maybe ten years.

Ten years, I had no idea it would be good for that long. I was always
under the impression it would fix the tape for a few weeks, or something
like that.

Thanks Mike.

[Mike Rivers]

Post by EricK

Post by Mike Rivers
be long before you'd have to bake it again, like maybe ten years.

Ten years, I had no idea it would be good for that long. I was always
under the impression it would fix the tape for a few weeks, or something
like that.

That was the original thinking - short term fix, play it once to
transfer to another medium, then store it away in case the worst
happens (and your new media doesn't ply). The long term fix is a
fairly recent theory, and of course nobody's verified it. But I have
tapes that I've baked a couple of years ago that still play just fine
and haven't gone sticky again (yet).




--
I'm really Mike Rivers - (***@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo