And for those who want to repair reel-to-reel tapes, here’s a blast from the past.
In these Radio World articles from 1995, NPR’s Rich Rarey, now of NPR Labs, writes about baking reel tapes, to get them to stop flaking and leaving particles on guides and tape heads as the tapes deteriorate with age. The subject was a topic of interest for some engineers recently.
I love tips such as “do not pre-heat” or “do not fill the oven racks more than half-full.” Part 2 covers what to do about tapes covered with mold. That reminds me I should go down to the basement and check the condition of my air-check and audition reels and cassettes.
Want more on the topic? Check out this Wikipedia article as well as the story “If I Knew You Were Coming I’d Have Baked a Tape!” by Eddie Ciletti.
