playing some oldies cassettes

Killer · 6 Dec 2003, 09:23 AM

I have some cassettes from around more than 10 years ago. I would like to know if it will "harm" my cassette player if I play them again. My cassettes are well kept at least 80% in good conditions.

pwb · 6 Dec 2003, 09:33 AM

My 10 year old tapes play fine without any obvious damage to the cassette player. I don't have a particularly high quality hi-fi system though.

I think, speaking out of my hat because I have no experience in the matter, that as long as you don't do anything silly like trying to force it to play if it gets jammed, the only part you'd be in any danger of damaging would be the play/record head of the tape machine.

This would be physcial damage caused by dust. Presumably most of the tape is pretty dust free (being wrapped on the spools), so I'd say that as long as it isn't obviously dirty you should be Ok.

I don't think you'll have difficulty with decaying magnetic tape or anything like that, unless the tapes have been exposed to extremes of hot, cold, moisture, or dryness.

In short, unless you have a really really really expensive tape player, I wouldn't worry about it. My tapes play fine. Newer tapes still sound just as clear.

No problem.

Go for it.

No liability is accepted for any damaged caused to tape machines by following this advice

.

Killer · 6 Dec 2003, 09:43 AM

The reason I post this question is that I was "told" old tapes will "deoxidise" not sure if I got the correct spelling or word.... But anyway I am going to play them again!

pwb · 6 Dec 2003, 10:39 AM

There is a great big article about how magnetic tapes work and what can go wrong with them at http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub...roduction.html.

Some summaries are provided towards the end of the article.

Unfortunately it doesn't go into too much detail as to how to tell whether a tape will damage your machine or not.

Killer · 6 Dec 2003, 10:54 AM

I look at some older tapes, you can see that they don't "shine" while the newer tapes "shines" and reflects.

pwb · 6 Dec 2003, 11:11 AM

I just took a look at my tapes and see the same thing. Some are a lot more shiny than others.

I tried one of the non-shiny ones in my tape machine and it worked fine - no problem.

I may well consider transfering some tapes to computer at some point. Most likely I'll never get round to it though

.

I saw the date of your post was 6th December. 6th!?!? I thought it was the 5th! I'd better get to sleep.

Best of luck.

Killer · 6 Dec 2003, 11:23 AM

Yup. I am also trying to copy all my tapes to computer but I am a bit lazy to start doing it. I just hope to do it bit by bit.

541 · 7 Dec 2003, 03:10 AM

I was going to suggest "copying" them onto your computer, but you beat me to it. I did that with a few of my own (which were over 10 years old), and I'm glad I did. The tracks were irreplacable. Now they are burned onto disc and backed up as wav files. IMHO, cassettes were never a high quality product.

pwb · 7 Dec 2003, 06:15 AM

My Dad has quite a lot of cassettes, and I have been surprised by the quality of them. That is, the sound quality is surprisingly high, and there is very little hiss. So much so they seem pretty much as good as CDs.

That is the exception though, rather than the rule.

Digital recording though, for longevity, is best I would have thought. Apparently a freshly cut record (analogue) is higher quality than a CD, but records scratch so easily ...

Now that 24 and 32 bit sound formats are coming in I shouldn't be surprised if that distinction dissapeared as well.

The only problem is of course, that when digital formats fail, they fail big time.

It would be nice to see some cheap technology that would scan digital media and tell you when it was getting close to failure so that you could copy it.

I'm never sure that I have enough backups.

Edit: My dad and I decided to transfer all his old records onto CD. We decided 2 a night. I think we kept up 1 every 2 days for a week or so ...

pwb · 7 Dec 2003, 09:04 AM

By the way Killer, did you try playing those tapes? Were you successful?

Killer · 7 Dec 2003, 11:16 PM

Darn luck... my cassette player is... spoiled...

Nope, it was not damaged by the cassettes... probably due to long term non usage..

pwb · 8 Dec 2003, 07:45 AM

Oh dear

.

Is it serious? I don't suppose it's something that could be solved just by cleaning the heads or something is it?

What happens when you try to use it?

Killer · 8 Dec 2003, 09:38 AM

When I press play or rew it doesn't "move". No matter what cassettes I put in still the same. I need to get a new player.

pwb · 10 Dec 2003, 05:15 AM

Oh well. Good luck with the next machine.

Bamb0 · 29 Apr 2024, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pwb
There is a great big article about how magnetic tapes work and what can go wrong with them at http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub...roduction.html

Some summaries are provided towards the end of the article.

Wow thats an excellent page!!!!!!

I love cassettes and 8 tracks..... I think the oldest cassette I have is The Doors 1969 first album cassette....

I love analogue media like crazy,to me there is nothing nicer looking/sounding.......

People are the reason tapes dont make it. Many are not taken care of well and spoil faster........

6 Dec 2003, 09:23 AM	#1
Killer Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Singapore Posts: 6,762 Representative of: Killer.kkk.sg	playing some oldies cassettes I have some cassettes from around more than 10 years ago. I would like to know if it will "harm" my cassette player if I play them again. My cassettes are well kept at least 80% in good conditions.

6 Dec 2003, 09:33 AM	#2
pwb Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: York, UK Posts: 101	My 10 year old tapes play fine without any obvious damage to the cassette player. I don't have a particularly high quality hi-fi system though. I think, speaking out of my hat because I have no experience in the matter, that as long as you don't do anything silly like trying to force it to play if it gets jammed, the only part you'd be in any danger of damaging would be the play/record head of the tape machine. This would be physcial damage caused by dust. Presumably most of the tape is pretty dust free (being wrapped on the spools), so I'd say that as long as it isn't obviously dirty you should be Ok. I don't think you'll have difficulty with decaying magnetic tape or anything like that, unless the tapes have been exposed to extremes of hot, cold, moisture, or dryness. In short, unless you have a really really really expensive tape player, I wouldn't worry about it. My tapes play fine. Newer tapes still sound just as clear. No problem. Go for it. No liability is accepted for any damaged caused to tape machines by following this advice .

6 Dec 2003, 09:43 AM	#3
Killer Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Singapore Posts: 6,762 Representative of: Killer.kkk.sg	The reason I post this question is that I was "told" old tapes will "deoxidise" not sure if I got the correct spelling or word.... But anyway I am going to play them again!

6 Dec 2003, 10:39 AM	#4
pwb Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: York, UK Posts: 101	There is a great big article about how magnetic tapes work and what can go wrong with them at http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub...roduction.html. Some summaries are provided towards the end of the article. Unfortunately it doesn't go into too much detail as to how to tell whether a tape will damage your machine or not.

6 Dec 2003, 10:54 AM	#5
Killer Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Singapore Posts: 6,762 Representative of: Killer.kkk.sg	I look at some older tapes, you can see that they don't "shine" while the newer tapes "shines" and reflects.

6 Dec 2003, 11:11 AM	#6
pwb Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: York, UK Posts: 101	I just took a look at my tapes and see the same thing. Some are a lot more shiny than others. I tried one of the non-shiny ones in my tape machine and it worked fine - no problem. I may well consider transfering some tapes to computer at some point. Most likely I'll never get round to it though . I saw the date of your post was 6th December. 6th!?!? I thought it was the 5th! I'd better get to sleep. Best of luck.

6 Dec 2003, 11:23 AM	#7
Killer Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Singapore Posts: 6,762 Representative of: Killer.kkk.sg	Yup. I am also trying to copy all my tapes to computer but I am a bit lazy to start doing it. I just hope to do it bit by bit.

7 Dec 2003, 03:10 AM	#8
541 Essential Contributor Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 277	I was going to suggest "copying" them onto your computer, but you beat me to it. I did that with a few of my own (which were over 10 years old), and I'm glad I did. The tracks were irreplacable. Now they are burned onto disc and backed up as wav files. IMHO, cassettes were never a high quality product.

7 Dec 2003, 06:15 AM	#9
pwb Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: York, UK Posts: 101	My Dad has quite a lot of cassettes, and I have been surprised by the quality of them. That is, the sound quality is surprisingly high, and there is very little hiss. So much so they seem pretty much as good as CDs. That is the exception though, rather than the rule. Digital recording though, for longevity, is best I would have thought. Apparently a freshly cut record (analogue) is higher quality than a CD, but records scratch so easily ... Now that 24 and 32 bit sound formats are coming in I shouldn't be surprised if that distinction dissapeared as well. The only problem is of course, that when digital formats fail, they fail big time. It would be nice to see some cheap technology that would scan digital media and tell you when it was getting close to failure so that you could copy it. I'm never sure that I have enough backups. Edit: My dad and I decided to transfer all his old records onto CD. We decided 2 a night. I think we kept up 1 every 2 days for a week or so ...

7 Dec 2003, 09:04 AM	#10
pwb Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: York, UK Posts: 101	By the way Killer, did you try playing those tapes? Were you successful?

7 Dec 2003, 11:16 PM	#11
Killer Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Singapore Posts: 6,762 Representative of: Killer.kkk.sg	Darn luck... my cassette player is... spoiled... Nope, it was not damaged by the cassettes... probably due to long term non usage..

8 Dec 2003, 07:45 AM	#12
pwb Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: York, UK Posts: 101	Oh dear . Is it serious? I don't suppose it's something that could be solved just by cleaning the heads or something is it? What happens when you try to use it?

8 Dec 2003, 09:38 AM	#13
Killer Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Singapore Posts: 6,762 Representative of: Killer.kkk.sg	When I press play or rew it doesn't "move". No matter what cassettes I put in still the same. I need to get a new player.

10 Dec 2003, 05:15 AM	#14
pwb Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: York, UK Posts: 101	Oh well. Good luck with the next machine.