What format are the tapes? I can handle 1/4" up to 7" reels, 2 or 4 track stereo or mono. If it's just a few tapes you might be better off having me digitize them for you rather than getting a deck of your own.

1/4" R2R tape used several different track configuration, could have been recorded at 5 different speed and may have even been recorded with one of several variants of Dolby noise reduction. You really need to know more about the tapes before buying a deck or looking around for a house that can transfer the material for you.

Most recording studios and radio stations would still have a professional R2R deck but the deck may not be able to play every consumer tape audio tape.


Bob,

Thank you. my husband just said it was reel to reel. I need to do alittle more research on them.

I was thinking the same thing. It might be better have someone who has dealt with this do it. The one I have has waited 3 years and it is a probably 10 min reel, it is her wedding. Where are you located. I am in Oregon and she does not want to send it out.

thanks I will look that up

If the tapes on plastic spools with a 1/4" hole in the middle they're probably recorded in some domestic standard.
On the other hand if the tapes are on metal reels with a hole about 2" diameter in the middle then they're most likely professional.

Bob.

The reel on which the tape is stored really provides no clue whatsoever to the format with which the tape was recorded. It could be half-track mono, two-track stereo (or dual mono) or quarter-track stereo (or dual mono) or four-track, it could be recorded at 1.875ips, 3.75ips, 7.5ips 15ips or 30ips using no noise reduction, Dolby A or B or dbx Type I or Type II.

Fostex and Tascam also made reel to reel recorders which recorded eight tracks on 1/4" tape using Dolby-C and dbx noise reduction respectively.

The most likely format is half track mono. Sony did half track stereo and I use my old Sony to transfer a whole reel of half track in one go just flipping the other side digitally. The Sony has also been usefull for full track mono where there was a drop out on one half of the tape.

[I]"The reel on which the tape is stored really provides no clue whatsoever to the format with which the tape was recorded."[/I]

I've never had a 10.5" NAB reel that was recoded at 1.875ips. It's a clue, not a certainty. For sure there was all manner of odd ways to record 1/4" tape. If you don't have any other information to go on then you start with the most probable.

Bob.

Bob, I was chief engineer at a radio station that used a 1 7/8 ips deck recording on 10 and 14-inch reels as a log recorder.

[I]"Bob, I was chief engineer at a radio station that used a 1 7/8 ips deck recording on 10 and 14-inch reels as a log recorder."[/I]

Sure and I've got some DAT tapes used for the same purpose recorded at such at a low sample rate (32KHz I think) that Vegas refuses to capture them over SPDIF. It took me a while to convince SCS such a thing even existed :)

On the other hand all the DAT tapes that I've been asked to capture have been either 44.1KHz or 48KHz. All the 10.5 NAB reels have been either 7.5 ips or 15 ips. The consumer tapes can be nightmare that my Otari 5050 50% of the time cannot deal with them even though its got the optional 4 track head. I used to work for Muzak, tapes were on 14" NAB reels and recorded at 3.75ips dual track, 8 hours per tape.

We're trying to help out someone with limited technical knowledge, say wjat it could be which is anything doesn't help, saying what it's likely ot be gives the person somewhere to get started. There's no way we can know with certainty until the tapes in someone's hands whose got a collection of machines. I do know such a chap, over 100 R2R machines in his collection but he's a long way even from me and a tad eccentric :)

Bob.

[i]"over 100 R2R machines in his collection"[/]

I am insanely jealous!

What was the name of that emulsion reveal product, very fine iron oxide in alcohol maybe, that would reveal the track structure of a recorded audio or video tape? It might be useful for the OP to find out what he has.

[I]"What was the name of that emulsion reveal product, very fine iron oxide in alcohol maybe, that would reveal the track structure of a recorded audio or video tape?"[/I]

http://www.apexmagnets.com/6-x-6-magnetic-field-viewer-film

might work.

Oodles of good info on analogue audio tape here: http://www.baileyzone.net/analog%20tape%20diy.htm

Bob.

Thank you for saying someone with limited knowledge. I have no idea what "ips" "DAT" KHz" NAP" is.

Here is what the box says " 1800ft Mylar 1.0 MIL -7 inch real type 150-80
" Profesional Quality -

"Realistic" is the company name then it has recording tape

also has a category number.

It is plastic and has 2 and 1/2 inch center put the hole is really small and ith has 3 open holes in the center.
It has her wedding on it.

I'm going out on a limb by saying you have a reel of tape from Radio Shack. There's a good probability it was recorded on a consumer machine that recorded in 1/4 track stereo or mono mode. I have two machines in northern California that will likely do the transfer without incident.

Most people who have their wedding ceremony on Radio Shack tape probably don't have to worry about all the tape formats that were used in studios and radio stations throughout the last half of the twentieth century.

Is that a machine to buy or is it machines that you use to transfer it. I know she will not let me send it and I do not know if she will be going down there. She does travel a lot. If is she does then I would send her to you. But I hope to find someone closer. If it is to buy how much. Thank you for your info.

There are many plethoras of consumer grade reel to reel decks for sale on ebay. I've purchased 6 of them recently. Sadly, only one was in decent condition, and despite the sellers' claims of "works great!" two of them were DOA. The one decent one i got was a Pioneer RT-707 for $400 with $85 shipping and even that one needed a few parts replaced which required a lot of disassembly and soldering iron work. The two semi-functional ones were about $150 each. I got two Realistic TR-3000 decks and by combining pieces between the two i got one mostly working. All of them had scratchy pots that all needed to be cleaned. Personally i wouldn't suggest going the purchase route unless you're really good at cleaning and tweaking the mechanical and electronic innards of the decks yourself.

Decks that have been fixed and certified by repair techs can go upwards of $1700 for mid-grade models to $4000 for studio quality decks.

You might want to ask around at local colleges and bigger libraries. There's a private college near me that has a media laboratory with lots of older yet maintained equipment that is available for public use.

I've considered selling the machines since I transferred my tapes years ago, but I just haven't gotten a round tuit.

I understand her feelings about not wanting to let the tape out of her possession.

If you can't find somebody local to do it, and she won't send it, maybe she could purchase a cheap used R2R deck off eBay or where-ever, if she wants it done this much ...?


geoff

Thank you everyone for you help and info. I found someone in Boise, Idaho. It is an hour from where I live. So I am so excited. He can also fix the machine I already have. Yea Yea. We have been trying to do this for her for a long time.

I was wondering can I edit the audio in Vegas Pro or do I need to use a music program, or would it be better to let him split if up. He is going to just give it to me raw and I edit it. He is putting it on a memory stick.