Last updated 2021-03-11 — expanded Sony PR-150 and Melody 169 comments, minor other edits. 2020-11-23 — additional comments Soft Binder Syndrome section, below This page supersedes the blog page for a listing of tapes that have degraded in some way or another. This page is a list of tapes that we will attempt to keep …
A few months ago, I transferred several Tonschreiber tapes which were IG Farben Magnetophonband Typ C manufactured in Germany prior to the end of 1943. These had been stored in their almost-sealed steel cans and stunk. The best description of the smell was old lemon chicken. We know that the sealed can will accelerate the …
I have been suggesting for many years that one of the reasons that acetate audio tapes have not suffered from vinegar syndrome to the extent that acetate films have suffered from this malady is because of differing storage practices. In general, film for many years was stored in sealed cans while tape has generally been …
This is a general article to provide some information on the subject. More should follow. For a current list of degrading analog tapes, click here. There are multiple modes of degradation and it depends on the type of tape. Acetate Tape Degrades through drying out (hydration has helped in some cases) Breakdown of the base …
I recently received two 7-inch reels of Kodak Type 31A Triacetate tape (1250 feet, Durol Base) that smelled of vinegar even before I got the envelope open. These tapes were badly warped due, most likely, to the vinegar-syndrome induced differential shrinkage. Other factors may have been poor winding during long-term storage (I had received them …