Any hope for a 40 year old tape reel?
 

Hello,

Apologies if this is the wrong group but I'm looking for some expert opinion
on an old reel of audio tape. It's a 7 inch diameter reel marked "REGENTONE"
and the tape is a quarter of an inch wide. The tape is about 40 years old.
The reason I'm interested is that there is a chance that my father's voice
might be on it. He died when I was quite young so I don't really remember
him.

Is there any hope that the tape might contain audio still? It looks pretty
mangled in places.

Is there any company that might be able to process the tape and copy what
audio there might be on it to some other medium (e.g. CD)?

Many thanks for any help.

Nick

Any hope for a 40 year old tape reel?
 

In article ,
Nick wrote:
Apologies if this is the wrong group but I'm looking for some expert
opinion on an old reel of audio tape. It's a 7 inch diameter reel
marked "REGENTONE" and the tape is a quarter of an inch wide. The tape
is about 40 years old. The reason I'm interested is that there is a
chance that my father's voice might be on it. He died when I was quite
young so I don't really remember him.

Is there any hope that the tape might contain audio still? It looks
pretty mangled in places.

It should still contain audio - although probably of poor quality. It's
unlikely to have been much good to start with if made to the usual
standards on a domestic machine, and Regentone weren't exactly a top brand
tape maker.

But excellent quality recordings do exist from 40 years ago and more, so
it's impossible to guess.

The mangled tape might respond to treatment, but will never be as good as
unmangled.

Is there any company that might be able to process the tape and copy
what audio there might be on it to some other medium (e.g. CD)?

If you're desperate ;-) I can offer this service, but remember it's very
time consuming trying to recover such things properly. A straight copy of
the tape would be cheaper. But even then people sometimes recorded such
things at different speeds etc on the same tape so it's often not a case
of a simple unattended transfer. And a 7" reel of even standard play tape
can contain 8 hours of mono material if 1/4 track at 1 7/8 ips...

--
*Someday, we'll look back on this, laugh nervously and change the subject

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Any hope for a 40 year old tape reel?
 

Apologies if this is the wrong group but I'm looking for some expert opinion
on an old reel of audio tape. It's a 7 inch diameter reel marked "REGENTONE"
and the tape is a quarter of an inch wide. The tape is about 40 years old.
The reason I'm interested is that there is a chance that my father's voice
might be on it. He died when I was quite young so I don't really remember
him.

Is there any hope that the tape might contain audio still? It looks pretty
mangled in places.

Is there any company that might be able to process the tape and copy what
audio there might be on it to some other medium (e.g. CD)?

I'm sure someone will take your money :-) People still own
reel-to-reel machines. I've got a few in cupboards I think Where are
you located?

Any hope for a 40 year old tape reel?
 

Thanks for the replies.

I'm in Southampton

Nick

"Laurence Payne" lpayne1NOSPAM@dslDOTpipexDOTcom wrote in message
...

Apologies if this is the wrong group but I'm looking for some expert
opinion
on an old reel of audio tape. It's a 7 inch diameter reel marked
"REGENTONE"
and the tape is a quarter of an inch wide. The tape is about 40 years old.
The reason I'm interested is that there is a chance that my father's voice
might be on it. He died when I was quite young so I don't really remember
him.

Is there any hope that the tape might contain audio still? It looks pretty
mangled in places.

Is there any company that might be able to process the tape and copy what
audio there might be on it to some other medium (e.g. CD)?

I'm sure someone will take your money :-) People still own
reel-to-reel machines. I've got a few in cupboards I think Where are
you located?

Any hope for a 40 year old tape reel?
 

If you're interested, a photo of the reel is he

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/sibylline/tape.jpg

Nick

"Nick" wrote in message
...
Thanks for the replies.

I'm in Southampton

Nick

"Laurence Payne" lpayne1NOSPAM@dslDOTpipexDOTcom wrote in message
...

Apologies if this is the wrong group but I'm looking for some expert
opinion
on an old reel of audio tape. It's a 7 inch diameter reel marked
"REGENTONE"
and the tape is a quarter of an inch wide. The tape is about 40 years
old.
The reason I'm interested is that there is a chance that my father's
voice
might be on it. He died when I was quite young so I don't really remember
him.

Is there any hope that the tape might contain audio still? It looks
pretty
mangled in places.

Is there any company that might be able to process the tape and copy what
audio there might be on it to some other medium (e.g. CD)?

I'm sure someone will take your money :-) People still own
reel-to-reel machines. I've got a few in cupboards I think Where are
you located?

Any hope for a 40 year old tape reel?
 

On Mon, 15 May 2006 11:10:10 GMT, "Nick"
wrote:

If you're interested, a photo of the reel is he

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/sibylline/tape.jpg

Oh, that doesn't look too bad! I'm sure someone in Southampton has a
suitable machine.

Any hope for a 40 year old tape reel?
 

On Mon, 15 May 2006 12:37:34 +0100, Laurence Payne
lpayne1NOSPAM@dslDOTpipexDOTcom wrote:

On Mon, 15 May 2006 11:10:10 GMT, "Nick"
wrote:

If you're interested, a photo of the reel is he

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/sibylline/tape.jpg

Oh, that doesn't look too bad! I'm sure someone in Southampton has a
suitable machine.

Yes, it looks quite reasonable, considering. Providing someone very
carefully winds it onto another reael and back again, to minimise the
risk of shedding the coating, it will likely play pretty well.

If all else fails, I have a couple of reel-to-reels which might do the
job, but I'm up in Leicestershire.

--

Stewart Pinkerton | Music is Art - Audio is Engineering

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Any hope for a 40 year old tape reel?
 

Nick wrote:

Thanks for the replies.

I'm in Southampton


I'm in Guildford and I have a Teac open-reel which would do the job.

Any hope for a 40 year old tape reel?
 

In article , Mike O'Sullivan
writes
Nick wrote:

Thanks for the replies.

I'm in Southampton


I'm in Guildford and I have a Teac open-reel which would do the job.

I've got a shed full of REVOX's but I sure one of them will suffice if
all ease fails;!.

I'm in Cambridge.......
--
Tony Sayer

Any hope for a 40 year old tape reel?
 

Many thanks for all those who have replied. I am encouraged by the replies!

My email is

(but without the digits)

If anyone would like to give me a quote for doing the job!

Thanks
Nick


"Nick" wrote in message
...
Hello,

Apologies if this is the wrong group but I'm looking for some expert
opinion on an old reel of audio tape. It's a 7 inch diameter reel marked
"REGENTONE" and the tape is a quarter of an inch wide. The tape is about
40 years old. The reason I'm interested is that there is a chance that my
father's voice might be on it. He died when I was quite young so I don't
really remember him.

Is there any hope that the tape might contain audio still? It looks pretty
mangled in places.

Is there any company that might be able to process the tape and copy what
audio there might be on it to some other medium (e.g. CD)?

Many thanks for any help.

Nick