You can't do that with this tape. It may even be acetate based - i'm not sure what the actual tape on the reel is. - if it is baking would melt it. The only tapes that need baking are those that were made with synthetic oil from the 70's onwards. Baking an earlier tape usually achieves nothing and should only be done if really necessary, with tapes that suffer SSS (Like Ampex reels from the 70's) as it does actually harm the tape in the long term. Isopropyl alcohol can help, but only if the tape backing isn't too fragile. As this is thin tape, it's the backing that's the problem, not the oxide. Both Baking and Alcohol will help bind the oxide back to the backing. If the backing is disintegrating, then you're stuffed. - Read Dr Richard Hess's writings on the subject - The man who first discovered baking tapes and still is the world expert.Lord Reith wrote: ↑Sat Jul 22, 2023 12:57 am The original would probably play fine if it were baked first. It could also be cleaned with isoprople alcohol. I have a machine which is like a video cassette rewinder and cleans a videotape, so don't see why it wouldn't work for audio.
The problem with the original tape is not age, it's over use. Williams used to play the original to anyone who wanted to hear it rather than making a safety copy and using that. It's thin tape and has broken many times over the years (hence jumps you hear in some songs). You will find that some earlier bootlegs don't have the jumps that appear on later versions. These were copied prior to the damage. Larry's engineer was no fool. If it could have been transferred after baking, it would have been done. It is simply just too fragile. I suppose it's possible that if the tape were to be somehow reinforce, it might be playable. But i've never heard of that being done. The best remaining source is the complete set of 7.5ips copy reels made in 1976. If memory serves me right, they copied 2 tracks at a time on to stereo tape just to cut down on the number of times the original would have to be played, as it was starting to look fragile even then. Thin tapes are not meant to be constantly played, they will wear out.
I specialise in archive transfers and have baked and transferred hundreds of reels, but would NEVER bake a reel that didn't require it and have never had to bake a reel from earlier than about 1973/4.
Correct the box the tape is in has nothing to do with the original reel, which is probably, as you say, what came with the recorder. I think Ted suggested this was the case too. Hans would remember.Lord Reith wrote: ↑Sat Jul 22, 2023 12:57 am
Now not to wantonly disagree with the experts, but i do have a problem with this. I've seen a very long document written by Barber where he goes into fine detail about everything at the club but at no point does he mention a suspended microphone. Also, listening to the tape it seems to me that the microphone position changes between sets. Also, it seems to be off to one side and picking up John's amp more than George's, which is a problem if it were suspended from the ceiling. And if it's hanging from the ceiling, why can't we clearly hear the sound of people talking on the dance floor? Everyone sounds a long way away, like the mic were tucked away somewhere unobtrusive. I also have a problem with the notion of the recorder being left permanently to the side of the stage. I own a Philips EL3541 machine and it is a bloody good recorder, and makes fantastic quality recordings even at 3&3/4ips. In 1962 it cost the equivalent of 1000 pounds, and it is not something you'd just leave lying around for anyone to pinch or spill beer all over. If I had just bought that machine, I would guard it with my life. It'd be straight back under lock and key at the end of the day. It seems more likely to me that it came out only occasionally, and for a specific reason. I sure as hell would not be comfortable leaving any piece of extremely expensive gear of mine in the unnattended company of rock musos, not for a second. I think it is easy for Ted to say it was just left lying around for anyone to use when they wanted, but it's more like an easy quote and doesn't ring true to me.
Also I might point out that the EL3541 came with a free 5 inch reel of Philips double play tape, capable of recording 64mins on each of the four tracks. So I suppose this is the actual tape that the recordings are on and the "Philips" reel in the photos is the original and the "BASF Magnetophband" box is from somewhere else. The Philips tape came in a light blue box.
Ted's memories weren't always that reliable and Hans has quoted him from several interviews where he says where the recorder was, but it could simply be that he didn't remember exactly after so many years. The tape shows that it was recorded on many occasions, not just the odd night. With some bits being recorded over and lots of stops and starts, which does give weight to the story that anybody could switch it on and off. But it may only have been used when Ted was around, but then I doubt the digs Ted was in were any safer than the club for keeping the recorder at than at the club!
Mic placement - we can only go by recollections. But I suppose it could have been moved around by Barber or Taylor trying to find the best spot.
