Tape drop-outs

[Frank S.]

Try running a cleaning tape in the machine and give it another shot.

[Bill@AudioVision]

I had the same issue and after trying 3 different decks, realized that all 3 were in need of alignment and fresh rubber (belts, rollers, etc.) I would make sure you had a spot-on deck first before doing anything - you could damage the tapes. Also, the typical cleaning tapes may do more harm than good, especially on heads with 'high mileage'.

[colinato]

You could try setting your freewheel to JamSync in protools.

[ErikG]

A 12 yr old tape?!
Good luck, you'll need some of that...

Those units where mostly just trouble. Even a newly factory calibrated machine would Occaisionally have issues with tapes recorded on another newly cal'd machine.

And the tapes was another sad story.

And that was while we were still using them. Fortunately no need to do so for quite some years now. Lots of bad memories trying to deal with deliverables not replaying elsewhere etc.

All in all probably the worst tape format since the F1...

My advice is to record it digitally. Sync PT to the digital input. Then record several takes and edit them together where needed.

When done. Dump the da88 in a bin! :-)

[huub]

Originally Posted by ErikG

A 12 yr old tape?!
Good luck, you'll need some of that...

Those units where mostly just trouble. Even a newly factory calibrated machine would Occaisionally have issues with tapes recorded on another newly cal'd machine.

And the tapes was another sad story.

And that was while we were still using them. Fortunately no need to do so for quite some years now. Lots of bad memories trying to deal with deliverables not replaying elsewhere etc.

All in all probably the worst tape format since the F1...

My advice is to record it digitally. Sync PT to the digital input. Then record several takes and edit them together where needed.

When done. Dump the da88 in a bin! :-)

What he said..

There's also the risk of a tape being eaten by the machine (happened to me more than once a year or ten ago.)

[the247s]

DA-88 tapes? Do you mean DAT tapes recorded on a Tascam DA-88 DAT machine, or DAT tapes of 88 minutes? Anyway I think you are referring to DAT tapes. Apologies for not quite getting the reference.

DAT tapes, like analog tape can be subject to moisture that makes the tape unreadable.

I had a similar problem recently. I sent the tapes to FX Rental/ FX Copyroom in London and they informed me that this is a particular problem with old DAT tapes.

There, the tape was 'baked' in ovens specialised for this type job, to get rid of the moisture, by engineers who do this day in and day out, but they were unable to save it- they just couldn't get a timecode or signal...and that was a tape of a similar age to yours.

I would try to get any data you can off any working DATs you have asap unless you can keep them in vacuum sealed environment at the right temperature.

Sorry. But try FX Copyroom if you are in the UK, they are really very very professional and patient: they baked a tape I had three or four times (each time taking 4 days) with no extra charge. In fact I'm not sure that they charged anything in the end.

[the247s]

Ok, so not DAT but multitrack digital
audio tapes, but the same issue probably applies.

One doesn't think that this would
be a problem with digital, but it is.

[Bill@AudioVision]

To clarify, DAT is not DA-88. DAT is a 4mm tape cartridge, DA-88 uses the old Video-8 cartridge, 8mm tape. But, the problems with those systems, as well as ANY helical scan type tape system (VHS, Betamax, BetaCam, 3/4" U-matic, Digibeta,etc.) are the same. It's a very complicated and precision tape transport that loads, plays, and unloads the tape. Over the years, any number of things can go wrong. Belts break, motors and gears fail, guides get dirty, heads clog. Have you ever watched a 3/4" video deck load and play? It defies description how complicated it looks.
These systems are not easy to clean properly, so the so-called 'cleaning tapes' were sold, but they were nothing more than an abrasive tape-like material that 'sanded' off the dirt. The more you used them, the more long term damage you were doing.
And then you have the cartridge itself. All kinds of springs, spindles, low friction guides, plastic doors and shields. The tape was protected, but all of it was based on video tape - no backcoating and very thin. Any kind of edge damage or wrinkle could render the tape unplayable. It's amazing any of this worked at all.
I have not known about the need to bake these tapes like backcoated analog, but I would be very careful. You could deform some plastic parts or melt some of the lubrication used on the reels which could seep onto the tape. If anything, go with the lowest temperature possible to drive out any moisture. But if you have had this much moisture problem, you probably have rust on guides and spindles. Like I posted earlier, you have to make sure the deck you're using is 100%. Anything less and you could damage the tape permanently.

[Geert van den Berg]

I still remember at the facility I worked 10 years ago the DA88's got a number with a sharpie depending on which machine they were striped with, whenever we had a problem it was usually solved by playing the DA88 in that particular machine, I am glad those days are gone... Ofcourse this didn't work if a tape comes from outside the facility or if our tapes where send elsewhere.

[GregorioM]

Sorry, no solution to your problem, if there even is a solution with such old stock.

Originally Posted by the247s

One doesn't think that this would be a problem with digital, but it is.

Yes, but it's a tape so it's not digital, it's magnetic. Effectively you are recording square waves magnetically which are then interpreted as digital data. So although there was a wide tolerance of interference/degradation compared to an analogue signal, there were still quite tight limits, baring in mind the density of the data stored and weak nature of the stock. Problems were common, you even had to be sure to use the right brand of tape to even stand a chance of reliability!

Damn, I haven't had to think about this in years

[the247s]

Apologies I got the end of the stick on this one.