Bulk Erasing Tape

[GreyOwl]

I have several old 10 1/2" reels of recorded tape that are on metal NAB reels and would like to erase them with my bulk eraser. Can I do this while they are on the metal reels or do I need to run them onto a plastic reel for the job? I didn't know if the metal reel would hamper the erasing or not.

Charles

 

[Vintage TX]

I tried in the past having the metal reels on doing this, but the result was not 100 %.

 

[pustelniakr]

Unscrew one flange,and remove it, leaving the tape on the hub. Lay the unit on a wooden table and try that way. Afterwards, put the flanges back on.

You might want to play the tape for a smooth spool-up before doing this, if it is not already smoothly spooled.

Enjoy,
Rich P

 

[BrocLuno]

Concur - remove flange one side (three screws) and go around and around with bulk eraser for 30~45 seconds. Put flange back on, flip over do the same on other side. The thing is the media density is much greater with that much tape, so the field will only penetrate/saturate about 1/2 way through. A bit of a bother, but it works

 

[thedelihaus]

do you fellas feel bulk-erasing is the best way to go about prepping pre-recorded tapes for re-recording?

I've lots of 7" and 10" tapes pre- recorded at what I feel is sub-par recording speeds and subsequent mediocre sound, and would like to re-record on them.

 

[niklasthedol]

The Erase Head should do the job properly unless the machine has "issues".

No need for bulk erasing.

"dolph"

 

[pustelniakr]

do you fellas feel bulk-erasing is the best way to go about prepping pre-recorded tapes for re-recording?

I've lots of 7" and 10" tapes pre- recorded at what I feel is sub-par recording speeds and subsequent mediocre sound, and would like to re-record on them.

Bulk erasing the tape, prior to recording, if it is not already blank, will result in slightly lower noise floor. It will not compensate for tapes that have drop-outs or other oxide issues.

Enjoy,
Rich P

 

[SaSi]

The Erase Head should do the job properly unless the machine has "issues".

No need for bulk erasing.

"dolph"

I've seen the specs on several R2R decks and the specification for the erase depth is 70~75dB. For example, the Revox PR99 specifies 75dB erase ratio while it has a 66dB S/N ratio on 15ips. I know that 11dB isn't a small dynamic range but 75dB isn't an absolute excellent figure.

OTOH, I still consider bulk erasing to be a prefered method of erasing a tape that you don't want to keep quick and easy without wearing the deck to erase it through the erase head.

And it seems to be a certain way to erase a tape that is going to switch track format. For example a half-track recorded tape to be recorded in quarter track. Erasing a half track tape on a quarter track deck would leave some residual track signal at the boundaries of the quarter tracks - wouldn't it?

 

[niklasthedol]

I hope a former 1/4 track tape erased on 1/2 track machine and former 1/2 track tapes erased on 1/4 machine won't give you trouble.
I would consider it as issues with the machines.

"dolph"

 

[koltrast]

I agree with "Dolph".. The erase head should do the job and why use the deck to erase but not record? Seems like a waste of time to me.
Erase head track width is marginally wider than record and playback heads (At least on all machines I've seen) so there should not be a crosstalk issue on a properly aligned deck.