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PreRecorded Ampex Tapes

aldena007

aldena007

Legacy Audio Aficionado
Subscriber
I have been collecting American Airlines Tapes for awhile and it seems that two types of tape were used to produce these tapes. One tape is by Stereotape a Bell and Howell company and the other tapes are on Ampex tape. The Ampex tapes have a low frequency tone recorded on the end (both ends) of the tape on the left channel. It is about a 10 seconds in duration. I have been told that it is a tone for reversing the tape play. My question is what tape decks/recorders use this function. My Pioneer 707/909 use foil tape to reverse and do not respond to the tones.
 
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Pre Recorded Ampex Tapes

Seems to be a real elegant system. Did other makers use this system or did Ampex sort of have a exclusive on the technology?
 
Not an exclusive, but I can't recall another R2R that used tones rather than foil. But - it had another purpose, too. Ampex' automated duplicating lines used the tone to indicate the end of a recording. The duplicator used massive pancakes that would record albums, one after the other, then - after recording - the system would rewind to a tone and stop so it could be cut apart. The same system was used in duplicating 8 tracks.

Happy trails,
Larry B.
 
The tones are on both ends of the tape. I use foil to reverse but I apply it after the tone just in case I run into a deck that uses the tone.
 
I recently picked up a Sansui SD-7000 out of curiosity. It uses the recorded tones for its autoreverse system (it has a knob you pull out to lay down the reverse signal), though interestingly it also has the capability to be triggered by foil.
 
Pre Recorded Ampex Tapes

Thanks for that lead. I checked out the Sansui and I might try one out just for drill. I have a Sansui 9090 and 9090DB that may match up a little.
 
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