Teac A-1250S - Page 12

Te
ea
a
eS
SS
mere OR pete
General
Information
and
Precautions
at
Recording
The tape
The length of a recording tape as well as the recording
time, is determined by the ree] diameter and the thickness
of the base material.
The use of a 1 or 1% mil base tape is recommended for 4
track high fidelity recording. Polyester base tape is preferred
for use in humid or extremely dry areas.
Three recording speeds are commonly used, 3%, and 7%
inches per second.
7% ips is commonly used for home high fidelity recording.
Generally speaking, the higher the recording speed, the better
the fidelity. However, due to the extremely high quality of
the TEAC tape decks, recordings of excellent quality can be
made at the lower speeds. This provides maximum tape
economy and extended playing time.
The recording time indicated in the chart below is for one
single pass of the tape, therefore the total recording time
will either two or four times that indicated, depending upon
the method of recording.
Type
Base
Tape
7"
reel
Typical
4
track
tape
brands
on
market
(Code)
|
material
|
thickness
Tape
length
Bee
ene
a
ccotch:
|
BASE
Agfa
|
SONY
Standard
Acetate
|
52»
1%
mil
370m
1200
ft
60
min.
|
#
111
Standard
Polyester
|
524
14
mil
"
"
ae
Long
play
|
Acetate
{|
35y
Imil
550m
1800
ft
90
min.
|
#
190
;
es
Long
play
|
Polyester
|
35”
1
mil
"
us
at
S-15¢
Long
play
|
Polyester
|
35»
1
mil
”
”
joo
"
#
203
SLH-550
Double
play
|
Polyester
|
28u
%mil
740m
2400
ft
60
min.
|
120min.
DP-26LH
Good quality tape wound on correct reel
Tape condition can be judged by the appearance
when wound on the reel and viewed from the side
1) Is it neatly wound? 2) Is there steps or irregularities in
the winding? 3) Is the color of base uniform as seen from
the side? 4) Is the tape edge smooth?
Spots seen on the edge indicate ‘drop out’ (skipping of
sound).
Creases extending from the center positively indicate uneven
stretching. This is caused by differences in temperature and
humidity.
Fungus indicates old tape stored for a length of time under
high humidity. Sections where the splicing tape has been
applied are especially prone to support fungus growth.
Selecting the tape and reel
For
recording,
new
tape
is
not
necessarily
needed
as
long
as
it is
of
good
quality
as
the
erase
head
will
erase
the
previous
recording
as
the
new
recording
is
made.
However,
avoid
using
tapes
whose
coating
is
worn,
peeled
off
or
stretched.
If
the
color
of
the
winding
is
different
throughout
the
reel
it
is
an
indication
that
two
different
types
of
tape
have
been
spliced
in.
In
some
cases,
the
color
may
differ
according
to
production
lot
even
for
the
same
type
tape,
or
between
opposite
sides
of
the
wound
tape.
Judging tape condition by how it travels
Head
Pe ™
' ul
Tapes which snake up and down between the guides and
over the heads will inevitably lead to level fluctuations and
azimuth misalignment.
Head Pinch roller Capstan
oN f
Unevenly
stretched
tape
which
travels
either
higher
or
lower
than
the
true
path
of
the
tape
will
in
extreme
cases
drift
off
the pinch roller.
Head Pinch rotier
! v
Capstan
Snaky motion of unevenly stretched tape indicated by ar-
TOWS.