TP-027, Jerry Garcia / David Grisman wins a Writer's Choice Award from Myles Astor of Positive Feedback Online

Author Topic: 3" Tape anyone?  (Read 7710 times)

Offline ironbut

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3" Tape anyone?
« on: October 07, 2010, 04:18:50 PM »
I'd heard about 32 track machines using 3" tape but I'd never seen or read anything about it. Another great link I picked up from the generous folks on the ARSC list.

http://www.mcirecording.com/32.htm
steve koto
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Offline MylesAstor

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Re: 3" Tape anyone?
« Reply #1 on: October 07, 2010, 08:32:26 PM »
Thanks Steve for the link!

One is left wondering what if?

Wonder who was going to make the tape for them?

Also found the 20 ips speed interesting as many people have suggested this as the best alt. speed including TdPv (sorry Dan :) ).
Myles B. Astor
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Offline docb

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Re: 3" Tape anyone?
« Reply #2 on: October 08, 2010, 12:29:15 PM »
Actually Tim, Paul and I had a good conversation about 20ips at CES several years ago. I dunno about 3", but I have threatened to do a 2" 2 track machine...
Dan "Doc B." Schmalle
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Managing Director - retired, The Tape Project

Offline ironbut

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Re: 3" Tape anyone?
« Reply #3 on: October 08, 2010, 01:46:21 PM »
Hey Myles,
Yes, I find all these alternate formats interesting. That's certainly one of the advantages of analog,.. you don't have to start from scratch to test these alternatives out. Most machines have speed adjustments and, at least as far as ips goes, you can try it for yourself with some fine tuning to the record and repro electronics. I'd hate to think what it would take to try an entirely different sample/bit rate.

I think that slitting a different size tape width would be more of a matter of changing the position of the slitting machines cutting discs and having 3" hubs for the reels made.

You question did remind me that I've been meaning to try and get a virtual tour or video of ATR Magnetics tape production facility. IIRC, when Mike Spitz was still in the process of getting all his ducks in a row to make his new tape available, his website mentioned making a video tour available eventually. I'll shoot him an email and maybe we can at least get some pictures of how tape is manufactured (maybe pictures are available in some books somewhere, but I've done quite a bit of searching on the web and I've never found anything).
steve koto
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Offline c1ferrari

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Re: 3" Tape anyone?
« Reply #4 on: October 10, 2010, 04:58:27 PM »
Wow!  3" tape :-)

-Sam
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Offline steveidosound

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Re: 3" Tape anyone?
« Reply #5 on: October 10, 2010, 11:36:56 PM »
Wow!  3" tape :-)

-Sam


Ah!, got a lot of it, even unused stuff!...
wait... you mean 3" _WIDE_ tape - not 3" diameter reels of 1/4" tape...
;-)
Steve Williams

you don't want to know what equipment I listen to...

Offline steveidosound

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Re: 3" Tape anyone?
« Reply #6 on: October 10, 2010, 11:41:07 PM »
Wow!  3" tape :-)

-Sam


Ah!, got a lot of it, even unused stuff!...
wait... you mean 3" _WIDE_ tape - not 3" diameter reels of 1/4" tape...
;-)

Oh, and I have machines that will play 3" tape as well, but no larger.
I guess I have now abused this thread enough...
Steve Williams

you don't want to know what equipment I listen to...

Offline ironbut

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Re: 3" Tape anyone?
« Reply #7 on: October 12, 2010, 03:18:51 PM »
I got an email from Mike Spitz today regarding the issues in making 3" tape. I had asked him whether the slitting machines could just be adjusted to different tape widths. I think you'll find his answer interesting.

"3" tape proved to be too wide to slit reliably.  The rotary slitting blade
would deflect the tape edge too much and cause irregular slitting width and
straightness issues.  Other non-standard tapes over the years all had
dedicated slitting tooling.  Magnetic tape is too finicky to slit with a
variable width blade system.  The slitting blades must be lapped and stacked
to a .00005". 

Most mylar slitting tolerances are +- .003".  Magnetic tape tolerance is
+.002 -.000".

Hope this helps.  Thanks.

Mike Spitz"
steve koto
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Offline c1ferrari

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Re: 3" Tape anyone?
« Reply #8 on: October 13, 2010, 09:40:09 PM »
Steve W.,

You may have a market for your 3 inchers -lol :-)

-Sam
Sam Lucero
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Offline mattallen

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Re: 3" Tape anyone?
« Reply #9 on: October 13, 2010, 10:27:08 PM »
MCI was developing this idea as a push to get more tracks with an analog recorder.
I believe Ampex made the 3" tape for testing purposes for MCI, and the machine was actually shown at the AES convention but could not roll tape.
The weight of the tape turned out to be more than thought, and as Mike Spitz mentioned, the quality was very difficult to duplicate.
Steve Sadler of Blevins Audio had told me about this on more than on occasion, as he was head service technician MCI in the later years of MCI and transition into Sony/MCI era.

Then of course John Stephens making a 2" 40trk tape machine was another story, being a complete success and high respected sounding machine.