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If I knew you were coming, I'd have baked a tape!

Actually baking about (10) 1/2" reels, as part of a massive restoration / archiving project I am doing. I realized that much of the music I recorded as either the writer, artist, engineer and/or producer, that i had no device to play them on. Or, they unexpectedly degraded.

In response, everything I have that can play goes to my DAW for processing and archive. Plus enjoyment, in most cases and sharing (some of the artist haven't heard their work in decades.

In this step, I am baking the tapes in a dehydrator at 130 degrees for 6 hours, flipping them every half-hour and then letting them cool for 6 hours. This reformulates the tape. Through osmosis, the tapes are slightly gooey and have a weak bond to the backing, will shred into flakes and destroy the tape guides and heads if you try and play them.

Doing three at a time:

Wow. Archival restorations. How long do you think the tapes will be able to last before this has to be done again?
thanks.

Partscaster wrote: ↑Sat May 01, 2021 6:27 am Wow. Archival restorations. How long do you think the tapes will be able to last before this has to be done again?
thanks.

I have been told the tapes will be usable for a year or two. Longer if you store the tape 'tails-out' (I've always done this) and vacuum-seal the reel, which I intend to do. Think of tails-out as the tape plays from left to right and you would store the tape on what originally was the 'take-up reel.' Every time you 'load' the tape, you stick a blank reel on the left and fast rewind until the right reel is empty. Then you thread the left reel to the right and record or play. When yuo are done - you let it play from beginning to end to 'pack' evenly.

The baking process is non-destructive. I was concerned about the AC heating element and the fan motor, but the heating coil is about that of a super hair dryer and the fan is DC. The temperature required to demagnetize is like 1000 degrees F, so no magnetic or demagnetizing effect on the tape from the process. No signal degradation.

Once I transfer them to the DAW, my plan is to remix and remaster them. At that point, they may never see the light of day again. I do have about 30 minutes of blank tape and may someday do a tape based recording.

@golem is helping me look for a Betamax to try and revive the old two-track digital masters. But, I think they expired years ago. Shelf life was 15 to 20 years and these are pushing 30.