Tag: tape

Seeing tracks: viewing magnetic information as an aid for tape digitisation

We use a Sigma Hi-Chemical MV-95 magnetic viewer  in order to aid our digitisation work. By pressing the viewer against the tape we are able to read the magnetic information recorded on it. The reader helps us to visually identify the position of the recorded tracks on the tape, and enables accurate playback during digitisation. Magnetic readers… Continue reading Seeing tracks: viewing magnetic information as an aid for tape digitisation

Digitising Stereo Master Hi-Fi VHS Audio Recordings

The history of amateur recording is peppered with examples of people who stretched technologies to their creative limit. Whether this comes in the form of hours spent trying things out and learning through doing, endlessly bouncing tracks in order to turn an 8-track recording into a 24-track epic or making high quality audio masters on… Continue reading Digitising Stereo Master Hi-Fi VHS Audio Recordings

Voice Letter – Analogue Reel-to-Reel Tape Transfer

What can the packaging of a tape object tell you? Even before a tape is played back prior to transfer the packaging can tell you a lot about how and where it has been stored, and what it was used for. Whether the boxes include sparse notation or are covered in stamps from countries across… Continue reading Voice Letter – Analogue Reel-to-Reel Tape Transfer

Digitising Shedding Magnetic Multi-track Tape & the history of John Peel favourites BOB

An important part of digitisation work we do is tape restoration. Often customers send us tape that have been stored in less than ideal conditions that are either too hot, cold or damp, which can lead to degradation. In the excellent Council on Library and Information Sources’ report on Magnetic Storage and Handling (1995), they… Continue reading Digitising Shedding Magnetic Multi-track Tape & the history of John Peel favourites BOB

Magnetic Reel to Reel Tape and New Transfer Machines – Pictures from the Greatbear Studio

The Greatbear studio always has a wealth of interesting material in it, that somehow have survived the test of time. From racks stacked full of obsolete audio and video tape machines, to the infinite varieties of reel-to-reel tape that were produced by companies such as Scotch, E.M.I. and Irish Recording Tape. As objects in themselves… Continue reading Magnetic Reel to Reel Tape and New Transfer Machines – Pictures from the Greatbear Studio

The Magnetist – Audio Cassettes in Contemporary Culture

As lovers of magnetic tape and obsolete media, we keep our eyes open for people who remain attached to the formats most have forgot. A recent film posted on Vimeo features the creative life of part time chef, noise musician and tape DJ Micke, also known as ‘The Magnetist’. The film follows the Stockholm-based artist… Continue reading The Magnetist – Audio Cassettes in Contemporary Culture

C-120 Audio Cassette Transfer – the importance of high quality formats

In archiving, the simple truth is formats matter. If you want the best quality recording, that not only sounds good but has a strong chance of surviving over time, it needs to be recorded on an appropriate format. Most of us, however, do not have specialised knowledge of recording technologies and use what is immediately… Continue reading C-120 Audio Cassette Transfer – the importance of high quality formats

What is the future of analogue media?

In a recent blog article on the Presto Centre website, Richard Wright argues that ‘the audiovisual collections of the 20th century were analogue, and we are now at a critical time for considering the digital future of that analogue content.’ He goes on to say, emphatically: ‘All analogue audio and video formats are obsolete. Digital… Continue reading What is the future of analogue media?

‘Mysterious little reddish-brown ribbon’: BASF Magnetic Recording Tape

‘It seems we are living in an age in which practically every dream comes true. At no time in the past have so many scientific discoveries and inventions changed our way of life and the face of the world. Yes, we live in the age of science! Maybe we are forgetting to be awed, or… Continue reading ‘Mysterious little reddish-brown ribbon’: BASF Magnetic Recording Tape

Audio cassette transfer and Martin Parr’s The Non Conformists

We were recently sent a collection of recorded interviews with residents of Hebden Bridge, a mill town in the Pennines. They were recorded on regular, domestic tapes of the mid-1970s, the kind that were sold in shops such as Woolworths or WHSmith. As magnetic cassette tapes go, these cheaper tapes can often deteriorate at a… Continue reading Audio cassette transfer and Martin Parr’s The Non Conformists

digitising tape issues

The main work of Greatbear is to make analogue and digital tape-based media accessible for people living in a digital intensive environment. But once your tape-based media has been digitised, is that the end of the story? Do you never need to think about preservation again? What issues arise for information management in the future,… Continue reading digitising tape issues

The Grain of Video Tape

From U-matic to VHS, Betacam to Blu Ray, Standard Definition to High Definition, the formats we use to watch visual media are constantly evolving. Yet have you ever paused to consider what is at stake in the changing way audio-visual media is presented to us? Is viewing High Definition film and television always a better… Continue reading The Grain of Video Tape

Digital Betacam tapes

As well as analogue tape, at Greatbear we also migrate digital tape to digital files. Digital media has become synonymous with the everyday consumption of information in the 21st century. Yet it may come as a surprise for people to encounter digital tape when we are so comfortable with the seemingly formless circulation of digital… Continue reading Digital Betacam tapes

Quarter inch reel to reel tape audio archiving

We’ve been a bit quiet since last year on our blog here primarily because we have been processing a large, ongoing audio archiving digital migration job for Mood Media Ltd In essence audio archiving, digital migration, transfer or digitisation, whatever term you prefer, is conceptually simple: one analogue or digital format is moved to another,… Continue reading Quarter inch reel to reel tape audio archiving

8 track cassette capstan motor Tascam 238 Syncaset

We specialise in tape transfers, many of which are multitrack cassette tapes. Tascam, Fostex and Yamaha sold cassette multitrack recorders in the golden days of home recording in the 1980s and ’90s. The 4 track format was especially popular but an 8 track format was also developed that squeezed even more out of the small… Continue reading 8 track cassette capstan motor Tascam 238 Syncaset

azimuth adjustment when you transfer and convert cassettes to cd

Cassette tapes run at a very slow speed of 17⁄8 inches per second (ips) with a very small track width of 1.59mm Cassette decks when they left the factory or a service centre should have been aligned to a standard reference for the position of the record and play heads. Unfortunately they often weren’t all… Continue reading azimuth adjustment when you transfer and convert cassettes to cd

Replace pinch roller on Sonifex NAB Cartridge machine

Once a common sight in Radio stations around the world, the NAB Cartridge machine or Fidelipac was used for short jingles and announcements, sometimes even for longer recordings. Using a similar sized cartridge to a domestic 8 track machine the NAB cartridge was different in that the pinch roller was not in the cartridge but… Continue reading Replace pinch roller on Sonifex NAB Cartridge machine

Replace Tascam BR 20 Capstan Belt

We have two of these excellent machines in addition to our Sony APR 5003s and Studer A80s. The Tascam BR-20 was Tascam’s last and top of the range 1/4 inch reel to reel tape machine and available in two track stereo and stereo with centre timecode option. The capstan drive in the BR20 is belt… Continue reading Replace Tascam BR 20 Capstan Belt

Tascam BR 20 reel to reel new in box (not for sale)

This is something you don’t see everyday! An almost unused and boxed 1/4″ 2 track reel to reel tape machine, a Tascam BR20 one of their highest quality machines sometimes installed with a Timecode head for broadcast and editing applications. This machine somehow turned up at an IT Recycling centre in Essex but is now… Continue reading Tascam BR 20 reel to reel new in box (not for sale)

Information Terminals M-300, cassette tape transport alignment gauge

The regular service of analogue machines which will involve the mechanical alignment then electrical alignment / calibration is really important if you’re attempting to get optimum transfers and reduce any risk of damaging the potentially fragile tape. While some of our machines are serviced by others we like to regularly check them and have gradually… Continue reading Information Terminals M-300, cassette tape transport alignment gauge

U-matic transfer to DVD, Uncompressed Quicktime and Digi Beta

We’ve been honored recently to have won a large contract to help in the digital migration of an extensive educational video archive by the transfer from U-matic archive copies to uncompressed video files. While the archive had been stored in an suitable environment and rarely if at all played, they had not survived well. The… Continue reading U-matic transfer to DVD, Uncompressed Quicktime and Digi Beta

Microcassette Transfer to CD helps Crown Court case

We’ve recently been involved, with Mobray Woodwards Solicitors,  in the audio transfer of important evidence in a  local Crown Court case. Even given the poor quality or the recordings, made on the slowest tape speed of 1.2 cm/s we were able to make transfers to CD which were clear and understandable with CD track markings… Continue reading Microcassette Transfer to CD helps Crown Court case

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