Cassette Tapes Aging

From: Alexios Chouchoulas <alexios_at_vennea.demon.co.uk>
Date: Sat Apr 5 09:36:11 1997

On Fri, 4 Apr 1997, Douglas Zander wrote:

> I've heard that cassette tapes should be stored vertically because if the
> edge of the tape is resting against the case then it could buckle and get
> bent out of shape.

  I've never heard anything like that, but I do know that tapes suffer from
a much more common ailment: the oxide deteriorates with an audible change in
frequency response. Normal audio tapes turn all bassy (lose high
frequencies).

  That said, most of the tapes I have for Commodores and Acorns load without
any trouble even today. Some of the ones I used on the Oric are completely
gone, though. Those are from 1984. Some were good quality tapes, as well.
But they're still unreadble by the machine. Most of the commercial software
tapes are fine, though. I guess it has something to do with my tape recorder
and the fact that Orics wrote tapes at 2400 baud instead of the more usual
300, 1200 or 1500 baud.

--------------------------- ,o88,o888o,,o888o. -------------------------------
Alexios Chouchoulas '88 ,88' ,88' alexios_at_vennea.demon.co.uk
The Unpronouncable One ,o88oooo88ooooo88oo, axc_at_dcs.ed.ac.uk
Received on Sat Apr 05 1997 - 09:36:11 BST