More On Tape Shedding

In response to our recent WFTD, shedding (see WFTD archive Shedding) we’ve had a few people comment that they’ve observed this phenomenon more with some brands and types of equally new and cared for tapes than others and were wondering why.There are a variety of reasons why tape may differ slightly in terms of shedding. One observable fact is that some of the newer “high output” tape formulations (3M 996 and Ampex 499 for example) tend to shed more. This is the result of the tape material that is used in manufacturing. Most engineers put up with this minor annoyance to gain the benefit of being able to go up to 9 dB hotter to tape before saturation. The same phenomenon can also be observed with ADAT and DA-88 type tapes. Another variable is that some tape machines are better at physically handling the stiffer high output tape than others, and therefore will shed less. It is not fair to assume that a tape that sheds less is better. Shedding is a normal part of everyday life in recording tape and is nothing to get too worried about unless you notice a dramatic increase using known good tape. That is the first warning sign of a tape transport problem.

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