Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted Kendall
This is a misconception that goes back fifty years. In one of the first reviews of the A77, David Kirk was misinformed by the importers about the function of the outer positions of the speed switch, which provide reduced tension for cine hubs, and dolefully recorded that he was now the proud possessor of several feet of Kodak quadruple play plastic string. This led hm to recommend that thin tapes and small hubs should be avoided. However, with these conditions and the use of the reverse torque trick on rewind, at that time also beloved of Brenell owners, "the A77 then becomes the gentlest mechanism on the market".
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I might (very carefully) risk a triple play or even quadruple play tape on my A77 but only on large hub NAB reels, and using reverse to slow the tape before hitting stop. I dont think it's peculiar to the A77 but to any such machine designed to carry large reels, equipped with direct drive reel motors and without servo controlled tension.
On small hub 3" reels and very thin tapes, a potentially deadly combination, even my servo tension controlled A700 I dont completely trust. I'd rather transfer the tapes to larger centre reels before risking a play.