Mystery cassette tape

[ben]

Originally Posted by TIMTAPE

As I understand it the purpose of the essentially carbon based back coat was to:

1. Allow a smoother tape "pack".

2. Prevent or reduce static electricity buildup.

3?.

3. Allow one to write clearly in white or yellow chinagraph for assistance in editing and timing

[TIMTAPE]

Thanks Ben, I knew there was another. Old timer's disease!

[wd40addict]

Originally Posted by DrStrangelove

There was also "Irish" recording tape but I don't know who made that.

Orr was one of the people who brought Magnetophon technology back to the USA:

http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-3858

[cmjones01]

A quick update on this detective story. I've now received a couple of Scotch Dynarange cassettes in excellent condition to compare the mystery tape with. I have two, one in a transparent blue shell made in Italy (the cassette was originally sold in Germany judging by what's written on the inlay card) and another in a black shell which has "MADE IN USA" moulded in to it.

Both cassettes have the black back coating, but the USA-made one has a very shiny tape surface just like my mystery tape. It gives every indication of being a quality, premium product in spite of the welded shell. The blue tape made in Italy has a rather dull, though smooth and consistent, recording surface but of quite a dark colour, like a later cobalt-doped ferric. I haven't yet compared the recording characteristics of these two cassettes but they certainly don't look like the same formulation as each other.

Chris

[ben]

The one with the silver label is much later, it's the same as the gold label one I mentioned in post 15

[cmjones01]

That's consistent, then. Thank you, Ben, for identifying the tape. I feel like I've learned something about cassette history from this process, and also discovered that Scotch cassettes from the 1970s can perform surprisingly well.

Chris

[ben]

I think the tape was good, but the shells let it down. I have had a few problems with those Scotch cassettes - pressure pad disintegrating, and also the tape backing tends to stick to the fixed guides in the shell, it seems like friction more than any kind of sticky shed deterioration. Fortunately the gold label ones usually had screws.