On Mar 26, 6:51 am, "Alien Spawn" wrote:
If i had access to another player I would. But I tend to agree, it has to be
the tape. most of the tapes are over 30 years old so I guess it doesn't last
forever !
But then again I'm also using reel to reel tape from the 60's and 70's with
no problem....

"Andy" wrote in message

m...

sounds more like a tape related problem as it only does it on certian
tapes.
have you tried those tapes on another player do they do the same on that
machine?

--
AL'S COMPUTERS
"Alien Spawn" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

Back on usenet after about a 10 or so year hiatus...

have a q about my recently acquired Craig H260 8 track player/recorder.
All looks near pristine and I am slowly acquiring a collection of 8 track
tapes to compliment my "70's Marantz and Pioneer supersystem". The 8
track player records and plays very well, but, on some tapes i get
crackling sound - as if there are magnetic filings on the tape "adding"
to the sound as the tape passes the head (which looks as new and
polished). Some tapes are fine, the ones I record are fine, but some
tapes are shocking with the crackling noise = even some straight out of
shrinkwrap. none have bad pinch rollers and i've redone the tape
cushioning on some - with no audible change.

is this a head or tape problem ?

anyone come across this before? My Jethro Tull and Commodres tapes sound
really bad, while my partridge family and country church 8 tracks sound
bewdiful....something's gotta give !!!!


the reason the r2r tapes don't have the crackling problem, is because
they are not graphite backed like the 8-track tapes. Both are 1/4",
and you can unspool 8's onto a reel, bulk erase them, and tape on
them- which is one good use for tapes rather than throwing them in the
trash. In this day and age of hard to find reel tape, one can roll
their own by unspooling 8 stock onto a reel, as a last resort.

I've done extensive tests on the crackling problems, and found that
the crackling occurred at precisely the same spot on the tape, and the
same exact type of crackling noise, i.e. it's on the tape just like
the recording- it's embedded graphite particles. A "good" tape deck
with highly sensitive tape head, will pick it up as a "crackle".