Inspecting Tapes

What You're Looking For

There are several key issues to look for when you're inspecting tapes, whether it be 1/4" open-reel tape, U-matic, VHS, 2" Quad, or a simple audio cassette, for the most part, they can all fall victim to the same maladies.

1. Mold: Mold, technically speaking, is fungi that form "mycelium," the substance we often colloquially call mold, and it will feed on certain substances present in different formulations of videotape.

   • Mold can be hard to identify, particularly if it's not very dense. It can often look like just a scattering of dust on a wound hub of tape, or it can look more like a spider web structure within the cassette, or it can be a huge, devastating mass where you will have no question. This link from the Preservation Self-Assessment Program provides some helpful images of different mold on tapes.

2. Stickiness: Aside from mold, substances in the tape formulation can also break down on their own over time and make the tape "sticky." It's not necessary to understand the chemical reasons for this degradation in order to identify it.

   • There are two easy ways to recognize if a tape is sticky. If it's an open reel (2" Quad, 1/4" audio, etc.), you can slowly begin to unwind the tape and see if it sticks to itself. This problem will only become more destructive if it's unwound on a machine, so this is a good initial test. The tape should unwind from itself without any tackiness or hold.
   • If it's in a cassette (VHS, U-matic, audio cassette, etc.), then it's really only feasible to test by playing it on a machine. The least invasive method is to use a rewinder (currently, we have one for audio cassettes and VHS tapes) or a cleaning machine (we have one for U-matic and Betacam). You're looking for the same thing, the tape sticking to itself, or if you can't see it, listening for a squeal. This can be from the machinery struggling against the tackiness of the tape, or the tape itself squealing on rollers or guides.
   • If you don't notice any stickiness with these evaluations, it still could be sticky. It could manifest in a head clog during playback (where the picture slowly begins to fizzle away) or squealing in the machine. If you're ever in doubt whether a squeal is normal or bad, just ask someone that's heard more of them.

3. Physical Damage: A tape could be perfectly not-sticky and not-moldy, and still be damaged. Most often, this can happen from playback in a malfunctioning deck, wherein the mechanisms and movers of the tape crunch or grab something they shouldn't, creasing, folding, or even tearing the tape.

   • There's no need to thoroughly examine the tape for physical damage, but examining the ends you can see for visible damage (this may mean opening the door of the cassette to see the beginning of the tape) and glancing over the tape stack to see if any is visible from above is enough.

Order of Operations

So, with those issues in mind, here is a basic order of inspection for any tape:

1. Examine the tape for any external dirt or grime.
   • Clean surfaces as needed with a dry cloth.
2. Inspect the tape for the presence of mold.
   • If mold is present, and we can clean in-house, clean the tape following this guide.
3. Inspect the tape for physical damage.
   • If wrinkles or creases, no repair is necessary, just note the presence. If torn, splicing or repairing might be necessary.
4. Inspect the tape for stickiness.
   • If the tape is sticky, it will need to baked.
5. Log all notes of the tape's condition.