Erasing cassette tapes

I recently found a cache of very nice tapes (Fuji metal and Maxell chrome) that I used many years ago in my 4 track home studio (Tascam 464). These tapes and cases are in superb condition and I am thinking of listing them for sale soon. However, I would like to erase the contents of the tapes as the material each contains are original compositions.
Any idea best way to bulk erase ( other than using an older Sony cassettte deck and just record over each one)?

 

Contact the White House and see if anyone from Nixons staff is still there.

BillWojo

 

I thought his were R2R.

 

You can buy a bulk tape eraser or a very strong magnet.

Public libraries may still have a bulk tape eraser they will let you use. Around 20 years ago I worked at a library that had one. They used it to erase language learning tapes.

 

thank you, great advice.
once the library reopens , I will ask them.

 

Radio Shack used to sell bulk erasers (along with splice tape and tools), I've got one of this style (but would probably take a bit of looking to find)
found on eBay. Identical-looking one made by "Robbins"




Move away from tape before turning off.

Radio stations also had bulkers for carts or R2R, either the style you pass the cart through, or a large platform that you wipe the tape on the top and repeat for the other side.



Nothing more than a big 60Hz electromagnet, really. You could also make one out of a large gauge large value iron-core choke, but wouldn't recommend for a casual DIYer.

another thread Best Way to "Erase" Used Cassette Tapes?

 

Ill sell you my extra degaussing tool for cassettes, reels etc professional grade for 45 bucks shipped. This way you'll wipe it clean an works great from normal to metal bias.

 

Or Obama’s wiretapping operation.

 

I would not erase this historic music.

 

Do not worry, I have the mastered recordings saved. However, thanks for your concern,

 

You are welcomed to send them to me and I'll do it and get it back to you via priority mail's "if it fits it ships" boxes. And I won't use Obama's wire taping methodology.

M~

No comma's were used or injured in the producing of this response.

 

I just remembered a video from Ana[dia]log about bulk erasing tapes. One them that caught my attention is that it takes a very powerful magnet to fully erase a Type IV (Metal) tape.

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How about just 'record nothing' over it on a cassette deck?

 

Does not work that dependably well if the cassette was recorded on a different deck originally. Plus one would be putting wear on the heads.

 

From my experience, it takes a lot of time to bulk erase a chrome cassette. I use an old radio shack bulk eraser. It will eventually remove what’s recorded, but it’s a hassle. A metal tape....can’t even imagine how long that would take, and maybe cannot be achieved with a handheld.

 

The need for an extremely powerful bulk eraser was mentioned in the video I posted. Just recording nothing might not be strong enough to completely erase a tape. I had that experience with my Philips Digital Compact Cassette (DCC) Deck. DCC tapes were Type II but were recorded digitally using lossy compression which allowed it to be recorded on a tape moving at 1 7/8 ips.

Once I recorded over a DCC tape with a new recording. While playing the tape the Deck suddenly fast forwarded the tape to the next track on its own. What happened was that on the previous recording I had inserted a Skip Mark* on the tape. When I recorded over the tape the Skip Mark hadn't been completely erased, so it caused the Deck to skip to the next track on the tape. After that, I always bulk erase my previously used DCC tapes before recording on them.

*A Skip Mark is electronic mark that causes the deck to automatically fast forward to the next track. It is useful to skip over things that you don't want to listen to, like commercials. There were a number of different kinds of electronic marks on DCC tapes, such as one to causes the Deck to immediately play the other side of the tape.