The contemporary audio recording, transfer and playback equipment shown in this series of photos are currently in use at the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Preservation.
Keith Monks disc cleaning apparatus
(The arm on the left is used to pump water over a disc’s surface. The white-bristled brush is used to push fluid into its grooves. Afterward, the arm on the right, which contains a vacuum, is used to remove moisture, dust and dirt.)
A typical convection oven
Tape stock from the 1970s and’80s is prone to “sticky shed” syndrome wherein moisture causes the tape’s iron oxide to come loose from its base. Baking tapes in a convection oven at 130 degrees for eight hours draws out the excess moisture and, temporarily, re-adheres the oxide to the tape’s plastic foundation.)
