scott wrote:
>> What actually makes that "chattering" sound that old tape systems make?
> 
> Lots of complex mechanical parts in a tape playback system (clutches, 
> pulleys, idler gears, speed controllers, brakes etc) , the main 
> "problem" is that you need to control the speed of the tape during 
> playback and recording to a very accurate value.  You also need to drive 
> the two spools appropiately to avoid the tape getting all bunched up or 
> snapping.  You need to do this correctly for vastly different radii of 
> tape on each spool (so you can't just drive the spools at a fixed or 
> calculated rate), plus during fast forward and reverse.
> 
> I imagine the noise you are referring to could be anything within the 
> whole drive system within the tape player.

Our old DDS tape system was pretty quiet. Almost inaudible over the roar 
of the air conditioning system and the cooling fans and harddrives of 5 
servers.

The LTO1 tape robot we got after that was quite quiet. Reading from tape 
was silent. Moving the caracel was audible; you could hear the cars go 
round inside.

Our new LTO3 tape robot is... very loud. The robot itself makes all 
mannar of grating and grinding noises as it works. (I checked the manual 
several times to see if there's any restraining bolts you're supposed to 
remove after transit or anything, but no...)

The tape *drive* itself is comparatively quiet. But when it first loads 
the tape, and occasionally thereafter, it makes a "chattering" noise 
which sounds *exactly* like the 1960s reel-to-reel tape streamers you 
see in old movies.

I'm just wondering exactly what part of it makes the noise. It seems 
logical that it would be some part of the tape drive system; I guess a 
loop of taught tape makes a good sound board...

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