digital break up

[Chuck Ruland]

i just finished recording a lecture on my GL2 in LP mode
right now i am playing it back and taping it onto a VHS
the tape is breaking up and getting worse as the tape progressses. should i clean the heads?
my GL2 is only 3 months old and not used much?
or should i not use LP on my camera.?

[Ken Tanaka]

1. Run a cleaning tape, following the intructions on the cleaning tape -precisely-.

2. Don't use LP mode. It's a very bad bet.

It's, at best, a 50/50 proposition to recover your footage.

[Chuck Ruland]

Ken
thanks for your reply
luckily this lecture was not critical but i learned my lesson
lp is bad.
did you mean for me to use a cleaning tape because on the second lp tape it got better
maybe just bad tape
thanks again
chuck

[Ken Tanaka]

I recommended using the cleaner to potentially eliminate contamination from the read heads. If your write heads were contaminated when the tape was recorded the footage will not be recoverable.

[Daniel Kohl]

I wouldn't recommend LP. I don't know why it is even an option.

Maybe it's good for surveillance. But that’s it.

[Chuck Ruland]

i
ken
thought using a head cleaner tape was like using sandpaper
not sure if i'm that desperate yet
chuck

[Ken Tanaka]

Cleaner tapes are mildly abrasive; that's how they work. But, used in moderation and per their instructions, they're a perfectly safe and absolutely essential tool for anyone who's at all serious about their shooting. Their use is by no means an act of "desparation"; it's normal maintenence.

[Chuck Ruland]

thanks Ken
i'm a novice but would like to consider myself serious about
my film project
can i ask how many times you have used a cleaner tape(based on your use of course).
appreciate your response
chuck

[Ken Tanaka]

I've no idea, Chuck. I've been doing this a while and have quite a few cameras. Perhaps, on average, once or twice a year per camera. But that's highly dependent on usage. Your mileage may vary.