Byer Logo

Rola Tape

Here are two examples of tape supplied by Rola.

Here is a close-up of the Rola Special Products logo on the tape spool.

For quite while I had assumed that Rola had sold imported tape rebadged with the Rola name, however this was not the case. The following news item is from the Proceedings of the I.R.E. Australia, December 1959, page 747.

"MAGNETIC RECORDING TAPE"

"Climaxing fifteen months' extensive research and development, Rola Company (Aust.) Pty. Ltd. has released on the market top quality Australian made Magnetic Recording Tapes, which are being manufactured at its new Harrisfield factory, near Dandenong, Victoria.

The release of the tapes follows the Company's acquisition of Aurovox Magnetic Tape Company of Homebush, New South Wales. Aurovox equipment was brought to Melbourne and with the assistance of former Aurovox Managing Director, Mr H. E. Du Cros, a team of chemical, mechanical and electronic engineers set out to develop an Australian made recording tape which would compare favourably with the best imported tapes.

The result of their efforts is the tape currently being marketed which Rola engineers say is equal to any, and superior to most, imported tapes.

Two types of tape are being marketed by Rola, Hi Fi tape on 1½ mil Polyvinyl Chloride film, and Long Play tape on 1 mil Polyester film. The First is available in 600 and 1200 feet lengths and the second in 900 and 1800 feet lengths.

Internationally recognized standards to which Rolatape is made are:- Frequency response beyond 15,000 c.p.s. at a speed of 7½ inches per second. Background noise more than 65 db below recording level. Modulation noise more than 50 db below recording level. Distortion less than 2%. Variation in output less than 1 db over any spool and less than 2 db between spools. Rola Company (Australia) Pty. Ltd., The Boulevarde, Richmond, Victoria."