[Vintage-Audio] 2Track Vs 4 Track

[wolfbob]

True, if nothing changes. The tape is an easy one to get. Someone with a
calibrated deck can make you a tape at 185nWb/m fluxivity and I believe 700
Hz. This is dB or the reference level for Dolby systems. dbx systems use
1000 Hz at 185 nWb/m. The frequency is the crossover point for the
compression and needs to be correct.

WBob

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Duane Fischer, W8DBF" <dfischer at usol.com>
To: "Vintage home and professional audio equipment from 1975 back"
<vintage-audio at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2004 9:08 PM
Subject: Re: [Vintage-Audio] 2Track Vs 4 Track


> Bob,
>
> How does the calibration tape work for the Teac AN-180 external Dolby and
> equalization unit? It is my understanding that once it is calibrated, the
tape
> is not needed again. True or myth?
>
> Duane W8DBF
>
>
>
> ----------
> From: wolfbob <wolfbob at csnsys.com>
> To: Mark - AA6DX <aa6dx at pacbell.net>; Vintage home and professional audio
> equipment from 1975 back <vintage-audio at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: Re: [Vintage-Audio] 2Track Vs 4 Track
> Date: Wednesday, August 04, 2004 11:30 PM
>
> No sorry but wrong again. All the test tapes I have (about 12) all are
full
> track and are not ever used to align the heads in any dinmension that
would
> influence crosstalk. That is done by mechanical alignment of the tape
edges
> and the head gaps. Test tapes are used for setting levels, aligning
azimuth
> and correcting equalization, not for setting where the tape goes by the
> heads. Again after aligning, testing and using about three different 1/4
> inch 4 track reel to reel decks per week for the last five years, that I
> have never heard ANY crosstalk on an aligned deck either with it's own or
> other decks tape or with prerecorded tapes (which I have about 100). You
> possibly are mistaking print through for crosstalk.
>
> If you think the gap spacing is tight in 1/4 inch 4 track, it is the same
as
> 1/2 inch 8 track and 1 inch 16 track, the very popular standards for the
> recording industry. Carrying it to an extreme look at the cassette where
you
> have 4 tracks in 1/8 inch or so. Yet the cassette is not driven by the
> appearance of any crosstalk.
>
> Now it was a problem in the decks made in the early 40s before they
figured
> out how to get some shielding between the gaps, but all of the Japanese,
> most of the US and all but some early European decks have never had this
> problem. Certainly any 4 track stereo deck used adequate shielding and
> therefore no crosstalk as they were all built after about 1950.
>
> WBob
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Mark - AA6DX" <aa6dx at pacbell.net>
> To: "Vintage home and professional audio equipment from 1975 back"
> <vintage-audio at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2004 7:15 PM
> Subject: Re: [Vintage-Audio] 2Track Vs 4 Track
>
>
> > Cross talk is indeed an issue.  One may never hear crosstalk on a
properly
> > aligned 4 track, but, if you purchase pre- recorded tapes, or the
product
> > comes from a different recorder, you may well have your recording
invaded
> by
> > other way sound.  Industry standard test tapes are designed to eliminate
> > this problem, but a lot of audiophiles never bothered, because the tapes
> > played back swell on their own machine.  Signal to noise is very
> > important... but so is equalization and head room.  As an aside, most
home
> > users did not set their equalization to match their chosen brand and
> > specific blank tape, and lost much of the quality they hoped to gain by
> the
> > expenditure for the "high priced spread".
> >
> > Why do you suppose the broadcast industry universally uses half track?
> > Surely not so they can spend more money on tape!  If your local radio
> > station gets its ads (hopefully for your favorite presidential
candidate)
> > via ancient reel to reel tape, it will be half track.
> >
> > 15 IPS and half track was (or is, I don't know) the professional
standard
> > for high fidelity stereo content using 1/4" tape.  One inch tape if you
> were
> > serious, and could afford the hardware.
> >
> > I spent 10 years in the sales part of audio, and 10 years in Broadcast,
> and
> > throw in a few years in the advertising agency business.  But there are
> > those who know more than I.
> >
> > Far West Mark
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > List Administrator: Duane Fischer, W8DBF
> > ** For Assistance: dfischer at usol.com **
> >
> >
> >
>
>
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