Re: [AV Media Matters] Print-through - progress of technology? &

[smolians@erols.com]

A comment.

I also do audio preservation and restoration, including 1/4" tape.

My specialty, however, is obsolete audio formats of other types: discs,
wires, dictation belts, cardboard home recording discs, etc.

I know there are others who contribute to this list who work on odd film and
some government-only audio storage media.

Steve Smolian

----- Original Message -----
From: <lists.rlhess@mindspring.com>
To: <AV-Media-Matters@topica.com>
Sent: Monday, July 10, 2000 6:11 AM
Subject: RE: [AV Media Matters] Print-through - progress of technology? &
dubbing requ

>At 07:37 AM 07/09/2000 -0700, Graham Newton wrote in part:
>>the caveat of my comments was:-
>>
>>**************************************************************
>>> Since technology will progress, there will doubtless come a time when
>>better
>>> transfer or restoration means are at hand and it will be desirable to
>>> re-transfer the deteriorated tape.
>>**************************************************************
>
>This is an interesting comment. Yes, our digital technology will continue
>to improve, but the analog reproduction technology is, to the best of my
>knowledge, stagnate. While one can argue in 1/4-inch that top of the line
>Ampex ATR-100's, Nagra-T's, Otari MTR10's and 12's, Sony APR5003v's, and
>various Studer machines are at the pinnacle of reproduction quality, most
>if not all of these are out of production and will need increasing
>maintenance as time goes by. Due to time and budget constraints as well as
>the crossover of technologies, I believe that in most cases the transfers
>we do today may be the only ones ever done on a substantial portion of the
>existing material. While I'd love a better recording medium than 44.1/16,
>the majority of the tapes I have access to don't exceed the dynamic range
>of this system (and there is a comfortable margin). Also, the high-end
>response is a bit lacking, but only noticeable in direct A-B comparisons
>with some of the best 30ips masters.
>
>Certainly our 44.1/16 archives are much better than shellac 78's and
>probably better than 95-99+% of the LPs out there.
>
>Very few libraries have the resources evidenced by Fox about eight or ten
>years ago when an entire special system was developed to transfer the
aging
>Fox Movietone News nitrate films to a 1Kx1K pixel data format using
>continuous motion transport and a xenon-flash-based exposure system. A
>custom telecine was actually manufactured for the purpose.
>
>Other than that type of investment, I don't see the reproduction equipment
>improving with age. In my opinion, even today, the analog reproduction
>equipment for audio and video is becoming the limiting factor. Thank
>goodness for the two companies on this list who maintain the several
>million formats needed to reproduce all the odd formats we've inflicted
>upon ourselves over the years. In my sideline business of music
>restoration, I can get by with three machines.
>   Sony APR5003V
>   Tandberg 3500X
>   Turntable, etc.
>
>Hey, as a side comment...anyone on this list have an 8-track 1-inch audio
>player (probably 15ips) with 8 tracks of dbx AND a 20-bit ADAT (preferably
>the XT-20 or better) and would be able to do a transfer for me?
>
>Cheers and thanks,
>
>Richard
>Richard L. Hess                              richard@richardhess.com
>Glendale, CA USA                           http://www.richardhess.com/
>Web page: folk and church music, photography,
>broadcast engineering, home wiring, and more