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

[smolians@erols.com]

A comment.  Recorders are supposed to replicate the sound captured on the
medium they are playing back.  Flat. Any involuntary improvements, no matter
how delightful, are wrong, so a tape recorder should not sound "better" than
others if all are professional level and well maintained.  The only
exception is in the wow and flutter characteristics- the big Nagra has
significantly better specs in this department than all others I've looked
at.  I've never owned, used or measured one, but their paperwork and
reputation is impressive.

Depending on the client's needs, voluntary improvements are another,
subjective matter.

Incidentally, relapping or changing heads is only solving part of the
machine ageing problem.  Dealing with the scrape flutter mechanism resolves
playback machine tape motion issues.

As many of you know, I also deal in old records-LPs and 78s.  Accurate
grading is essential.  The greatest improvement to any dealer's grading
accuracy has been when he gets a new eyeglass prescription.  Fixing scrape
flutter is, dare I say it, analogous.

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