RE: [AV Media Matters] Analogue vs digital tape stock

[russm@idirect.com]

On Monday, December 18, 2000 2:45 PM, jeffkreines@mindspring.com
[SMTP:jeffkreines@mindspring.com] wrote:

>russm@idirect.com wrote:
>
>>I would never use old tape for archiving either (then again, I wouldn't
use
>>digital tape either...but now I'm starting an arguement).
>
>So what is the best format for archiving multitrack 35mm mag recordings,
>like mixes?  Another generation of mag?  Digital multitrack?  Analog
>multitrack?

Well, I have to admit it's debatable but here's my take on it.

The "best" format for archiving multitrack 35mm mag recordings is 35mm
multitrack (striped).

Archiving defined here as "storing content in a manner most likely to allow
retreival in 100 years or more."

My rationale is:

a) The format is more robust, thicker, not so easy to deform, signal
shouldn't print through.
b) the equipment, while already obsolete, is much easier to recreate or
redesign.  The signal being analog it requires no knowledge of codecs, no
special hardware that is uneconomical to reproduce.
c) Given all this, migration is likely to be less of a concern than it will
be for ANY of the digital formats.

Now if I had a magic box I would wish for a recorder capable of recording
high quality audio optically on polyester film.

>And what about mono or stereo mag?  DAT? CD-R? ;-)  1/4" Analog with
>timecode or pilotone? Mag?  And if mag, who makes good mag stock these
>days?

naturally stereo sound can be recorded (up to 6 tracks) on 35mm mag.  I
think FPC is the best by default.  Several years ago the CBC did a rough
comparison of 6 manufacturers of 16mm mag.  FPC came in about 3rd I think.
 When we had to find a replacement for Zonal we looked up the old report
and found that all but FPC and MPC had gone out of business.  I had trouble
getting BASF to test so I settled on FPC.  I beleive the Australian
archives is using BASF happily.

I like an analogue 1/4" and we considered it but ultimately it is a thin
tape and thus more susceptable to damage.

>I recently duped a bunch of 1972 Nagra tapes to both TC DAT and CD-R for
>easy access (because I was losing the Nagra-T that I had).  But I know
>that the Nagra tapes will likely long outlast the digital dupes.
>
>Larry Black, who writes about sound for MIX magazine, suggests archiving
>the hard drives that contain the mix, as well as a computer with the
>appropriate software to recover this information.  It can be cheaper than
>maintaining mag stems for everything.  You can get 80 gig harddrives for
>under $300 these days. But it does seem a bit excessive.

Jim answers this later but drives are even less stable than the others (my
opinion, not based on knowledge).  I can drop a mag on the floor and it
will still play back.

>Jeff "wish I had an answer" Kreines

I have all the answers.  Everyone else is wrong :)

Russ M.