RE: RE: [AV Media Matters] F1 format PCM tape deterioration

[Charles Repka <Charles.P.Repka@abc.com>]

I happen to know someone who has designed and made a SPDIF output
adapter for the Sony F1 and 501 and 701 PCM devices ( the Sony 601
has an SPDIF output.  I recently installed this kit into my 501. The
installation is relative simple and works well.  The adapter put in
the proper flags including preemphasis if it was on the original
recording. (The 501 recorded with pre emphasis always on the 70 1
with pre emphasis always off).  With a SPDIF output and the tapes
played back on the original decks it should be a relatively trivial
task to trans fer the recordings to DAT or some other digital
format.  But be advised,  if the tapes are first transferred to a
DAW for editing before transfer to it's final format, all flags will
be lost and the pre emphasis will have to be re inserted as
necessary for proper playback.  This digital output also tends to
mute before the analog outputs so the signal should be monitored
carefully during the transfer process. If you are interested in
getting an adapter card, contact Paul Phippen at
pp@whistlewood.co.uk.

Charles Repka

> -----Original Message-----
> From: shubha@arce.ernet.in [mailto:shubha@arce.ernet.in]
> Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2001 12:18 PM
> To: AV Media Matters
> Subject: Re: RE: [AV Media Matters] F1 format PCM tape deterioration
>
>IT is great to see some discussion on this topic. we have a few
>thousand PCM tapes made on the Sony F1 VHS and they seem fine. They
>have been stored in optimum temperature and humidity conditions
>and we have the original decks. I would be interested in hearing
>about the testing procedures - but most of all how we could
>transfer these without loss as this is definitely obsolete. The F1
>models we have dont have a digital output.
>
>Suggestions and wisdom would be much appreciated.
>
>Shubha Chaudhuri
>Director (Archives and Research Centre for Ethnomusicology)
>
>>I have heard word ( from a friend of mine in England) that there is
>>significant deterioration in the F1 PCM audio tapes recorded on the Beta VCR
>>format.  The source of this is the French Bibliotique.  They are supposed to
>>have made measurements that showed the tapes have lost 40% of their "carrier
>>level".  I have a number of tapes recorded using this format on both Beta
>>and VHS formats and have not seen this kind of problem(yet).
>>I suspect their measurements reflect interchange errors that occur when the
>>tapes were played back on machines other than the ones used to make the original
>>recordings.  All my tapes play fine but I still have the original decks.
>>Has anyone else heard about this problem and care to comment?
>>
>>Charles Repka