Re: [ARSCLIST] Quarter-inch splicing tabs

[Tom Fine <tflists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

It was Joel Tall. If I remember the story correctly, he was a CBS producer or editor in the early 
days of tape. He invented a better way to splice tapes than a wooden block with markings on it. See 
patent # 2599667.

The best razor-man I ever saw was a radio commercial guy who's now retired. He would keep notes on 
the details of ever word of every take, and his ear was trained so that he could hear during a take 
THAT'S IT for one word out of 20 or 100 or more. He could splice together syllables into words. One 
30-second spot I saw him put together (with a not so great v/o guy) had over a hundred splices. It 
sounded perfect, like the guy just nailed the take and walked away. My friend knew better and has 
the gray hair to prove it. Like many older guys, he's not that comfortable on a computer, so I 
helped him out with something he was doing for another friend, using a professional voice-over guy, 
a couple of years ago. It took us a full day to record and edit the bit. His comment was, it might 
have gone slightly faster with a blade -- which I chalk up as a credit to his efficiency since we 
were not wasting time and Soundforge was very cooperative that day. He admitted it's more intuitive 
to see a waveform on the screen and be able to drop markers and cut and paste stuff (also easier to 
keep track of edit windows than 6-inch bits of tape).

-- Tom Fine


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Lennick" <dlennick@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, March 10, 2006 7:54 PM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Quarter-inch splicing tabs


> Jeffrey Kane wrote:
>
> > I found a bunch of them in Australia about a year ago and bought 15 or so.
> > The place may still have them. I'll try to find their URL. They are labeled
> > BASF and are in a small grey plastic dispenser. The other manufacturer was
> > Editall. The tabs were branded XEDIT. Last ones I found were at Tape
> > Warehouse in Atlanta but I think I bought all they had. They still have the
> > 1/2", 3/4" and 1" tabs in stock if you don't mind cutting them down to size.
> > The URL is HTTP://www.tapewarehouse.com. I think they're superior to the
> > BASF tabs.
>
> Today's trivia question: Name the person whose surname is part of "Editall".
> What did he do? Discuss.
>
> dl
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
> > [mailto:ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of David Lennick
> > Sent: Friday, March 10, 2006 5:36 PM
> > To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Quarter-inch splicing tabs
> >
> > I used to be able to get those BASF dispensers from an AV distributor in
> > Edmonton, but that was a LONG
> > time ago (at least 20 years). Now it's whatever I can get from Tele-Tech,
> > just north of Toronto, and the
> > usual half-inch dispenser and a razor blade.
> > dl
> >
> > Tom Fine wrote:
> >
> > > Hi Marie:
> > >
> > > You are correct! It was BASF before Emtec was a glint in a beancounter's
> > eye. I have one with a BASF
> > > sticker and one with a Gotham sticker over the BASF sticker. Both are
> > running low.
> > >
> > > -- Tom Fine
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Marie O'Connell" <Marie.OConnell@xxxxxxx>
> > > To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > > Sent: Friday, March 10, 2006 5:39 PM
> > > Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Quarter-inch splicing tabs
> > >
> > > >I am holding one of those very 1/4 inch splicing dispensers in my hands
> > > > now.....BUT, the label has fallen off, so I can't tell you who made
> > them.  I
> > > > have a feeling it was EMTEC....but.....my memory fails me.  Otherwise, I
> > use
> > > > the blue Quantegy tape and have it on a tape dispenser and just cut off
> > what
> > > > I need with a razor blade.  I think the blue is archivally more
> > acceptable
> > > > and least sticky than the really handy dispenser one!
> > > >
> > > > Cheers
> > > >
> > > > Marie
> > > >
> > > > Marie O'Connell
> > > > Sound Archivist/Audio Engineer/Sound Consultant
> > > > The Center For Oral History & Cultural Heritage
> > > > The University Of Southern Mississippi
> > > > 118 College Drive #5175
> > > > Hattiesburg, MS, 39401-406
> > > > Ph: 601-266-6514
> > > > Fax: 601-266-6217
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
> > > > [mailto:ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Tom Fine
> > > > Sent: Friday, March 10, 2006 3:45 PM
> > > > To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > > Subject: [ARSCLIST] Quarter-inch splicing tabs
> > > >
> > > > Does anyone make/sell quarter-inch splicing tabs anymore? I'm talking
> > about
> > > > the white tabs you put
> > > > over a splice-cut on quarter-inch tape. Back in the tape heyday, places
> > like
> > > > Gotham Audio used to
> > > > give away tab dispensers at trade shows. I thought I had stockpiled
> > enough,
> > > > but no. I much prefer
> > > > the tabs to regular blue splicing tape, tabs take much less time to peel
> > and
> > > > stick. I think someone
> > > > still makes sheets of cassette-splicing tabs, so do the same folks make
> > 1/4"
> > > > versions?
> > > >
> > > > -- Tom Fine