[ARSCLIST] NAB vs. DIN recordings

["Richard L. Hess" <arclists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello,

I would like to query the collective wisdom of this list for 
facts/studies/specific anecdotes as to the pervasiveness of DIN 
(100-mil) 2-track 1/4-inch heads on used Studer tape machines. I have 
found them on machines both from the CBC and on machines believed to 
have spent most of their life in Southern California. While it is 
more prevalent on Studer A807s, there is no shortage of DIN heads for 
A810s as well.

Of course, in common Studer parlance, the DIN heads were generally 
referred to as "Butterfly" heads, but that is risky as the angled 
pole pieces have been used for NAB implementations by other 
manufacturers, and other manufacturers' DIN heads have parallel pole pieces.

We have four possible combinations of track width and EQ if we stick 
with standards:
      NAB Head, NAB Eq (assumed to be standard)
      NAB Head, IEC Eq
      DIN   Head, IEC Eq (assumed to be standard)
      DIN   Head, NAB Eq

I'd like to know about the applications of DIN heads and IEC Eq in 
North America. I would also be interested in the common speeds used 
for each of the four combinations that you are aware of. Of course 
for 30 in/s the IEC/NAB Eq question goes away and we have the AES Eq 
for all modern work.

It is becoming a bigger question than I thought and I'm trying to 
understand the spread and the implications.

Cheers,

Richard

Richard L. Hess                   email: richard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Aurora, Ontario, Canada       (905) 713 6733     1-877-TAPE-FIX
Detailed contact information: http://www.richardhess.com/tape/contact.htm
Quality tape transfers -- even from hard-to-play tapes.