Re: [ARSCLIST] Old reel to reel 'echo' problem

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

Hello, Melodie,

This is called "print through" where the signal on one layer of a 
tape impresses itself onto adjacent layers of the tape. In rare 
instances, you can hear things repeat more than once.

The time difference between the original and the image is once around the reel.

Sometimes this can be cured by winding the tape through and letting 
it sit for a few days.

There is a process--available only on the Studer A820 with 
late-version software--called "skimming" which puts a small erase 
current onto the tape in an attempt to erase only the easily modified 
magnetic domains (which are the ones that are modified to cause the 
print through).

I have yet to hear of any real successes in trying this though it has 
been discussed on various lists. I have not tried it.

Careful application of dynamics processing (compression and gating) 
in a DAW, plus sometimes editing at the beginning/end of a recording) 
can reduce the annoyance factor, or if done too much increase the 
annoyance factor. Never a nice thing. It was known from the beginning 
and is worse on speech which is why most of the dialogue recordings 
for films done on a reel-to-reel Nagra were done on special "low 
print" tapes. These weren't as "hot" for music, but did better for speech.

Cheers,

Richard

At 03:25 PM 2009-03-31, Frances, Melodie wrote:
> All,
>
> I am not even sure 'echo' is the correct term, but with our old reel to
> reel tapes (and I have had this experience with personal cassettes),
> there is this thing I am calling echo - where what the person says is
> repeated at a fairly low level - you can usually only really hear it
> when there is silence - and it is basically a repeat of what had just
> been said - so not really a echo but more like a delayed repetition. Is
> this a head cleaning problem? Or a problem that can be fixed? Does
> anyone even know what I'm talking about, and if so, what is it called?
>
> Thanks
>
>
> Melodie Morgan Frances
> Head of Cataloging
> Graduate Theological Union
> mfrances@xxxxxxx
> 510-649-2521
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
> [mailto:ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Eric Jacobs
> Sent: Thursday, March 12, 2009 10:06 AM
> To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [ARSCLIST] Digital archiving and OAIS SIP implementation
>
> How many organizations reading this list accept audio preservation
> SIPs from outside of your organization?
>
> If so, I'd like to hear from you as we look to deliver more
> complete audio preservation packages that consist of more than
> just a WAVE or BWF file.
>
> Eric Jacobs
>
> The Audio Archive, Inc.
> tel: 408.221.2128
> fax: 408.549.9867
> mailto:EricJ@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> http://www.TheAudioArchive.com
> Disc and Tape Audio Transfer Services and Preservation Consulting

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.