![]() ![]() Exceptions we’ve come across include the Technics RS-15, the Otari MX-5050BII and the Teac X-1000M. In most cases it’s either one or the other. It’s a rare tape deck that can play both two-track/half-track and four-track/quarter-track. Technics RS-1500 showing two-track & four-track tape head options (The compact cassette tape was a development of four-track tape but the tape width was halved from ¼” down to ⅛” and the speed halved down to 1⅞ ips). So a four-track/quarter-track tape records two channels in one direction and two in the other when the tape is turned over, each track occupying a quarter of the total tape width. ![]() Two-track/half-track tapes record in one direction only, there’s no B side, so once you’ve finished playing the tape, you have to rewind it to listen again.ĭomestic machines, in contrast, were usually four-track (also called quarter-track) in that they recorded in both directions, providing double the amount of recording/playback time by allowing you to flip the tape over between side A and side B – though remember we’re not actually talking about two physical sides as with vinyl, since tape only has one recordable magnetic surface. In the case of stereo recording, professional studio machines were usually two-track (also called half-track), which means that the left channel occupies one half of the tape width and the right channel the other half. When it comes to tape recording formats, again there was typically a difference between professional and domestic use. ![]() Look for a deck with CINE hubs and get a NAB adaptor.įor master tape copies, make sure your deck can take 10.5” reels. You’ll need CINE hubs to play vintage commercially-released tapes and NAB hubs to play current master tape copies. To play 10.5″ reels (or larger) you’ll need a higher-end vintage domestic deck or a professional one. Most domestic decks were designed to play commercially-released 5 and 7-inch tapes, whereas 10.5 inches is the norm for master tape copies. The most commonly-used reel sizes were 5, 7 and 10.5 inches in diameter (though the latter is often abbreviated to 10”). The more important consideration is reel size since your choice of machine could potentially limit the tapes you can play. However the vast majority of tape decks, whether designed for professional or domestic use, tend to come with CINE hubs, for which you’ll need a NAB adaptor. NAB reels were typically used in studio and professional settings while CINE reels (also known as Trident) were the norm in domestic applications. Tape reels come in two main types, NAB reels and CINE reels. Reel size and format 5″, 7″ & 10.5″ reels If buying a vintage tape deck, make sure it takes ¼-inch tape. ¼-inch tape is the norm for both vintage tapes and current master tape copies. Which is good news since you’d need a whole different machine (with different tape heads, guides, etc) to play broader width tapes. But unless you’re recording professionally, chances are you’ll almost exclusively encounter ¼-inch tape. More tape width means more information storage capacity so the wider the tape, the better the potential fidelity. Broadly speaking, ¼-inch tape was the norm for domestic mono or stereo tape machines, while professional mono, stereo and multi-track tape recorders used any of ¼-inch, ½-inch, 1-inch or 2-inch tape. Open reel tape comes in ¼-inch, ½-inch, 1-inch and even 2-inch widths. These are all things to bear in mind when investing in a tape machine and when buying tapes for either playback or recording purposes. What’s more you’ll find significant variations between hardware and processes made for professional versus domestic use. Much will also depend on the age of the tapes and of the vintage decks you’re dealing with, since different eras had different technologies and ways of doing things. But obviously this uses up more tape and so the higher the cost. The wider and faster the tape, the better the fidelity and quality of the recording. Open reel tape comes in different sizes, formats and speeds so it’s a good idea to get to grips with some of the key variants, not least to ensure that the tape machine you buy can actually play the tapes you want to listen to.Īs with most things, there’s inevitably a trade-off between performance and cost. ![]()
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