calibration tape....needed?

antispatula

antispatula

Active member
So I've been looking into calibrating my machine, and I still don't get it fully. So the basic idea is to run a certain signal through the machine, and set the pots on the back so that the vu meters register at a certain value? I know that's a really blunt way to put it, if it's even right, but my more important question is this:

since my machine has a built in oscillator, can I use that instead of MLR tape, or does the signal have to be read by the heads for me to calibrate it right?

And how expensive are the tapes? I've heard they're expensive......
 
Yes, they are expensive and yes they are needed even though you have a tone generator built into your deck.

Calibration tapes have specific levels of magnetic flux, expressed in nanowebers.

You need this tape to set your playback levels to it and then calibrate your recording levels with a blank tape to match the same level on playback of your test recording.

Once that is achieved, your machine will be correctly set to work with a given formulation of tape and to get consistent level results that will be compatible to work with optional noise reduction systems that depend on matched levels.

Cheers! :)
 
crap those tapes are expensive....is there any way around this? Can I ask a studio to record me a claibration tape on a blank tape or something? Thats proabibly a lot cheaper......I don't know.
 
Can I ask a studio to record me a calibration tape on a blank tape or something?
Click to expand...
Sure, you could ask them...I don't know what they'd charge you?

Keep in mind too, that unless their machine is PERFECTLY calibrated, itself, and their heads have NO wear on them and they have transfered it to a second machine that is also in the same PERFECT condition, that tape may be off and if so will make it useless as a reference standard.

When you purchase a calibration tape from MRL, you are purchasing a perfect reference.

Cheers! :)
 
Here is my question to add to this question.

which tape do you need? Is it ok to get the one that just does a level check (somewhat less expensive); or is it necessary to calibrate eq and how often?
 
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You know I could make and send you a calibration tape.... But then you would be calibrated to my deck.

THE MRL calibration tapes have not only accurate levels at many frequencys but also have accuratly adjusted azimuth adjustments. If you know boats or airplanes this is the yaw axis.

Of course if you never move tape from your machine to any other machine then azimuth is less important.
 
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