Evolution of Analog Machines

[nate_dennis]

I don't know much about the technology or the in depth differences, but I'm reminded of a quote....

I don't remember who said it but someone said "if you can't make a good recording on a Tascam or Fostex, you wont be able to make a good recording on a Studer or an Ampex." (I probably souldn't put that in quotes since I'm not 100% sure on the wording.) But that's kind of where I sit. If you suck on a portastudio, you're going to suck on a studer.





































(Suck on a studer......that's kinda funny.)

 

[Tim Gillett]

That can be very true. A Studer didnt necessarily give better audio results than a Tascam of even more modest consumer machines. Pro machines were built heavy to last and for easy servicing and not necessarily better sound quality.

But many home recordists didnt know that there was more to recording a vocal than just using a good tape machine, sticking a good mic in front of a gifted vocalists and letting it rip.

For example, limiters were used extensively to reduce tape overload on volume peaks. It kind of surprises me on this forum that limiters/ compressers and their correct use get such little attention when they had such an integral role in recording to analog tape with its limited dynamic range.
I couldnt imagine recording seriously to analog tape without some sort of dynamics control on the way in.

This was especially true with the field I was most involved in, Talking Book Production. When there's just one voice coming out of silence, analog tape print through could be a huge problem (it only gets worse with the years on old recordings) and you had to very carefully limit maximum magnetisation or you were asking for trouble months or years down the track.

I've heard remastered recordings from well known publishers and the production has been ruined by constant voice echoes from start to finish. I once talked to a qualified broadcast engineer about this problem. He said, no problem, just stick a noise gate on the playback. Yeah sure.

Whereas these days you can often get away with no dynamics control in tracking. Print through is a thing of the past.