1/2" stereo recorders

[antispatula]

can anyone give me any good models? I need one for mixing down. Thanks!

 

[jpmorris]

can anyone give me any good models? I need one for mixing down. Thanks!

At the 'consumer' level the only one I know of is the Fostex E22, which is pretty rare. However, most pro machines can be modded to use 1/2". Studer in particular. You occasionally see Studer B67 headblocks on ebay because the owner has upgraded to 1/2" format.
I think the Otari MTR15 can be 1/2".

If you have more money than sense, you might be able to get JRF to make 2-track heads for a Tascam 32 or 38 (you would need to replace the 32's headblock and guides with '38 parts, but it's quite feasible!).

Anyway, here's the JRF pages on 1/2" 2-track:

http://www.jrfmagnetics.com/JRF_halfinch2T.html
http://www.jrfmagnetics.com/halfinchprices.html

 

[antispatula]

wait, if it's pretty rare, then what do people use to mix with if they used a 1/2 tape to record a song? 1/4? then why not use 1/4 in the first place for recording. if you're going to have to degrade it to a 1/4 anyways.

 

[jpmorris]

wait, if it's pretty rare, then what do people use to mix with if they used a 1/2 tape to record a song? 1/4? then why not use 1/4 in the first place for recording. if you're going to have to degrade it to a 1/4 anyways.

I'm not quite sure I follow. You'd record the song on 2" tape with 16 or 24 tracks, and then mix that down to your 2-track machine. Traditionally your mixdown machine would be 1/4", but during the 1980s 1/2" machines became popular as people tried to reduce hiss. I think most records from the '70s would have been mixed down to 1/4" though.

The 1/2" mixdown machines would probably have been Studers or something similar factory-fitted with a 1/2" headblock. Generally there weren't special models for each task, so the A80, A800, A820 etc could be fitted to do anything.. I think you specified the number of tracks and tape width when ordering the machine. Although you could usually modify them afterwards to some extent (1/4" -> 1/"2, 16-tracks to 8 etc)

 

[antispatula]

wait, so if every mixes down to a 1/4, then why use 1/2 in the first place? Isn't it a complete loss? You aren't preserving the added quality then.....right? Sorry if that is confusing

 

[FALKEN]

nah. a 1/4" 2-track is generally higher fidelity than a 1/2" 8 track.

 

[antispatula]

wait, I don't think I'm clarifying enough, I'll make it simple:

1. What sounds better (from original tape to mixdown tape) , 1/2>1/4, or 1/4>1/4, or the same? Would there be a difference in 1/4 8 track to 1/4 stereo, and a 1/8 8 track to 1/4 stereo?

 

[jpmorris]

wait, I don't think I'm clarifying enough, I'll make it simple:

1. What sounds better (from original tape to mixdown tape) , 1/2>1/4, or 1/4>1/4, or the same? Would there be a difference in 1/4 8 track to 1/4 stereo, and a 1/8 8 track to 1/4 stereo?

Each recording stage will add tape hiss.. but 1/2" stereo will add less hiss than 1/4" stereo would.

I think that's basically what you're asking.

Long version follows. I think I've said most of this before
To answer your earlier question, tape hiss depends to an extent on how large the recording area is. You'll get a better signal-to-noise ratio with half-inch two-track than with quarter-inch two-track.

Likewise for multitracks: 8 tracks on 1" tape (Atom Heart Mother, Court of the Crimson King etc) will work without noise reduction, because each track is the same width as a single track of 1/4" 2-track.

With 8 tracks on 1/2" tape, the tracks will be the same width as 1/4"-4track tape. Some people are okay with that.. other people want noise reduction.

With 8 tracks on 1/4" tape, the tracks are the same width as cassette tape. This is okay for 2-tracks, but with 8 it is not nice and you invariably use some form of noise reduction. For example, the A8 doesn't have Dolby On/Off.. it calls it 'Internal/External' because you'd have to be mad to use no noise reduction on those machines.

In short, the wider the tape the better. I'd like to use 1/2" 2-track, but I can't really afford it and besides, if 1/4" 2-track was good enough for Genesis, Pink Floyd, Rush and so on, it's good enough for me.

 

[Ding Dong]

Tape size only matters when you take into consideration the amount of tracks you are recording.
8 tracks on 1/2" = each track gets 1/16" of tape.
2 tracks on 1/4" = each track gets 1/8" of tape.
so mixing down to 1/4" is still an improvement.

keep in mind when you are mixing, you will get hiss from both the tape you are mixing to and the tape you are mixing from. So it pays to have both be as large as possible. Well, YOU pay too...

Tape speed is another thing to consider as well.