Can i use quarter inch tape on a 16 track machine?

[stevemayuk]

Hi I was wondering if anybody could help me here, i have been offered a fostex 16 track machine and wish to use it as a 16 track with half inch tape, and for 2 track mastering using quarter inch tape, does anyone know if this is possible, rather than spending xtra monies on a seperate 2 track machine ?
any info will be much appreciated.

 

[themaddog]

No, you can't do that. The 1/4" tape wouldn't even fit onto a 1/2" machine.

I would recommend mixing down to a computer for starters. Later, if you want to invest in a 1/4" 2 track go for it.

-MD

 

[Lt. Bob]

well ...... just as an exercise, I wonder.
First, it's not gonna be a good mastering machine because the track width on the tape is too small.
But I wonder if you could put 1/4" reels on and then basically have the tape ride on the inner half of the path?

I'm not saying it's a good idea ...... just kinda curious.

 

[jpmorris]

But I wonder if you could put 1/4" reels on and then basically have the tape ride on the inner half of the path?
I'm not saying it's a good idea ...... just kinda curious.

Typically it's a last resort for doing a basic test on a 1/2" machine when you only have 1/4" tape to hand.

In principle it is possible to do this if you absolutely have to play back an R8 recorded tape an you only have an E16 or something, but you would have to have someone with a CNC machine create some new tape guides for it to work reliably. Prolonged use in this manner will cause a 1/4" groove to wear into the head making it unusable for 1/2" tapes.
IIRC Frank Zappa did this trick on a 2" Studer when he needed to transfer some old 1" 12-track masters and couldn't obtain a compatible machine. And yes, he did get custom guides made.

 

[dintymoore]

Tape is tape, but all the guides would be wrong so it would be luck if it worked correctly.

But I've experienced a Fostex 16 track and it didn't sound right to my ears so that would be the bigger problem for me.

 

[miroslav]

Since you are even considering that and you can't simultaneously use the same deck for playback of 16 tracks on 1/2" while at the same time recording to the same deck as 2-track on 1/4"...
...I'm assuming that once you record your 16 tracks to 1/2" you have to then transfer them to something for playback…
…a computer...yes????

Were you then going to mix in the computer and just send the 2-track mix back out to tape...???...or were you going to mix out of the computer in the analog domain through a mixer and outboard gear and THEN go to your 2-track?

Answer some of these questions as it will dictate what the best SOP would be for you, but for your original question, a simple solution would be to use a 1/2" tape on your machine and just master down to 2 of its tracks (or spread the L/R across multiple tracks if you want to for kicks )...there's no need to use a 1/4" tape, you would gain nothing.

 

[ofajen]

Dealing with two tape widths (at different times and for different purposes) is possible on some machines. The "small format" machines of 3M, MCI and Ampex, just to name a few, generally could be set up to handle both 1/4" and 1/2" tape. You'd just swap out the headstack assembly and then either replace or rotate the tape guides to switch from one width to the other. My 3M 1/4" machine has pinch rollers, reversing idler and so on designed to accommodate 1/2" tape. That's pretty standard. The M-56 16 track even had reversible guides to switch from 2" tape to 1" tape. But you wouldn't want to make a habit of running the 1" tape across 2" heads.

However, in this case, what the OP wants to do is not practical at all. The track width is four times too small, so you'd need to come up with both 1/4" guides and a new headstack, both of which might be difficult and expensive, and then you wouldn't be able to both play from the 16 track and mix to the same machine as a 2-track at the same time. Far easier and more useful to just get a 1/4" 2-track machine.

Cheers,

Otto