What is NAB tape?

NAB curve – a set of standard equalization curves for use with tape machines at various tape speeds, developed by the National Association of Broadcasters. In about 1948, Ampex designed an equalization curve for use with the standard professional recording tape at the time (3M’s 111 recording tape).

What is tape equalization?

Equalization. EQUALIZATION. The standard correction which is made during disc and tape recording or playback with regard to the FREQUENCY characteristics of the sound SIGNAL. This correction emphasizes some frequency BANDs in the SPECTRUM of a sound and de-emphasizes others. The process is also called compensation.

Does magnetic tape have good sound quality?

sound recording The incoming sound wave, having been converted by a microphone… … however, the much-improved medium of magnetic tape offered both superior sound quality and the crucial advantage of editability.

How equalization is carried out in a magnetic tape recorder?

Equalization for Tape Playback When a magnetic image of a sound signal is recorded onto tape with optimum bias, the magnetization of the tape is linearly proportional to the signal voltage applied to the head.

What is the magnetic tape?

Magnetic tape is a medium for magnetic storage, made of a thin, magnetizable coating on a long, narrow strip of plastic film. It was developed in Germany in 1928, based on magnetic wire recording.

How much does a cassette tape cost?

Regular price for most cassettes at Tower is currently $9.44. Tower’s sale price for new-release CDs is generally $11.99, with regular prices of $13.99 and $14.99.

What are the essential requirements of an equalizer?

There are many different types of equalizers, and they all perform boosts and cuts in specific frequency ranges….There are four essential elements that we use to control that image:

  • Level (Height)
  • EQ (Height)
  • Panning (Width)
  • Time-Based Effects (Depth)

How does a equalizer work?

An equalizer is simply a tool that lets you adjust the volume of the individual frequencies within an audio source. Rather than a volume fader, which would allow us to adjust the overall volume, an equalizer allows us to just turn up or turn down individual frequencies and individual elements of that sound.

Why are magnetic tapes no longer popular?

Many organisations need the data they archive today to be accessible and readable 15 or even 30 years from now, which is why tape’s decline was staggered year-by-year. Newer technologies offering greater flexibility, reliability, speed and total cost have replaced tape as a backup medium.

What can go wrong with magnetic media?

If the binder loses integrity – through softening, embrittlement, loss of cohesiveness, or loss of lubrication – the tape may become unplayable. Sticky tape and sticky shed are commonly used terms to describe the phenomenon associated with deterioration of the magnetic tape binder.

What is head bump tape?

The frequency of the low frequency ripple known as head bump is also linked to tape speed. Head bump is a damped oscillation in the low frequency output created by the limited length of the head relative to the wavelength of the signal on tape.

Are magnetic tapes analog or digital?

Magnetic Tape is analog the info they are putting on it is digital. You could put a digital signal on an LP that doesn’t make it a digital medium, just you would be limited to how much data kbps/information you could put on it.

How to get MRL Studio Master Equalization on NAB tape?

So just play a 7.5 in/s NAB Calibration Tape at 15 in/s, set the repro response above 500 Hz (at 15 in/s) to “flat”, and you’ve got the “MRL Studio Master” equalization. Note that you cannot use the frequencies below 250 Hz on this tape, since they have the low-frequency boost of the NAB equalization.

What is the best tape speed for mismatched equalisation?

Tapes recorded at 15 ips (38cm/s) tapes offer the most scope for mismatched equalisation because this was the most common speed for high-quality recordings and different equalisations were commonly used: NAB (now officially called IEC2) in the US and IEC or CCIR (now officially called IEC1) in Europe.

Is the NAB standard optimum for recording at 15 in/s on tapes?

(The Magnecord equalization was quite different.) The Ampex equalization was approved as an NAB Standard in 1953. It was appropriate in its day. Q. Is the NAB standard optimum for recording at 15 in/s on modern tapes? A. Without a doubt, it is far from optimum.

What are the limitations of tape equalisation?

Equalisation of any analogue tape medium results from the requirement to compensate for limitations in the medium itself. These limitations are a function of linear tape speed so that equalisation varies according to the standard tape speeds of: 30 ips*, 15 ips, 7.5 ips, 3.75 ips and 1.875 ips.