Tape Thickness Comparison?

[Bob Boyer]

Okay, you guys get my dumb question for the day...

Studios use the thicker version of a tape why? My guess is less susceptibility to print through?

I ask because I'm getting ready to move all of my stuff down to a space on campus and start recording stuff (pictures to come later when I get things assembled) and I need to order some tape. I'd like to use the longer, 1.0 mil reels of LPR but I'm betting the SM911 is used for a good reason.

Thanks in advance...

[Big Kelv]

I think it has someting to do with the abuse the tape gets in a studio enviroment. The tape is constantly rwd/ffwd for drop ins etc. This would make very quickly make a thinner tape stretch/snap. In general the tapes also don't need the length as in my limited experience the reel usually only contains a short recording. All above applies to the multitrack side. For mastering, the recording time only needs to accomodate the the final piece - not to mention the 'abuse' the tape would receive at the pressing plant. Remember, the tape is used in an industrial enviroment. Just an assumption on my part. In the home, the user is generally more careful these days (the enthusiast will play/record a tape from beginning to end without stopping to ensure a good pack on the reel). The engineers in a studio need durability - if a tape breaks the recording is ruined, the client is p*ssed off, the studio loses credibility and revenue etc.

Kelvin

[cabraham]

Print through is definitely a good reason to use heavier tape. The s/n ratio of premium tapes can exceed the signal to print level ratio. A heavier tape, like 1.5 mil, provides lower print level & hence better dynamic range.

Also, when editing tapes, rocking reels back & forth across the heads, fast winding, spooling, etc., thicker tape does provide more protection against stretching & breaking.

One more thing worth mentioning is that thicker tapes also have thicker particle coatings. This results in better signal performance. Off the top of my head, those are the benefits of thicker tapes, although there may be others.

Claude

[A.N.T.]

Thicker tape provides for higher maximum output. For the same magnetic formulation the max output is directly proportional to the thickness of the magnetic layer. However there is a price to pay - this advantage can only be fully implemented at higher speeds - 15 and 30 ips. Also the recorder needs to be able to take these high levels - up to +18 dB for some tapes and needs to be aligned specifically for these. Thick tapes also noisier than thin ones - the noise increase is proportional to the square root of the thickness increase. For that reason the dynamic range of a tape increases by 3 dB when the magnetic layer thickness is doubled (+6 dB increase in the max. output, reduced by +3 dB increase in the noise level). For that reason thick tapes need to be recorded "hot".

Alex

[Bob Boyer]

Thanks, guys. Sort of what I figured and something extra to think on.

No worries on any inability to record hot...I've buried the needles in the red on some rhythm guitar licks while testing my microphones and I've got headroom galore. I'll also be tracking at 15 ips, so that helps.

I'll have to watch things over the first few sessions and see how the tape gets used - I don't think we're going to be that rough on it because while I have 4 tracks, I'm not really multi-tracking per se. The recordings will be full takes, no building up tracks. After that, it all goes into the computer for the final mix and effects, so I may be okay running the thinner tape.

Just have to see.