Well, it IS being done, albeit not by everyone. If you do a search you will even find some discussions and circuits for that. Used to be analog circuits were used... today it is much easier in digital domain. I don't know how many studios do that, but I know that at least one adjusts the azimuth for every song on a master tape.
New source for Master Calibration tapes; ATR Service Inc.
- Thread starter Mike Lavigne
- Start date
That would make it really difficult when it came time to master to LP or digital file. Once you start cutting an LP groove you don't stop until the end of the side. So this sort of thing isn't done for mastering to LP FWIW (I ran an LP mastering operation for about 12 years).
This only has to be done or checked on each song in one case: mastering from a compiled tape of songs done in different studios. No one ever tweaks head azimuth except for once at the beginning of a mix-to-tape session or a mastering-off-tape session.
Everyone uses the same azimuth.in a format. That is why cassettes are consistent. But this post does remind me to get an alignment tape for a machine I have that malfunctioned on me (otari MTR10) and I can't find my MRL tapes. I think its the bias card. Recently, I just obtained an extender card so I can work on the cards while they are plugged in. What I'm not going to like about working on it, I will have to sit on the floor to work on it. Tapes that were pre-recorded on the machine, one channel low and distorted, recording, One channel dead, the other very distorted.
Can I get away with just getting one alignment tape, since its not a transport issue? Something like +3 NAB @ 10ips (medium speed)
That's not been my experience. For example, the azimuth for Sony decks is very different than Nakamichi. When I play a tape in my Nakamichi Dragon that was recorded on a Sony, it take 5-10 seconds for the deck to get the azimuth adjusted.
Could be, but I have played back tapes made from multiple different Sony decks, maybe 10-20, so I think this is how Sony sets their azimuth. The same goes for tapes made in Tascams.
I'd get an alignment tape and see what's going on. Azimuth is always set to exactly one spot which is the point where the head is the most vertical, allowing for the best HF response. This is true across all machines; IOW if you encounter something like this someone was sloppy somewhere.
Which alignment tape? They are all slightly different. And no one knows what are the typical and the worst case tolerances of azimuth in a typical... and a less than typical... studio. In other words - what is the worst case difference between your machine and the tape made somewhere else, who knows how long ago, that you can realistically expect?
I know full well that on some of those tapes with three tones the 10KHz signal is not exactly a diagonal line... it is an oval.
I usually don't adjust for that, because I am just a casual listener, not a producer. But I would most definitely make an adjustment if I was doing some real work with them.
I know full well that on some of those tapes with three tones the 10KHz signal is not exactly a diagonal line... it is an oval.
I usually don't adjust for that, because I am just a casual listener, not a producer. But I would most definitely make an adjustment if I was doing some real work with them.
I still have a Teac cassette alignment tape still sitting around fro the old days when I serviced consumer electronics. I would also check the alignment on a cassette machine using pre-recorded tapes. I never found one to be different from another although I don't doubt they might exist because someone might have been sloppy setting up a duplication machine.
In the Nakamichi I am playing back cassettes which were made live in the field. I am sure the record deck was not in perfect alignment. There is a reason why Nakamichi build a deck which doesn’t auto azimuth. They knew there would be some variation from deck to deck.
Hi there, the ATR Service is no longer affiliated with ATR Magnetics. We can use the RTM or ATR Tapes per customer's preference. You are welcome to reach us at anytime. Thanks, Andrey (ATR Service, Inc.)
Hello,
Yes you are right that for most of the users it is complicated to align machine properly. But if you want to get the best sound quality then you have to have (MUST) your machine properly calibrated and have to do so on regular basis. Just because of mechanical "deviations" (considering conditions of heads, tape tension, components aging, bearings, etc.).
On a side note, that in a past ten years we have seen practically each purchased calibration tape with a lot of issues (up to +/- 45 deg azimuth and tones levels incorrect).
Regards,
Andrey (atrservice)
in the past ten years we have seen practically each purchased calibration tape with a lot of issues (up to +/- 45 deg azimuth and tones levels incorrect).
sobering to contemplate the performance consequences of this for any recently acquired tapes. and......calibration tapes have a shelf life. so old ones are not going to help us.
sobering to contemplate the performance consequences of this for any recently acquired tapes. and......calibration tapes have a shelf life. so old ones are not going to help us.
Bette and I are good friends. I am very proud to keep the name and culture of Mike Spitz creation. Not to mention - the ATR is stated for Analog Tape Recorder + Service off cource
and our new alignment tape has name MASTER CALIBRATION TAPE. Thanks!
Last edited:
available Calibration tapes 1/4”
- timing per tone 30 sec.;
- flux level 250 nWb/M or 320 nWb/M
- NAB/CCIR/AES
- single or double speed
all above can be customised per request.
7.5ips-$150;
15ips-$150;
30ips-$160
Dual speed tape $210
plus shipping.
1/2” tapes will be ready for production soon.
 | Steve Williams Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator |  | Ron Resnick Site Co-Owner | Administrator |  | Julian (The Fixer) Website Build | Marketing Managersing |