Playing a 3 Track Tape on a 2 Channel Stereo

Ron Resnick

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If an audiophile has a 3 track reel-to-reel reproducer when playing a 3 track tape at what point in the playback chain should the 3 channels be mixed down to 2 channels to play on a conventional stereo system? Is a simple studio mixer of some sort used for this purpose?
 

Mike Lavigne

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Apr 25, 2010
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If an audiophile has a 3 track reel-to-reel reproducer when playing a 3 track tape at what point in the playback chain should the 3 channels be mixed down to 2 channels to play on a conventional stereo system? Is a simple studio mixer of some sort used for this purpose?

in a perfect world you would have three identical speakers, amps and a three channel preamp. :)

those that play in the true 3 channel sandbox swear by it.

and yes, you would need a mixer for a stereo set-up, but I'm not familiar with the appropriate exact type piece you need. it might be better to mix it down to a stereo master first, and not play it directly. but I'm not sure as I don't understand the variables. will the mixer work well with your stereo preamp or not might be a question.
 

RogerD

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Ron,
This guy had the right set up...

I believe if you have a 3 ch deck and tape, the best way would be to mix it down to stereo and then play that tape on a 2 channel deck through a stereo system. You would need a mixer like a Ampex MX10.
If it is a special tape you might call around to some boutique mastering houses and see what they would charge to do it. Bernie Grundman located in Hollywood is the best and can do it. Might give a call, I’m sure someone can point you in the right direction. Good luck
http://www.berniegrundmanmastering.com
 

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Ron Resnick

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Thank you, gentlemen. I don’t have any three track tapes, but I was curious about it purely academically.
 

JackD201

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On a mixer there is not much to do after gain staging. The C signal is simply sent to the stereo bus with the panning set to center which sends the signal equally to left and right and the level for the channel adjusted for balance. The other 2 will be set at hard pan left and right sending their signals exclusively to their respective channels. Like Mike said, not ideal but this is the best way to do it without adding an identical speaker and amp.
 

Folsom

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On a mixer there is not much to do after gain staging. The C signal is simply sent to the stereo bus with the panning set to center which sends the signal equally to left and right and the level for the channel adjusted for balance. The other 2 will be set at hard pan left and right sending their signals exclusively to their respective channels. Like Mike said, not ideal but this is the best way to do it without adding an identical speaker and amp.

This seems a bit more practical for the very few tapes you'll have that are 3 channel.

Jack, do you have any like this, in that setup? If so, how is the center image compared to normal stereo?
 

15IPS

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The system in that photo is a only prop. There were no commercially available open reel decks equipped with 1/4" three track heads. Three track 1/2 " configurations were used early on by RCA and Columbia initially on Ampex 300's, to record both the center track for the mono release, and provide some safety with the early stereo releases. The stereo "fill" of the session tapes could be adjusted with a rudimentary mixer to the center channel for the two-track release, to ensure proper stereo balance, as determined by the conductor and/or producer for the label.
 

astrotoy

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I Thought that Mercury also recorded in three channels. I know that when RCA started releasing their Living Stereo SACDs, many were released in 3 channels. The earliest albums were 2 channel, but after those, they were three channels in the multi channel releases. I played them in my mch system and there are 3 active channels (LCR) and the back channels and subwoofer channel are not used. People who play the SACDs using the stereo hirez layer or the CD layer only get 2 channels. I'll have to check on the Mercury SACD whether they are in 3 channels also. My memory is that Wilma Cozart mixed the center channel to create the stereo tapes used to cut the records as noted by 15ips for RCA and Columbia. My memory could also be faulty.

In any case, you can play 3 channel RCA Living Stereo SACDs on any mch system and get the center channel.

Larry
 

RogerD

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The system in that photo is a only prop. There were no commercially available open reel decks equipped with 1/4" three track heads. Three track 1/2 " configurations were used early on by RCA and Columbia initially on Ampex 300's, to record both the center track for the mono release, and provide some safety with the early stereo releases. The stereo "fill" of the session tapes could be adjusted with a rudimentary mixer to the center channel for the two-track release, to ensure proper stereo balance, as determined by the conductor and/or producer for the label.

Not a prop. The Presto 825 3 channel deck was used at Sinatra’s Palm Springs home.

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/sinatras-home-hi-fi-presto-reel-to-reel-etc.28325/
 

RogerD

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The majority of recordings done in the 1950’s were done on Ampex 300’s, 350’s and 351’s. The big recording companies such as RCA,Columbia,Capitol ect used these machines. I listened to Johnny Hartman and Julie London recently....just lovely.
 

JackD201

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This seems a bit more practical for the very few tapes you'll have that are 3 channel.

Jack, do you have any like this, in that setup? If so, how is the center image compared to normal stereo?

I did my share of mixing 2.0 and 5.1 back in the day. Discreet is always better. Center image results is straight forward normal stereo if amplitude/image size/density is mixed so as to be consistent.
 

15IPS

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Not a prop. The Presto 825 3 channel deck was used at Sinatra’s Palm Springs home.

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/sinatras-home-hi-fi-presto-reel-to-reel-etc.28325/

Well, sure that deck existed. More specifically, the photo shows a plastic 7" take-up reel on the machine. AFAIK, plastic 1/2" reels were never produced, so the tape in the photo would have been 1/4". The deck may have been fitted to play both 1/4" and 1/2" tapes. Playing the three tracks on the pictured stereo C-22 preamp, would have been another matter.
 

RogerD

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Well, sure that deck existed. More specifically, the photo shows a plastic 7" take-up reel on the machine. AFAIK, plastic 1/2" reels were never produced, so the tape in the photo would have been 1/4". The deck may have been fitted to play both 1/4" and 1/2" tapes. Playing the three tracks on the pictured stereo C-22 preamp, would have been another matter.

The McIntosh C22 had 3 outputs L R and L&R. However Sinatra configured the system,he certainly had the passion and money to get anything he wanted.
 

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