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Old 18th Apr 2021, 6:55 pm   #15
dave walsh
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex.
Posts: 5,814
Default Re: The Rise and Fall of Audio Tape at the BBC, by Ian Astbury

I found this overview and technical description very interesting and readable. Mr Astbury has gone to a lot of trouble to describe a period of audio history as he experienced it with the BBC. The main focus [understandably given his professional background] is on testing and evaluation and he reports that early tape machines achieved a good recording standard. They were large and expensive though and seen as not quite having the "edge" by comparison with Disc Recording so the BBC stuck with what was tried and trusted until [probably] quite late in the day. This could be seen as appropriate of course [ie the maintaining of standards] or perhaps a degree of resistance to change [eg even crucial news film had to reach a certain standard or it wouldn't be transmitted]

I was hoping to learn more about what reel to reel equipment/tape was used during the transitional period of the 60's and into the 70's. Tape seemed to be standardised [at Type 100] in 1969. I discovered back then that Film crews also used 16mm audio tape with film sprockets, for example, so everything could be "synched up" later and I wondered about it's origin and development as a tape. Ian wasn't around until the 80's of course so he couldn't cover everything! There is a famous scene in "Don't Look Back [the film of Dylan's 1965 Tour]. He's interviewed by a BBC Reporter using the classic "portable" with twin 5" Reels...not the acetates used by war-time reporters like Richard Dimbleby. Only a small section devoted to MD's which were used for inserts apparently but one or two have come my way . These are special "professional quality" made for the Beeb products. I looked up the price and it was a bit eye-watering by comparison with the regular version. The ones I had were originally used to monitor a well known daily news news program in case the content was later disputed. You could get 2.5 hours on LP or 5 in mono!

Dave Walsh

Last edited by dave walsh; 18th Apr 2021 at 7:04 pm.
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