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Old 8th Nov 2019, 11:02 am   #8
TIMTAPE
Octode
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 1,965
Default Re: Philips N4520 alignment problems

In a perfectly set up machine there will be some baseline crosstalk. The level of crosstalk was normally quoted in the specs as a db level at a certain frequency. Crosstalk should be much worse in the mid and lower frequencies.

Crosstalk is much more noticeable between adjacent tracks but the reversed nature of adjacent tracks was part of the 4 track design knowing that listeners wouldn't be as distracted by a voice or music they couldnt understand. After a while it became a quiet. meaningless babble.

These days we're used to digital recordings with unbelieveably good separation between tracks, and general absence of background noise. Analog tape cant compete with that and sometimes customers might need to be educated about these limitations.

In the field of "digital audio restoration" people can make digital recordings of older tape recordings or discs and try to "clean them up to modern standards", often with disastrous results.

Edit: in photos 1 and 2, tracks 2 and 4 look wider than 1 and 3. Very odd.
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