[TIMTAPE]

Thinking about this further (I realize this entire thread goes somewhat beyond the scope of the subject of vintage tape recorders) it's important to remember that back in the 1950's they didnt have the multitracking recording facilities taken for granted in later decades. With the later multitracking, each of the microphones and other inputs used in the making of the Goon Show could have been recorded to its own separate track. Later on, at leisure, post production staff could have set about rebalancing each voice/microphone/track against the others in ways that with a single track recording is just not possible.

Recording a live show such as this to a single track is by comparison perilously difficult and even with the best panel operators in the world, the balancing results can never be what they could have been with the luxury of multitrack facilities.

I salute the technical staff as well as the performers involved in The Goons for the recorded results they achieved on a single track. But it means that the only options to try and rebalance relative levels later on are severely limited to manipulating the gain and EQ of that one track, because that is all we have to work with.
Still, that is something, and I for one am a firm believer in doing so insofar as it is done unobtrusively and with careful judgement.

Kat, a person experienced in the use of compressers/limiters is often able to limit louder portions of a track, even a composite mix such as this, without introducing annoying pumping of the quieter background sounds. In fact this can be done so well that it takes a skilled ear to even detect that it has occurred at all. Skilled use of limiting doesnt draw attention to itself but merely makes the program more listenable to a wider audience. Naturally there are definite limits to how far one can use this technique without introducing annoying artifacts.

I recall remastering some interview tapes some years ago of a well known sporting identity. They were recorded in London in 1959. They were not of professional audio standard and one of their main failings was that the volume of the interviewer's questions was somewhat louder than that of the sportsman he was interviewing. You can imagine that this would be very offputting to someone listening. In the process of remastering I applied some limiting of the program so that the interviewer's voice level was now reduced somewhat so that the important voice came up closer in level to his. It did not solve the problem completely of course but it helped. Obviously if the interviewer had had available a 2 track recorder where he could have recorded himself and the sportsman individually the options would have been much wider later on.

For many years the recommended technique in recording Oral History tapes (and now to digital) has been to use the two microphone technique onto two independent tracks.

I suspect the problem can come when we fail to understand this dilemma. Also there can be a tendency to regard well loved recordings such as this almost as Holy Relics which must not be changed or manipulated in any way. While it's true due to the simple way they were recorded that the options are limited, it can still be worthwhile doing what we can. One of those options is limiting dynamic range, especially in the interests of rebalancing voice and microphone levels insofar as that's possible.

I hope this background information explains more clearly where I have been coming from in these posts.

Regards Tim