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Old 29th Nov 2017, 10:14 am   #5
red16v
Heptode
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Winchester, Hampshire, UK.
Posts: 635
Default Re: Ampex Quad scanning

Obviously I don't know anything about your recording on the Fuji tape, but we should remember that when recording there is no head switching taking place. It was quite usual to the record signal to be fed continuously to all 4 heads at once (or indeed opposite pairs) *- playback being a different kettle of fish entirely. Maybe your Fuji recording is a dub of a poor original playback as you suspect? It would explain why adjusting the head switch position is not effective. Even if the playback head switching point is 'duff' I would be very surprised to see it on the output of the machine - it should all still be contained within the back porch and this should all be being blanked off in the output proc amp circuitry. Too may variables I guess! Anyway, well done on keeping the machine in good working order.

* As you may know Ampex allegedly had the patent on record head switching which was an absolute boon when editing. It meant you could perform a video only insert edit without affecting the audio tracks. On the RCA machines the record heads recorded over the entire width of the tape including the audio tracks obviously. So, if you were performing a video only insert edit the video heads recorded right over the existing audio tracks too! It meant you got a very distinct audio 'buzz' over the output audio for the duration of the video only edit. The only solution was to lay the sound off to a recording device (aka quarter inch tape) and lay it back after you had performed the video only edit.
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