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Monthly Archives: July 2019

How to line up a 24 track analogue tape machine. No ‘scope required!

22 Monday Jul 2019

Posted by studiowizard in Studio Stuff

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analogue tape, audio maintenance, education, music, music technology, proaudio, recording, studio technique, tape

This guide was produced for a client back in the mists of time.  It features a tape machine with probably more available controls than yours has to tweak, but just ignore the ones you don’t have.

This is excellent as it allows you to set tape azimuth without needing an oscilloscope – and lets face it – who has one of those nowadays!

Materials + tools:
Tape head demagnetiser.  
Plastic ‘tweaker’.
2″ Test tape.
Oscillator (in desk or separate) capable of 1khz, 4khz, 10khz, 100hz at +4 dBm or less.
True RMS voltmeter (calibrated in dB’s).
Frequency counter (optional).
Blank reel of tape (same sort you intend to use – preferably from the same batch).

Procedure:

1).  Demagnetise the heads.
Turn off the machine!
Danger! – keep demag away from test tape and other sensitive
material – switch on and off well away from everything!  Power up the demag and
bring it (slowly) up to the heads.  Move it (nearly touching the head) in a zig-zag from top
to bottom and then vertically up the head over the head gap.  Move slowly to the next
head and repeat.  Now pull it away slowly and when 3′ or more away – unplug.

2).  Repro alignment.
Clean the heads.  Lace up the test tape, select the 30ips AES section.  Connect the
frequency counter to the o/p of any channel of the m/c.  Hit play and listen to the
1k tone – if the Freq counter doesn’t say 1k, adjust the speed control until it does! –
(do the same for 15ips – while you’e at it).
Connect the RMS vvm to ch8 o/p.  Play the 1k tone.  I suggest we set the machine to a
400nWb/m operating level, meaning that a 320nWb/m test tape should read -2dB on
machine meters – or +2dBm on a true RMS one…If needed – set the azimuth at
this point by putting all channels into play and pushing all faders up in centre position
mono.  Play the 15k tone.  If you now move the head by tweaking one of the sideways
adjusters, you will see a single peak of response.  This corresponds to in-phase azi
adjustment.  
Do the same for the sync head.
Now select play head and play 1k(level), 15k(hf) and 60hz(lf) and set the response to -2dB
on the vu’s (equiv to +2dBM).  
Use the True RMS on ch8 to check this.
(We cannot be sure the machine meters are telling the truth so if we get a channel right
by using the true rms, then we can copy that setting across and be sure it’s right (assuming
the vu’s are OK!!).  
 
Select the sync head and do the same.

3).  Rec/Rep alignment.
Clean the heads.
Lace up the blank tape.
Put 8 channels into record.  
Replay off the repro (play) head.
Using your Oscillator choose 10khz and set an o/p of around 5dB below 0.  
Run the tape in record.  
Use the tweaker to reduce bias (anti clockwise) – watch the o/p rise to a peak and then fall.  
Increase bias (clockwise) and keep increasing it past the point where the o/p hits a peak
and starts to fall.  
Take it ‘over the hill’ 1-2dB (30ips), [3-4dB (15ips)].(You will need the true RMS voltmeter
to do this).

Now put an oscillator input in of 1khz(level) @ 0dB (i.e. +4dBm) – the same should come out.  
Ditto at 10khz(hf), 4khz(mf)(if you adjust this you will need to check 10khz again),
and finally 100hz(lf) which should read +1dB (i.e. +5dBm).(M/c meters ok for this).
Now put the next 8 channels into record and do it all again!!
Finally, put all channels in  record and listen to the o/p’s individually – there should
be no excessive or different noise on any one track.

Congratulations!  Your machine is now lined up and ready to go!

The Author

Howard Turner has over 30 years experience in the studio business, and for the last two and a half decades, his Studio Wizard Organisation have been at the forefront of the development of effective & affordable designs and solutions for studios.

Further information:  +447803666789

web: www.studiowizard.com

and http://www.facebook.com/studiowizard

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My Production CV

22 Monday Jul 2019

Posted by studiowizard in Studio Stuff

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record production

Not comprehensive, just some highlights!

HOWARD TURNER

 Producer/Engineer.

D.O.B. 24/02/59 – Languages:  English/French.

BIOG.After a childhood spent in war torn Indo-China, and a BA (in third world development of course!) the music business seemed like a nice quiet life (you know, early nights, regular pay etc. etc.) so I started Raven Recording as a studio in the early 80’s and quickly developed a reputation in the indy and rock sectors as a producer/engineer, working in the early days with such luminaries as the now late Peter DeFreitas (Echo and the Bunnymen), Steve Johnson (Teardrops) etc…

With the development of my old studio Raven as a residential facility in ’87 I started to concentrate more on guitar bands and “live feel” projects, this fitting in well with my long standing interest in manipulating ambient sounds and “less than dead” recording environments.

After selling the studios in ’91, I was free to spread my wings and pursue much more varied freelance production/engineering and performance interests, and also my studio and equipment design projects with my company, StudioWizard.

 

STYLES

Primarily guitar orientated material. (Being a fanatical devotee of “live” type recording – starting with a full performance to catch the feel of the thing…)

The whole approach hinges on making the most of the live feel of the band, and over the years I have developed a not inconsiderable reputation working with successful major rock and indy bands in this manner.

I have kept the “frustrated muso” in me at bay with my own old band – THE NIVENS – Knocking out jangle/psychedelia and making sure I never ever forget what its’ like in the recording booth when the red light goes on…..

INSTRUMENTS

Where it may help, I’m passable on guitar, slide guitar, blues harp, some odd (very odd) keyboards, additional vocals and programming….all if and where required – never imposed…..

 

DISCOGRAPHY

CROME YELLOW – Dorian Gray (ep) (Cipher).
JACOB`S MOUSE – No Fish Shop Parking (a) (Blithering Idiot), Good (s), Group of 7 (s),
Fandango Widewheels (ep),Rubber Room (a), (Wiiija).
TRIPP – Demos, California Screaming (s) (PMW).
SHERWOOD new album (a)(Bee Side – France)
JAZZ BUTCHER – Cult of the Basement* (a), Girl Go* (s), Condition Blue* (a), Shirley Maclaine* (s) (Creation).
14 ICED BEARS – Mother Sleep (ep), Wonder (a) (Borderline).
PERFECT DISASTER – Time to kill (ep), Up (a), Mood Elevator (ep) (Fire).
CLOSE LOBSTERS – Nature Thing* (s&a) (Fire).
THE POLLEN – Contrasts (a&s’s), Nurturing Desire (a&s’s), Factory Hours (ep) (Danceteria).
THE PARK – If all the Seas (a&s’s)* (Danceteria).
BAD MANNERS – Eat the Beat (a) (Blue Note)*.
SHREDDED ERMINES – Aldila (a&s’s) (Danceteria)*.
LIBERTY CAGE (ex The Men They Couldn’t Hang) (ep) (EMI).
CAPTAIN SENSIBLE – Revolution Now (part a), Riot on Eastbourne Pier* (s) (Deltic).
DAMNED – Riot on Eastbourne Pier* (s) (Deltic).
VENUS FLY TRAP – (a&s) (Danceteria).
LIZA WOLFE – eponymous (a)(self).
WORLD EXIT – (a&s)* (EDW-Roadrunner).
THE NIVENS A Taste of Money (a), Alright Now (s), Sex, Lies and Gaffatape (a), Play Blue (s),
House Come Tumbling Down (s), Shake (a), Recycle (mini-a), Shake it from the Top (s)(Danceteria – France),
Giving it Away (a) Sarah-Jane (s) (Trumpet).
SUNDIVER – Cautionary Tales (a)*(J.Nuttall mgt).
HONEYBUZZARDS (ep) (Sheer Joy).
TOSS THE FEATHERS – Awakening (a) (Fat Cat).
RED HARVEST – Strange (a), Heaven (s), World won’t Listen (s&a) (Aftermath).
THE DENTISTS – You and your Bloody Oranges (a) (Spruck).
THE SEX GODS (THE BALCONY DOGS – ex Teardrops & Bunnymen)* – (a).
THE AVONS (ex Farmers’ Boys) – Three Rivers Reach (a) & (s) (Letharge).
GEE MR. TRACY – Shoot the Sherbet, Herbert, Straight from the Fridge Pops (a&s’s), Lava Man (s)
& many other (s’s) (Backs).
CHUNK (ep).
DR. MILLAR (ep)(Treasure Island).
THE CHAIRS-Honey I Need A Girl Of A Different Stripe (s), Size 10 Girlfriend (s) (Pink Halo).
ROBINSON-Toasted (ep)* (Gem/BMG).

PURPLE ORANGE (a).
THE BARDOTS (s&demos) (Cheree).
GIRLSCHOOL – Girlschoolive (a)* (GWR/Legacy).
TOUS LES CACTUS – (a) (Sony France).
SCHEIN – Little Girl Blue (a) (Process France).
ODE ROSE – (a) (Process France).
LES RATS – Bienvenue au Club!(a) (Danceteria France).
GREEN ON RED – Keith can`t Read (ep)* (China).
LES ENFANTS TERRIBLES (a)(Peek-a-boo – France).
*=engineering only, otherwise production and engineering too………

The Author

Howard Turner has over 30 years experience in the studio business, and for the last two and a half decades, his Studio Wizard Organisation have been at the forefront of the development of effective & affordable designs and solutions for studios.

Further information:  +447803666789

web: www.studiowizard.com

and http://www.facebook.com/studiowizard

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