Monday, October 16, 2017

Another interesting property of magnetic tape recording


Print-through.


The spin of electrons containing the recorded information magnetize adjacent layers of tape wound on the spool. In fact it is jealous electrons on the adjacent layer imitating and remembering.


As music is played back it creates a pre echo.


This is something that does not happen nessasarily in nature and the brain keeps very interested.


In a way it is predicting the future. One hears what will happen a fraction of the second before it does.


Our brain likes to be prepared too especially in more complex bass to melody intervals such as 9ths and 7ths, see reference.


Does this property make more difficult music more listenable?


Print through creates a very subtle artificial double tracking effect, low in level and more distant in time.


And as for predicting the future, if memory is correct there is this effect on the Abracadabra - Steve Miller Band. Is the reverb of the electric guitar in time reverse, aparently by reversing the velocity of tape when recording it? Even if not there should be a tape delay to send to reverb according to the book Good Vibrations - Cunningham.


Reference:


http://normanschmidt.net/scores/bachjs-general_bass_rules.pdf










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