Electronic devices such as electron tubes or Fets can be clipped with a high enough input signal voltage. How high will also depend on how high is the DC voltage supply rail.
Magnetism is created by definition by moving electrons or (flowing) electric current.
Therefore magnetic devices are clipped by current when it exceeds a certain value.
When fed with constant current with respect to frequency, magnetic devices have the voltage across them increasing with frequency by the induction law. The induction law says the voltage across an inductance is proportional to the rate of change of the magnetic field ie the current through it. In this particular case the magnetic field is created by the coil itself, hence the term self inductance.The higher the frequency the higher the rate of change the higher the induced voltage.
So reproducing tape recorder heads give a rising voltage responce with frequency at their terminals.
To get back to flat frequency response the playback (reproducing) amplifier must have a high cut filter at 6dB per octave. The μS playback characteristic defines at what frequency we stop the high cut filter action or integration.
High cutting the signal is very convenient as the high cut filter rounds off any instateniously magneticaly clipped or limited waveform.
Distortion is gradual (due to magnetic saturation) like electron tubes and a further hi cut is need for flat frequency response. Much like the high cut filtering action of the speaker in an electron tube guitar amplifier combo.
No wander magnetic tape recording sounds big.
How would a guitar amplifier sound with an interstage transfomer driven with constant current wrt frequency (Pleiades filter) arranged to be overdriven and then applying high cut?
Or bass guitar?
Or vocals?
Or drums?
See also next euroelectron post called Pleiades magnetic saturator or Pleiades tape simulator or processor.
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