Conference napalm::commusic_v1

       
       
       
       
       I don't know about "refreshing" these tapes, but if I wanted to
       preserve the original material as long as possible I would copy
       it to DAT or a VHS PCM system.  I'd stay away from altering the
       playback in any way, unless I made multiple copies.  Check with
       the AUDIO conference, also, for suggestions.
       
       
       
       
       

    Well, the first thing to go will be the highs, so you may want to
    boost (eq) that end up a little...
    
    Edd

I've been doing a little of this "tape salvage" too.  To preserve some
family aural history as well as old band tapes, etc.  It appears that
we've been going down similar paths.  I've been cleaning up the tape
path for the old tapes (since some of these will add enough grunge as
they're played), then fed them through some EQ and/or Aphex Aural
Exciter (type B is what I have) and putting them on my Toshiba VCR that
has PCM, 12-bit digital audio mode.  (The Aphex should produce results
similar to the BBE mentioned in .0)

The results are satisfying for my archival purposes.  (That is, I'm not
expecting to put out something like Dylan's new bootleg collection off
of these.)  my main concern is that if the Toshiba ever dies, there
will be a problem getting them onto thenext generation of equipment. 
Thus, I'm trying to dub a high-grade casette off the PCM master as soon
as possible.  If/when I get DAT, I'd like to move the archives to that format.

Good luck!

- John - 

>my main concern is that if the Toshiba ever dies, there
>will be a problem getting them onto thenext generation of equipment. 
>Thus, I'm trying to dub a high-grade casette off the PCM master ......
    
    Nah.  PCM will be around a long time.  There's tons of SONY F1
    converters in studios.  I've been thinking of buying a used F1 box and
    a cheapie non-HiFi non-PCM VCR so I can do all my album sequencing
    without borrowing a second deck.  You could also just dub PCM to a
    second deck via the video port - that's what I use for backup.  No
    D-A conversion involved.
    
    karl

    But the Toshiba and F-1 formats are not compatible.  I.e., you can't
    play a DX-900 encoded tape through an F-1 adaptor.  BTW, the DX-900 is
    14 bits, not 12.  The F-1 is 16 bits. 
    
    Also, even if you can make a copy of a DX-900 tape through the video
    ports (from any VHS deck to any VHS deck), you still need a DX-900 to
    play it back (well, if you want to get audio rather than a psychedelic
    weaving pattern).
    
    Analog audio recording's still around, but that doesn't help someone
    with a pile of 8 track cartridges....
    
    len.
    

(sorry if this is somewhat off the track of the original but it is
related to the on-going discussion...)

One other thing that concerns me about relying on the DX900 for too
long is whether you really can make backups from backups (in case the
master gets ruined)...

    As part of the COMMUSIC VII effort, I received a DX900 submission
that I then tranferred to my COMMUSIC VII master tape using the
video-video connection. This worked fine; I can play the next
generation DX900 without incident.

    However, when I made a "digital dub" from my master to another VHS
tape (using the video-video connection), the DX900 will NOT play back
the next+1 generation selection.  Thus, the "digital copies" seem to
play back everything EXCEPT the track that is 2 generations from the
original DX900.

Though I doubt the DX900 has copy protection, I am concerned that
enough of something gets lost along the line that I couldn't rely on
backups of backups.  (Admittedly, this isn't a problem if I use the
audio-audio connections and "risk" a D-A-D connection.  Also, DATs with
copy protection might offer the same restriction on many-generation,
pure digital backups.)

- John -

    Re: multi-generational video dubs
    
    If you ever copied a videotape you probably noticed the video image
    suffers from the same sort of "noise" buildup that audio dubs succumb
    to.  It wouldn't surprise me that encoded data (i.e. PCM) would be
    trashed by noise buildup, wow and flutter, etc. causing the bitstream
    to be just far enough out of whack to be unrecoverable.
    
    						Brian

   <<< Note 2594.5 by DRUMS::FEHSKENS "len, EMA, LKG2-2/W10, DTN 226-7556" >>>
                                -< Yes But... >-

    >But the Toshiba and F-1 formats are not compatible.  I.e., you can't
    >play a DX-900 encoded tape through an F-1 adaptor.  
    
    Yes they are and yes you can.  My cassette duplicator, Mastercraft in
    Phoenix, uses a crappy VHS deck hooked to a Sony PCM-F1 box, using a
    digital copy (made by the much maligned video port method) of my
    Ascending Ayers Rock album... connected directly to a bank of real-time
    duplication machines.  I know it works.
    
    A friend of mine who now lives in L.A. also has a cheaper sony F1 unit
    - same story.  Last time I visited I took a digital copy of my latest
    album, played it digitally.
    
    >BTW, the DX-900 is 14 bits, not 12.  The F-1 is 16 bits. 
    
    The several F1 units I've seen have a switch for 16bit or 14bit. 
    Obviously one would use the 14bit selection when using DX900-created
    tape.
    
    karl

    I'm astounded.  Does the DX-900 manual reference its F-1 compatibility?
    
    Remarkable when people actually conform to standards, de facto or
    otherwise.
    
    len.