Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site brl-vgr.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!akgua!mcnc!decvax!harpo!seismo!brl-vgr!ron From: ron@brl-vgr.ARPA (Ron Natalie ) Newsgroups: net.audio Subject: Re: Home studio Message-ID: <3195@brl-vgr.ARPA> Date: Tue, 3-Apr-84 10:01:43 EST Article-I.D.: brl-vgr.3195 Posted: Tue Apr 3 10:01:43 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 7-Apr-84 01:47:05 EST References: <2938@fortune.UUCP> Organization: Ballistics Research Lab Lines: 12 I'm not familiar with these four-track cassette decks but one of the features you get with real to real (in addition to editing) is a much improved signal-to-noise ratio (which in practical use means more dynamic range). A cassette is 1/8" tape (a typical stereo cassette then uses no more than 1/32" per track because of space between the tracks) and moves at 1-7/8 ips. Typical hobby reel-to-reel is 7 ips and four tracks per 1/4" tape (approx 1/16") per track. Every time you double the amount of tape moving under the head you are going to pick up 3dB of signal-to- noise ratio. Thus switching from 1/32 to 1/16 gets you 3dB. Going from 1-7/8 to 7 ips gets you 6dB more, giving you 9dB. Typical FM radio production is done with about 1/8" per track and at 15 ips giving you 15dB better s-n than cassettes.