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Re: Tandberg and questions about tracks

Posted by Doc B. (M) on October 20, 2005 at 08:33:58

In Reply to: Tandberg and questions about tracks posted by taz on October 20, 2005 at 06:04:48:

Two track head is a slightly confusing substitution for the proper term of half track head when talking about 1/4" tape heads. The interchanging of the terms four track head vs. 1/4 track head is where one really runs into trouble. A four track head is intended to record or play four channels of signal onto four tracks at once. A quarter track head is actually another type of two track head, intended to play two tracks which are offset, so that another two tracks may be offset in the opposite direction for reverse play of the tape, thus giving the tape "two sides" and effectively doubling the amount of music on the tape.

I don't know what your intended usage is, but a transport with only a half track playback head will not be able to play the bulk of prerecorded tapes out there, which are 1/4 track, 7-1/2 ips. Check to see if the half track/two track designation refers to the playback head. Some machines like the Tehnics RS1500 and Otari MX5050 have only one type of record head, but both 1/4 track and half track playback heads.

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