100% analog mastering engineers?

[mr_scratchy_esq]

Does anyone out there have a list of people who cut stereo acetates without using a digital delay?

Thanks,
Bill

[flozki]

yes i do. not always..but if someone has analog master i cut it fully
analog.

flo
www.floka.com

[mr_scratchy_esq]

Thanks.
I do know that Paul Gold at Salt Mastering/Brooklyn Phono and Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray at Acoustech can also do all analog.

[cuttercollector]

HRS Records (Len) is equipped to do all analog transfers to laquer disc. In fact he prefers to master from non-digital sources.
He can play back just about every concievable analog tape format.
http://www.hrsrecords.com

[nickripley]

I love everyone that has posted in this thread... such invaluable info to know.

[Third]

We do here at Abbey Road, I wouldn't say all the time though

[dietrich10]

Many of us now sent direct feeds from high convertors into the lathe-the head signal on a time/shift delay(not a mid level digital delay unit).

I wonder how many people get masters sent to them on tape to cut pure analog. As once something is recorded in the digital realm sending back thru tape does not make sense.

[emorritt]

I can do all 1/4 and 1/2 inch formats and yes, it doesn't make sense to take a digital master and copy it to an analog media. Same thing IMHO as the "tube mic preamp for analog sound" headends sold for DAW's. Once you digitize something regardless of sample rate and bit depth it's characteristic is altered to conform to the digital domain. Again, I'm far from an analog purist; I much prefer editing etc. digitally but if you want an analog sound the entire path should be analog.

[dietrich10]

I have a feeling the next 'wave' will be decent to high end 2 track tape machines...
people have been giving them away for years now...

[mossboss]

Yes this is an interesting thread 1/4", 1/2" 1" and 2" tape decks have gathered dust in our cutting room for a while now and they still do so
At the end of the day it is the consumer who dictates trends wether we like it or not
Yes one get's the odd inquiry Do you cut from tapes? but it rarely turns out that any one here gets tape masters
One thing we wont do accept is streamed music files down the line I think is playing with fire We would only accept physical masters delivered or posted Many times what we got down the line is certainly different to the masters
On another point
Not sure that the 2" tape would ever appear again as a recording medium They where never a plug and play thing anyway You needed a stack of spares as well as a genious operator or a maintenace contract to keep these things in order If one sees the cost of tapes as well as an aligment or reference tape today it would certainly put the brakes on it real quick
I think there are only two manufacturers of tape in the world today I know one is Pyral with the ex BASF production facilities the other I am not sure of
Sure there is a lot of tape around NOS and used But if anyone wants to ruin a good set of heads on a tape machine that is one sure way of doing it Run a tape trough it that is shedding off the ferrite coating on it
Cheers

[dietrich10]

Yes the original recordings would need to start on a multi channel tape and mix down to a 2 channel master tape.

ProTools mixdown to 2 channel tape to lathe...

[Aussie0zborn]

...only two manufacturers of tape in the world today I know one is Pyral with the ex BASF production facilities the other I am not sure of...

BASF was sold to Emtech who recently sold it to MPO France, a leader in optical disc production so I doubt they have any interest in magnetic tape.

Pyral was the lacquer disc brand produced by Rhone Poulenc in France. Today an independent Pyral produces perforated magnetic tape for the film industry. Not sure that they make 1/4" and 1/2"magnetic tape??

As for Ampex, sold to Quantegy, they announced they would stop production of magnetic tape.

End of an Ampex Era: Quantegy Says Goodbye to Magnetic Tape Lines 01.26.2007.

Saying it did so with "very mixed emotions," Quantegy Recording Solutions is discontinuing its magnetic tape product lines...

Good News From the Quantegy.com website JULY 09:

As you are well aware by now, we are working on reviving Quantegy 456 Studio Mastering Tape, Quantegy 499 Gold Studio Mastering Tape, GP9 Platinum Studio Mastering Tape, as well as the Black Diamond Series of products.

The product is now "Available in all configurations1/4”, 1/2”, 1” and 2” widths from 600’ to 5000’ lengths"

Viva la analogue!!!!!

[studiorp]

Hey, Emtec was sold to Rmgi, in Holland
This the webiste: www.rmgi.nl

[Third]

we also cut from digital sources without delay line. it's not quite advanced head cutting, but negates the use of the crappy a-d-a portion of even modern delay lines...

two stereo channels out of sadie, one delayed, ie offset rather than delayed.
the first is the control, the second is the program,...ok its digital, but this way the d-a is now our choice rather than tc electronic's (most crucial part of any digital system is the d-a).

i find it works nicely and the cuts have more miles clarity.

[Third]

...only two manufacturers of tape in the world today I know one is Pyral with the ex BASF production facilities the other I am not sure of...

BASF was sold to Emtech who recently sold it to MPO France, a leader in optical disc production so I doubt they have any interest in magnetic tape.

Pyral was the lacquer disc brand produced by Rhone Poulenc in France. Today an independent Pyral produces perforated magnetic tape for the film industry. Not sure that they make 1/4" and 1/2"magnetic tape??

As for Ampex, sold to Quantegy, they announced they would stop production of magnetic tape.

End of an Ampex Era: Quantegy Says Goodbye to Magnetic Tape Lines 01.26.2007.

Saying it did so with "very mixed emotions," Quantegy Recording Solutions is discontinuing its magnetic tape product lines...

Good News From the Quantegy.com website JULY 09:

As you are well aware by now, we are working on reviving Quantegy 456 Studio Mastering Tape, Quantegy 499 Gold Studio Mastering Tape, GP9 Platinum Studio Mastering Tape, as well as the Black Diamond Series of products.

The product is now "Available in all configurations1/4”, 1/2”, 1” and 2” widths from 600’ to 5000’ lengths"

Viva la analogue!!!!!

there is a god and he uses 456...
i'd was on me last few reels

[Didier S]

I have cut fixed pitch.. Currently looking for the "delay-head" for my 1/4" A80, if someone knows of one available? PM me, Thanks, Didier

[dietrich10]

i find it works nicely and the cuts have more miles clarity.

I tried a few different digital delay options,none made sense versus the signal offset through the DA.

[Aussie0zborn]

If you use a Mac with a 4 channel sound card you can run the first stereo signal in real time for preview and the second stereo signal offset, as Third describes, for cutting. The Neumann book will tell you the delay times (oops... offset times) for 45 and 33.3rpm. There is no reason why this shouldn't work.

[Aussie0zborn]

Hey, Emtec was sold to Rmgi, in Holland
This the webiste: www.rmgi.nl

RMG bought the manufacturing equipment from Emtec - not the business.

"When EMTEC closed down, RMG International acquired the EMTEC manufacturing and quality assurance equipment necessary to convert and complete the tape production lines to the EMTEC standards for audio tape manufacturing."

This is hardly surprising as MPO, being a large optical disc manufacturer, would have no interest in magnetic tape.

So its good to see that not only has Quantegy resurrected the 456 (yes, there is a God!!) but there is another supplier of magnetic tape, using Emtec's machines. http://www.rmgi.eu/overview.asp?Id=5

We should give this EMTEC thing a rest because there is an American compnay claiming to now own the name : http://www.digitalstorage.com/about/history.cfm

One thing's for sure, we wil never see a BASF or EMTEC analogue tape on the market again.

[Third]

If you use a Mac with a 4 channel sound card you can run the first stereo signal in real time for preview and the second stereo signal offset, as Third describes, for cutting. The Neumann book will tell you the delay times (oops... offset times) for 45 and 33.3rpm. There is no reason why this shouldn't work.

900 ms for 33 1/3
667 ms for 45