Tape Splicing and Recording Test Tones

[Lek]

- Anyone care to either point out a website / book that explains tape splicing or explain it yourself? I need to splice leader tape for my own use and for mastering. I guess I'll be using the block provided on the top of my ATR102 (or is it better to buy a separate block?)

- Not sure if I'm printing test tones correctly. I've been using the tone generator out of Samplitude through my Benchmark DAC into the ATR102. One mastering engineer told me to adjust the level (in manual mode on the ATR) on the ATR so that in REPRO mode the level shows 0db on the VU (and I have had to adjust it for each frequency recorded as they are showing up as different values), is that correct? (instead of adjusting in INPUT mode). Or do I not want to touch the levels on the ATR at all?

Thanks for any help you tape freaks
Greg

[dokushoka]

After you align your ATR with you MRL you will then need to record tones (using your tape machines tone generator) so you have an alignment reference on the master tape. That way, if you give them tape to someone else, they can align their playback alignment using the tones on your tape.

[Lek]

Originally Posted by dokushoka

After you align your ATR with you MRL you will then need to record tones (using your tape machines tone generator) so you have an alignment reference on the master tape. That way, if you give them tape to someone else, they can align their playback alignment using the tones on your tape.

I understand the theory of why I am recording the tones, I am just asking the proper procedure in setting levels when recording the tones. My tape machine has a tone generator?

[dbbubba]

there is nothing wrong with the spliceingblock on the ATR, but a good EdiTall could be mounbted in maybe a better position.

For some reason I feel that you are asking about test tones before your deck is even calibrated. Is you ATR102 calibrated for repro and record?

If it is, you need to calibrated your mixer's zero output to make the ATR102's meters read zero. This way as you supply tones at a constant level from you DAW's mixer (this is what I assume you are doing) everything will be correct.

I was going offer a few suggestions, but I ran into more questions than suggestions.

What are you feeding the ATR102 with.
What is the source?
Is it a DAW or a console?

Optimally you should be able to feed tones to the ATR from the device that feeds it and NOT TOUCH ANYTHING ON THE ATR. Once the ATR is properly aligned abd the device feeding it is calibrated to feed it a proper signal you should NOT need to adjust anything on the ATR.

What tones are saying is "Here is what 1Khz coming from my console (DAW) looks like. Here is what 10 kHz coming from my console (DAW) looks like. Here is what 100 Hz coming from my console (DAW) looks like."

The person playing the tape you have recorded is attempting to playback the tape the exact freq. response of the console and mix.

YOU DO NOT WANT TO ADJUST ANY KNOBS TO MAKE THE VARIOUS FREQS. LOOK PROPER ON THE TAPE MACHINE!

Danny Brown

[Lek]

Originally Posted by dbbubba

there is nothing wrong with the spliceingblock on the ATR, but a good EdiTall could be mounbted in maybe a better position.

For some reason I feel that you are asking about test tones before your deck is even calibrated. Is you ATR102 calibrated for repro and record?

Yes I've had it calibrated twice in the last 9 months - the first time by ATR, the second by a local expert who used to work for ampex as well.

If it is, you need to calibrated your mixer's zero output to make the ATR102's meters read zero. This way as you supply tones at a constant level from you DAW's mixer (this is what I assume you are doing) everything will be correct.

the signal is coming from a benchmark d/a converter - and actually I do have to calibrate it properly (I have tweaked the controls on the benchmark, but the digital level seems to be less than the one from my daw when coming out

What are you feeding the ATR102 with.
What is the source?
Is it a DAW or a console?

daw through a benchmark d/a occassionally through a stereo comp or eq (but usually bypassed)

Optimally you should be able to feed tones to the ATR from the device that feeds it and NOT TOUCH ANYTHING ON THE ATR. Once the ATR is properly aligned abd the device feeding it is calibrated to feed it a proper signal you should NOT need to adjust anything on the ATR.
What tones are saying is "Here is what 1Khz coming from my console (DAW) looks like. Here is what 10 kHz coming from my console (DAW) looks like. Here is what 100 Hz coming from my console (DAW) looks like."

Doesn't the mastering engineer want to see what those signals look like as affected by the tape machine as opposed to from the console?

The person playing the tape you have recorded is attempting to playback the tape the exact freq. response of the console and mix.

right, but from the tape machine, not the console

YOU DO NOT WANT TO ADJUST ANY KNOBS TO MAKE THE VARIOUS FREQS. LOOK PROPER ON THE TAPE MACHINE!

Danny Brown

I hear you, which is why I asked this question