From time to time that subject gets kicked around, so I tried to provide some insight.
Butterfly heads
- Thread starter Foxbat
- Start date
So Victor.
I watched your video. You go into great detail about crosstalk - in fact all the video seems to be about how crosstalk is degraded by any kind of "butterflying" the pole shapes.
BUT, what about OTHER things like frequency response? The multiple manufacturers of tape heads and machines using them MUST have done so for a good reason. So what is/was it?
Anyone else want to chime in?
I watched your video. You go into great detail about crosstalk - in fact all the video seems to be about how crosstalk is degraded by any kind of "butterflying" the pole shapes.
BUT, what about OTHER things like frequency response? The multiple manufacturers of tape heads and machines using them MUST have done so for a good reason. So what is/was it?
Anyone else want to chime in?
Hi Charles,
I am not sure about the multiple manufacturers... in my sizable collection only Studer uses them. Among the companies not using the butterflies are Ampex, MCI, Sony, Digitec, Tascam, Telefunken, Lyrec, Otari, Nagra and probably many others. Hardly a bunch of inexperienced players.
If you look at the four cases that I outlined, you mostly see a bit more noise here... a bit worse crosstalk there... so the question then becomes - why do it? I am not sure what you mean by the frequency response - I have not seen any effect of that pole shape.
As I stated in the video, there IS a minor positive effect when both recording and playing wide tracks - one extra dB of SNR... which might be noticeable in a studio. But the typical consumer case of playing narrow tracks with a wide head produces only the double-minus result.
When I compared the Otari and the Studer heads connected to the same tape preamp, it was an easy win for the Otari. Was the butterfly nature of the Studer head responsible for that? Perhaps... especially since in that test it was not able to get the additional help from the crosstalk compensation.
I am not sure about the multiple manufacturers... in my sizable collection only Studer uses them. Among the companies not using the butterflies are Ampex, MCI, Sony, Digitec, Tascam, Telefunken, Lyrec, Otari, Nagra and probably many others. Hardly a bunch of inexperienced players.
If you look at the four cases that I outlined, you mostly see a bit more noise here... a bit worse crosstalk there... so the question then becomes - why do it? I am not sure what you mean by the frequency response - I have not seen any effect of that pole shape.
As I stated in the video, there IS a minor positive effect when both recording and playing wide tracks - one extra dB of SNR... which might be noticeable in a studio. But the typical consumer case of playing narrow tracks with a wide head produces only the double-minus result.
When I compared the Otari and the Studer heads connected to the same tape preamp, it was an easy win for the Otari. Was the butterfly nature of the Studer head responsible for that? Perhaps... especially since in that test it was not able to get the additional help from the crosstalk compensation.
I, of course, "compared" (not sure why the quotes here, but retaining them) the sound.
Does Stellavox SM have crosstalk compensation?
Still would like someone to give some good reason for using wide track heads on narrow track recordings.
And speaking of wide tracks... I have a Sony block with heads like this:
One of my Sony APR-5003's has the calibration position for it.
Does Stellavox SM have crosstalk compensation?
Still would like someone to give some good reason for using wide track heads on narrow track recordings.
And speaking of wide tracks... I have a Sony block with heads like this:
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One of my Sony APR-5003's has the calibration position for it.
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Hi V,
"Still would like someone to give some good reason for using wide track heads on narrow track recordings." None may exist.
I've read the Studer DIN/Schmetterling repro head was for broadcast purposes ... to repro mono and stereo program material
without the inconvenience of switching headstacks.
Hope this contributes to the thread!
Take care.
"Still would like someone to give some good reason for using wide track heads on narrow track recordings." None may exist.
I've read the Studer DIN/Schmetterling repro head was for broadcast purposes ... to repro mono and stereo program material
without the inconvenience of switching headstacks.
Hope this contributes to the thread!
Take care.
Are you describing comb filter effect for either DIN or NAB head when reading a mono track?
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