Albums: 15 ips vs 30 ips

[andrewfoshee]

So I've tried searching and found many helpful conversations regarding tape speeds 15 and 30 ips, however I couldn't find anything regarding specific albums.

Does anyone have any great 'classic' examples of albums recorded at 15 ips vs albums recorded at 30 ips? I want to really see if I can tell the difference after mastering, mixdown, ect ...

Thanks!

[DGoody]

If I'm not mistaken, most british stuff in the 60's/70's was mixed at least, to 1/4" at 15ips, with CCIR/IEC eq.

[fireproof]

I think almost everything in the 60's was 15 ips.
I always record at 15ips and mix at 30 ips.

Adam

I copied the quote below from this thread.
http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/index. ... #msg_69318


Posted by Bob Olhsson
With the exception of one guy in New York, 1/2" two track didn't exist before the mid 1970s. RCA asked people to use 30 ips in the very late '60s but it didn't become very common until the '70s.
The first machines I ever saw used at 30 were 3M M-56s in 1972 and this was an RCA project.
After 24 track came it a lot of people moved up to 30 especially if they didn't like Dolbys. Virtually every record made before 1975 was mixed to 1/4" and virtually every record made before the early '70s was recorded and mixed at 15.

[andrewfoshee]

thanks fireproof, that was a cool thread. i'm recording an album this summer and i'm trying to decide between 15 and 30 ips.

24 track otari. two-inch tape. speed, undecided.

decisions, decisions ...

[Bob Womack]

The decision boils down to where your album needs to be voiced: 30ips offers a whole octave of overtones in the high-end and less noise but the bass is never "right" sounding to me. 15ips isn't as sparkly but the bass is very solid. A good portion of Bill Szymczyk's catalog, including the Eagle's Hotel California and The Long Run, is on 15ips for both mutitrack and mixes. He was really committed to bass.

The machine sitting twenty feet to my left is tweaked beautifully for 15ips and Dolby SR. In that configuration it just SHINES. After years of fiddling, I got it to sing and no-one asked for 30ips. Of course, few are using analog 2" anymore...

Bob

[andrewfoshee]

Thanks Bob!

Things I learned:

Neil Young's Harvest was 30 ips
Ray LaMontagne's Trouble was 15 ips

Two of my favorite sounding albums ...