Tape Alignement video question

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vbsh
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Tape Alignement video question

Post by vbsh » Thu May 07, 2015 9:30 am

I found this video showing how to align a tape machine. It's good and I understand everything, except a couple of things.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSbEj4Ho0Vs

At 09:10 in the video, the guy explains how to set the recording level, by sending a 1 kHz tone from the mixing deck to the tape machine and he says that both the mixer and the tape machine should display 0 VU = +4 dbu. That's clear.

However, at 10:15 he proceeds to set the input level and he says something like: "Now we're sending a 1 kHz tone to the tape machine from the mixing console and thats NUMBER 6 on the strip there".

What is NUMBER 6? At 9:28, I'm trying to look closely at the mixer's strips to find out what "6" means. I thought, maybe it's some Peak Programme Meter mark that somehow corresponds to 0 VU (+4 dBu), but what PPM scale that would be? I've never seen something like that. Maybe I confused something?

I think that he shouldn't have mentioned that "6", cause it's so confusing. I guess he's just sending a normal +4 dBu signal, but the picture is blurry I cannot really read the mixer's strip.

That was one thing that I don't understand. Now there's another. At 07:21 he sets the bias, and says that he is sending a 10 kHz tone with a level of -6 dB from the console. Why -6 dB? Is he overbiasing or something?

He mentions in the beginning that he's elevating the fluxivity or someting, but why they can't make a video for total newbies where everything will be by the standard and then they can mention that you can make things differently.

Thanks.

Matt C.
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Post by Matt C. » Thu May 07, 2015 12:20 pm

doesn't sound to me like his reference to "number 6" is anything important, I think you can just disregard that.

he explains setting the bias with a -6dB signal. it gives you more room on the meter to see where the signal peaks and then starts dropping while adjusting bias level.

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rhythm ranch
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Post by rhythm ranch » Thu May 07, 2015 2:24 pm

PAVI is the Pacific Audio Visual Institute and I assume that this video was prepared for one of their classes. Seems like the "#6" he's referring to is from the "sheet" that goes along with the video in the classroom. (Ex. at 3:36 he mentions "...#3 on your sheet."

vbsh
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Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2015 10:16 am

Post by vbsh » Thu May 07, 2015 4:14 pm

rhythm ranch and Matt C., thanks for your replies. You are probably right.

But I was looking at the mixer and I thought, maybe it really shows +6. Here's a snapshot of the video. Each of the meters has a VU scale on the left and some PM (peak meter?) scale on the right and it really looks as if there's a 6 mark there. However the resolution is not really good. Probably I just confused things.

Image

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