3 ms·
I think when people think of "reel-to-reel" tape, they're probably imagining the sort of upright desktop models that were extremely popular among hobbyists in t
by sramsay 6y ago
I think when people think of "reel-to-reel" tape, they're probably imagining the sort of upright desktop models that were extremely popular among hobbyists in the 50s and 60s.
But studio-grade tape machines were absolute engineering marvels. They could weigh as much as a thousand pounds, and had to be maintained and calibrated by highly-skilled technicians.
There were a thousand factors with tape (tape formula, humidity, azimuth, asperity, the fact that it's a Tuesday), but having an even speed was the main thing. The big names in analog tape -- Ampex, Studer, MCI -- were really all about creating extremely precise motors. IPS (inches per second) was the critical number, and the engineers who worked on that problem are legends. Honestly, these incredible gadgets belong next to Rolleiflex cameras and Lamborghini clutches in the history of mechanical engineering.
- bane 6y agoIIR a number of early computing pioneers passed through work at Ampex.
- palijer 6y agoI used to calibrate Studors when I got my first reel (ha) internship out of college. Fascinating machines, I loved being in a small cohort of self-taught individuals who could work on decades old technology. Sometimes we would lack documentation on a particular model, or part we needed to repair, but I remember my mentor's words that follow me through industries and jobs to this day; "if a human designed and built it, a human can understand and repair it".
- sramsay 6y agoWow. That's awesome. I've always heard that people like you really became "tape whisperers," with a lot of knowledge passed down and tons of self-teaching. You're part of a very elite group, honestly.