Tape Project Alignment Tones

[High and Outside]

This is a continuation of the discussion started under the title "Test tones on ALL tape releases??" but I'm starting a new thread that is concerned solely with the alignment tone reels that we will be making to go with our releases.

First of all, the parts that have already been decided: it'll have 1KHz for level setting, 10K for HF EQ, 15K for azimuth, and some tones for LF EQ setting (discussion below.) All tones will be at zero level. (How many nanoWebers/meter will that zero correspond to? That's still under consideration.) It will have two signals for polarity: an asymmetrically clipped sine wave and pops. The clipped sine is useful, but needs a scope. The pops will be useful only if you have a polarity popper set (which I highly recommend anyway*) but has the advantage of being able to confirm polarity all the way through your chain to the speaker output.

The LF EQ has been brought up in the previous thread, and we've been thinking a lot about it too. Our current thinking is three tones: 30, 60 and 90. We are interested in input from others on this as well.

Is there anything else that people would like to see included? We have considered frequency sweeps, but are currently leaning against including them.

The tone reels will be available for purchase. They are not a replacement for a test tape from MRL if you have the instrumentation and skill to use one--or you have a tech who does. They will be valuable for making sure your machine is set up to get the best out of The Tape Project albums. We don't have  a price yet, obviously, if we still haven't finalized what will be on them. All first year subscribers will get one gratis.

*These used to be hard to find, but now Galaxy Audio makes one that's perfectly good, easily available and cheap--about a hundred bucks. http://www.galaxyaudio.com/CRICKET.html

[stellavox]

Paul,

Regarding the test tones - I want to suggest keeping it simple - Lets "assume" that a Project Participant's deck is already in pretty good alignment - if it isn't they shouldn't be shelling out the big bazookas for your tapes.  So it isn't/doesn't HAVE to be a test tape

If this is the case, then probably all that is needed is a 1 khz reference tone - to set some kind of relative "loudness", then say a 10khz HF tone (or some other freq  - maybe it could also be used for azimuth if necessary - remember this ISN't supposed to be a test tape)  and an LF tone maybe around 100 hz. 

I'd intimate that you "use" these tones to set relative loudness, then observe the VU meter to see if the HF and LF tones go up to the same VU meter reading as the ref tone.

This will give you an indication that your machine is still in calibration - and you can tweak the HF calibration if needed.  Heck, I've only seen LF calibration tones on pro machines anyway (is there one on the 1500?)

CHarles

[docb]

I'm sitting here in the Magnolia room and the guys are doing a trial run of the Tape Project alignment tone tape.

Tones are:

1kHz, 10kHz, 15kHz, 90Hz, 60Hz, and 30Hz - thirty seconds each
asymmetric 1kHz - 1 minute
polarity pops - 1 minute

The steady tones were generated digitally to ensure the stability of the frequency. The pops were recorded digitally from the line output of a Galaxy Audio Cricket.

This allowed the creation of a file that we can loop to produce several test tone tapes from a single pancake of tape. The tones are going onto the tape at 250 nanoWebers/meter calibrated to 0dB on the VU meter. The tape will be delivered on a 7" low torque reel.

Projected retail price for this tape is $115, however we will be sending a free copy to every first year Tape Project subscriber as a thank you for your support. Reels are due in any day and we should be shipping the tapes within the next week or two.