When I worked in music studios in the 80s and 90s, Otaris where for people who coudnt afford MCIs, and if you had lots of money, the only multitrack you would by was a Studer, and they had lots of transformers.
Studer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
And aligning the machine (including tricks like over biasing etc) had more affect than the type of tape used. ( IMO the only reason to use tape is the compression effect, even if people wont admit it).
Recording engineers who knew what they were doing used some of the defects of the recording chain to improve the subjective sound. They instictively knew about euforic distortion/noise and used it.
Studer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
And aligning the machine (including tricks like over biasing etc) had more affect than the type of tape used. ( IMO the only reason to use tape is the compression effect, even if people wont admit it).
Recording engineers who knew what they were doing used some of the defects of the recording chain to improve the subjective sound. They instictively knew about euforic distortion/noise and used it.
I still think that the main benefit of signal transformers is the isolation of grounds
In complex systems ground loops are everywhere
I do not know if balanced connections have a similar effect by the way
I am going balanced to check
Regards, gino
In complex systems ground loops are everywhere
I do not know if balanced connections have a similar effect by the way
I am going balanced to check
Regards, gino
Gino, maybe what you need is a tape recorder sound emulator, small signal transformers are transparent ,don't have much sound, they are used practically every recording ever made. On the other hand tape recorders distort much more.
Hi and that is interestin ... why ? i mean why transformers are so common in high end analog tape recorders ?
What are the reasons ?
As i said at some audio fairs lately they demo systems with analog tape recorders as sources ... just a fashion of the moment ? could be ...
Anyway the fact that these transformers are very common it must mean something. I still think it is a noise related issue.
Thanks a lot, gino
Gino, maybe this link is of interest:
Jeff Rowland Design Group - Line-level Transformers in High-End Audio
Then visit the webpages of the three most important transformer manufacturers,
Jensen, Lundahl and Sowther. Besides data sheets they have a lot of additional information online (especially Jensen).
Jeff Rowland Design Group - Line-level Transformers in High-End Audio
Then visit the webpages of the three most important transformer manufacturers,
Jensen, Lundahl and Sowther. Besides data sheets they have a lot of additional information online (especially Jensen).
A clue might be found in the characteristics of transformers: impedance transformation (when it is needed - often it isn't), ground isolation (when it is needed - often it isn't), balanced-unbalanced connection (when it is needed - often it isn't). Do you get the picture? People use a transformer when a transformer does the job.ginetto61 said:
Hi and thank you All very much again for valuable advice and links.
So transformers have indeed benefits.
Just one last question about ground loops.
I wonder if balanced connections are more immune to this issue.
If so this is also a very strong point supporting the balanced option.
In my experience in a home context ground loops are surely an issue.
Thanks a lot again.
Kindest regards, gino
So transformers have indeed benefits.
Just one last question about ground loops.
I wonder if balanced connections are more immune to this issue.
If so this is also a very strong point supporting the balanced option.
In my experience in a home context ground loops are surely an issue.
Thanks a lot again.
Kindest regards, gino
Balanced connections can be made more immune to ground loops, but they are rarely needed in domestic audio.
Hi and thanks again. This is very important for me.
I believe that every effort must be done to keep system noise as low as possible. The noise can cover the small level sounds that contributes to the live effect or the soundstage reproduction.
I will try to raise the volume without signal and listen
Thanks a lot again. Kind regards, gino
Our ears/brains are quite good at ignoring noise. That is why LP, FM and tape sound acceptable, despite quite high noise levels.
Acceptable is the key word - that's why normal audio rarely hits the spot: the ear/brain has to unscramble the wanted information from the unwanted, and much more work has to be done than with, say, live sound. This raises a flag in your awareness, which says the sound is just OK, rather than, say, overwhelming - getting the sound to register at that next level of 'impressiveness' requires the "system noise", low level distortion, to be dropped below a certain level.
Hi and thanks for the reply and i understand
But ... have you tried listened to music at nigh ... maybe with headphones ... when there is no noise to speak of ?
I think that while brain has the ability to filter noise off the absence of noise is always preferable.
I am striving to get the "being there" feeling ...
I am sure that the success of line transformers can also be linked to their ability to stop electrica noise throught the system
They are not completely transparent ... just look at a square wave before and after a transformer ... it is distorted
But the positives are usually superior to negatives
The reduction of electrical noise is also what makes the voices stand out more ... a very very nice effect ... like more live
Just great. I love it.
Thanks again and kind regards, gino
Back in the very early days of high end analog tape recorders, everything was tubes and transformers. This was the old 600 Ohm days. So as mechanical and circuit design progressed, to keep the new recorders compatible with other traditional equipment they keep the 600 Ohms and the transformers.
Hi and very very interesting indeed. Thanks for the info.
I wonder if during those tubed times the connections were also balanced
I think that now all recorders are balanced.
i am wondering if going balanced could solve my usual ground loops issues.
Thanks again. Kind regards, gino
I wonder if during those tubed times the connections were also balanced
I think that now all recorders are balanced.
i am wondering if going balanced could solve my usual ground loops issues.
Thanks again. Kind regards, gino
No, all recorders are not balanced. Professional ones are, because their usual habitat requires it.
There are no silver bullets!
There are no silver bullets!
Hi and thanks again.
If for "pro usual habitat" you mean cables everywhere, stacked units, well my actual home habitat is pro like then, really.
I move units in and out without order.
For me at this stage is important to understand if balanced connections have also other negative sides. I am ignorant in electronics.
But the fact that they are more immune to noise is a very big plus for me.
I have also an experience.
I have a cheap headphone amp (i do not mention the brand)
It has balanced outs and ins
I connected it unbalanced with adapters and i got a loud hum
But i did not try it unbalanced, as it is supposed to be used i guess
Maybe it would be perfectly silent
Thanks again, gino
The usual habitat is very long cables and lots of equipment being used simultaneously. Unlikely in most homes.
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