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[R Geoff Ruby]

Steve,

First, thanks for joining us as a moderator.

I've read that you use an oscilloscope. Could you tell us more about this - what it does, when you use it, what you're looking for, what it's telling you etc.

Thanks,
Geoff Ruby

[bushwick]

Perhaps checkin his azimuth regularly.

j

[Barry Hufker]

While the question is to Steve, I would also bet it's a quick check of L/R balance in the mix and general mono compatibility.

Barry

[Bill B]

And possibly a bit meter?

[electrical]

An oscilloscope is basically a meter, and you can use it for a bunch of things. I like having one around because it's fun to look at, but it's also useful for seeing the width of the stereo image, seeing how much hotter the peak material is than the average material, catching moments of clipping, etc.

It's also indespensible for tape deck alignment.

Great tool, fun to look at. Get one now.

[dcollins]

Bill B wrote on Sun, 11 December 2005 10:01

And possibly a bit meter?

LOL!

DC

[Greg Norman]

R Geoff Ruby wrote on Sat, 10 December 2005 11:49

Steve, First, thanks for joining us as a moderator. I've read that you use an oscilloscope. Could you tell us more about this - what it does, when you use it, what you're looking for, what it's telling you etc. Thanks, Geoff Ruby

It is used for a lot of things.  We have one in each studio normaled to the monitor send.
- azimuth on the tape machines
- check for/confirm distortion
- view, at a glance, phase relationship (xy mode)
- other trouble shooting
Steve has other uses for it that I don't want to think about (cause they're nasty).

[Eng.Hamza Al-Shokani]

electrical wrote on Sun, 11 December 2005 22:28

It's also indespensible for tape deck alignment.

where do we find the procedure to do tape deck alignment?

I would like to know why?

thanks.

[Greg Norman]

Eng.Hamza Al-Shokani wrote on Sun, 11 December 2005 14:05

electrical wrote on Sun, 11 December 2005 22:28 It's also indespensible for tape deck alignment. where do we find the procedure to do tape deck alignment? I would like to know why? thanks.

The manual for the particular machine should have the best method in it.  

Why should you align the machine?
So it works properly.
Is that what you're asking?

[electrical]

Greg Norman wrote on Sun, 11 December 2005 15:48

Eng.Hamza Al-Shokani wrote on Sun, 11 December 2005 14:05 where do we find the procedure to do tape deck alignment? I would like to know why? thanks. Your manual.

Greg's just being a dick. I don't encourage that.

The oscilloscope shows a trace of a waveform, voltage over time. When playing back a test tape, you'll see the familiar trace of a sine wave. Using a dual oscilloscope, you can look at two tracks, one on the top of the headstack and one on the bottom. You adjust the azimuth on the playback head until the two waveforms are synchronized or superimposed. This implies that the head is then perfectly perpendicular to the direction of the tape travel.

[dcollins]

electrical wrote on Sun, 11 December 2005 12:59

sine wave. Using a dual oscilloscope, you can look at two tracks, one on the top of the headstack and one on the bottom. You adjust the azimuth on the playback head until the two waveforms are synchronized or superimposed. This implies that the head is then perfectly perpendicular to the direction of the tape travel.

The scope can also be put in "X/Y" mode to give a more accurate view of the interchannel phase.

Aka Lissajous display.


DC

[Les Ismore]

Unless it's an old Ampex like mine where they just bolted the headstack in the right spot and don't let you mess with it. I guess they figured one less thing to go wrong.


I like to have Scope around for clients with bad breath though.

[Greg Norman]

electrical wrote on Sun, 11 December 2005 14:59

Greg's just being a dick. I don't encourage that.

Hey!  
I was mearly being straight to the point.  Every machine has its own method and lexicon for doing it.  Your description offers an over simplified, and I would argue misleading idea of how to do it (leaves more questions to be asked/answered).  It doesn't answer the question "where do we find the procedure to do tape deck alignment?" like my reply clearly does.
Who's the dick now?
Want to fight?
7am,
in the lounge,
No Scratchies!


 

[Bill B]

dcollins wrote on Sun, 11 December 2005 14:29

Bill B wrote on Sun, 11 December 2005 10:01 And possibly a bit meter? LOL! DC

THANK YOU, ladies and gentlemen!

[mastermind]

Greg Norman wrote on Sun, 11 December 2005 16:44

Who's the dick now? Want to fight? 7am, in the lounge, No Scratchies!

Battle of the engineers... place yer bets !!!!

t