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[HDTT]

Question:
When did Classical labels start using 1/2" masters to record.
Was it the early sixties? Or in the late sixties?
I believe popular music wasn't till the early 70's ??

[Jerry Tubb]

I think you're a decade or so early. Goog around a bit on history of analog tape.

I remember using a 1/2" two-track ATR-100 with Saki heads in the mid '80s, with non-classical music.
Perhaps the format was in use in the late '70s.
In the '60s & early '70s it was pretty much 1/4" for stereo.
However the 1/2" multi-track format was commonplace.

JT

[Garrett H]

I think a lot had to do with budget and how gear-excited the engineers were.  Those with success in 1/4-inch stayed entrenched for budget and confort reasons, too.

[Mark Wilder]

I first started seeing half inch 2 track around 1982/1983 but if we include 3 track half inch, the earliest I've seen is 1958.

[bigaudioblowhard]

and classical adopted digital quite early, as they were more sensitive to noise floor,
Soundstream, F1, JVC. John Eargle did alot on 1610 and 1630.

Wow, say a Hail Mary and hit the red button.


bab

[Jerry Tubb]

Mark Wilder wrote on Fri, 14 May 2010 19:59

but if we include 3 track half inch, the earliest I've seen is 1958.

and I think we know which record that is Mark : - )

[compasspnt]

Mark Wilder wrote on Fri, 14 May 2010 20:59

I first started seeing half inch 2 track around 1982/1983...

Yup. I bought my first one in early '83.

Bob Ludwig had one maybe as early as '81?

[Schallfeldnebel]

Classical music labels and freelance-engineers directly switched over to digital technique. Not because noise floor only, also because of the extended editing facilities. The Sony 1610/DAE1100 system offered preview, which made it possible to time edits far more accurate than ever possible with tape, and it offered crossfade lengths up to 100ms. Try to do that with razorblade editing. The investement in digital editing equipment was high, but the working speed and accuracy paid off. No 1/2 inch !