[Dixielandjazz] Some Capital Records history (1950s-1960s)

[lrg4003 at aol.com]

Depending on the tracks and time frame the masters could very well have been cut on 1/4 inch.  That was the primary tape in use in the late 40's.
As multi-tracking became popular 1/2 inch, 1-inch and 2-inch formats came into use by recording studios.   

The quarter-inch tape was, of course popular with people who did home or location recording on Wollensak's, Nagra's, etc. Also used in commercial radio production until digital formats began taking over a few years ago.  Working on the 1/4 inch stuff now seems pretty primitive.
The editor would roll the left and right reels back and forth looking for a particular mark (to edit out for example), mark it with a grease pencil, put the section on a small metal rail embedded on their editing board and make a diagonal cut with a hand held exacta knife blade or razor blade.
Then tape it together with a small hunk of white, 1/4-inch tape.  

If the edit was questionable they would hang on to the small piece of tape that had been removed and used the white tape and leave it hanging from the console.  By the end of the session the floor would be filled with brown tape.  

So, likely, in the early 50's at least, 1/4-inch was the format....

K.C. Clarinet





-----Original Message-----
From: M J (Mike) Logsdon <mjl at ix.netcom.com>
To: Larry Garrett <lrg4003 at aol.com>
Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Tue, Mar 2, 2010 2:05 pm
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Some Capital Records history (1950s-1960s)


Great history!  He refers to quarter-inch tape, though.  That's awfully narrow 
or studio masters, in my opinion.  Does he have the dimension wrong, perhaps?
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