The Beatles' Multi-Track Tape Machines

I was wondering if their are people here who know this (of course there are)

Ok, my friends, what tape formats, configurations and speeds were the standard for The Beatles multitracks?

I mean what was Please Please Me? A 1" 3 track? Was it 15 ips or 30? Was noise reduction of any kind ever implemented during The Beatles studio career?

Was the Hard Day's Night machine the same as the Pepper machine? Was it used at the same speed all of the time?

I know they went to 8-track in the middle of The White Album sessions. Still I'd like to know what the tape widths and speeds were for those (and for the 4-track pre-white album machines).

Peace Love and The Fab Format
Marky

 

Yes, Master!


Peace Love and Searchio Mendez
Marky

 

Sorry, Steve.
I can't find a thread dedicated to the subject- and only hints at answers to my questions in others. I guess I don't know what to enter in my search. Sorry if everyone knows this and is sick of talking about it already. But couldn't we make a definitive thread for these answers? New people come here all the time.

Peace Love and the Multi's Falcon
Marky

 

Thanks, Steve. Interesting thread.

Still that was a lot of reading to find only a small portion of answers to my questions.
Still think we need the definitive Beatles Multi-track Formats thread. I've gotta go to dinner now -but when I get back I'm going to try and guess what they were and you guys can tell me if I'm right (if you care).

Peace Love and too hungry to pun
Marky

 

I think this is an interesting idea. I think if we only concentrated on the albums, most of us would see where the singles fit in. In fact, knowing how slow EMI was at instigating new recording technology, several albums were probably recorded (technically) the same way (Please Please Me, With The Beatles (except for "Money"), A Hard Day's Night and Beatles For Sale, etc. Anyway, there must be more than a few that could answer the original question. Steve could step in if he observes a glaring error... I say have at it!

 

This will get ya started, Marky...

the Studer J 37--4 tracks--One-Inch tape-- 52 tubes--300 lb!

The most famous tape recorder ever!!!

Used by The Beatles to cut most of their songs.

EMI bought 8 J-37s for Abbey Road studios and used the machines from mid '64 to the end of '68. Even a couple of the songs on the Abbey Road album were cut on J 37.

Please excuse the hype...I borrowed this copy from some guy who's trying to sell a couple of the machines.

As far as I know, all the Beatles' multi-tracks are 15 ips, CCIR EQ, with no noise reduction. EMI had their own brand of recording tape, which was called... EMITAPE.

The Hollywood Bowl tapes are an exception...I would guess 3-track, one-inch tape at 15 ips, NAB EQ. (Anyone can read the back of the album)....I have no idea as far as tape or operating level; most likely Scotch or Ampex at 185 nanoWebers per meter or so...

The twin-track stereo machines used to record the first 2 albums were an in-house EMI brand called BTR; for "British Tape Recorder."

Couldn't find much on the mixdown machines...likely also a Studer (C-37 maybe?)...guessing 15 ips CCIR, no NR, etc, as above...

Please feel free to correct anything I've got wrong...

hth,

 

Great start, SC. Thank you very much.

I've read so much through my life about the Beatles and I consider it a crime that I still don't know these things. I don't recall Lewisohn specifying much technical info about the machines. He did say that "Helter Skelter" was recorded at 30ips- which means the longest take could only have been about 15 minutes, yes?

So does anyone know if the J-37 4 track machines were not capable of going 30ips? And was the 8-track typically run at 30ips? Anybody know much about that 8 track machine?

Was a Studer C-37 pretty much the standard at EMI in those days? Was that 1/2 inch tape at 15ips?

Was that EMI tape a formula that held up well over time? Or did they have to bake the tapes in the digital age?

I'd like to get all the information you guys know and sum it up at the end of the thread. Coolness?

Peace Love and Studer Baker
Marky

 

Hi,

The Studer J-37 4-Track could be converted to 30 IPS. It meant changing all motors, making some minor changes to the record-reproduce electronics, and a realignment of the electronics. Most of them were 15 IPS. This was the famous Beatles Abbey Road deck. The EMITape was made by EMI and has worked well and held up well.

 

I recall Steve (I think) saying that EMI tapes do not need baking. They are of the earlier era and probably aged just fine.

 

A lot of old tapes don't need baking. My TDK and most Scotch tapes form the 70's played back just fine. OTOH, all my Ampex 456 tapes seem to need baking. That will be a fun project when I finally undertake it.

 

According to Lewisohn, Abbey Road Studio 2 had its own mixing console (REDD 37) 10 inputs, 2 outputs. Is this the huge desk you see Norman Smith sitting behind in all those 1963-65 pictures?

 

Same with me, DS. My Maxell and Memorex tapes from 1978-83 still play fine. My 3M and Ampex are mud.

Thanks, Kent. Does anyone know if they actually made that conversion ever for any particular period or session? Was Helter Skelter an 8 track recording? I would assume the 8 track probably came with a switch, no?

Also guys, since there was no noise reduction, was the practice to pretty much bury the VU needles into the red?


Peace Love and Red Skelter
Marky

 

Can't say for sure, but the large track width's they used sure helped with the noise.

 

It sure was a beauty.

 

This doesn't show the REDD 37, but it shows a 360 view of Abbey Road studio 2 in 1967. Pretty neat!

 

This is the REDD 37:

 

This is the one I mean.

 

Very neat, but I think they got the year wrong. I'd think that's more like 1963, maybe '64.

 

If it is synched up 2 track, I have to wonder why the whole album wasn't recorded that way - it's far and away the best sounding track on the album, IMO.

 

I think you're right. I noticed that after I posted, Martin. I think they were trying to show what it would have looked like during the recording of a Day in the Life. I guess they figured it hadn't changed much in those years.