Date:         Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:25:44 -0400
Reply-To:     Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
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Sender:       Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
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From:         Tom Fine <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:      Re: cassette crackle
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Were these tapes all recorded by the same person on the same system? If so, it's probably something 
intermitent (sp?) in the original recording chain -- a dirty connector or the like. If they are 
off-air recordings from the radio, any number of atmospheric and in-house electrical things can 
cause crackles. If they are, for instance, Grateful Dead concert recordings made off a common buss 
from the mixing console or even from a shared mic array, anything from connector-itis to electrical 
spikes to things happening on-stage can cause crackles. And of course, if they are from LPs or other 
grooved disks, that could just be surface problems.

-- Tom Fine

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Hirst" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2008 8:53 AM
Subject: [ARSCLIST] cassette crackle


> Here's a thing that's been confusing me for some time. I have spent the past six months working my 
> way through a large number of cassette tapes mostly recorded between 1985 and 1995. every now and 
> again I notice light, but significant crackling. This is often more noticeable in the right 
> channel, but not exclusively so. On some recordings this is louder, on most recordings this is not 
> evident at all. This is not restricted to any one brand of cassette, nor is it associated with any 
> one playback machine and/or soundcard. Can anyone explain this for me?
>
> -- 
> Mike Hirst
> Managing Director
> DAS-360°
> 16 Ocean View
> Whitley Bay
> Tyne & Wear
> NE26 1AL
>
> tel: 0191 289 3186
> email: [log in to unmask]
> web: http://www.das360.net
>