Date:         Thu, 26 Jul 2007 21:06:09 -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: Cracked Cylinder Record
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Hi Parker:

But if you do Jack's method, you're left with the same problem as Terry -- a microsecond of blank 
space, which is just as noticeable and annoying as the click. Unless I'm not understanding your 
description. Using the method Terry proposes, which is akin to splicing out the peak pop of the 
click, you appear to remove it without messing with continuity, although people with keen ears for 
rhythm and background noise can definitely hear the removed microseconds. I only did this once with 
tape splicing, to remove 7 bad ticks from a vinyl gouge on an LP. I learned from experimenting that 
the actual peak of the tick was an inch or two at 15IPS, and removing that much did not effect at 
least my pretty good sense of rhythm.  Later, Art Shifrin taught me to remove tick peaks manually in 
SoundForge, this was when SF was relatively new before Sony bought it. Art and I were dealing more 
in spoken word material, so this was easy and did not effect the time-domain experience at all. 
Nowadays, when it's music, I rewrite the wave form in Soundforge rather than mess with removing even 
a tiny slice of time. Yeah, rewriting the wave takes even longer than removing the peak of the tick, 
about as long as splicing out 2 inches of tape.

-- Tom Fine

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Parker Dinkins" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, July 26, 2007 8:09 PM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Cracked Cylinder Record


> on 7/26/07 6:35 PM US/Central, Tom Fine at [log in to unmask]
> wrote:
>
>> Back in ye olde tape splicing days, it took about as much time as Terry faces,
>> but one cut and splice did the job for each click.
>
> Actually, Jack Towers and others used a jig made from ebony wood, using an
> full track Ampex head set in the middle. There was a supply and takeup reel
> that could be rocked to find the offending click.
>
> A China marker was used to mark the location, the tape was flipped, and an
> X-Acto knife was used to scrape off the oxide layer at the chosen spot.
>
> Lather, rinse, repeat. Endlessly almost.
>
> But no splicing was ever required.
>
> I am almost certain this method was inspired by John R.T. Davies.
>
> This was advanced technology in its day. The Packburn equipment came later.
>
> Interestingly, Jack Towers told me the clicks sometimes re-emerged a bit the
> following morning. I've often wondered how much of this was caused by ear
> fatigue, as a result of the intensive hours of work connected with this
> truly manual de-clicking.
>
> --
> Parker Dinkins
> MasterDigital Corporation
> Audio Restoration + CD Mastering
> http://masterdigital.com
>