PRINCIPLES OF

MAGNETIC TAPE RECORDING

Introduction

Magnetic tape recording system has got many special features, which makes it unique in
Sound Broadcasting, Television and Computer field. These are :-

i) Instant and simultaneous replay during recording.

ii) The recording medium i.e., the magnetic tape can be used again and again after
erasing the previous recordings, which generally takes place along with the recording
of the new programme.

iii) The editing is simple and accurate. This can also be done electronically, without
physically cutting the tape.

These facilities combined with excellent quality and reliability has made magnetic recording
system very popular in the field of entertainment and all direct recordings are first done on
magnetic tape.

Magnetic Materials

Based on their properties, magnetic materials can be divided into two broad classes,

a) Soft Magnetic Materials : Soft magnetic materials are those, having high
permeability and very low values of remanance and coercivity as in figure 2. These
are used as transformer cores, magnetic heads, electromagnets.
b) Hard Magnetic Materials : Hard magnetic materials are those having much lower
permeability, but higher remanance and coercivity. These are mostly used as
permanent magnets.
c) Magnetic Resistances (Reluctance)

d) This term is in some ways similar to resistance in electric circuits. It is directly

proportional to the magnetic path length and inversely proportional to area of cross
l
Rm = .
section. Thus aμ It may be remembered that even a very small non-
magnetic shim or air gap in a high permeability magnetic path may increase its
reluctance manifold and all the magnetic flux will appear across the air gap and
spread outward from it. This is used with advantage in recording head manufacture,
where a small back gap is used to stabilise the field/flux characteristic and a still
smaller gap in the front with sharp edges, of reduced cross section, to obtain high
flux concentration, where the recording magnetic tape comes in contact with the
head as shown in the figure 3.
e) The head core is made from high permeability magnetic materials to reduce

hysteresis losses. The laminations (about

( 10001 ) . ) reduce eddy current losses,
as the internally generated short circuit currents do not flow through the body of the
core. It may be recalled that these short circuit currents are produced due to e.m.f.
generated by fast changing magnetic fields in the body of the core and unless
eliminated or greatly reduced, will cause core heating and loss of hig

The Erase Process

Erasing the previously recorded signal is essential for using the tape repeatedly. A
satisfactory method for this is to feed the erase head with a high amplitude signal of about
100 kHz and the tape passes over this erase head before it passes on to the record head
(see fig. 6). In this arrangement every part of the tape passes the erase head gap (about 15
mil) and is subjected to about 200 cycles of alternating magnetic field, starting from low
value at the start of the gap, increasing to saturation value in the middle of the gap and
again steadily dropping to low value of the field, as the tape leaves the gap. These repeated
magnetising cum de-magnetising cycles erase the signal completely and leave the tape in
completely unmagnetised form similar to a virgin tape without a magnetic history.

Tape Transport Interlock

The tape transport mechanism can have one of the three modes, namely, rewind, fast
forward and record/replay in addition to the stop functions. Supplies to the motors is applied
in such a way, that no two transport modes are energised simultaneously. This

is generally achieved through using main and auxiliary contacts of multi contact relay
interlocks

Brake Mechanism

For stopping the tape from any transport mode, the supply is switched off to the motors by
pressing the stop button and simultaneously applying the brakes to kill the movement of the
shutting motors due to inertia. It may be noted that the capstan motor is not switched off.
The pinch roller engages with the capstan shaft in record/replay mode only and in shuttling
mode, this remains disengaged and as such capstan motor though running continuously
does not play any part in tape shuttling. The brake system used is invariably of differential
braking type where the braking torque depends upon the direction of rotation of the shuttling
motors. The idea is that the tape supply spool motor should have higher braking torque
(almost double) as compared to the take up spool motor. This ensures that the tape supply
spool stops a bit second earlier than the take up spool and the tape always remains tight
over the threading path and no tape spill over takes place.

Measurements and Adjustments

In the tape transport system following quantities are specified by the manufacturers. These
should be checked at least once a week and adjustments carried out if the measured values
are not within the tolerance limits specified. Worn out brake bands and pinch rollers need
replacement as and when necessary. The measurements and adjustments are :

- Rewind reel brake torque-clock and anti clockwise.

- F/Forward reel brake torque-clock and anti clockwise.
- Capstan Pinch roller pressure.
- Rewind and F/Forward motor torques in all the three modes separately in pulling and
release form.

THE ELECTRONIC SYSTEM

The electronic system in tape recorders comprises of power supplies, recording amplifier
chain including equalising circuits, playback amplifier chain with play back equaliser, HF bias
oscillator, metering and monitoring amplifier etc.

The individual circuit details vary from model to model and detailed study should be done
from the particular equipment manual. However, the circuits are quite conventional.

The Standard Tape : The CCIR standard tape for 7.5 inches/sec. (10 cm/sec) speed has
three sections as discussed below :

Level Section
This section has 1 kHz signal recorded on it at a recorded flux level of 32 mili Maxwell/mm
recorded track length.

This is the maximum permissible level recorded on present day commercially available tapes
and such tapes should give a total harmonic distortion of 3% or less when reproduced from a
standard playback chain. .

Head Azimuth Section

This section has 10 kHz signal recorded on the standard tape with a record head having true
azimuth. The tape is played and the play head azimuth adjusted for maximum quite
constant i.e. output variations not more than 0.5 dB. The PB head is left undisturbed. Now
a 10 kHz signal is given to the record chain. The record head azimuth adjusted for maximum
and stable output from the play back chain, which was earlier azimuth, standardised with
standard tape. This completes azimuth alignment of the complete record replay chain.

Frequency Response Section

This section of the standard tape has recordings on it, various frequencies from 60 Hz to 100
kHz corresponding to the specified recorded flux versus frequency characteristic, as per the
CCIR specified impedance Vs. frequency characteristic of an RC parallel connected network
of 70 micro second time constant. The reference flux at 1 kH being 10 dB below the
maximum specified flux of 32 mili. Maxwell/mm.