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How to Reissue a Record A step-by-step guide to the reissue process  The first step in the reissue process is to procure the master tape. The first question to ask is, "Which master tape to use?" The answer is somewhat involved and can vary, depending on the objectives of the reissue project. If the goal is to recreate the sound of the original release as closely as possible, then finding the so-called "production master tape" makes sense. However, there are some caveats to consider. The production master tape may have been generated from a previous source, closer to the original performance. This earlier generation tape is often referred to as the "session tape" or "edited work part." In most cases, it is the same tape that was used during the recording sessions. The differences between session tapes and production masters can be slight. Or they may be significant. In any case, an increase in noise level of at least three dbs can be expected in any analog tape transfer. In the early days of high fidelity, most major labels used production master tapes to cut their original records. This was due in part to the session tapes being "doctored" to correct recording problems in post-production. It also simplified the engineer's task of cutting the record. Since no further changes were made during this stage, the cutter was simply referred to as a "transcription engineer." One has to remember that this was years before the advent of so-called "mastering engineers." Obviously, the question of which tape to use is a complicated one. The solutions can be equally problematic. For example, production masters were often compressed dynamically during the transfer of the edited work parts. Although this proved helpful during the cutting process, it also negatively affected sound quality. Furthermore, cutter heads during those first years contained all sorts of anomalies. They peaked at certain levels instead of maintaining an even response. As a result, certain unwanted frequencies were unavoidably highlighted. In addition, most of the early cutter heads were unable to effectively handle the entire dynamic range of the original session tapes. Therefore, to avoid cutter head problems, overall sound quality was often compromised to achieve a flat transfer without equalization. Another factor to consider is the number of tracks contained on the original session tapes. The earliest stereo recordings were made on two-track tapes that were run at 30 ips (inches per second). But these two-track tapes were not used in the cutting process because an edited side of an LP, recorded at 30 ips, required an amount of tape far exceeding the capacity of that era's 12-inch reels (the largest then available). This was partially remedied by transferring the 30 ips tapes to a 15 ips production master, thereby fitting an entire side of an LP onto a standard 10-inch reel. By 1957, RCA and other companies started to use 15 ips, three-track tape recorders, which allowed more flexibility in microphone placement. However, the new three-track machines were also not used in post-production since there was no effective way of mixing the extra channel while cutting the record. The answer was to mix down the three-track tape and transfer the result to a two-track production master. Simply put, three-track tapes were not an option for cutting records at that time. In the last 40 years, however, many things have changed. Tape recorders can now accommodate 14-inch reels, so that it is quite possible to use a 30 ips session tape to cut an entire side of a long-playing record. Mastering consoles can also allow a third channel of audio input during the mixing process. This extra track is passively mixed to both left and right channels. |