Editing Analog Tape

Bradshaw Leigh demonstrates editing analog tape.
Full Analog tape and alignment course at
udemy.
Music "All I've Ever Known" By Justina Soto

[leokimvideo]

This isn't editing, this is art.

[LandNfan]

I did plenty of this when I worked in radio 45 years ago. The machines were 1/4” Ampex half-track stereo. Fortunately, I wasn’t editing music, mostly news sound bites. I remember editing down a nearly 20 minute interview with a guy who couldn’t say three words in a row without a long “uhhh” in the middle. It took a while to make him sound intelligent.

[Zolanis]

21 year old engineer here to say I'll never complain about comping a vocal in pro tools again

[fluffed_coyote]

Makes you realize how easy we have it with modern daws

[Alex-Defatte]

This is an art that was lost in the late 90's. Some people still do keep it alive which is beyond cool. Thanks for the lesson!

[smokinmoose]

I remember those days. It's the only thing about analog I don't miss much, well, that and the cost of tape.

[The-Living-Room-Studio]

Back in 1989 i was working in a radio station. We had REVOX MK2 for editing the news. It was a fun and delicate process... I still have one REVOX in my home studio.

[producedbyenkore]

This is wizardry. So much respect for the old school engineers.

[AureliusR]

Every time I rewatch this video, it still astounds me how perfect the transition is.

[paydaynucci]

Wow. This just expanded my patience with digital editing. That process has to make you feel good after completing a project and hearing the playback.

[tony]

5 minutes for something that today is done in seconds. Amazing! I used to be a film projectionist so I know how that feels.

[capancrunch]

tape is where its at, I use to do this on a regular basis, miss those days, COMMITTING to takes

[SeattleBurns]

Try doing all this under the pressure of a time deadline for a radio commercial to go on the air. Multiple splices, editing different voiceover reads together, strands of audio tape strung around your neck or taped hanging to the edge of the machine and/or desk top...all while the clock is ticking to get the spot produced for the clients approval! Invariably the razor blade would slice your thumb as well as the tape. Bandaid dispensers should have come mandatory when purchasing splicing blocks...

[lovebabyvision]

this is way beyond my time as an 18 year old but man pre-2000's everything was so human. it was this amalgamation of probably hundreds of years TOTALLED UP of love, care, and passion for the musical art form. nothing was quite done for you. art was a trust fall, even TRYING to calculate it was completely out of the question. there was nuance, texture, imperfections. you get that now but only from people who want it on purpose. humanity in music is rare, this video was super interesting to me even as someone that has no idea what the hell is going on. i loved it.

[rjds]

Perfect, memories of local independent radio in the 80s putting stings & interviews together for broadcast.

[AceGibson]

I remember those days. I don't miss working with tape. It was a royal pain in the ass. that got my foot in the door and I learned a ton about the recording industry and how records are really made and which bands are real and which bands faked it. It was a great experience.

[justinjijina]

As soon as I saw that little piece of tape fly by after the edit and the track was still seamless, my jaw literally dropped. This is so cool!

[Sylt-dd]

Suddenly this video has made me more patient with my digital work.

[jahgust]

My last razor blade cut was in 2004. There was nothing so satisfying when the edit was perfect. I miss it at times. I don't miss when you just cut the top of a vocal sibilance and have to literally crawl around on the floor to find the millimeter sliver back onto the edit.

[ArcticPalmTrees]

On the debate of Digital vs. Analog recording mediums, I recommend both.
Especially if you're a music producer and want the options for either clean or dirty depending on what's needed per track.

Digital is wonderful for exact copying, bouncing and bulk utility work whilst being quick to use where Tape has degradation with extended use/lengthy archiving while having the high learning curve needed to edit and splice. Analog on the other hand is grand when it comes to controlled chaos; that is the "color" and "dirt" of the sound when the imperfection of tape or synths lends to the style/feel of the work whereas Digital can only try to emulate that or sound "tinny" and "sterile".

I say find the equipment from either side that sounds good to you and roll with it. Remember, we live in an era of too much variety, so find some equipment and make some badass music.