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has a smoother or velvet-like quality that is less irritable or intrusive to the recording. 

NagraMaster is the best recording EQ for 1/4 inch tape that is available on all Nagra IV-s machines.

Nelson Stoll, Nelson Stoll Audio Services, San Francisco

I have been using NagraMaster for twenty years to record the sound for most of my feature films such as Dune, Basic instinct, Mrs Doubtfire, including Francis Ford Coppola’s The Rainmaker. NagraMaster provides a 5dB improvement in signal-to-noise ratio over NAB and subjectively sounds like more as the spectrum of the noise level is less audible. The recordings yield much greater low level detail and the overall noise level is quite a bit lower. 

Tape stocks have improved quite a bit since Kudeiski first implemented NagraMaster. Because of this, a higher recording flux level can be applied overall to further improve the dynamic range. For general work I recommend a record flux level of 56OnW/m for 0dB on the Nagra meter. This yields over 75 dB signal-to-noise with about 0,7% THD ‘A’ weighted for maximum level. When the Nagra limiter is used properly, the practical dynamic range is closer to 80dB. At this flux level, print-through can be audible if there is no background noise when recording high level transients using certain tape stocks. The signal-to-print of recent stocks has improved to make this a less common problem. Of course, there is no free lunch. The trade-off is high frequency headroom, which is about 5dB less than with 15ips NAB. The limiting of high frequencies can be heard on a fully modulated recording of breaking glass, cymbals or any other event that contains excessive high frequencies, but for virtually all dialogue and effects recordings for film, that compromise is not a problem.

Tom Knox, Product Specialist, Nagra USA, Nashville

The world of film production sound and music mastering finds itself faced with a variety of disk, DAT and at least half a dozen other workable recording formats. With modern digital audio equipment design so strongly driven by the personal computer industry, we find ourselves constantly seeking more buts, higher sampling frequencies, faster access, better data reduction algorithms and fatter storage devices. Does all the marketing pressure to use the latest - greatest ‘stuff’ make the work of production sound mixing and transfer any easier, more reliable, sonically superior or affordable? NagraMaster is a virtually no-risk means to improve the sound quality of IVS or IVS-TC production sound recordings. If the transfer facility is using a Nagra T,

 NagraMaster is available simply by resetting a standards switch in the electronics box. For facilities not using a Nagra T, a NagraMaster box is simply connected into the audio path at the output of the playback machine. The sound mixer is urged to record independent 1kHz and 10kHz reference tones at the head of each reel to verify alignment of the playback chain. Of course, a test reel recording is recommended before production begins, particularly if the persons involved have not used NagraMaster previously.

 To guarantee accurate and problem-free transfers, it is advisable to provide the transfer facility with a NagraMaster box, unless they use a Nagra T or Nagra IVS-TC for playback. Dialogue editors will also need the box to download tapes recorded non NagraMaster into their workstations.

Reprinted from the .Journal of the Cinema Audio Society

CAN YOU HELP?

DESMOND WILCOX 1931 - 2000

Desmond was scheduled to be interviewed on behalf of the BECTU History Project, now his untimely death has robbed the archive of a record of the life, times, opinions and philosophy of a giant of British television documentary. We are therefore seeking reminiscences about the man and his programmes (This Week, Man Alive, and many others) from those of you who worked with him over the years. If you are a former colleague and you would be prepared to be interviewed, please contact me: 

Sir Sydney Samuelson CBE

History Project Committee

BECTU

111 Wardour Street,

London W1V 4AY

Fax: 020 8458 1957 

Email: sydneysam@compuserve.com

THE INGREDIENTS OF POTATO CRISPS:

 Dehydrated potatoes, corn oil, modified food starch, sugar, partly hydrogenated soybean oil, salt, and less than I % of each of the following: onion powder, soy, lecithin, dextrose, leavening (monocalcium phosphate and sodium bicarbonate), natural flavours, molasses, fructose, spices, torula yeast, wheat starch, garlic powder, malt extract, maltodextrin, extracts of paprika, citric acid, chicken fat, soy flour, tomato paste, corn syrup solids, yeast extract, barley malt flour, lactic acid, egg yolk and whey.

 - All this for less than 5Op!