Magnetic recording

Magnetic recording was conceived as early as 1878 by the

American engineer Oberlin Smith[7][8] and demonstrated in
practice in 1898 by Danish engineer Valdemar Poulsen.
Analog magnetic wire recording, and its successor, magnetic
tape recording, involve the use of a magnetizable medium
which moves with a constant speed past a recording head. An
electrical signal, which is analogous to the sound that is to be
recorded, is fed to the recording head, inducing a pattern of
magnetization similar to the signal. A playback head can then
pick up the changes in magnetic field from the tape and
convert it into an electrical signal to be amplified and played
back through a loudspeaker.

Magnetic tape recording works by converting electrical audio signals into magnetic energy, which
imprints a record of the signal onto a moving tape covered in magnetic particles. Playback is achieved by
converting the recording on tape back into electrical energy to be amplified.
Tape recording relies on a plastic film coated with tiny magnetic particles on one side (the
tape) moving at a consistent speed through a tape machine. This is accomplished by unwinding the
tape from one reel, passing it through a series of stabilizing rollers and guides, and spooling it onto a
second takeup reel to be stored. If the speed is changed during playback or recording due to
improper settings or faulty motors, the pitch will be distorted.
Between the reels, the tape passes over a series of magnetic heads that convert audio signals
into magnetic energy and back again. First the tape passes over the erase head, which (if the track is
armed) scrambles anything stored on that track.
Next comes the record or sync head, which is essentially a stack of magnets (one per track),
each wound with a coil of wire. Between the positive and negative poles of each magnet is a tiny gap
where an electromagnetic field is created that fluctuates in response to the changing signal. As the
tape passes by, these pulses align the tiny magnetic particles into patterns, leaving a record of the
sound.
Finally, the tape moves across a dedicated playback head, which “reads” the magnetic
information stored on the tape and converts it back into electrical signals that are sent to the
machine’s outputs. The record head can also play back what’s on the other tracks while recording to
enable real-time overdubbing.

The Sound of Tape

The physics behind magnetic tape give the medium an idiosyncratic sound, which is coveted
for its unique saturation properties. The tape can only absorb so much magnetic energy, but instead
of distorting like an amplifier when overloaded with signal, it compresses the sound in a soft,
flattering way.
This saturation effect, combined with all the analog circuitry on the inputs and outputs, gives
tape an unmistakable sonic signature that can be subtly pleasing or intentionally exaggerated for an
effect.