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1990 on BBC Four (January 2018)

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VM
VMPhil
Some strange sound mixing on last night's BBC4 episode as well, again something that presumably wouldn't have been noticed originally as it would have been in mono.

Though it's in stereo, it sounds to me like a mono soundtrack with one of the stereo channels inverted, a fake stereo effect basically. When then folded down to mono the sound gets quieter and tinny. This happened on another BBC Four showing of a TOTP episode a couple of years ago, which was posted about here - though that did fold down to mono without any problems.

Don't know whether they are stereo tests from the time or just a mistake on BBC Four's behalf when broadcasting the episode now - though we did get an episode in proper true stereo for the first time a few months back (even a few of the videos had stereo soundtracks) so it can't be long now until we start getting them permanently.
MA
Markymark
Some strange sound mixing on last night's BBC4 episode as well, again something that presumably wouldn't have been noticed originally as it would have been in mono.

Though it's in stereo, it sounds to me like a mono soundtrack with one of the stereo channels inverted, a fake stereo effect basically. When then folded down to mono the sound gets quieter and tinny. This happened on another BBC Four showing of a TOTP episode a couple of years ago, which was posted about here - though that did fold down to mono without any problems.

Don't know whether they are stereo tests from the time or just a mistake on BBC Four's behalf when broadcasting the episode now - though we did get an episode in proper true stereo for the first time a few months back (even a few of the videos had stereo soundtracks) so it can't be long now until we start getting them permanently.


Anything pre Aug 31 1991 for the BBC was strictly speaking still the test period.

Yorkshire TV got a wrap on the knuckles from the IBA for trying out pseudo stereo effects on their NICAM tests,
conversely I'm told TVS managed a few minutes of reversed phase L:R audio on their first day in NICAM due
to a patching error.

I suspect in this instance it was a TVS type scenario, rather than a YTV one Cool
NG
noggin Founding member

I suspect in this instance it was a TVS type scenario, rather than a YTV one Cool


My guess is that the original master tape was due to be broadcast mono from track 1 only, with audio also present on track 2 that wasn't intended for broadcast at the time which may have been out-of-phase with track 1.

When the 1" was archived to D3/DigiBeta/LTO etc. both audio tracks would have been ingested. It could be that for the recent repeat both tracks were TX-ed in error, rather than track 1 being used as a mono source.
JA
james-2001
Although TOTP was stereo simulcast on Radio 1 from September 1988-August 1991 (and a one off in November 1987 to commemorate the London launch of 1FM on a temoporary frequency).
paul_hadley and Markymark gave kudos
VM
VMPhil

I suspect in this instance it was a TVS type scenario, rather than a YTV one Cool


My guess is that the original master tape was due to be broadcast mono from track 1 only, with audio also present on track 2 that wasn't intended for broadcast at the time which may have been out-of-phase with track 1.

When the 1" was archived to D3/DigiBeta/LTO etc. both audio tracks would have been ingested. It could be that for the recent repeat both tracks were TX-ed in error, rather than track 1 being used as a mono source.

Ah yes I may have been to quick to write this off as just 'fake stereo'. There does indeed seem to be bits before performances where the presenter link fades out on the left channel and you can hear the director telling the audience to start cheering. Listen with headphones: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0002tc1/top-of-the-pops-21051987
JA
james-2001

I suspect in this instance it was a TVS type scenario, rather than a YTV one Cool


My guess is that the original master tape was due to be broadcast mono from track 1 only, with audio also present on track 2 that wasn't intended for broadcast at the time which may have been out-of-phase with track 1.

When the 1" was archived to D3/DigiBeta/LTO etc. both audio tracks would have been ingested. It could be that for the recent repeat both tracks were TX-ed in error, rather than track 1 being used as a mono source.

Ah yes I may have been to quick to write this off as just 'fake stereo'. There does indeed seem to be bits before performances where the presenter link fades out on the left channel and you can hear the director telling the audience to start cheering. Listen with headphones: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0002tc1/top-of-the-pops-21051987


That's a similar thing that was the case on the 4/12/86 episode - presumably only one audio channel would have gone to air.

I'm guessing it was some early experimentation with stereo mixing they did with the knowledge it wouldn't go to air (a full stereo version going to air 32 years later wouldn't have crossed their minds).
VM
VMPhil
Throughout the first performance one of the channels is inverted - but this stops after that. Then when there are links, some of the links are delayed in one of the channels, as though the gap between the end of the performance and the presenters talking was edited down in only one of them. Then there's a harsh cut near the end of the link which gets them back in sync.
VM
VMPhil

My guess is that the original master tape was due to be broadcast mono from track 1 only, with audio also present on track 2 that wasn't intended for broadcast at the time which may have been out-of-phase with track 1.

When the 1" was archived to D3/DigiBeta/LTO etc. both audio tracks would have been ingested. It could be that for the recent repeat both tracks were TX-ed in error, rather than track 1 being used as a mono source.

Ah yes I may have been to quick to write this off as just 'fake stereo'. There does indeed seem to be bits before performances where the presenter link fades out on the left channel and you can hear the director telling the audience to start cheering. Listen with headphones: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0002tc1/top-of-the-pops-21051987


That's a similar thing that was the case on the 4/12/86 episode - presumably only one audio channel would have gone to air.

I'm guessing it was some early experimentation with stereo mixing they did with the knowledge it wouldn't go to air (a full stereo version going to air 32 years later wouldn't have crossed their minds).

I'm not sure it's stereo experimentation - it seems to me like one of the tracks just has unfinished edits or something similar.
JA
james-2001
Some of the leaked BBC archive copies of Mike Smith episodes that have gone online recently have had stereo test tones over the VT clocks, though as they sometimes replaced the VT clocks with a modern one, the stereo tone might be modern rather than the original tone.


On a similar note, the one I posted on the last page (which does keep the original VT clock), you can hear Smith getting ready in the studio under it.

On that note, BBC archive copies of last night's episode have also leaked (three different versions!), I haven't checked though them properly to see if the stereo issues are there though.

https://we.tl/t-2Eqknq7F2q
MA
Markymark
During the same era there were the BBC 2/Radio 1 ‘Sight and Sound in Concert’ simulcasts. None of those were live, and the audio tracks for Radio 1 were dubbed to 1/4 inch tape which was played out from BH on a machine slave locked to the VTR at TVC. It was partly for <cough> industrial reasons, but also because the audio tracks on 1 inch were hardly stunning in quality. It’s possible similar was done for TOTP ( for quality reasons) I think all the TOTP simulcasts were live though?
SP
Steve in Pudsey
Yorkshire TV got a wrap on the knuckles from the IBA for trying out pseudo stereo effects on their NICAM tests,
conversely I'm told TVS managed a few minutes of reversed phase L:R audio on their first day in NICAM due
to a patching error.


Yorkshire didn't have a lot of luck with NICAM and the IBA did they? DIdn't they screw up the feed to Crosspool so Calendar South sub opts were silent on NICAM for a while?
NG
noggin Founding member
During the same era there were the BBC 2/Radio 1 ‘Sight and Sound in Concert’ simulcasts. None of those were live, and the audio tracks for Radio 1 were dubbed to 1/4 inch tape which was played out from BH on a machine slave locked to the VTR at TVC. It was partly for <cough> industrial reasons, but also because the audio tracks on 1 inch were hardly stunning in quality. It’s possible similar was done for TOTP ( for quality reasons) I think all the TOTP simulcasts were live though?


I have a feeling that at least one R1/BBC TV simulcast was either from PCM 1" or a slaved 3/4" UMatic PCM recording as a lot was made of the Jarre Concert 'Rendezvous Houston' being played out 'digitally' at the time.

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