OT: 16mm Magnetic film

farss wrote on 10/22/2003, 2:04 AM
Anyone remember 16mm mag tape, same as 16mm film but with oxide on it, used for recording and laying down audio tracks in sync with film.

I have some rolls of 16mm film and what looks like the matching audio on rolls of 16mm tape. Question is can I get the audio off the tape by running it through a 16mm projector with a mag head on it? Or just to trip me up was the audo track on this stuff in a different location to that on film.

If I cannot play it in a projector I guess I'm kind of up the creek on this, I doubt anyone stiff has a 16mm tape player in service, well at least not in this country or if they do I doubt the client's going to pay what they'll want to do the transfers.

Comments

PeterWright wrote on 10/22/2003, 2:11 AM
Bob, we used these at Curtin Uni when I did film there a few years back, but from memory they weren't read by an ordinary projector - these had the sound track down one edge.

But - this raises the possibility that your local uni / film school or or TAFE may have the required equipment to play the tapes.

Good luck.

Peter
farss wrote on 10/22/2003, 2:33 AM
Well I bit the bullet and tried running it through a projector. No luck, either the tape is blank or the heads are in the wrong place.

Unles someone has a better idea I could try adding another set of heads and moving them around until I find the track.
farss wrote on 10/22/2003, 6:35 AM
I've asked around the traps, but there doesn't seem to be any left.

Wasn't a bad system, one reel of sprocketed tape for each track, all the tape drives and the projector ran off a common motor interconnected by a long shaft with lots of bevel gears. Whole setup took up a room, at least there was no way anything got out of sync!

I could probably get e head out of an old 1/4" recorder hooked up to a preamp and just move it accross the tape until I find the track. If I've got time I'll have a play with it, more as a curiosity.
SonyEPM wrote on 10/22/2003, 9:16 AM
During the reign of Ronald the 1st, I used to shoot mag stripe on a CP16, film to tape was done at http://www.alphacine.com. They were really good about working with me on price- the 16mm stuff was usually done as an el-cheapo one light on the night shift but it still looked good.
farss wrote on 10/22/2003, 10:32 AM
The film I can handle through an Elmo 'telecine'.

I know there is a couple of places that still have the gear but:

A) I don' t know if there's anyone over here in Australia
B) If the client wants to spend big buck on it, not that he's short of them.

But then again client is setting up shop in the UK, if he wants it done I'm sure there'll be people there, at least he's got the image transferred.