"Telamon" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"David Eduardo" wrote:
I never experienced that. By 1960, the format for 2 track mono (forward
and
reverse) and, later, for two track stereo were the same in consumer and
boradcast applications. You are likely thinking of the mid to late 50's
stuff, which was not as standardized.

I don't know why you would not have "experienced that" as the tape
formulations changed as long as they were in popular use through the
60's, 70's. and 80's.

Broadcast tape equipment, like Ampigs and MCI's and ITC's and semi-pros like
the ubiquitous Otari 5050 and the Teac semi-pros as well as earlier
,machines like the Magnecorder and the Scully and even the Sony 777
(broadcast version was two track) did not have different head standards and
used widely compatible tape because spots could come in from hundreds of
agencies and production houses. While bias could be optimized to the
preferred in house tape for recording, playback was as close to a universal
standard as you could come. Today, it is very very rare to see a tape deck
in a radio station. They began disappearing in the early to mid 90's as
digital recording and storage became common.