[Audioarchivist]

Playback Dolby OFF.

Dolby basically boosts high signals when recording and cuts them when playing back, the idea being that it raises highs above the tape noise floor when recording and cuts them back when playing back, cutting back tape noise as well when playing back. The problem is it's not very accurate. Better to leave it off at least for playback.

I recorded my masters with dolby on to saturate the tape masters with highs so they would last through time better. Dull lifeless masters suck. Mine sparkle from the high boost during recording. Then again, I'm not a purist and I'm not scared of tweaking my masters when playing into digital, and didn't always use the best mics when recording - call it high boost when taping with less than stellar equipment...

The best thing is to use your ears and your own judgement on bias playback settings. I think that if used correctly, lightly and SPARINGLY used post-production eq and, yes, even digital noise reduction (perish the thought!) is far more accurate than the average tape deck Dolby and bias settings. My philosophy is to catch as much info from the tape as possible (dolby off bias normal) as full and bright as I can, and then filter it out lightly in the computer if needed.

It helps that I've been at this for 20 years and seem to have the touch needed to not ham-fist it with hammers and chisels. Less is more.

I'm not saying its a quick and easy process, and noise reduction isn't something I use much if at all. It should be avoided. Fine bias adjustment on concert master recordings is just bull IMHO, unless you're masters are from a Nakamichi or something super audiophile. My philosophy is to draw out all the hidden information on an analog tape that could be ignored by blindly filtering highs with those ham fisted bias switches. Every deck is different in those settings, and concert masters aren't usually that high fidelity to rely on the rules of audiophile reproduction.

This advice is not for the average user just starting out. I've only come to these conclusions after thousands of hours of trying and hundreds of hours failing, too. Not to be used by amateurs or the faint of heart! Your results may vary from mine, and it all depends on whether you plan on properly mastering your recordings with some of the digital tools we've been given, or if you're just gonna do a straight transfer as-is, un-mastered.

Don't flame me, please! haha