Signal to Noise Ratio:
This measurement could also be known as dynamic range, as it governs how quiet the softest parts of the music can be before they get lost below the noise generated by the recording process. Signal in this case refers to the music. High Quality Mastering Tape has an SNR of roughly 76db. This means that the music can get 76db quieter than its loudest section before it is lost in the noise. A digitally recorded piece of audio at CD quality has roughly 96db of SNR. At Radix Recording Studio, we record at higher than CD quality, so we can produce recordings with as much as 140db of dynamic range. To put this in perspective, the human ear can only hear 120db of dynamic range. This means that you will have the smoothest fades, the richest ambient textures, and the most dynamic music available.
Analog Tape Print Through:
Analog tape is recorded magnetically, which can cause some problems. One such problem is print through. Print through occurs when one audio track is recorded right next to another audio track on a piece of analog tape. The magnetic field generated by the recording mechanism can actually print some of the current audio track onto previously recorded adjacent audio tracks. Imagine this: The drummer, who was perfectly isolated, finishes laying down his tracks. The guitarist then lays down his rhythm tracks. When the engineer listens back to the snare drum, he can hear a little bit of the guitar track, even though they were recorded at separate times. This is print through. Enough of this can quickly degenerate the quality of an audio recording. In fact, a high level of noise is sometimes preferable on analog tape, as it covers up the print through! At Radix Recording Studio, you never have to worry about noise or print through, and instead can focus on making the best music -- your music.
