Interviews in the can
Steve Albini from Electrical Audio filmed @ Chem 19
Julie McLarnon @ Analogue Catalogue
Barry Grint & Matt Colton @ Alchemy Mastering
Cloakroom – lovely chaps from Northwest Indiana
From Bing Crosby’s early association with the Ampex Company in the late 40’s through to Studer announcing the last production run of A827 tape machines in 1999, recorded music has had a love affair with tape which, against all the odds continues to this day. Play | Record charts the fortunes of tape and tape recording since the music industry began the switchover to digital in the late 1990’s and asks the question, why still use tape?
The story unfolds through interviews with producers, artists, engineers, and archivists, all of whom in their own unique way are preserving the tape format. Whilst uncovering the individual motivations behind each of these interactions with tape, the film also addresses the benefits and consequences of working with a ‘legacy’ format and seeks to understand the future of tape recording given that no new studio quality tape machine has been built in almost 20 years.
As producers and consumers alike adjust to a largely non-physical relationship with their music just where does tape, that most physical of formats, fit?
Cormac Donnelly – Director
I’m a lecturer in audio engineer and former studio owner based in Manchester, UK. In the past I’ve produced video interviews for the Soundworks Collection including a segment which featured on the Blu Ray release of Scott Pilgrim Vs The World. I also served for a time as a contributing editor for Designing Sound. In 2013 I wrote and directed the short film ‘Radio Friendly’.
Current tape machines;
Tascam Porta One – circa 1985
Nagra IV-D – circa 1969