Sprocketed Magnetic Tape Formats

Sprocketed Magnetic Tape Formats

The track layout in 16 mm is quite strange ! The basic track is 5mm wide. There are sometimes smaller tracks, 2,5mm and even less than 1mm wide.

16 mm

35 mm

The 3 track 35mm format is mostly used for the transfer process (copy from 1/4 inch to sprocket tape). Normally, the two tracks on the right are used to record the L & R signals of a traditional stereo recording or the M & S signals of an MS stereo recording. A mono sum of the signals on these two tracks is recorded on the left track !

This is usually the track that is read on an editor. In this format, a track is 5mm wide.

The 4 and 6 track formats are rather used in the mixing process. They can house the LCRS signals (Left, Center, Right, Surround : 4 channels) necessary for Dolby Stéréo or a 5.1 surround format (Left,Center, Right, Left-surround, Right-Surround, Sub : 6 channels) necessary for DTS and Dolby D, as well as 70mm 6-track magnetic prints (a high-end format of the 80's and 90's, which isn't used anymore since a 5.1 format can now fit on a 35mm copy thanks to digital technology).

The track layout in 16 mm is quite strange ! The basic track is 5mm wide. There are sometimes smaller tracks, 2,5mm and even less than 1mm wide.
		16 mm


35 mm		The 3 track 35mm format is mostly used for the transfer process (copy from 1/4 inch to sprocket tape). Normally, the two tracks on the right are used to record the L & R signals of a traditional stereo recording or the M & S signals of an MS stereo recording. A mono sum of the signals on these two tracks is recorded on the left track !
This is usually the track that is read on an editor. In this format, a track is 5mm wide.

The 4 and 6 track formats are rather used in the mixing process. They can house the LCRS signals (Left, Center, Right, Surround : 4 channels) necessary for Dolby Stéréo or a 5.1 surround format (Left,Center, Right, Left-surround, Right-Surround, Sub : 6 channels) necessary for DTS and Dolby D, as well as 70mm 6-track magnetic prints (a high-end format of the 80's and 90's, which isn't used anymore since a 5.1 format can now fit on a 35mm copy thanks to digital technology).