i've been trying to figure it out by googling, and there's a lot of conflicting claims...it would make sense (to me, having little technical knowledge) that 30ips would be better? more hi-fi? but then i see things that say 15ips is better....band is going to record soon and need to know how much tape, etc...

They each have benefits. Generally speaking 30ips has better high frequency response and lower noise, 15 ips has better low frequency response and of course halves the amount of tape needed for a given task. Neither is objectively better than the other, so I'd say buy enough tape to work at 30ips and when your session starts have a listen to both and see what you think. If you go for 15 you can do twice as many takes, or save the spare reels for your next record.

magma90210 wrote:i've been trying to figure it out by googling, and there's a lot of conflicting claims...it would make sense (to me, having little technical knowledge) that 30ips would be better? more hi-fi? but then i see things that say 15ips is better....band is going to record soon and need to know how much tape, etc...

The other reply you have so far runs down the differences.

Mostly it depends on the music and how many tracks you are using.

Music:

Quiet parts--30ips is better

Low end--15ips is better

High end--30ips is better

Tape width and tracks:

1" 8track--either speed

2" 16track--either speed

2" 24track--you will definitely notice more noise on the quiet parts if you record at 15ips.

I've done every combination of these tape types and speeds.

Acoustic stuff, i would always run it at 30ips unless there was a big-assed double bass or kick drum or something that was really important to me.

Rock music, I would almost always run an 8tk or 16tk at 15ips. Heavy or thick rock, I would probably run a 24tk at 15ips.

Otherwise, it would depend.

So what kind of music is it?

Back in the day (80's) the general rule of thumb was 15 IPS = demo, 30 IPS = album/product. It wasn't long before comparisons were made and the question asked "why does the demo sound ballsier than the album".

Stylistically it seemed that a lot of people were chasing the "airiest" brightest sound possible, so the reduced tape hiss at 30 IPS seduced most. With the advent of automation/DAWs/noise reduction etc it became easier to get rid of a lot of tape hiss, and the focus moved back to sonic considerations like "warmth", and 15 IPS started to be considered groovier for "the classic analog sound".

Tape speeds are a flavour, just as the flavours also vary from machine to machine (MCI's have a different sonic signature to Studers, late model Studers with the automated alignment procedure using VCAs have a quite different dynamic and tonal flavour again, and all the different flavours of noise reduction have their die hard enthusiasts "late model Studer, 30 IPS with Dolby SR on GP9" types will definitely stick to their guns for this combo).

One older producer pointed out to me that he thought 15 IPS sounded better because the tape hiss "saved a reverb" and had a classic sound when the EQ settings he preferred were wound across a mix, like using another favourite old EMT plate.

Really this is one of those production questions, some songs will sound better at 15 IPS than 30 and vice versa. My rule of thumb is, for balls out rock, I love 15 IPS. For spacious arrangements, slower tempos, 30 IPS can be more applicable. No right or wrong.. just different. Different formulations sound different. Many hard core rock guys can't go past good old Ampex 456 at 15 IPS for "that sound"... and don't care about a bit of hiss... after it, it's "the sound" of a LOT of records.

style is "post punk" i guess. our guitar player runs a clean tone w/delay mostly so not a lot of chords or anything, more picky guitar parts, lots of space...i'm thinking maybe 30ips will be better for us, we aren't really balls out or thick at all.

magma...

There is no "correct" answer to the question of 15 ips vs. 30 ips....

all the above answers are good ones, but the BEST decision makers you have are your own ears.

Do test recordings at both speeds and see what YOU like, then go with that.

Going 15 ips will extend the life of your heads by a factor of 2, and of course you will get twice as much recording time on a single reel of tape.

Some like 30 ips, some like 15 ips... me - I like my coffee strong and black, but I repect those who put cream and sugar into their coffee and ruin an otherwise exqusite hot liquid.

regards,
Goreski

tmidgett wrote:
1" 8track--either speed

what's your opinion of 1" 16track?