5.4.

2016 Noise Reduction in Tape Recording

Dolby Noise Reduction

The Dolby systems for noise reduction employ circuitry which pre-emphasizes high
frequencies before they are recorded onto tape in order to make them larger than the tape
hiss noise with which they compete.

Index

Sound
reproduction
concepts

Tape
recording
concepts

The circuitry is amplitude-sensitive: only soft high-frequency sounds are emphasized. If

loud high-frequency sounds were emphasized, it might drive the tape into its distortion
levels. Upon playback, a matched de-emphasis circuit is employed to restore the high
frequencies to their proper balance with the other part of the recorded signal.

Dolby-B encoding curves

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Dolby Systems
The Dolby systems for noise reduction employ circuitry which pre-emphasizes high
frequencies before they are recorded onto tape in order to make them larger than the "tape Index
hiss" noise with which they compete.
Sound
Dolby The professional level version of the Dolby process. reproduction
A Used in high speed multi-track machines. concepts
Dolby The most widespread version of the Dolby process,
B used in most popular stereo tape decks. Tape
recording
A more recent version of the Dolby process involving concepts
Dolby double compression. The resulting tapes produce more
C satisfactory results if played on non-Dolby units than
the A and B versions.
Dolby-B encoding curves Dolby-B encode/decode balance
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5.4.2016 Noise Reduction in Tape Recording
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Dolby Recording and Playback

If a tape is recorded using a Dolby noise reduction system, then it should by played back
with the same system. If the recording and playback systems do not match, several types
of problems arise, as summarized in the table.

RECORD PLAYBACK RESULT Index

Without Without Properly balanced music, but delity limited by tape
Dolby Dolby hiss. Sound
reproduction
Without concepts
With Dolby High-frequencies over-emphasized upon playback
Dolby
Without Tape
With Dolby Dull sound from de-emphasized highs, boomy bass recording
Dolby
concepts
With Dolby With Dolby Optimum balance and delity.

The problems discussed here are most severe in common practice with Dolby-B, which is
the most common for non-professional use. The more recent Dolby-C does not produce as
severe a problem when played back on non-Dolby equipment.

Dolby-B encode/decode symmetry

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Dolby B-system Encoding

In the Dolby-B system

of noise reduction, Index
low-level, high
frequency signals are Sound

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5.4.2016 Noise Reduction in Tape Recording
pre- emphasized upon reproduction
recording as shown by concepts
these encoding curves.
They are de- Tape
emphasized upon recording
playback to concepts
discriminate against
tape hiss.

Dolby-B encode/decode symmetry

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Dolby-B Encode/Decode

Index

Sound
reproduction
concepts

Tape
recording
concepts

Problem of tape hiss Importance of record/playback on same system

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