8mm Forum: Second audio track on super8 film?

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Topic: Second audio track on super8 film?

Gregory Oliver
Junior
Posts: 28
From: Mansfield, TX, USA
Registered: Feb 2017

posted May 28, 2018 12:40 PM

I came across a super8 film with the normal magnetic stripe opposite the perforated edge, but it looks like there is a thinner stripe along the edge with the perfs. Is this a secondary audio track?
It's the first one I have ever seen.

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Douglas Meltzer
Moderator

Posts: 4554
From: New York, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted May 28, 2018 01:10 PM

Gregory,

That is the balance stripe. Originally used to balance out the weight of the main stripe so that the film remains flat when going through the gate of the camera/projector, the balance stripe has often been used as an additional channel for stereo playback. It really is amazing how good the audio quality can be from that 0.45mm tape.

Doug

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I think there's room for just one more film.....

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Gregory Oliver
Junior
Posts: 28
From: Mansfield, TX, USA
Registered: Feb 2017

posted May 29, 2018 06:42 AM

Thanks, Doug.
I wonder what make/model projector would have dual audio heads?
Gregory

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Jean-Marc Toussaint
Film God

Posts: 2392
From: France
Registered: Oct 2004

posted May 29, 2018 06:57 AM

Gregory, there are lot of machines out there able to play both mag tracks. Projectors manufactured by Elmo, Eumig, Bauer, Beaulieu, Yelco... They are generally identified as "duoplay" or "dual track" or "twin track".

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The Grindcave Cinema Website

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Oliver F. R. Feld
Master Film Handler

Posts: 447
From: Berlin, Germany
Registered: Jan 2010

posted May 29, 2018 08:47 AM

...or „Stereo“!

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Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005

posted May 29, 2018 11:10 AM

... and the neat thing about having two tracks to work with, is that you can have "dual languages, (especially if the original source track was mono to begin with), or, if you are even more adventurous, you can record an "audio commentary on the balance track onto you're films!

A dual language super 8, if it's a popular film, can make it even more marketable in the future. I bought a L.P.P. print of "The Adventures of Robin Hood", thought it was english (well, I bought it from a U.S. bloke off ebay) and found the main stripe to be German, (didn't state that in auction) ...

... but thankfully, the balance stripe was still english, (with no "bleed" friom the german soundtrack), so, yay!

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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

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Paul Adsett
Film God

Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted May 29, 2018 07:07 PM

I have recorded the DVD special features commentary onto the track 2 stripe of my Derann print of Shane. Works very well, and I think it adds value to the film.

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