I was checking out some recordings of the '60s and this Scott McKenzie song came up. In the first 10 seconds of the song there's a lone bass guitar in the right channel. Every time the player hits a note, a weird, fizzy noise on top accompanies it. Like a kind of distortion. The recording is from 1967. If you can somehow shut off the left speaker so that only the right is coming through you'll hear it quite clearly. I thought maybe it could be Dolby A making those "breathing" noises I've read about, but I often times find myself getting that same effect when I record my bass guitar direct into a 3340 without any noise reduction.
I was surprised to find this sound on a professionally recorded release. It's by no means a pleasant, or desirable noise/artifact. I fight like crazy to get the bass to not do this, and other instruments as well. I've opened fresh reels of tape, thinking maybe the tape was worn out. I've mic'd, direct, you name it, and it's not easy to get rid of. Sometimes it magically isn't there(?)
I was surprised to find this sound on a professionally recorded release. It's by no means a pleasant, or desirable noise/artifact. I fight like crazy to get the bass to not do this, and other instruments as well. I've opened fresh reels of tape, thinking maybe the tape was worn out. I've mic'd, direct, you name it, and it's not easy to get rid of. Sometimes it magically isn't there(?)