Uploaded December 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
My sound patches: espenkraft.com • I always loved the sound of FM radio. Hi-fi Stereo VCR's record audio using the same principles.
On Betamax NTSC the process is known as Frequency Multiplexing. On PAL Betamax, and VHS HiFi stereo VCR's, something called Depth Multiplexing is used. The difference between frequency multiplexing and depth multiplexing is that in the latter there are separate audio and video heads on the (video) drum itself, whereas the former uses the video heads to record both video AND audio.
No matter the tech, or PAL/NTSC, using a HiFi Stereo VCR to record audio was superior to almost anything else available in terms of tape, at the time.
From around 1987 up to my first DAT machine, in 1992 I mastered all my audio onto VHS HiFi Stereo.
The Betamax VCR in this video is a Sony SL-HF100ES from 1985. A semi consumer/pro VCR that was quite good at the time. The machine in the video has been serviced recently and sounds awesome now. I've enjoyed going back to this sound and I will definitely used this more in the coming years. Not as my main way of mastering of course, but used occasionally when I want that FM type of sound on my masters. Mostly when doing my own music meant to sound like it's from the 80s itself.
The track I use in this video, to demonstrate is my track "Midnight Drive 5: Giallo"
Find it here:
espenkraft.bandcamp.com/album/midnight-drive-5-giallo
The uncompressed audio from this video (including a separate audio file for the last comparison and clips, can be found on my Patreon page).
If you think the levels aren't matched... The levels ARE matched, but internal limiting on the VHS deck will sometimes suck the level down, or pull it up, so whatever audio comes before, or after, in the comparison, will sound lower or higher in volume. The whole idea of bringing the VHS deck into this was to show exactly that.
After doing this again now, in 2024, I have to say that my mastered audio played back from the Betamax machine sounds shockingly good. I LOVE that sound.
00:00 VCR Hi-Fi audio recording in the 80s
00:47 Sony SL-HF100ES Pal Beta Hi-Fi Stereo VCR
02:45 Playback of recorded audio with MPX filter ON
04:41 Playback of recorded audio with MPX filter OFF
06:22 Akai VS-G770 Pal VHS Hi-Fi Stereo VCR
06:50 Playback of recorded audio VHS
08:59 Back to back comparison between different setups
13:13 Conclusions and final thoughts
My sound patches: espenkraft.com • I always loved the sound of FM radio. Hi-fi Stereo VCR's record audio using the same principles.
On Betamax NTSC the process is known as Frequency Multiplexing. On PAL Betamax, and VHS HiFi stereo VCR's, something called Depth Multiplexing is used. The difference between frequency multiplexing and depth multiplexing is that in the latter there are separate audio and video heads on the (video) drum itself, whereas the former uses the video heads to record both video AND audio.
No matter the tech, or PAL/NTSC, using a HiFi Stereo VCR to record audio was superior to almost anything else available in terms of tape, at the time.
From around 1987 up to my first DAT machine, in 1992 I mastered all my audio onto VHS HiFi Stereo.
The Betamax VCR in this video is a Sony SL-HF100ES from 1985. A semi consumer/pro VCR that was quite good at the time. The machine in the video has been serviced recently and sounds awesome now. I've enjoyed going back to this sound and I will definitely used this more in the coming years. Not as my main way of mastering of course, but used occasionally when I want that FM type of sound on my masters. Mostly when doing my own music meant to sound like it's from the 80s itself.
The track I use in this video, to demonstrate is my track "Midnight Drive 5: Giallo"
Find it here:
espenkraft.bandcamp.com/album/midnight-drive-5-giallo
The uncompressed audio from this video (including a separate audio file for the last comparison and clips, can be found on my Patreon page).
If you think the levels aren't matched... The levels ARE matched, but internal limiting on the VHS deck will sometimes suck the level down, or pull it up, so whatever audio comes before, or after, in the comparison, will sound lower or higher in volume. The whole idea of bringing the VHS deck into this was to show exactly that.
After doing this again now, in 2024, I have to say that my mastered audio played back from the Betamax machine sounds shockingly good. I LOVE that sound.
00:00 VCR Hi-Fi audio recording in the 80s
00:47 Sony SL-HF100ES Pal Beta Hi-Fi Stereo VCR
02:45 Playback of recorded audio with MPX filter ON
04:41 Playback of recorded audio with MPX filter OFF
06:22 Akai VS-G770 Pal VHS Hi-Fi Stereo VCR
06:50 Playback of recorded audio VHS
08:59 Back to back comparison between different setups
13:13 Conclusions and final thoughts
