Recording head

A recording head is the physical interface between a recording apparatus and a moving recording medium. Recording heads are generally classified according to the physical principle that allows them to impress their data upon their medium. A recording head is often mechanically paired with a playback head, which, though proximal to, is often discrete from the record head.

Types

The two most common forms of recording head are:

• Magnetic - Magnetic recording heads use the principles of electromagnetism to coerce a paramagnetic recording medium, such as iron oxides, to orient in a readable manner such as magnetic tape. Record heads are constructed of laminated permalloy, ferrite, or sendust. As of 2006, this is the most dominant type of head in use.
• Optical - Optical recording heads use the principles of optics and light to impart energy on a recording medium, which accepts the energy in a readable manner, e.g. by melting or photography.

Note that Magneto-optical recording, though using optics and heat, should properly be considered a magnetic process, since the data stored on magneto-optical media is stored magnetically.

Earlier systems, such as phonograph records, used mechanical heads known as styli to physically cut grooves in the recording medium, in a configuration (of size, width, depth and position) recoverable as sound.

Photo gallery

• 
  D6 HDTV VTR Scanner and video head, removed
• 
  Inside a D6 HDTV VTR Tape Deck, VTR Scanner and video head in place.
• 
  Type B videotape video Scanner Head
• 
  Type B VTR, BCN 20 Tape Desk and video Scanner
• 
  Quadruplex videotape Ampex AVR-2 Video Head
• 
  Sony U-Matic Video head
• 
  Ampex audio recorder
• 
  VHS heads
• 
  Nagra audio heads: erase, record and play
• 
  Exposed head gap due to excessive head-wear. Sony UVW Betacam SP video heads

See also

• Analog recording
• Cassette demagnetizer
• Compact Cassette
• Digital recording
• Sound recording and reproduction
• VCR
• Videotape
• Video head cleaner
• VTR

External links

• Diagrams and explanations of recording heads and the tape recording process.
• An Ampex recording head, deconstructed.
• A tape recorder, showing the head assemblies.
• Photo of an early recording head as part of a wire recorder.

This engineering-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e

This page was last edited on 14 July 2021, at 16:48