On 3/25/2014 9:21 AM, John Chester wrote:
> Harmonic distortion caused by high tape recording levels, however, will
> create lots of energy above 20 kHz.  Moderate overloads create a lot of
> 3rd harmonic distortion, so if the bandwidth of the original signal was
> 15 kHz, playback of the tape with a wideband reproducer will have energy
> up to 45 kHz.  Greater overloads will also create 5th and 7th harmonic
> distortion.  I see this frequently when doing Plangent transfers,
> because the bandwidth of the Plangent playback hardware is better than
> 200 kHz.

Perhaps fortunately, the tape machines used to cut LPs in the classic 
era didn't have the extended HF response that would have reproduced that 
material! Given the RIAA curve, it would have burned out the cutter 
head, or triggered protection circuits.

Peace,
Paul