Track Formats (Record)
Recording track format describes how a reel-to-reel machine arranges recorded channels across the tape width and directions of travel.
Full-track and half-track mono differ from two-track stereo. Quarter-track stereo uses two track pairs for opposite directions, while four-channel recording places four simultaneous channels in one direction.
Track Formats (Record) — Reel-to-Reel
The format determines which tapes you can make for another machine to replay. A two-track stereo recorder with an extra quarter-track playback head can play more formats than it records. Four tracks do not necessarily mean four simultaneous channels: quarter-track stereo uses two channels at a time.
Compare recording format, tape width and speed together. Playback compatibility alone does not establish recording support. Different track-format versions offered under one model name may require choosing a specific version, rather than switching a setting. A stereo channel count or a head-width standard does not by itself identify the complete recording format.