Tony Duggan wrote:

>Mary Esterheld wrote:
>
>>  Also the recording technique used in the film was not reproducible
>>because of the way it was recorded (I believe with many microphones
>>strategically placed - very early (first?) attempt at 'stereo' sound).
>
>Wasn't it recorded onto film in some way.  I have a vaugue memory tied

This is just from memory, but it's a sad story.  The original Fantasia
sound is lost.  Only Mickey Mouse knows how many tracks were planned, but
I believe six optical tracks made it to the final film.  However, so few
cinemas could play this film that a dub to three tracks (left, centre,
right) was made, I don't know when.  The dub was made out of the one studio
that still had a six-track replay machine, down audio lines the length of
San Francisco, to another studio where the mixing, panning and re-recording
took place.

At this time, most of the top end of the recording was lost due to the bad
lines, and hum was introduced.

I understand that what you hear today is only a shadow of what Stokowski
and Disney originally recorded.  A digital re-performance of the music
is probably the closest way of getting back to the original concept,
but Stokowski isn't around to conduct it.

John Hayward-Warburton
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