TITLE: tp_heads
NAME: Berin Loritsch
COUNTRY: USA
EMAIL: berin.loritsch@cpmx.saic.com
WEBPAGE: None
TOPIC: Great Engineering Achievements
COPYRIGHT: I SUBMIT TO THE STANDARD RAYTRACING COMPETITION COPYRIGHT
JPGFILE: tp_heads.jpg
RENDERER USED: 
    povray 3.0 for Windows

TOOLS USED: 
    Polyview (jpg conversion)

RENDER TIME: 
    56 minutes 1 second

HARDWARE USED: 
    Pentium 120

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: 


        Tape heads truly are an incredible engineering acheivement.  The specs
are very strict, the fact that it works to reproduce a pleasing sound, and the
fact that it had many advancements over the years.  This particular head is an
accurate (+/- 2mm) model of a TASCAM 122 MK III cassette head assembly.  It
includes a seperate record and play head in the same space that most cassette
machines can only fit one all-purpose head.  The multiple heads allow you to
record and playback simultaneously (actually there is a 30 millisecond delay). 
To think, this technology was stolen from Germany post WW II and perfected by
Americans (and now starts the flame war, but check the history books first
please ;).


DESCRIPTION OF HOW THIS IMAGE WAS CREATED: 


        I used an old head assembly from a deck that I serviced a month or so
ago.  I then created the extremely complex CSG shapes by measuring the head
with my DayTimer's ruler (the ruler millimeter sub-divisions are every two mm).
 With great patience, I made any changes that were necessary.  I replaced the
name TEAC (TASCAM's owner) with POVRAY to show loyalty, avoid trademark
copyright allegations, etc., etc....

