tape hiss

sound recording

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Last updated

July 14, 2026

Quick Summary

Tape hiss is a type of random noise that occurs in magnetic tape recording systems. It originates from the inability of the recording system to perfectly organize the magnetic domains within the tiny magnetic crystals on the tape. This random orientation of domains results in a microscopic effect that is heard as noise, primarily at high frequencies.1

To combat tape hiss, systems like Dolby noise reduction amplify the higher-frequency components of a sound wave before it's recorded. This makes their amplitudes significantly higher than the tape hiss. During playback, these high frequencies are attenuated to their correct levels, effectively reducing the audibility of the hiss.1

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sound recording
The audiotape
…heard by the listener as tape hiss. Because lower frequencies are more effective in magnetizing the tape, and because the random variation in magnetization is a microscopic effect, tape hiss is primarily a high-frequency phenomenon. Several systems have been designed to deal with this problem, the most prevalent of which…
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…heard by the listener as tape hiss. Because lower frequencies are more effective in magnetizing the tape, and because the random variation in magnetization is a microscopic effect, tape hiss is primarily a high-frequency phenomenon. Several systems have been designed to deal with this problem, the most prevalent of which…
Read More