Can someone please explain what the SUBSTANTIAL difference would be
sonically between printing a stereo mix on all four tracks of a four
track half inch machine (left channel printed to tracks 1 and 2, right
channel to 3 and 4) versus printing to a half inch twp track machine?
With all other things equal, isn't track width the determining factor?
Other than the gap between 1/2 and 3/4, isn't the tape "real estate"
for each side of the mix more or less the same? I know there is some
basic thing that I'm missing, or everyone would be buying half inch
four tracks and printing to them this way.

As an aside, is printing a stereo mix to TWO tracks of the half inch
four track the same as printing normally to the same type of machine
set up as a quarter inch two track?

I'm thinking about buying a half inch four track to use as a multi
track for things that want to be printed to tape, and as a mixdown
deck, so that's the reason for all the questions.

Thanks,

Jim