The short answer: A magnetic soundtrack on Super 8 is a thin brown-to-copper stripe bonded along the edge of the film, opposite the perforations, with the sound recorded on it. Kodak introduced it in 1973 as Ektasound and stopped making sound film in 1997, so only Super 8 from that era can carry sound. Regular 8mm and 9.5mm are almost always silent. Pull out a few centimetres of film, hold it to the light and look for the stripe on the edge without holes.
It happens almost every week: a customer is convinced the reels are silent because the parents' projector was silent — and in the manual check we find the stripe, and on it a grandmother blessing the candles, a voice nobody has heard for forty years.
What is recorded on the magnetic stripe?
Ordinary Super 8 was shot silent. From 1973, with Kodak's Ektasound, film came with a magnetic stripe bonded along the edge, and sound cameras recorded onto it while filming — the speech and background noise of the moment, sometimes music or narration added later on a sound projector. By Kodak's Ektasound specification the sound is recorded 18 frames ahead of the picture it belongs to, because the sound head sits some distance from the gate.
How can you see whether a reel has a stripe?
Gently pull 20–30 cm of film off the reel and look at both edges against a window or a lamp. One side has a row of small holes — the perforations. On the other side, if there is sound, you will see a matte stripe in brown, copper or bronze, like a very thin audio tape, running the whole length of the film. A silent film looks smooth and clear on both edges.
| Format | Sound? | How to recognise it | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular 8mm | Almost never | Large perforations, no stripe | Predates Super 8 |
| Super 8, silent | No | Small perforations, smooth edges | Most home Super 8 |
| Super 8 sound (Ektasound) | Magnetic | Brown-copper stripe opposite the perforations | Kodak, 1973–1997 |
| 9.5mm Pathé | Almost never | Single central perforation between frames | European amateur format |
| 16mm, single-perf | Optical or magnetic | Holes on one side only | Double-perf = silent |
Why are regular 8mm and 9.5mm almost always silent?
Regular 8mm came before Super 8 (which Kodak introduced in 1965), and its large perforations left no practical room on the edge for a soundtrack. On Pathé's 9.5mm the perforation sits in the centre of the film between the frames, so it is a silent format by nature. See our Super 8 vs Regular 8 guide, and the film glossary for terms like leader and perforation.
What happens at a splice?
Because the sound runs 18 frames ahead of the picture, every home splice briefly throws the sync out: the sound of the previous scene runs on into the next, or is cut short. In a digital transfer the offset is corrected splice by splice, but sound that was cut away cannot be invented, so we ask in advance whether the reels were edited.
How do we handle a film with sound?
Every reel is checked by hand before scanning — perforations, flexibility, splices, signs of decay — and at the same time we identify a magnetic stripe and mark the reel as a sound film. The picture is scanned frame by frame on a Filmfabriek Muller HDS+, no projector and no camera, even when the film is shrunken; the soundtrack is captured and synchronised to the picture. The soundtrack service is 20 ILS per minute on top of the scan, only for minutes that carry sound. More on our 8mm and Super 8 film transfer page.
Not sure whether your reels have sound? Bring them in, and we will check together before scanning.
We send couriers to your door anywhere in Israel, in both directions. Small jobs are usually ready within about seven working days, large ones within about 21 working days, and the first minute is on us — you will see how your film comes out before you decide. You can also drop off in person: our studio at 9 HaMa'ayan St., Rishon LeZion, 5 Lisin St. in Tel Aviv, or Mitzpe Hararit in the Galilee. Call 03-5610368 or leave your details on our contact page. What each service includes is listed on our price list (Hebrew).
Frequently asked questions
There is a brown stripe but nothing plays on the projector. Why?
Your projector may be a silent model that cannot read the stripe, or the recording may be very weak.
Can sound be added to a silent film during the transfer?
Not to the film, but to the digital file, yes: music, narration or an old family recording can be added in editing.
The sound is old and noisy. Will the transfer improve it?
We capture what exists on the stripe and clean it up as far as possible, but what was never recorded cannot be invented.
How do I know whether my parents' reel is Super 8 at all?
By the perforations: Super 8 has small rectangular holes and a large picture; regular 8mm has large holes and a small picture.
