advice on what tape/mrl tape to buy

James John

James John

New member
Hi, I bought a teac 80-8 a couple of months ago and have been getting to grips with it over the summer with the tape it came with. Now i want to buy some new tape and calibrate it myself although i'm slightly confused about what to buy. It states in the manual that the specs are 250nWb/m, IEC at 15ips. What RMGI tape does this equate to? It also occured to me that i'm coming from a completely different point of view to the original tape engineers in the 50s and 60s: they were trying to create the clearest most precise sound with the tools they had and now, 40 years later i'm using their tools to NOT create the clearest most precise sound possible. So maybe i shouldn't get tape with 250nWb/m, maybe i should get lower spec tape to get a lower spec sound? what's the general consensus to this idea? is it stupid?!
cheers james
 
Hello,


I have just received my first R2R deck, a Tascam TSR-8 (apparently properly biased for 456).I've been recommended as well the 911 and that's the one I've bought.

I'm dumping to tape some of my digital tracks (just as a rehearsal for my first real analog recording session) and its sounds way much better.

I wouldn't say it's a clearer sound in a bad sense. On the contrary, everything sounds warmer, fatter (specially bass drum and snare) and more cohesive.
Just what I was expecting!:D
If you are looking for some low-fi analog sound I think you can just try recording at very hot levels.
Just an opnion from a newbie.
 
Shameless plug...

Beck isn't going to say it, so I will.

Beck has a store of YTT-1144-2 tapes he has been selling off over time...I bought one from him some time back before I had met him through the forum...anyway, his eBay ID is sonrev76 and I think he lists them BIN for $75 + S&H...these are the long play multi-frequency cal tapes specified by Tascam, only they are an even later revision which is better. He says they are barely used and I can vouch for that. They come on a heavy-duty 6 screw 8" reel...excellent deal.

There...now where's my money, Tim? :D

Totally kidding...he knows that. :) Anyway, do look into that if you are looking for a 1/2" 250 nWb/m cal tape.
 
sweetbeats said:
Beck isn't going to say it, so I will.

Beck has a store of YTT-1144-2 tapes he has been selling off over time...I bought one from him some time back before I had met him through the forum...anyway, his eBay ID is sonrev76 and I think he lists them BIN for $75 + S&H...these are the long play multi-frequency cal tapes specified by Tascam, only they are an even later revision which is better. He says they are barely used and I can vouch for that. They come on a heavy-duty 6 screw 8" reel...excellent deal.

There...now where's my money, Tim? :D

Totally kidding...he knows that. :) Anyway, do look into that if you are looking for a 1/2" 250 nWb/m cal tape.
Click to expand...

Well you know me... I don't like to mix business with pleasure so I don't push my eBay listings on forums. People who need them always find them without my help. :)

I’m more of an analog crusader than an eBay seller and I buy as much as I sell. :eek: I want to give people all the options on these forms and not be biased towards something I just happen to be selling. It’s a tough call because I don’t want to leave anyone out here if I have something they need.

I may be making it too complicated.

Thanks for the plug, Cory… your 25 cents is in the mail. :p :D

James John, check your PMs... I sent ya a message.

:)
 
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