Recalibrating Cassette Format Portastudios to use Type I Normal Bias Tapes

Just to add that I've clocked up quite a bit of use now using a 244 with Type 1 (Maxell UR C90) and not had a single dropout. I wonder if anyone with Tascam cassette 8 tracks has thought of re-biasing? I guess in the USA Type II is easier to get hold of than here in the UK. But I've heard quite a bit about dropout problems on the 8 tracks and this might help.

I love it that the cheap tape allows you to keep every take. Listening to my 30 year old recordings I've been surprised how good the out-takes sound. Now when I record I play as if for a live performance and keep everything. It is so refreshing compared to the digital route of endless undoing which, for me at least, led to a more perfect but soulless recording.
 
For some of my own recordings, this recording style really gets the best performance and in the end I really hear a difference from a Pro Tools session. It's how I learned to record, so there will always be some magic in it for me.

As far as biasing a cassette 8-track for type I, I think it wouldn't get the best results. Of course I could be wrong, but because of track widths in the 8-track you need the extra high end that type II will afford you to be able to get it sound good. With my 688 the dbx has to be on and I think that a type I would prove to much noise to be worth it. Maybe using super ferric tapes like the XLI, or the rarer XLI-S (which I have a couple and they're the best tapes I've ever used) but those are commanding $30 on eBay so that's a deal breaker.

Honestly, I'm still impressed that you managed to get the sound out of yr 244 w/ a regular tape. Everyone I've talked to about that says it shouldn't work good but I've heard yr recordings and the sound good. I wonder what would happen if you used a Portastudio that had defeatable dbx?
 
Glad you do the same with some of your recordings!

I don't think track width should have any effect on the high end (maybe someone could correct me on this?). Amazingly With the UR type 1 on the 244 I'm getting over 3db extra output compared to type II up to 16kHz so noise shouldn't be a problem with 8-track either. I still don't quite understand what is happening here but making the most of it! It would be interesting to try it with a portastudio with defeatable dbx - I made dbx switchable on my original 244 on track 1 for timecode but couldn't really compare how it sounded for ordinary recordings because of the 20dB drop in recording level with dbx out.
 
i'VE USE TYPE ONE QUITE A BIT ON REGULAR STEREO RECORDINGS. DBX and B,C, Aiwa Hi-Com. I used TDK AD, a lot. the old UR might of been better for some things. I have a couple left of the Walmart Sony HF that works great in the 3-head Sony.

Type II should be quieter with some lower distortions (been a long long time about the why?), but the normal tape had headroom up the middle. I dunno if the studio TEACs had Fine Bias that allows one to tilt distortion and Freq..

I've a box newer UR I'm not using that much, if I have other
 
I've just seen the Tascam 246 service manual and it find it interesting that it uses 35 microsecond equalisation at 3.75 ips and 70 microseconds at 1 and 7/8 ips. Both for type II tape. I'm pretty sure the 244 uses 70 microsecond eq. I'm still amazed how great my 244 sounds re-biased for type I, and how extended the top end is, and wonder what a 246 re-biased for type 1 would sound like using the 35 microsecond eq!
 
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