Where do you buy tape & for how much?

[blackdavy]

With Quantegy disappearing soon and sellers asking way too much for their new Quantegy tape... I'd like to know where you buy your tape and how much it costs you per roll.

American made ATR should be available soon, and Dutch made RMGI seems to be easy to purchase in the U.S. RMGI SM911 (similar to Quantegy's 456) can be found at usrecordingmedia.com. I personally use 1/2" tape the most and it sells for $63.97. Feel free to throw in prices on 1/4", 1/2",1" and 2" (if anyone here has a 2" machine).

This has been discussed in other threads, but I thought it needed its own thread so that everyone could get a peek. There may be many people out there that don't know about cheaper options for new tape... and I hate to see people try and rip off the analog crowd.

[cjacek]

Quantegy (tape division) is already gone and, I presume, the rest will slowly crash and burn, especially that it thinks it can offer "me too" products and take a share of the market that other companies have already long cornered. The one thing Quantegy had going for it was tape but it was miserably ran.

Whomever bloats up the prices for Quantegy products on eBay, for example, is an opportunist and its customers are pretty clueless that cheaper and better tape is available - RMGI (same quality as BASF / EMTEC).

Yes, usrecordingmedia.com is one but you can also get it from www.splicit.com which ships to USA, Canada and EUROPE.

[blackdavy]

Those are the only two places I have seen. I believe you told me about splicit.com. They've got 1/2" pancakes, but none on reels. They do have everything for 1/4" though.

I guess that's pretty much it until ATR releases their stock.

[Beck]

I had listed tapes.com along with splicit.com in late January. At the time tapes.com was $54.75 for 1/2" 911, but now the bastards have raised the price to $61.54 since then… no better than US Recording Media. So they’re no longer on my Christmas card list. I think we're going to see a lot of opportunists in the short term.

And if RMGI can't eventually supply tape at a reasonable price now that they own the market, it just ain't gonna work for real people in small and home studios. I can’t imagine having to feed a 2” machine these days.

Right now IMO splicit.com has the best deal at $45.00 for 1/2" if you have your own reels. I haven't seen pancakes in 1/2" anywhere else (haven't looked too hard though). There are enough spare reels on the earth right now to throw the planet off its axis if they were all stacked in one spot.

I guess that is one advantage of the 3-screw nab hub they’re using. You can use AMPEX/Quantegy type flanges. It’s not such a big deal as long as you have one balanced 6-screw reel for the take-up side.

I also look for new-old-stock tape on eBay. If the price is right I'll buy it, otherwise they can keep it... I don't care. But then I have the luxury of having more tape than I need right now, and I know not everyone is in that position. I browse eBay these days like someone fishing for sport rather than one having to catch supper.

Before the tape crisis of '05 I was buying 1/2" 456 as low as $36.00 a reel. After the reorganization by the incompetent ignoramusi in Alabama it got down as low as $41.00 in some places… then from there to $100.00 per reel on Quantegy’s site right before the ship went down.

[jpmorris]

Originally Posted by Beck

And if RMGI can't eventually supply tape at a reasonable price now that they own the market, it just ain't gonna work for real people in small and home studios. I can’t imagine having to feed a 2” machine these days.

I don't think it was ever cheap unless you got through enough to buy in bulk - which I don't, even for 1/2". Bal-Sagoth were actually forced to record their second album over their first because the label was too tight to buy any tape for them

[ofajen]

I still have some BASF 468 1/2" stock for the M-79.

I also still have some 1" 3M 996 that I no longer need, having sold the 1" machine. I still have 3 NOS reels and 7 reels that were used once (only two tracks, single pass) by Mark Plancke's studio for some ad work. All 10.5" reels, unspliced in original boxes. I'd sell the lot for $180 plus shipping. Let me know if you're interested.

Cheers,

Otto

[Splicit]

I have to agree about tape pricing. We should see some interesting offers when ATR comes out. Just so you all know.. Mike Spitz (Pres. of ATR) has told us that initially they will be selling direct to the public. RMGI has a huge dealer network. We are bound by certain price guidelines. To be honest ...we almost always price our tape at the lowest end of the scale that we can just so everyone can afford the stuff! It is expensive. We also offer free shipping on orders of $1,000. There have been times when several people or studios go together and buy a case or 2 of something and they save money doing so. There is virtually no profit in tape. I can't see charging beyond the minimum because no one will buy at those high prices. If you find tape for less than we have ours priced at, please let me know and we'll do something about it. We simply enjoy getting the product out to you at an affordable price. That's the least we can do.

Thanks,
Teresa
Splicit Reel Audio Products
www.splicit.com

[Flangerhans]

I just got a couple of pancakes from Splicit, and can state that their prices are extremely reasonable, they send out their product with lightning speed, and they are friendly and helpful. And they didn't pay me to say this, either.

[blackdavy]

Originally Posted by Splicit

We just received a fresh shipment of RMGI SM911 1/2" x 2500' on aluminum reel. Priced at $61.99. RMGI LPR35 1/4" x 1800' on black plastic reel priced at $14.99.
We are doing our best to keep the prices down for you.

Thanks,
Teresa
Splicit Reel Audio Products

The above quote was posted in another thread that didn't have a very descriptive title. I looked at splicit.com and couldn't find the 1/2" SM911 on an aluminum reel, but they do still have the bulk pancake listed. Maybe you have to ask them for it. They don't seem to be very clear on a lot of things, but they seem like nice people (and they've been posting here frequently as of late).

So... apparently you can buy 1/4", 1/2", 1" and 2" RMGI SM911 on an aluminum reel from the following:

http://www.splicit.com

http://www.usrecordingmedia.com

http://www.tapes.com (seem to have the largest variety of products)


... and one day in the not so distant future, ATR will release their line of tape. They will be the only manufacturer of studio mastering tape in the U.S.

http://www.atrtape.com (but their site still says the tape is coming soon!)


I found that all the sites selling RMGI price their tape about the same, so check the shipping rates. tapes.com is $61.54, splicit.com says their tape is $61.99 and usrecordingmedia.com is $62.97 for 1/2" tape... to give you an idea.

[cjacek]

Originally Posted by blackdavy

I looked at splicit.com and couldn't find the 1/2" SM911 on an aluminum reel

Yes, they sell that on eBay, same guys, under the user id xiat. Here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/EMTEC-BASF-RMGI-...QQcmdZViewItem

http://search.ebay.com/search/search...p=1%26fsoo%3D1

splicit.com and xiat are one and the same.

[jpmorris]

I'm buying RMGI stock from www.protape.co.uk.
Half-inch 911 is £31.75 (plus 17.5% sales tax and shipping) - double this to get the dollar amount. Quarter-inch is £20.39, but I generally buy Zonal 700 frmo Canford Audio for my 1/4" needs which is £13.92 for a pancake. Actually that makes the 911 damn good value since it comes on a metal spool by default - the spools are about £9 a pop from Studiospares.

[MCI2424]

Originally Posted by blackdavy

With Quantegy disappearing soon and sellers asking way too much for their new Quantegy tape... I'd like to know where you buy your tape and how much it costs you per roll.

American made ATR should be available soon, and Dutch made RMGI seems to be easy to purchase in the U.S. RMGI SM911 (similar to Quantegy's 456) can be found at usrecordingmedia.com. I personally use 1/2" tape the most and it sells for $63.97. Feel free to throw in prices on 1/4", 1/2",1" and 2" (if anyone here has a 2" machine).

This has been discussed in other threads, but I thought it needed its own thread so that everyone could get a peek. There may be many people out there that don't know about cheaper options for new tape... and I hate to see people try and rip off the analog crowd.

RMG and it costs $63/roll for 1/2" 911. 2" is a bit more and generally no one cares about it here.

[Beck]

I haven't bought any tape since it was $41.00 a reel for ½” last year before Quantegy's “announcement” (EVERYONE DOWN ON THE GROUND! THIS IS A ROBBERY! TAKE ANY VALUABLES YOU HAVE AND PLACE THEM ON THE FLOOR… WALLET, JEWELRY, WATCHES… ANYTHING OF VALUE!)

And before the 2005 crisis I was paying $36.00 a reel. So, I’m in a wait and see holding pattern right now.

Elementary economics… if there are so few people buying it that they have to sell it for the price it is now, a good portion of the people that would buy it cannot buy it. That means even fewer people buying it (instead switching to digital) in the future as the price keeps increasing, until that magic point where the market collapses and the value of tape comes crashing down. Then I will buy it.

If these manufacturers are bent on destroying what’s left of the tape market I will have to plan my purchases accordingly. That means wait ‘til it’s over when no one wants it.

[blackdavy]

Originally Posted by Beck

I haven't bought any tape since it was $41.00 a reel for ½” last year before Quantegy's “announcement” (EVERYONE DOWN ON THE GROUND! THIS IS A ROBBERY! TAKE ANY VALUABLES YOU HAVE AND PLACE THEM ON THE FLOOR… WALLET, JEWELRY, WATCHES… ANYTHING OF VALUE!)

I hear you. I've been holding off buying new 1/2" rolls, because i'm poor... no... seriously... i'm very very poor.

I've got to get some soon though or I'll be forced to record over some stuff... or splice something together... that would take forever for me to go through and cut out what I don't need. this is too depressing. back to my beer... and don't tell me to give up the beer so I can afford more tape!

[Beck]

Originally Posted by blackdavy

I hear you. I've been holding off buying new 1/2" rolls, because i'm poor... no... seriously... i'm very very poor.

I've got to get some soon though or I'll be forced to record over some stuff... or splice something together... that would take forever for me to go through and cut out what I don't need. this is too depressing. back to my beer... and don't tell me to give up the beer so I can afford more tape!

No, you need the beer to get through this tape mess.

But don't drink so much that you actually start cutting tape form old reels to put something together... You'll hate yourself in the morning.

[Beck]

When I think about it, for me there are currently no tape manufacturers, as I will never, ever pay $60.00 for a reel of ½” 911 or 468, etc. That price is beyond the line of absurdity in my world. Others have not yet reached their limit and still others reached the limit before as to what they are willing/able to afford. Most everyone has a limit and RMGI is sure to lose more segments… entire markets if prices continue to rise.

That will mean fewer of you paying more until whole bubble pops.

The good news is there is still so much new-old-stock out there from 3M, Maxell, EMTEC, BASF, AMPEX and Quantegy that one doesn’t have to go without. So in that sense there are as many manufacturers as ever still selling from beyond the grave. One just has to shop wisely.

Some people snapped up recent manufacture Quantegy and are hording it, not for themselves, but for another tape crisis. IMO, they are taking a big gamble.

1) There were so many substandard batches produced after Quantegy reorganized in ’05 it’s a crap shoot… you can now either get too old AMPEX with sticky-shed or too recent Quantegy with the worst slitting and consistency in the history of tape.

2) As I’ve mentioned before, IMO when the bottom falls out this time tape will be of little value for lack of takers. The audiophool community will always be paying ridiculous prices for ¼”, but anything else will be worthless.

It will be quite easy for the even fewer analogites to stockpile to their hearts content… a simple matter of tape to user ratio. I think I’m actually looking forward to that as the next bit of excitement in the analog saga.