Best 1/4" reels ....

[gilwe]

I am using a Fostex Model 80 reel-to-reel 8 track recorder,
currently with QUANTEGY 456 tape.

The sound is very good and accurate but I would like to get it better.

Is there any other 1/4" reels that you would recommend that gets more accurate sound ? Is the old chrome tapes we used to have in our audio cassettes exists on these reel tapes ?

Any recommendations with be thankful !

[mixmkr]

presuming you aligned and re-biased your machine for your "ampex" tape, I don't think you'll get a better tape, currently.

You did bias and calabrate your machine, didn't you?

ps...I think the chrome tape was a gimmick because people didn't like the idea that they were recording on rust!!

[gilwe]

I didn't touched the machine calibration options ...

I bought it third hand (along with a couple of 456 reels
) and it looks like it had a lot of work before and has been serviced a few times so I guess it has been calibrated for the tape before but I'm not sure...

Anyway, listen to what Quantegy claim about their 456 model (quoted from their site) :


The prominence and consistency of Grand Masterâ 456 tape have made it the reference standard against which all analog audio tapes are compared. More professional open reel tape recorders are aligned by manufacturers to 456 than all other tapes combined. If it says "Bias Compatible," it means 456.


What do you think ? Does this means that the Fostex is by default biased for that type of tape ?

[mixmkr]

That is by far the most popular tape, nowadays, I believe. And yeah...I'll bet most machines today are aligned for 456 also. Basically it is just a "hotter" tape than some of the older popular tapes like Scotch 226 and such...and you can for the most part not worry so much about calibrating it for the change. The tape will just allow hotter levels. I was being more sarcastic about calibrating your Fostex, however, because I would bet 99% of them never get touched, unlike a more professional machine with a wider tape width.

Unless you are having NOTICEABLE problems, like highend dropoff, and stuff like that, I wouldn't worry too much about it on THAT machine, because unless you are familiar with what is "normal maintenance" on a reel to reel, you could do more harm trying to calibrate it, without test tapes, etc... And...finding a test tape for your 1/4" 8 track Fostex will be next to impossible to find, would be my guess. Those kind of adjustments weren't really factored in the machine for the "normal" user by Fostex...and Tascam to some degree on their low end multitracks too. I'd take it to a reputable service center instead, and let someone in the know, look under the hood.

(my chrome tape comment was a joke too, btw.....since magnetic tape basically IS just rust)

btw...your Fostex can be a great workhorse (witnessed by you being its third owner..), but understand, it IS the narrowest multitrack r2r tape width ever manufactured (which actually might need closer attention to alignment), and hence, probably the least costly machine made too. Back "in the days", the Tascam 1/2" 8 tracks were considered semi-pro/home use machines, and your Fostex was a budget model of the Tascams (coincidentally designed by Teac/Tascam designers who left to start Fostex)..and HALF the tape width of those. If you're happy with the sound now, it probably is doing its job and you may be close to maxing out its potential anyway....especially if the heads are well worn, belts are slipping, brakes starting to fail, pinch rollers are aging....on and on...

[gilwe]

Well, the "only" problem it has now is that channel 8 doesn't always record .... I guess it is some contact problem... or maybe a worn head ?... what do you think ?

Except for that, it doesn't have any mechanical problems ( I guess it has been maintained and serviced from time to time to keep it in a good condition....)

Just curious, do you have any idea what the price of a new head for that machine is ?

[A Reel Person]

3M-226 is bias-equivalent to Ampex 456, as is BASF-911.

The quote from the Quantegy website, that "456 is the bias standard" is basically true, and yes, most machines of that era were set up for 456 or equivalent tapes, however, Quantegy 499 is now the hottest tape available, with 3M-996 and BASF-900 being 499-equivalent, which gives a +3VU boost in signal level, over 456 and 456-compatibles.

It's true, that most home-use reel-to-reels have not been properly calibrated since day-one, but on the other hand, if your results are satisfactory, that's what matters most. However, it is possible that the previous owner did a proper calibration, and that would be in your favor. If you run a 0VU test signal into the recorder, do you get 0VU on playback? That is the 'quick & dirty' way to tell if you're properly calibrated.

On the track-8 intermittent signal response, IMO, you're correct in assuming it's probably a contact-type problem, and not necessarily the head itself.

I also have a Fostex M80, and it's a good machine, however IMO Fostexes in general are cheaper construction and less well built than Tascams. I have both Fostexes and Tascams, and I've compared them one-for-one, under the covers.

... Which is not to say the Fostex M80 is not a good machine, it is a good machine. I have one, and I like it, too.

Good luck, & keep those reels spinning! Reel-recording is 'just plain fun', and a whole different thing than 'puter recording.

[mixmkr]

two things I might add to Mr Reels good advice...

1. when doing the 'quick and dirty' quickie testing [of comparing 0 VU on input to playback] is to run your test signal at different frequencies...which may be an obvious in this situation.

2. the other is that agreeably, compared to 'puter recording, the mystique and magic of reels turning around is a much higher level of coolness, for some reason. When you walk into the room and the reels are a turnin'....it just looks cool..especially when just lit by the lights of the VU's....