Rick Stevens
New member
I have a portastudio III and have heard from sources that you should only use type II cassettes and not type I. Why is that and whats the difference between type I & II ?
Type 1 & Type 2 tapes
- Thread starter Rick Stevens
- Start date
Rick,My gut tells me I don't think you will harm your unit by using type1 tapes,hopefully someone else can add to your post,but type 2 tapes do produce a better quality sound.I used type 1 in a pinch to record a gig on my 238 tascam and was very happy with the results,I should of used type 2 because it was for a gig that turned out great,but you have a good point,especially if you just want to rough out an idea and don't need the best sound ,they are cheaper
Rick Stevens
New member
Thanks for the info guys, I'm using TDK's at the minute but I think I'll invest in some type II tapes to hear the difference. Incidentally, I bought a couple of Maxell tapes a while back and they are crap. I need to clean my heads after every take or the tape starts warbling, don't have that problem with the TDK's though, I've recently recorded 4 30 minute tracks without cleaning it and the last track sounds as good as the first ( I'm talking about sound quality not musically)
Come to think of it, the tapes that I bought from a NY wholesale co once or twice were supose to be maxell xL2,They came in a clear shell.They were not as good as the ones you can get in a K or wall Mart.You could hear a difference.The type 1 sony cd it I used at that gig was as good. I just bought the type 2 sonys.I'll post what I think of em this week
Hi, Rick!
Personally, I use the type II Sony CD-It cassettes in my 488 Mk II and they sound great (the tapes do, my singing, well-l-l..)
(Dontcha just love self-deprecating humor? Obviously, I do!). Just wanted to throw in my 2 cents, since it won't buy anything, anyway. Hope this has been of help to you.
chipper
Personally, I use the type II Sony CD-It cassettes in my 488 Mk II and they sound great (the tapes do, my singing, well-l-l..)
(Dontcha just love self-deprecating humor? Obviously, I do!). Just wanted to throw in my 2 cents, since it won't buy anything, anyway. Hope this has been of help to you.
chipper
Bass Ninja
New member
Most new Portastudios are designed for use with type II tapes. They produce better highs and the overall sound quality is much better. Although type I won't harm your unit, I would highly recommend using type II tapes with high bias and/or chromium dioxide. Pick a brand and stick with it.
Also, go with shorter length tapes like 30 or 60. The longer the tape, the thinner it is. Thin tape wears down faster.
Also, go with shorter length tapes like 30 or 60. The longer the tape, the thinner it is. Thin tape wears down faster.
hixmix
Halibut, North Dakota
Get your tape from a reputable supplier. If the tape is not fresh or has been stored improperly (i.e. too high, or too low a temperature) the oxide will come off alot easier.
Get the best tape available that your machine was designed to use.It's one of the lower cost, but one of the most important items in your studio. If you cut corners here you'll be sorry in the long run. So go ahead, spring for the extra fifty cents or a dollar or two and get the right tape.
Get the best tape available that your machine was designed to use.It's one of the lower cost, but one of the most important items in your studio. If you cut corners here you'll be sorry in the long run. So go ahead, spring for the extra fifty cents or a dollar or two and get the right tape.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bass Ninja:
I would highly recommend using type II tapes with high bias and/or chromium dioxide. Pick a brand and stick with it.
Also, go with shorter length tapes like 30 or 60. The longer the tape, the thinner it is. Thin tape wears down faster.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Had to put in my $0.02 here.
First, ALL type-II tapes are Chrome (with the exception of some newer cross-formulation types that are chrome and something mixed).
Second, ALL type-II tapes, without exception, are high-bias.
Third, long tapes are also bad because the added weight puts more strain on the winding motors in your deck. BAD thing. Ever price the capstan/reel motors in a 424 or 488? Yikes.
Tape formulations:
Type I - Iron oxide. Slightly 'bassy' tape. Also referred to as 'normal.'
Type II - Chromium dioxide. This is EQ'd differently from Type 1 tapes (on recording and playback, hence those 'chrome/metal' switches on tape decks everywhere) because it is more sensitive to high frequencies and less sensitive to low frequencies compared to Type I tapes. It also uses a different bias frequency (hence high bias) because the Chromium particles are smaller and can 'hold a stronger magnetic field' than Type I.
Type III - Obsolete, this was a combo of Type I and II that made use of I's good bass response and II's good treble response. Many public/university libraries used these in the early 80s for recording but they can't be found anywhere anymore.
Type IV - Metal. Metal Oxide tapes have even smaller particles that can 'hold an even stronger magnetic field' than Type II. It is EQ'd the same as Type II tape, but uses even higher bias when recording.
Each step up has lower noise, more headroom, and less distortion.
Recording on a Type I tape using a Type-II recorder will result in a severely depressed high end, and probably also 'blubbery' sounding bass, but otherwise it won't hurt anything.
Recording on a Type II tape with a Type-I recorder will give an exaggerated high end and (most likely) deficient bass.
I have tried recording on Type-IV tapes with my Tascam Midistudio 688 with good results. The high end can seem a bit tinny at times, but it's nothing that a bit of EQ won't fix, and the lowered tape noise and higher clarity is almost worth the higher price for tapes.
Generaly, having used the 488MkII and the 688, I stick with TDK SA-X tapes. They have pretty low noise, and the shells are sturdy. I have used Maxell XL-IIs a few times because they keep going on sale around here. They're noisier than the TDKs but otherwise work fine. I have tapes from 4 years ago, done on XL-IIs, that still sound great.
I would highly recommend using type II tapes with high bias and/or chromium dioxide. Pick a brand and stick with it.
Also, go with shorter length tapes like 30 or 60. The longer the tape, the thinner it is. Thin tape wears down faster.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Had to put in my $0.02 here.
First, ALL type-II tapes are Chrome (with the exception of some newer cross-formulation types that are chrome and something mixed).
Second, ALL type-II tapes, without exception, are high-bias.
Third, long tapes are also bad because the added weight puts more strain on the winding motors in your deck. BAD thing. Ever price the capstan/reel motors in a 424 or 488? Yikes.
Tape formulations:
Type I - Iron oxide. Slightly 'bassy' tape. Also referred to as 'normal.'
Type II - Chromium dioxide. This is EQ'd differently from Type 1 tapes (on recording and playback, hence those 'chrome/metal' switches on tape decks everywhere) because it is more sensitive to high frequencies and less sensitive to low frequencies compared to Type I tapes. It also uses a different bias frequency (hence high bias) because the Chromium particles are smaller and can 'hold a stronger magnetic field' than Type I.
Type III - Obsolete, this was a combo of Type I and II that made use of I's good bass response and II's good treble response. Many public/university libraries used these in the early 80s for recording but they can't be found anywhere anymore.
Type IV - Metal. Metal Oxide tapes have even smaller particles that can 'hold an even stronger magnetic field' than Type II. It is EQ'd the same as Type II tape, but uses even higher bias when recording.
Each step up has lower noise, more headroom, and less distortion.
Recording on a Type I tape using a Type-II recorder will result in a severely depressed high end, and probably also 'blubbery' sounding bass, but otherwise it won't hurt anything.
Recording on a Type II tape with a Type-I recorder will give an exaggerated high end and (most likely) deficient bass.
I have tried recording on Type-IV tapes with my Tascam Midistudio 688 with good results. The high end can seem a bit tinny at times, but it's nothing that a bit of EQ won't fix, and the lowered tape noise and higher clarity is almost worth the higher price for tapes.
Generaly, having used the 488MkII and the 688, I stick with TDK SA-X tapes. They have pretty low noise, and the shells are sturdy. I have used Maxell XL-IIs a few times because they keep going on sale around here. They're noisier than the TDKs but otherwise work fine. I have tapes from 4 years ago, done on XL-IIs, that still sound great.
Rick Stevens
New member
I think I must be using type I tapes on a type II recorder, couldnt figure out why all my recording sounded bassy, thanks for the help. Im using TDK D60 type I's at the moment, I will definately try some type IIs