Its not backcoated, so almost certainly not sticky, but as others have said not really a great tape.A Reel Person said:Backcoated: no
A Reel Person said:203 is distinguishably inferior to 226, (which is compatible with 456). It's a 1 mil tape & is probably 3600'/reel.
It's your Grandpa's hifi audio tape, but by today's standards it's not quite that. I'd say use it, anyway, but I'd not recalibrate for it. Just run it 6db down, and make the best of it.
Good luck!
arjoll said:Its not backcoated, so almost certainly not sticky, but as others have said not really a great tape.
supertramp1979 said:Is this true?!?!?
If it is you've made my day!
Beck said:Tape is not tape. The advancements in tape formulations over the decades have made a phenomenal difference in the quality of analog audio. Nothing from the early 1960s can hold a candle to modern tape. Those with elevated levels… +3, +6 and later +9 were born from ongoing research and development of several manufacturers to improve the medium. The more signal a tape can absorb and hold, the further the audio is from the noise floor of the tape. All tapes have a saturation point where no more signal can be absorbed. No matter how hard you hit it the playback will still be only so far from the noise floor. In signal-to-noise terms, 6 dB is a huge gain.
cjacek said:John, if you're wanting that unique and "vintage" sound then get some Ampex / Quantegy 631 (1.5mil) / 641 (1mil). The formula for that tape hasn't changed since the 50's and does not have any shedding or binder problems. It has a higher noise floor, saturates more easily, its frequency is limited and it has that unique early James Brown sort of sound! Completely different than your typical moder tape. You will, however, have to callibrate and bias your machine accordingly.
Best of luck!