My first cassette recorder - tapes tapes tapes

A

aleyas

New member
Hey guys, first time poster but long time lurker. Learned alot on these threads :thumbs up:
I just bought a 424 mkII yesterday and was wondering about tapes. I found a website that ships tape in bulk, but was unsure as to whether or not they would be compatible with the 424.
Could any of you experienced cats help a green analog recorder like myself out?


First off we have these E-Series which A to Z Audio produces.
www . atozaudio.com/html/cass-e.html
I cannot ascertain the bias or type of these cassettes. Type I or II?

Second, they're distributing a bunch of discontinued tapes. After googling a few of these models I'm still in question as to what type they are and if they're appropriate for 4-tracking.
Examples: Maxell Duplicators, BASF Ferric
www . atozaudio.com/html/closeouts-bulkcass.html


Many thanks guys!
(I guess I can't post links till I'm 10 posts in...sorry)
 
aleyas said:
Hey guys, first time poster but long time lurker. Learned alot on these threads :thumbs up:
I just bought a 424 mkII yesterday and was wondering about tapes. I found a website that ships tape in bulk, but was unsure as to whether or not they would be compatible with the 424.
Could any of you experienced cats help a green analog recorder like myself out?


First off we have these E-Series which A to Z Audio produces.
www . atozaudio.com/html/cass-e.html
I cannot ascertain the bias or type of these cassettes. Type I or II?

Second, they're distributing a bunch of discontinued tapes. After googling a few of these models I'm still in question as to what type they are and if they're appropriate for 4-tracking.
Examples: Maxell Duplicators, BASF Ferric
www . atozaudio.com/html/closeouts-bulkcass.html


Many thanks guys!
(I guess I can't post links till I'm 10 posts in...sorry)
Click to expand...


Yes Im a big cassette fan myself with like 5 or 6 4track recorders including the 424 Mark 1 here at my house!! Use chrome (Type 2) tapes only and the shortest lengths you can get,no longer than 60 minute tapes.Even these are hard to find old/new stock in Maxell XLII are TDK chrome. I do recal though finding a web site that sold in bulk and loaded the tapes to the length (minutes) that you wanted.Just dont use a "normal bias" (type 1) tape,they do not give you the headroom and brightness that a chrome(type II)tape does,plus they are "hissier" and distort easier......hope this helps !!:)
 
I agree with all that TASCAM MAN said except that you can get away with C90s. Obviously 60s are better because they're shorter and therefore thicker but apart from one C60, all I've ever used in 20 years were 90s. Granted, I was using an 8 track for that time, but with the kind of long songs I was doing, 22 minutes recording time was essential.
 
Avoid bulk no-name tapes unless you absolutely can't find anything else. I don't see anything in those links I would use with a cassette multitrack. TDK and Maxell did a great deal of R&D over many years to become standard. Look on eBay for New-old-stock Maxell XLII and TDK SA in 60 or 90-minute lengths. Expect to pay $2.50 to $3.00 per tape, but you might get lucky and find some for much less now and then.

There are also delusional sellers on eBay that think cassette tape is rare, or at least want you to think it is. It is not rare. The only TDK stuff I would avoid is the new TDK SA-90, which is now made by Imation. (Made in Korea and assembled in Thailand) It has the words, "Life on Record" on each cassette. It's not terrible, but as long as there are the older TDK cassettes available there's really no reason to buy it. And for some reason it is usually more expensive. Another good option is Fuji DR-II. These are all high bias and that's what you need.

Here's some good SA-90 from good years. As you can see, the more you buy the more you save. I don't know the seller, but with free shipping there are good deals here. And there are many other sellers with reasonable prices on eBay for name brand cassette. You will be tempted by bulk cassettes for the low cost, but you really get what you pay for with cassette. A lot can go wrong, especially in cassette shell design and quality, which makes a big difference.

From the wrapper design one can tell these SA-90 were made between approx 1992 and 1997. I have these years among many others and they are very good.

aqua2209 | eBay
 
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