1/2" reels?

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tf5_bassist

The LouDogg
Obviously, with everything in this damned industry, there are decent products, and shitty products. But i haven't the SLIGHTEST clue about whether there's a big difference between various brands of tape.

I've seen tape from Scott, AGFA, Maxwell, Ampex, Teac, and a few others. Are any brands or types of tape that's better than the competitors?
 
I'm no expert, but I think there is a general concensus that Ampex 456,499, and a couple of others are standards. There is always another opinion though and I'm sure you will hear it here.:D
 
456

Tascam used to set their multitrack reel-to-reels for Ampex/Quantegy 456, which has (had) become the industry standard for many machine manufacturers and studios. Ampex/Quantegy 499 and now GP9 are better spec wise, but your machine has to be set up for whatever tape you choose.

I’ve used GP9 with a Tascam TSR-8 and I think it’s outstanding compared to any other tape I’ve used. In my opinion it ends the tape debate and the analog vs. digital debate all in one shot. My only reservation is that pushing the machine to keep up with such a hot tape may shorten the life of the machine's electronics. I could be wrong about that, but it’s something to think about.

Overall 456 is a good and safe tape to use in any open-reel application. It’s a lot easier on the wallet as well. I keep coming back to it.

It appears Quantegy will soon be the only open reel tape manufacturer left, so the great tape brand debate will soon become purely academic.

Tim :cool:
 
Time to stock up. I'll never quit analog.:D

Well, maybe when I'm dead.
 
i'm new to the whole reel to reel style of recording, depsite i've been doing that more than anything (A friend has a studio with an MX5050mkIII). What do you mean by setting up the deck to the tape? what needs to be done, and how exactly does it affect the recording?
 
Gosh, TBeck nailed it on the head, there!

Get your supplies of tape, while they last. Stockpiling is not an entirely bad idea, as long as the tape's stored as-is, in a cool/dry place.

I don't think driving the electronics that amount harder [up to 499/GP9] will shorten the life of the components, especially if the unit is in a setup that allows it to properly dissipate heat.

True, probably the bulk of vintage machines are still setup for 456, so it's always a safe bet. 3M made a fairly compatible formulation of everything Ampex/Quantegy produced, F/I Ampex/Quantegy 456 would be comparable to 3M 966/986/250, as would BASF 911. All those manufacturers are out of the reel and tape media business, so the future is tenuous at best, but a fair amount of supplies still exist in tape-specialty shops, nationwide, most of which take orders over the web, also on the phone.

BTW, 3M 996 & BASF 900 were tapes geared to compete directly with AMPEX/Quantegy 499/GP9, JFYI.

I've been stockpiling tape a bit, and I found a tape dealer that 'clearanced' a whopping assload of NEW tape to me at rock-bottom prices, starting at $1/reel! Okay, pick your jaws off the table. I wouldn't kid you guys about that, $1/reel! How sweet it is! Needless to say, I have large storage boxes full of all sorts of reel formats, incl 1/4", 1/2", 1", and cassette too,... not to mention a few DATA-Minidiscs I have for the Tascam 564, plus the obsolete SYQUEST media I have for the Fostex FD-4!

NOTE: I can presently find DEALS on GENUINE NEW QUANTEGY 456-COMPATIBLE MEDIA in PLAIN WHITE BOXES, 1/4" on 7"/1200' REELS, for $2.95/REEL, and there's a LARGE NUMBER OF CASES of 40 AVAILABLE, plus selling as single reels. Living near the LA/BURBANK/HOLLYWOOD media complex has it's advantages! JFYI.

Oh well, point being, that OVERALL the tape industry's gone in the tank, but as of the writing of this memo, ample supplies of tape media are still available, for a finite time only. Stocking up is probably recommended, in the long run.

DITTO, TBeck, that 499 and GP9 may have taken over as the preferred modern standard tape, over 456, and it surely ends the analog-v-digital debate, IMO. However, there's a nominal $10 price bump between 456 and 499/GP9, so that's a factor.

Ditto everything else TBeck said.;)
 
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tf5_bassist said:
i'm new to the whole reel to reel style of recording, despite i've been doing that more than anything (A friend has a studio with an MX5050mkIII). What do you mean by setting up the deck to the tape? what needs to be done, and how exactly does it affect the recording?
Click to expand...

If the Otari came with a service manual, it would document the process of calibrating the machine to the type of tape you are using on it.

If you don't have the manual, get one!

If you have the manual but, can't make heads or tails of the process, find a qualified service centre that can calibrate and set up the machine to the type of tape you want to use on it.

The bias, level and eq calibration process is a very complex set of adjustments that is different for every recorder and is beyond the scope of what we could quickly and helpfully describe to you on a bbs.

You will need test equipment, test tapes, oscilloscopes, meters and special screwdrivers to do all of it on a pro reel to reel.

Most owner's manuals will use as many as 20 pages of text and pictures to step you through the process.

Cheers! :)
 
Damn I'm glad you guys are here!!

Again, I owe you guys. Some day, I'll have something to offer....till then

THANKS!:)
 
holy crap man... this sucks.

I wonder if there are any "qualified service centers" in my area. I *really* doubt it. And yeah, we've got the manual for the Otari still. :D

I haven't even the slightest clue as to what kind of tape we're using currently. I should probably check that, and i also highly doubt that it's actually been set up for it. Meh.
 
BillyFurnett said:
A buck a reel???

HOLY FRICKIN' MACKEREL!!!!!


:)
Click to expand...

my thoughts exactly. I would love to buy a ton of reels of tapes for that cheap.

If someone can hook me up with a good price on a few 10.5" half-inch 456 tape NEW, i'd be interested in getting a bunch of 'em. our stock in the studio is wearing thin.
 
Hmm... I found some 767 tape that's dirt-cheap. I'm guessing that's not compatible in the least with the 456... or am i wrong in this?

Edit: It's Ampex 767, forgot to mention that.
 
You'll have to look at the spec card, if any, that's included with the reel.

Quantegy's website has some information on the most popular formulations, but as 767 goes, it's probably a lesser known or specialized formulation. It can't hurt to check the Quantegy website.

However, even if it's not a direct match, [767:456], if you know the relative specs of 767 and how hot your 0VU reference point should be, there's a chance you could use the tape successfully within it's own range of operation.

F/I, Quantegy 480 tape was specialized to Nagra tape recorders, and it's optimized to a hotter reference than 456. As long the relative difference is known, you can operate within the relative specs of the tape, and should be okay,... within a reasonable +/-3VU or so, of 456.

Anyway, some of the non-456 formulations will hold a hotter signal than 456, relatively speaking, while providing relatively the same hifi audio. You'd have to find out the specs, and the relative 0VU reference point, through research. Some tape warehouses and recording specialty shops might be able to look that up for you, as well as try Quantegy website.

I guess this discussion begs the question: About how good or bad does 767 sound on test recordings? Have you tried A/B'ing it with 456 yet? If you do research and still cannot find anything about 767, then I suggest you do A/B-comparison listening tests.
;)
 
Re: You'll have to look at the spec card, if any, that's included with the reel.

A Reel Person said:
Quantegy's website has some information on the most popular formulations, but as 767 goes, it's probably a lesser known or specialized formulation. It can't hurt to check the Quantegy website.

However, even if it's not a direct match, [767:456], if you know the relative specs of 767 and how hot your 0VU reference point should be, there's a chance you could use the tape successfully within it's own range of operation.

F/I, Quantegy 480 tape was specialized to Nagra tape recorders, and it's optimized to a hotter reference than 456. As long the relative difference is known, you can operate within the relative specs of the tape, and should be okay,... within a reasonable +/-3VU or so, of 456.

Anyway, some of the non-456 formulations will hold a hotter signal than 456, relatively speaking, while providing relatively the same hifi audio. You'd have to find out the specs, and the relative 0VU reference point, through research. Some tape warehouses and recording specialty shops might be able to look that up for you, as well as try Quantegy website.

I guess this discussion begs the question: About how good or bad does 767 sound on test recordings? Have you tried A/B'ing it with 456 yet? If you do research and still cannot find anything about 767, then I suggest you do A/B-comparison listening tests.
;)
Click to expand...

I have NO clue what OVU readings are or whatever. i'm completely clueless in this analogue stuff lmao! But no, I haven't really gotten a chance to a/b any tapes at all. All i've used is the 456 (and MAYBE one other kind, just some spare reel at the studio), i really haven't paid attention, because i was rather unaware of there being different types of tapes. As I said. Completely clueless about it. But I intend to read up on it quite a bit now. :)

I'm also gonna' get this 767 tape and a/b it with some 456. would it be possible to a/b it just by dumping a CD track to the tape and comparing the results, or would it have to come through as a recording? I don't have a problem with recording multiple takes, but I'd like to work with a constant variable in the source material.
 
Sure, source material can be a CD player, if you like.

;)
 
Check you speed fellas, not all bias' sound the same at different speeds. GP9 to me isn't as good at 15ips as it does at 30isp. Make sure you have your machine re-biased when switching tape, and check for thickness variations between GP9' and some of the older Ampex tapes.
I don't think tape manufacturing will ever stop, there might be a single company doing it in the end, but tape is still in high demand overall. CD's are more likely to go the way of the dinosaur because of high definition audio.


SoMm
 
now i'm curious... I don't even remember what speed we're running on. LMAO!
 
I haven't been able to find any info on this, but is the Maxell 35-180 tape compatible with the 456/499 bias?
 
The Maxell 35-180 uses the same bias as 456. It is designed to be an alternative product to it.

499 has different requirements for calibration on the recorder, as it is designed to be hit harder level wise, in the set-up process.
 
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