TASCAM MAN
New member
Just wondering if there is anybody in the USA making recording tape in the USA??
Are they any factories in the USA making recording tape anymore??
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
TASCAM MAN
New member
Cool , but call to order it says on the web site? Is that the only place to buy it?
thanks
thanks
Blue Jinn
Rider of the ARPocalypse
I think usrecordingmedia.com is an ATR dealer. Note that AFAIK, they only make the +10 2 mil tape, which may or may not be suitable for the decks you are using. There should be threads about this in the analog forum. Also, I think they put out a feeler about making a "hifi" 1mil tape. There is a discussion about that in the analog forum and more details I think at the tapeheads forum. I'd suggest having this topic moved to the analog forum though.
TASCAM MAN
New member
Blue Jinn
Rider of the ARPocalypse
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
This thread is better suited here, as some have suggested....and you'll get more input than in the Newbies forum.
briank
analog for the people!
ATR Megnetics indeed. They have a bunch of dealers, just google it and you'll have all the options laid out in front of you. You can also buy direct from them if you like.
ATR is excellent sounding tape, like, really good, but it does run quite dirty on my 1" machine, I suggest getting some extra swabs and 99% alcohol and checking your tape path frequently while you use it.
ATR is excellent sounding tape, like, really good, but it does run quite dirty on my 1" machine, I suggest getting some extra swabs and 99% alcohol and checking your tape path frequently while you use it.
TASCAM MAN
New member
Ok but the "it does run quite dirty" part does not sound normal,is that even using something equivalent to like say Quantegy 456/499?
briank
analog for the people!
It's apparently normal for this stuff. It's considered a +10.5 tape and there's plenty of extra oxide too run off. It's pretty quiet stuff so can be set up for +6 too. i hot it at
briank
analog for the people!
Aack, stupid smartphone! That is to say i HIT it at +9 on my machine. I don't know why they're slathering so much oxide on there, in my view it would be the best tape out there if it ran cleaner. Your mileage may vary! Maybe it runs cleaner for some people.
By they way unless you're really hung up on using an American-manufactured new tape, there's also the line of RMGI (formerly EMTEC) line of tapes, formerly Dutch made and now coming out of France as i understand it. They're easily obtained from a number of us dealers.
By they way unless you're really hung up on using an American-manufactured new tape, there's also the line of RMGI (formerly EMTEC) line of tapes, formerly Dutch made and now coming out of France as i understand it. They're easily obtained from a number of us dealers.
TASCAM MAN
New member
I havent ever experienced excessive tape shed since my MSR24S 1" never no problems (using 456/499 Ampex).....but thats before all the tape factories started shutting down
briank
analog for the people!
I haven't had excessive shedding probs with 499 either, or GP9. I found that you do have to a little excess off the GP9 with a couple fast wind passes, but that's the worst of it.
I've given ATR a second chance after my first experience turned out to be a bad batch, but the replacement only runs a little cleaner, still disruptive. I'm going to contact ATR about it when my current ATR project wraps, it's too bad it's running so dirty because it really is superb sounding tape when it isn't gooping oxide diarrhea all over the tape path...
I've given ATR a second chance after my first experience turned out to be a bad batch, but the replacement only runs a little cleaner, still disruptive. I'm going to contact ATR about it when my current ATR project wraps, it's too bad it's running so dirty because it really is superb sounding tape when it isn't gooping oxide diarrhea all over the tape path...
TASCAM MAN
New member
Thats terrible, makes me not want to buy tape from them and now Im even skeptic to buy tape from anyone wow !!!
jpmorris
Tape Wolf
I'm running RMGI SM911 on my MSR-24. No shedding (curiously I have had occasional shedding issues on the TSR-8).
I'm not honestly sure how well ATR would work on the MSR-24 anyway, it's not really intended for narrow-track machines.
I'm not honestly sure how well ATR would work on the MSR-24 anyway, it's not really intended for narrow-track machines.
briank
analog for the people!
I assumed that if his machine can handle 499, ATR should be ok too at least as far as biasing yeah?
TASCAM MAN
New member
Why wouldnt ATR (a brand of tape) not manufacture a tape that would suit the MSR24???
jpmorris
Tape Wolf
Why wouldnt ATR (a brand of tape) not manufacture a tape that would suit the MSR24???
Because their target market was high-end professional machines which can handle a very high operating level (ATR tape was originally specced as +11 tape IIRC), e.g. Studer, Ampex and Otari multitracks or stereo mastering decks.
Not all machines can actually bias up that high and the TASCAM machines like the TSR and MSR series were intended to run +6 tape (456, SM911 or other equivalents). Maybe the MSR-24 can run at nearly double its factory specified operating level, maybe not. You'd likely get a lot more crosstalk if you did.
Alternatively, you could just leave the machine set to +6 and see what happens if it's fed ATR tape. It might work quite nicely, but I don't think that's how the tape is designed to be used (I could be wrong - haven't tried it).
My gut feeling is that left calibrated to 456/911, the response would be nonlinear and that would skew the DBX encode/decode process. That said, I haven't yet noticed any issues when running 499 or SM900 on my TSR-8.
EDIT: But the bottom line is, SM911 is a lot closer to what the MSR-24 is supposed to use
W
wkrbee
Active member
Just to clarify:Most "pro" r2rs were set up at +3,+3db over the original 185NW Ampex spec. at 15ips.Setting up for elevated levels basically consists of turning down the repro level by a set number of db,(down 3db for +6 operation),rebias,and crank up the record level by the same # of db,(for +6 that would be 3 db).So....in reality all you are doing is hitting the tape harder without the meters pegging.Some machines will bias for the hotter tapes,some won't without modifying the bias circuit,(MS-16),and some do not have the additonal gain in the record circuit to compensate for the reduction in the playback level without modding.And as an aside, the MSR 16-24 electronics clip at around +28.I've set up 38s, TSR-8,MSR-16,24 and the Tascam BR-20 with the ATR stuff@ +3 without any problems
TASCAM MAN
New member
What and who is SM911(sounds like twin towers to me)??? The last high output tape I was using on my MSR24 was Ampex 499 and then it turned to Quantegy 499 and then I think I had some Zonal? that was equal to 499. And yes I did have my machine settup (calibrated/aligned) to the +6. I beleive it was whatever the 499 was suppose to be settup to so....thats my story and my MSR24S always sounded super clean and quiet (to digital sounding sometimes) no matter if I were using 456 or 499!!! So....what brand tape are you talking about when you say "SM900" ?? BASF?? and I wouldnt even know where to look are buy an equivalent 499 these days ....do you know?? Anybody? And at a decent price???
