Reel to reel tapes.

[Wudge]

I've just inherited an Akai GX4000D r-r. Unfortunately it did not come with any reels so I have no means of testing whether or not it works or if it does how well. I've sent off to ebay for a couple of cheapies just to check dead or alive before I look for instructions and perhaps investigate getting it serviced (if anyone still does of course.) I know for a fact that it was in storage for about 20 years.
Assuming it is sound mechanically, could any of our r-r aficionados advise on the various grades of tape. To draw an analogy I'd like to go for a 'TDK SA' rather than 'TDK D'. Also where would I source these from? Most of the vendors on ebay seem to offer cheap but untested second hand ones which have been erased which doesn't interest me. TIA.

ETA: Its an effing heavy beast!

[PaulStewart]

Hi John,

The GX 4000D is a nice bit of kit. Avoid old Ampex tape, it was bloody good back in the day but they changed the binder (glue) back in the 70s to one that was not derived from whale oil and they did not know it was hygroscopic. Now the oxide sheds, this has caused a lot of problems with some classic album masters. NOS Agfa PEM is great and there was a lot of good R-R tape from TDX, Maxell, 3m Etc. Make sure you keep the heads, guides and pinch rollers clean and you should de-gauss (demagnetise) the heads regularly to prevent noise. Also to get the best results, tape recorders should be set up for replay and bias using a test tape and a tone generator, though on a 4000d that is not the easiest thing to do.

Hope you enjoy it

[337alant]

+1 for everything Paul said I have thrown away my beloved Ampex 456 tapes which were superb in their day but all have sticky shed and so went in the bin
There are always reels of Maxell UD, XL, XL1 on ebay and that is excellent tape even second hand and that is what I mainly use, I have biased my R2Rs for that tape and get excellent results from it
TDK didn't do an SA version of tape they did a version called Audua I recently purchased about 20 x 7" reels of TDK Audua L and that is also excellent tape, I use 10.5" reels so I just splice 2 x 7" reels of tape together :eyebrows:

I have also just purchased a brand new RMG 911 tape which you can still buy from studio spares, I haven't tried it yet though.

Best of luck with the Akai it was a great deck in its day
I just picked up a Tascam 32-2B today cheap from ebay needs new belts but seems fine besides that ? well see when the belts arrive

Alan

[Barry]

Agree about Agfa PEM and 3M Scotch tape. Would also like to put in a good word for Pyral tape as supplied by Ferrograph.

[PaulStewart]

Hi Alan,

A mate of mine did his current Album on RMG 911 and it sounds great, it's balanced out like 456 and has huge headroom.

[The Black Adder]

Hi Alan,

A mate of mine did his current Album on RMG 911 and it sounds great, it's balanced out like 456 and has huge headroom.


+1

[337alant]

Ah that's good thanks Paul ill give it a go, guess I will have to adjust the record bias just for that tape though

Another tape that is good is the Zonal stuff, Canford audio still sell it http://www.canford.co.uk/Products/Archive/86-301_ZONAL-675-5-Inch-reel

Black adder yes agree and the the new RMG tape is produced by Pyral in France, the only other manufacturer of new tape that I know of is ATR Magnetics in USA
http://atrtape.com/
http://www.rmgi.eu/rmgi.asp?Id=3

[The Black Adder]

Have you tried SVS Media?

One thing, don't be tempted with any of the Quantegy stuff, it sheds like mad... Unless of course you can find a decent batch.

[Jimbo]

+1 for everything Paul said I have thrown away my beloved Ampex 456 tapes which were superb in their day but all have sticky shed and so went in the bin
There are always reels of Maxell UD, XL, XL1 on ebay and that is excellent tape even second hand and that is what I mainly use, I have biased my R2Rs for that tape and get excellent results from it
TDK didn't do an SA version of tape they did a version called Audua I recently purchased about 20 x 7" reels of TDK Audua L and that is also excellent tape, I use 10.5" reels so I just splice 2 x 7" reels of tape together :eyebrows:

I have also just purchased a brand new RMG 911 tape which you can still buy from studio spares, I haven't tried it yet though.

Best of luck with the Akai it was a great deck in its day
I just picked up a Tascam 32-2B today cheap from ebay needs new belts but seems fine besides that ? well see when the belts arrive

Alan

I love hearing about your R2R purchases Alan, you are not at all obsessed with them:lol:

How many do you have now?

[PaulStewart]

Have you tried SVS Media?

One thing, don't be tempted with any of the Quantegy stuff, it sheds like mad... Unless of course you can find a decent batch.

Too right sheds like an old English sheepdog at the start of summer :steam: had some for a transfer a while ago and it really messed up the pinch roller on a Revox. :steam: It cleaned up OK but it's not the point, clients machine and their tape. We moved it to some NOS Agfa PEM which has so much headroom and dynamic range, (you can set it up to 0dB=+7), that it really is a facsimile of the original

[The Black Adder]

Too right sheds like an old English sheepdog at the start of summer :steam: had some for a transfer a while ago and it really messed up the pinch roller on a Revox. :steam: It cleaned up OK but it's not the point, clients machine and their tape. We moved it to some NOS Agfa PEM which has so much headroom and dynamic range, (you can set it up to 0dB=+7), that it really is a facsimile of the original

Indeed, Paul. It really is awful stuff. Every time I used them I found oxide on the shelf below, and it fooked the rollers with it's gummy brown poo. :steam:

A friend of mine bought a batch and had to send the job lot back. Apparently they had to store the stock in a warehouse somewhere in the states and that stock simply sat there for years in a warehouse that was obviously not fit to keep media in.

They were going to re-launch but I think that was a none starter.

I agree with you, the RMG 911 Studio Master is a great tape. I know of three studios that use it still. Zonal are also great as well as AGFA PEM.

[paskinn]

I have been using RMG for several years....bought from Germany. Seems fine to me, no problems so far.

[337alant]

I love hearing about your R2R purchases Alan, you are not at all obsessed with them:lol:

How many do you have now?

Jimbo
I count 8 now lol
The recent Teac 32-2B is not very good though and will be sold on or broken for spares, spent all day today and its recording and playing back now but is not a great deck and chewed one of my tapes at one point so its history LOL, I wish I had spent the time on my Revox pr99 mk1 or A77 which both need repair

My (3) Tascam BR20s are the business and my Revox PR99 mk2 has an amaizing bass performance so I will keep them

I love R2R and they can trounce or be on par with the best of turntables when they are set up right

Alan