About metal tape...

Conventional wisdom might suggest that, say, 20 bucks might be TOO TOO much to pay for a premium or "super" C-90 Metal tape - such as TDK MA-XG, Sony Metal Master or Denon MG-X, but if you swing on over to the Gov'ts Inflation Calculator and modernize the old retail price to today's dollar value, you'll find that 20 bucks is actually a fair shake - for what some folks have characterized as "collector items". Personally, I use first, collect second and I'm here to state for the record that if the average Joe spends a little focused effort each week searching eBoy, CL and thrift stores - sealed NOS (new old stock) can be found at great present day value. Top of the line Metal tapes sold for between 14 and 20 bucks retail between the years of 1988 and 1994. Run the numbers through that calculator and see what I mean...you'll gain a whole new perspective on pricing. (20 bucks was only postulated for example sake btw, quality Metal type tape can still be had for much less than that - it's just not going to fall into your lap.)

Bottom line for me: Couldn't afford them in 1985 (just out of HS), can't afford them now (mortgage, home maintenance, saving for 'retirement', etc). C'est la guerre.
 
Hi, this is my first post on AK forums, glad to find all of you passionate about analog recording and collecting.
I have the opportunity to buy at 3$/piece (~12 pcs) Fuji FR Metal 90, are these good tapes or low end crapy metals ?
The rest of my Metals i own now are Sony and TDK .
 
Hi, this is my first post on AK forums, glad to find all of you passionate about analog recording and collecting.
I have the opportunity to buy at 3$/piece (~12 pcs) Fuji FR Metal 90, are these good tapes or low end crapy metals ?
The rest of my Metals i own now are Sony and TDK .

The Fujis are AT LEAST as good as the SOny and TDK. Might even be better. At that price, they are a steal! Grab them quick.
 
Thanks guys, got them today at the price of 5 beers for the previous owner.

For the moment the only deck i own is a Onkyo TA-6310 , so it's not that high end, but the head is like new and the deck sounds pretty good, also has dolby S.
 
I agree Bigerik. I have a few in my arsenal and they ARE pretty damn close to being at the same performance level as a Sony Metal Master - without the fancy shell.
 
You know, speaking of NOS tapes, yes they're great and alot of great cassettes came out in the eighties. But they don't have to be new. I've found tons of Maxells and TDKs as well as others such as Sony and Denon at Goodwills, thrift shops and yard sales. A tape like the classic TDK-SA is virtually indestructible if its received any care at all, no matter how much taping it has endured they are good to go.

TDK SA, SA-X, the various Maxell UD-XLs and a few others are like the energizer bunny, they keep going and going.

I haven't gotten much metal at these places but it is possible, if unlikely. I remember buying cases of SA and SA-X in Chinatown when I used to go to NY. Those were the days.
 
Hi.I searched several retailers for High Bias Metal cassette tapes for my newly aquired Sony TC-K22 but came up empty handed.Plenty of Normal Bias so I went on line to ebay and got what I thought was a fair deal.Six Maxell High Bias XLII,90 minutes for under $20 delivered to my door.Looking at them closely I see they are "Black Magnetite"Position IEC Type II.Are these metal,CrO2 and worth the money?Thanks in advance.
Gary
 
The question is more about product,not price so it's in the right forum.I'll pass on the Windex but if you have any Drano.
Gary
 
Hi there, i'm relatively new here and i'm one of you who is fascinated with analogue tapes :)
i'm just wondering regarding the different tape types
The most common is type 1 (normal bias)
CrO2 is type 2
and metal is type 4

so what's type 3? haven't seen any of it yet...
 
It's FeCr (FerroChrom), it was manufactured in the past for a limited time, mainly by BASF and AGFA
 
There's the oddball Sony FeCr too.
DSC02173.jpg
 
It's FeCr (FerroChrom), it was manufactured in the past for a limited time, mainly by BASF and AGFA

Oh I see
I wonder if my deck with auto detect can detect type 3 :)
how i wish to have one
Anyway, it always fascinates me to learn something from the past
thanks Andrei...
 
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