Blank Cassettes - reccomendations.

[Hemmlock]

Which cassettes are the best bang for the buck? Transfering my vinyl to tape and want goo sound reproduction. Any help would be appreciated.

Peace, Love, and Bananas

 

[Andyman]

TDK SA variants and Maxell XL variants are quite good. Metal tape is the best, if you can find it.

 

[Hemmlock]

Anyone mail-order this stuff?

Thanks - I walked into my local audio store and their resident "expert" (a twelve-year-old kid with an iPod in his pocket) looked t me like I was demented when I asked about cassette recommendation.

 

[graywolf]

Wow, that is a hard one. First as cassettes become more unavailable, you can find close-outs at rediculously great prices, and folks charging 2-3x the list price for the same tapes. Low bias tapes are still available most everywhere at reasonable prices. High bias tapes are harder to find, Radio Shack seems to be the only reliable source, otherwise it is catch as catch can. What seems to be currently manufactured is TDK SA, TDK SM (same tape different cassette housing), Maxell XLII, and the Radio Shack stuff. That applies to the USA, I am sure that more is available elsewhere, here if it is not a billion dollar a year business the corporations just drop the product:thumbsdn: .

It used to be advised that you stick to the 60 minute cassettes because they had a heavier tape base, but my understanding is that now with the reduced market they no longer even manufacture the heavy based stuff and just load 60 minute cassettes with the same tape they use in the 90-100 minute cassettes (Anyone got better info on this?).

So, a lot of words that do not actually give you the answer you were looking for. The best advice I can tell you is, find a good deal and stock up on the stuff.

 

[Hemmlock]

Actually that helps a lot - I'm starting to realize that there is no huge variance in decent tapes - unlike first, second, third, UK, American, or Japanese pressings of vinyl albums.

Maybe I shuold go back to the kid and get myself an iPod.

Not likely.

 

[Jack Lord]

Great place to order blank tapes in bulk:

http://www.totalmedia.com

 

[pustelniakr]

Here's where I buy my stuff. Decent prices on cassettes, and bulk will come at a discount, if you contact them and ask...

http://www.tapeworld.com/

Enjoy,
Rich P

 

[timoteus]

Here's my short list:

http://batteriesandbutter.com/
http://tapeworld.com/
http://tapecenter.com/
http://usrecordingmedia.com/
http://beachaudio.com/
http://totalmedia.com/

 

[OldSkool]

Here's where I buy my stuff. Decent prices on cassettes, and bulk will come at a discount, if you contact them and ask...

http://www.tapeworld.com/

Enjoy,
Rich P

Rich, of the items they show on that site, which cassette blanks would you use if you were using the CT-F9191?

 

[pustelniakr]

Rich, of the items they show on that site, which cassette blanks would you use if you were using the CT-F9191?

Maxell:
UR 90 (std bias)
XL-II-90 (high bias) -- My calibration standard
XL-II-S-90 (high bias)

TDK:
D-90 (std bias) -- My calibration standard
SA-90 (high bias)

Enjoy,
Rich P

 

[Arkay]

Agree with Pustelniakr's recommendations on the new/available tapes.

In addition, I would recommend that IF you can find any of them, you grab the following, as well. (Check all the stores in your area that sold cassette tapes for "New Old Stock" (NOS)):

TDK SA-X tapes
Any Metal tapes you find
Any Chrome tapes you find.
Heck, just buy any high bias tapes you find (Type/Position II, III, and IV tapes)

Also, one brand that isn't mentioned, is the Japanese "That's" brand. Not so well known outside of Japan, they have made some very decent high-bias chrome and metal tape(s) over the years.

 

[gearhead]

I'm not Rich, by any means, but I've had good luck with Maxell & TDK high bias (Type II) tapes for years.
For music, anyway.

*EDIT*
Note to self----hit "reload" on tabs that have been open for a while before replying.

 

[melofelo]

thats also made some good tapes if you can still find them..but i'd avoid their rx90...as it seemed quite hissy without dolby from memory...the fx90 was a decent tape..same for the ex90 (chrome i think) the mx90 had some pretty good specs too IIRC..you could run the meters up to +7db quite comfortably...
best of the ferrics from my experience was the tdk ar90..
tdk sa90 and maxell xlII / xlIIs are still excellent tapes and pretty much the best of what's still available new...

 

[Scorpion8]

I also had some great luck at my local audio dealer finding some Denon HD6 100 minute Type-II cassettes (NOS). When I inquired about if they had "any" cassettes in stock, they looked at me like I was from another planet, as they are now a primarily HT shop. They found two unopened 10-packs and gave me a discount to take them all away.

 

[Buzzer]

Nice thread.

I have always liked TDK type II tape but it is real hard to find. I have been using Maxell XLII 90 type II , readily available and have not had any problems with the cassette mechanism, knock on wood.

Snatch up any metal tape you can find.

Jim

 

[blownsi]

Check your local Walgreens(yes the drugstore.) As of a year or two ago (last time I looked) they still carried Maxell High Bias cassettes.

 

[absolon]

A point to consider is that decks are calibrated for particular tapes and those will sound better.

When I acquired my TC177SD, I tried about a dozen different brands and types and got quite different results with each. I settled on Sony UX as the best, no surprise on a Sony deck.

 

[hellhound94]

In my opinion, one of the best cassettes ever sold in the US was the TDK MA-XG90. This great formulation came in a die cast housing and was expensive even back in the day. There's still a few around but sellers are getting a pretty penny for them.

 

[ToTo Man]

I thought CrO2 tapes were good until I tried metal tapes. Might just be my machine, but recording onto metal tapes gives me more high frequency response and less audible distortion. of course, finding metal tapes now is a challenge.

 

[lord_athlon]

I loved the Xg-90. I have a stack of Maxell XLII-60 tapes from the 80's The old black case with gold stickers.