• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

German made R2R Tape

LAB3

LAB3

AK Member
My Pop's old Revox A-77 is "Biased" to BASF tape. Some of Dad's old notes and what I have been advised are as follows.

BASF LR 56
BASF 207
BASF LGR 30
Zonel (Blue)
AGFA 368, 468, or 528 series. Purchase "IT"

Does anyone else have any German made tape brands or series to add to my search list??

I have read some of the old Ampex 400 series was messy (A-77 heads not as easy to clean as my Akai )

Maxell EE series was harder on the heads then the UD or XL... I have not used the EE so I do not know this for sure. It's been 40 years from the last time I operated Dad's old machines or his collection of tapes. So I am a 60 year old "Rookie" :music:

Thanks
Louis
 
Register to hide this ad
Avoid old stock Ampex. Anything made by Maxell other than EE is likely to be excellent. EE is meant for decks that can handle it-very few of them could, and I am 99.9% sure that the A77 could never do it.

BASF LP35 is supposed to be good, but I really really like Scotch 176, Scotch 207, and the best (in my experience) are Maxell UD and XLI. All should be pretty bias compatible with most consumer level tapes.
 
vinyldavid said:
Avoid old stock Ampex. Anything made by Maxell other than EE is likely to be excellent. EE is meant for decks that can handle it-very few of them could, and I am 99.9% sure that the A77 could never do it.

BASF LP35 is supposed to be good, but I really really like Scotch 176, Scotch 207, and the best (in my experience) are Maxell UD and XLI. All should be pretty bias compatible with most consumer level tapes.
Click to expand...

What was the "EE" made for?

Is Maxell LN OK?
 
Old Ampex 641 is decent stuff and works with almost any machine very well. Avoid Ampex 456 and 457 and anything in a silver and blue box that says "Grand Master". Always had very good luck with all BASF formulations and all of the ones that David mentioned above. Don't know of other German tape manufacturers - I've seen Telefunken and Grundig labeled reels but I doubt that they made the tape on them.
 
Last edited:
EE tape is like CrO2 for cassettes, might even be the same stuff. Takes a lot more bias than iron-oxide tapes. I know the Teac X-2000 would do it, probably the later Akais too. On an older deck it's going to sound super bright and harsh.

I bought a pancake of AGFA 468 on that auction site, it's good stuff, especially for 9 bucks :music:

Ampex 456 and 406/407 will make a mess of your deck, but the 632 and 641 are very good tapes. Many manufacturers used 641 as their bias reference, but I'm not sure about Revox.
 
Old Busted H said:
I bought a pancake of AGFA 468 on that auction site, it's good stuff, especially for 9 bucks :music:
Click to expand...

Oh yeah...AGFA! I forgot all about them, and I even have some old AGFA reels around here somewhere. I think mine are old acetate formulations but they probably made some pretty decent modern tape too.
 
Maxell LN is fine tape. It's just the next grade below UD. Your Revox should handle it, as they are from the same time roughly. And as Old Busted H said, EE was a cassette type 2 equivalent. Without modding your Revox you won't be able to use it. Furthermore, it was only really a benefit if used at the slow speed of 3 3/4. At 7.5 and up it was nothing special.
 
koltrast said:
Sadly, no, but it was used a lot by the BBC. They had equivalent tape formulations to BASF/AGFA 468, 900, 911 etc (or Ampex/Quantegy 456,499 for that matter)
Click to expand...

I was told that the Ampex/Quantegy tape in the newer series would not last as long as the BASF etc given all are stored correctly?? So I have not purchased any Quantegy. I guess I am taken Dad's notes about the Revox being "Biased" to BASF to much. I have several reels of maxell UD and LN that were never recorded on and will try them. This was Pop's thing, I have never messed with R2R before so this is a learning curve for me. I am having Big fun making recordings of my favorite songs on different CD's. A good winter project. Thanks to everyone for the info. Adding to my list.
Louis
 
You will read elsewhere on this site and others that Ampex tape should be avoided at all costs, but the Quantegy tapes are ok. I have some Quantegy 456 tapes that are very good, but I personally prefer Emtec 911 (the old BASF formulation), which to my ears has that little extra and stacks much better than Quantegy. 911 is made by RMGI in the Netherlands these days, (an old Philips plant I believe). Emtec was made in Munich.
 
I seem to remember a brand called Permaton from Germany, although I think they are pretty rare in the US. I think the only Permaton tape I ever had was a small reel to reel tape with a message from someone on a mission trip in Kenya that came with a reel to reel I bought at a yard sale. More that likely that tape was purchased in Kenya.
 
vinyldavid said:
Avoid old stock Ampex. Anything made by Maxell other than EE is likely to be excellent. EE is meant for decks that can handle it-very few of them could, and I am 99.9% sure that the A77 could never do it.

BASF LP35 is supposed to be good, but I really really like Scotch 176, Scotch 207, and the best (in my experience) are Maxell UD and XLI. All should be pretty bias compatible with most consumer level tapes.
Click to expand...

I purchased some old BASF reels and rolled out about a foot and on the outside of thape BASF LGR Magnet Opthon Band all are different #s LGR

LGR 991 O
LGR E460 I
LGR F631 E
LGR 486 E
LGR 460 P
LGR E 445 T

I have two more to transfer from the old plastic nabs to some of my extra empty metal nab reels and erase. What is the difference in the series #s???

Was told BASF LGR 30 was really good German tape too. What about these????

Thanks
Louis
 
Last edited:
fortycoats said:
It's still available. Went off the market for a while but is back (assuming what I've read isn't outdated).
Click to expand...

Yes, I've seen that too, but I guess it's a different production facility these days. The original Zonal tapes were made by RACAL, a diversified manufacturer of professional instrumentation equipment, including recorders (not audio) and also primarily military stuff. Vodafone was originally a division of RACAL.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom