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Maxell Tape differences

What I would like to see here or somewhere accessable on the net is a list of Maxell box photos and leader colorsf or the various Maxell 7" reel size generations and types. DES-LAB has pretty well covered the 10" sizes on his website, where I am only a lurker.
 
I'm working on it. The list will cover all (as best i can do) of Maxell's tapes from the 60s to the 00s. From 10.5" reels all the way down to their 3" reels. But most of the attention will be given to the 5, 7 and 10.5 sizes. Box styles, years made, leader patterns, reel styles and tape length/thicknesses will all be included.
 
fortycoats said:
So, nice to know the 35, 50, etc. numbers are consistent and refer to the thickness but is it still some arbirtary numbering scheme or does, for example, "35" equate somehow to 1 mil in metric?
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35 is the total thickness (Base plus oxide layer) in microns. 35 microns = 1.377 mils. 1 mill backing plus .377 mil oxide layer. At least that is how I understand it.
 
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Cadillac Kid said:
35 is the total thickness (Base plus oxide layer) in microns. 35 microns = 1.377 mils. 1 mill backing plus .377 mil oxide layer. At least that is how I understand it.
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I think that's right, Cad kid. Further, a Maxell 1,200 footer would be 50 micron or total thickness 1.97 mils. That's 1.5 mil backing with 0.47 mil oxide coating.

Looking at one of my favorite Scotch formulations -- a 207 is similar to the Maxell 35-90: 0.85 mil backing with 0.56 mil oxide coating for a total thickness of 1.41 mils.

206 (1,200 ft) is 1.42 mils plus 0.56 for total thickness of 2.08 mils (or 52.8 micron, slightly thicker than its Maxell counterpart).

Ain't math fun?!
 
So Maxell 35-90s make really good recordings? Do they lose quality quickly the more times they've been recorded on? Like, if I see one for sale that says it's been recorded on once, is it still safe to use for an important recording? Thanks. -Gaia
 
u always have to be aware that you don't really know what tape is on a reel when you buy used... u never know what the multiple previous owners did :)
 
Hi, audiokarma members :)
Could someone please tell me which maxell tape would be best for akai gx 4000d?
Its bias frequency is 100 kHz if it helps.
Thanks
 
"35-90" means the tape is 35 microns total thickness coated on a 1.0 mil tape substrate. The 90 probably refers to the total time for a stereo 4-track recorder for both sides of the tape recorded/played at 7.5 ips. This would be a strange figure to quote since a stereo 2-track would have only 45 minutes at that speed but 90 minutes at 3.75 ips. The 7-inch reels of 35 micron tape generally held 1,800 feet of tape; and 10.5-inch reels held twice as much, or 3,600 ft.

A professional 50-micron tape would take up 1,200 feet on a 7-inch reel and 2,400 feet on a 10.5-inch reel.
 
koval_m said:
Hi, audiokarma members :)
Could someone please tell me which maxell tape would be best for akai gx 4000d?
Its bias frequency is 100 kHz if it helps.
Thanks
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It's probably listed in the manual. Most likely UD, but it can use LN and probably XLI. The bias frequency isn't as important as how much of it is being fed to the tape. Too much dulls the high end, too little and the high end is exaggerated.
 
Dynacophil said:
u always have to be aware that you don't really know what tape is on a reel when you buy used... u never know what the multiple previous owners did :)
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Exactly whi I try to always buy NOS. On the rare occassion I do buy used, it's always from someone I know
 
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