Online sources for high bias cassettes?

[goldear]

Imation TDK are complete crap, IMO.
I bought a bunch of them, before I knew any better. so many of them have edge damage after 1 or 2 passes.

I can tell you calibration wise, they are pretty unstable.
Every tape requires a different adjustment, while older NOS TDK SA tapes are right on the money, tape after tape.

As you progress into the tape, and as well different sides, the bias and azimuth shifts far more than older TDK or Maxell.

I don't have a problem with sonic welding, there are no ill effects if the tape shell is a good design. (Fuji ZII and Metal Z come to mind, sonic weld, however the equal of TDK SA-X and MA-X)

In short, I wouldn't use current SA tapes for serious recordings.

Are you certain that the tapes that you are describing are the imation tapes (as apposed to pre-imation tapes)? What are the countries of origin on the tapes that you are describing?

 

[vidguy]

Are you certain that the tapes that you are describing are the imation tapes (as apposed to pre-imation tapes)? What are the countries of origin on the tapes that you are describing?

Currently not sure, howeverI remember they do say "Imation" on the J-Cards

 

[vidguy]

Wait. I don't have a sealed one, so I can't tell where it was made.

It says "2008" Imation corp on the sticker sheet.
It has "TDK" on the J-card
Tape itself is a welded shell, "SA90" in gold with "IECII/TYPEII High Bias"- in blue writing. "Anti-resonance Rigid Construction Cassette Mechanism III" is also in blue

I also have a tape, exactly the same shell, with a blue graphic J-Card. It Says "TDK" instead of Imation, otherwise it is the same. (This must be a transition period)

Some have had good luck with Imation, the tapes I have however are poor enough, that I don't bother with them. I've got well over 100 sealed quality NOS of various types, so It's no real loss.

The "newest" reliable, decent quality TDK tapes I have are 20 or so "Gold/Brown Wrapper" SA-X - Japan/USA - not sure of year.

 

[vidguy]

There's something different with the tape formula with the Imation tapes.

Like I said, when I calibrate my ZX-7 and Dragon to the TDK SA, they remain consistent, in terms of Bias and Azimuth, switching sides, moving forward in the pack, even swapping tapes from different years (87 -92 or so), it's all pretty much the same.

Stick in one of the Imation ones, and I have to re-calibrate, and then re-calibrate for the other side.

 

[goldear]

There's something different with the tape formula with the Imation tapes.

Like I said, when I calibrate my ZX-7 and Dragon to the TDK SA, they remain consistent, in terms of Bias and Azimuth, switching sides, moving forward in the pack, even swapping tapes from different years (87 -92 or so), it's all pretty much the same.

Stick in one of the Imation ones, and I have to re-calibrate, and then re-calibrate for the other side.

That does make sense, because from what I have been able to determine, the imation made-tapes are the first TDK tapes ever to use Korean made rather than Japanese-made (presumably genuine TDK) tape.

It is also clear that the Japanese/US made tapes were the final generation to use screwed-together shells, and that this tape seemed to be pretty good. The thing which is still unclear to me is whether the Japanese/Taiwanese made tapes with the sonically welded shells, but still used the Japanese tape are appreciably worse than were the prior generation of screwed-together shells.