Tape - current status?

[wez]

question for those of you still in the tape world...

i'm about to buy some 1/2" and was just wondering what the current quality of the RMG product was? last i heard, the inconsistencies had settled down a bit but i'd just like to hear what people are finding in the real world.

there is some NOS quantegy floating around, is that worth grabbing i wonder?

is cassette and tape supplies in prahran still the place in melbourne to go, or do you guys buy somewhere else?

many thanks,

wez

[Jed]

No problems these days. I've used quite a bit of their 1/4" SM911 with no shedding or drop out issues. Most people I'm in contact with in the tape world now use and recommend new RMGI 1/2". Cassette and Tape Supplies stock it as you say and also Totally Technical in Brisbane. You might as well get it from Cassette and Tape if you're in Melbourne, their prices were the same last time I looked. Silver Track in Sydney used to stock a bit but everytime I've tried to order it off them recently they've said go to Totally Technical. Personally I'd rather new RMGI than any old Quantegy I think. At least it'd be warranted if there were a problem with a reel.

[rick]

hey wez

I would be buying nos ampex or the atr tape
rmg is not ok in my books
I cannot afford to waste time with it
ymmv

[davek]

Wez .. just wind it onto an old Ampex reel :)

[Ausrock]

Wez,

What machine are you likely to be using this tape on?

[wez]

Wez,

What machine are you likely to be using this tape on?

not sure yet... i have a Ta@#$% ATR60 here that i might mix to.... or i might just run the (digital) mixes out to an ampex in the mastering room... there's a few options.

so rick, sounds like you were one of the people who had RMG shed all over their machine a while back... fair enough, you weren't alone from what i hear.

i'll check out the ATR.

[Ausrock]

Wez,

With all respect to Rick.............the general feeling amongst anaolgue "buffs" is that the ATR tape is good BUT it is a "heavier" tape than RMGI and is better suited to the top level decks eg" Studer, Ampex, etc..........it is suspected that it will cause more wear and tear on decks such as Tascams, Otaris and Fostex.

Amongst the US guys I "know", I haven't heard of any issues with RMGI for quite some time now.

[waitup]

I might me wrong, but I was under the impression they had corrected a lot of the problems with the RMG tape that existed when they started manufacturing again recently. There's a tape-op article about it, I'll try to find it and double check that.

[wez]

yeah not sure how this machine would go with high output tape.

for a Ta@#$% though, it's a very good machine.

[mfdu]

i'm using 1/4" RMG 911 on a Ta@#$% 32 across my main bus @ 15IPS, and i havent had any problems. it's the same output as 499 / GP9, isn't it? that's my understanding . . .

[wez]

i'm using 1/4" RMG 911 on a Ta@#$% 32 across my main bus @ 15IPS, and i havent had any problems. it's the same output as 499 / GP9, isn't it? that's my understanding . . .

no, 911=456 (+6)

900=499/GP9 (+9)

[rick]

i have been through the wringer with rmg
its off my list - the damage is done i cannot afford and simply wont "test them out again "

its nothing to do with early runs or whatever - its just Q/C
and yes there are still current issues

i dont have enough experience with atr tape to really recommend it
but i am not complaining about it so thats something :)

[Nile]

Just a note for the Melbourne crew, Cassette and Tape Supplies (CATS) is no longer in Prahran, Peter has had a "Tree Change" and is now operating the service out of Macedon. I think phone numbers are the same, just get in touch and they can courier what is needed.

[mfdu]

wez, you're right. i'm on the 900. oops.

[Brent]

and yes there are still current issues

What are the issues?

Brent Punshon

[rick]

maybe talk to rmg direct
they get really angry at me when i talk out of school , there line is always "well you havent tried the latest batch " then

bottom line is sometimes it sheds , sometimes it doesnt

[Gian]

bottom line is sometimes it sheds , sometimes it doesnt

I don't use tape, so perhaps I should keep quiet, but...

why would you gamble on something inconsistent?

my 2c worth

[rick]

err i wont

[Gian]

err i wont

I didn't mean you, Rick, I just meant whoever was considering using that tape.

It's like putting tyres on your car that sometimes blow while driving and sometimes don't. Not safe.

[The Tasmanian]

Whats the price for 1/2 inch ATR compared with 1/2 inch RMG?
Anyone know?

[wez]

Whats the price for 1/2 inch ATR compared with 1/2 inch RMG?
Anyone know?

i'm still waiting for a quote... anyone from grevillea lurking here?

chris ausrock... i was thinking about what you said, i assume that you were alluding to the fact that a) +9 (and beyond!) is hard for old machines to make the most of, let alone erase, and b) i believe the ATR is pretty heavy and thus only suited to seriously tough machines.

the Ta@#$% ATR60, whilst not having the mojo factor, is actually a very serious broadcast machine, pretty heavy duty... so i reckon it would cope fine. regarding level... if the ATR tape is significantly better quality, vis a vis shedding and reliability, then it might be worth it for that alone, even if you only use it at +6.

[Ausrock]

Wez,

While I own an ATR-60 16, I don't (yet) have experience with these tape brands, my comments were based on opinions of analogue guys in the US that I'm acquainted with and yes, they refer to both the a) and b) issues.

[wez]

Whats the price for 1/2 inch ATR compared with 1/2 inch RMG?
Anyone know?

$140 for 1/2" reel... bit expensive but not outrageously so.

[waitup]

Just in case anyone's interested I have HEAPS of used Quantegy 499 one-inch. Its all in good nick, each reel has only been used maybe for a day or two. No shedding as far as I can tell. I'm slowly using it when bands can't afford to buy a new reel, I'll let them use it for a reduced rate, but I have way more than I'll probably ever get through.

If anyone wants some for less important projects or practicing editing or learning tape, you can have it for say 30 bucks a reel? pick up in Sydney

[Jason]

Damn. If I was in Sydney I would grab a few rolls off you Nick. I do the same thing with letting bands use the second hand tape to save money but I dont have much left. I wonder how much Aust Post would slug me to post something like that.

Hey Wez. You will never find anyone from Grevillea on here. I worked there for almost 9 years and they refuse to get on the forums. I was the only one that ever did and it had to be in my own time. Which is fair.

[Brent]

bottom line is sometimes it sheds , sometimes it doesnt

How many reels is that comment based on and from when? What formulation?

I don't think it's talking out of school to provide a bit more info. It's very possibly fairer to the company and the distributors than blanket statement blow-offs. It's also more useful to other end users who are reading this.

Brent Punshon

[wez]

Hey Wez. You will never find anyone from Grevillea on here. I worked there for almost 9 years and they refuse to get on the forums. I was the only one that ever did and it had to be in my own time. Which is fair.

oh well, their loss ;-) jean got back to me with the price, which as i said is $140 - a fair bit more than the 'standard' stuff, but if it's as good as they say...

regarding RMGI... i totally understand the whole trust issue - quality is so important with tape, if i got burnt i'd be pretty wary too. on the other hand, with choices becoming more and more limited, it's essential that any and all tape manufacturers are commercially successful, otherwise the price will just skyrocket. i find it absolutely amazing that the price (for 1/2" at least) has hardly changed in 20 years - especially considering how much the market must have shrunk in that time.

[Ausrock]

Waitup,

Whereabouts in Sydney?

[waitup]

Waitup,

Whereabouts in Sydney?

Annandale

[NYMo]

Hi there,

Sorta off topic....

I see that Universal Audio are going into the tape business....
I wonder what sort of product they are doing with that ??

Cheers
N
Y
M
O