Type 1 Normal Bias Cassettes - All Fit For The Trash?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ต.ค. 2024
- A lot of people say that they don't use Type 1 cassettes, that they're not suitable for anything other than voice recording and on the whole they throw them in the trash.
This video is to explain the different types of Type 1 ferric cassettes, why some are better than others and has a demonstration showing how good a "good" Type 1 cassette can be.
CASSETTE DECK USED: Denon DR-M44HX
If you'd like to purchase cassettes shown in this video, visit my online store at:
www.cassetteco...
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Tony is spot on regarding his comment on tape hiss. It's like film grain. It's an inherent part of the image structure. As with different film speeds, there are different types of cassettes.
As a child I was totally fascinated with records and cassettes but never had budget. I would have cried tears of joy for a four pack of type zeros.
Great Job Buddy!! My father has left me thousands of tapes(no exaggeration) and i keep them like jewels. Its the Sound of my dad. Rest in Peace....
That's it. I make mix tapes with my kids. They won't treasure a playlist or collection of mp3s...
While I dont have so many pre recorded and these remixed. I personally have few tapes which I shall share, have you heard reader's digest? There is a project in 1980s, Million Movie Dollar Music , Seems respective used vinyl (I do not know if it is played from actual respective open-reel tapes as there might be big pcm processor during the time)
The Sony HF-S was the first cassette I ever used. I used one of these as a kid on my only cassette player I had (a 2010 General Electric Shoebox recorder; the very last GE branded cassette device). I thought it sounded like crap, especially compared my microcassette recorder, not really knowing that it was the horrid player I was recording with.
I still have that tape, and I recently digitized the little "radio show" I made on it as a kid, and loaded it up with some quality vinyl recordings done on a proper deck. Truly one of the best sounding tapes ever made IMO.
TDK AD = Acoustic Dynamic, TDK AR = Acoustic Response, TDK AR-X = Acoustic Response Extra, TDK D = Dynamic, TDK SA = Super Avilyn, TDK SA-X = Super Avilyn Extra, TDK MA - Metal Alloy, TDK MA-X = Metal Alloy Extra, TDK MA-XG = Metal Alloy Excellence Grade
That is excellent information, thank you very much. Do you know the letter codes for Maxell and Sony, as well?
showoff! j/k
What about TDK SA-XS & SA-XG
SA-XS = Super Avilyn - Triple cobalt coated. SA-XG - SA-X double cobalt coated Super Avilyn tape in a metall alloy shell.
@@CassetteComeback And for the remedials, what is Avilyn? Have something to do with King Arthur?
Gear snobs, bless 'em. I used to use affordable ferrics like TDK ADs whenever I borrowed a record from the local library. Hiss was the least of your worries when you had crackle, pop and frying bacon on your 12" vinyl. It just added nostalgia to your recordings. Good times.
Same here, never used Dolby! why would you?
Love me some frying bacon! Good ol' days!
I was told at the turn of the century, that cassettes were crap. I had a rubbish boom box, and I believed them. So bye bye all my tapes. CDs were massively superior. Then I recently acquired a proper cassette deck and found an old D in a charity shop. I thought I'd give it a go. Man I was blown away. Now I have 50 odd AR and they all sound brilliant. PS CDs are still superior, however not noticeably any more. (Slaps wrist)
Same dude, went from an old half working boombox and now I have a Nakamichi BX-2, while not the best deck out there it’s night and day. Like I hate to say it but I almost prefer it over vinyl
That's the beauty of proper cassette decks, that is with calibration tools for bias and rec level. If calibrated properly, they can bring out the best even in humble Type 1 tapes. It's amazing how close they can sound to the source, I even find sometimes when I do hear a difference I actually prefer the cassette.
I take back every single condescending attitude I've ever had towards Type 1. Now that I've decided to get back into cassettes, I can see myself using a lot more of them, especially the TDKs. I always trusted TDK.
Type 1s sound more like a cassette than any other type. My mum could make a great recording on a Type 4. Getting a great recording on a Type 1 is much more satisfying...
Yes, 100% agree, especially with the TDK AD, I used dozens of these for mixtapes, around 1986-89, they sounded brilliant, I've still got all of them, they still sound just as good as the time I recorded them.
As for the AR-X, I bought a 3 pack of them in 1989, and I was blown away by the quality, the recordings sounded better than the original source!!
Sadly they were only available for a short time, so I never aquired anymore. So I treasure those 3 I still have!
Yeah, people see a "lowly" Type 1 costs more than a "High" Type 2, and they won't buy, hence their rarity and price now.
I think most would argue that the AR-X and later model XLI-S are rarer and just as valuable as an MA-XG or Vertex of the same era
I discovered an old TDK AR that I'd bought in the 90's the other day. Calibrated it and made a recording using Dolby C... It sounded incredibly good!! 🎶🎶
Cobalt doped ferric tapes are my favorite. I use Sony HF -S Gamma and TDK AR-X all the time with outstanding results. Love that bass!!
Cheiza? Sounds very much like the German word 'Scheisse'. And that means shit.
Having said that, A Type 1 on a well calibrated deck with Dolby S can sound incredible.
Indeed. Check out my Maxell UD video for an example.
I use my AKAI c703d with type 1s and they sound amazing even with just normal Dolby B
I made mix tapes of a few of my CD'S using TDK D-90, and they sounded sooo much better and lifelike than the CD'S(to me)!
I mostly record on normal type I tapes on my 3 head deck. Best one I used was the TDK AD-X90 from 1986 (not sealed, was already used and found in a thrift shop). The equivalent AD90 from 1986 at 13:37 is very very good as well, 1986 is my favourite AD by a long way. Also the 1990's TDK D seen at 2:11 is very very good, great bass and some negative bias they sound great.
All those memories flowing back I thought I forgot, the days of recording from the radio etc
I have gone through several cassette decks from a cheap Sharp to a top of the range Technics in the 80s-90s-00s. Go to grade was always TDK AD. Never let me down. But also experimented with all other TDK tapes: AR-X, SA, SA-X, the limited editions. Especially recording from CD with my Technics RS-BX626 was a delight. Still own it, still works 😁😁
I remember using the cheapest Maxell ferric tape in the '80's the Maxell LN. For me the lows in it was so good (it's like the bass of the early 70's Sansui Integrated Amp), warm and had very low distortion typical of Normal Type 1 tapes. The only downside is the highs but if you have a upper class Nakamichi Deck to record on it I think it will sounds better.
Ferric is known for its bass, also HX Pro helps with this...even though Nak never implemented it.
Only ever bought 1 or those AR-X's. The only tape I remember that played back louder than it was recorded! All the power of a good metal but without the sterility - a warm and friendly sound.
I hope someday someone 3d prints those "reel to reel" type wheels so we can put them in older shells
Someone on eBay in Russia has figured out how and is selling custom reel cassettes.
@@CassetteComeback Awesome ill dig out my old technic rs-bx 727
A good ferric tape is better than a cheap chrome one!
Oh yeah, I'd take most any other Cassette over the final Fuji DRII or Cd-ing...
Variation in type II tapes might be the greatest of them all (though type I is not far behind). In particular, the _actual_ chrome ones appear to be real outliers when it comes to level handling. This chap has done a lot of measurements:
www.ant-audio.co.uk/Tape_Recording/Measurements/HD3_v_Level/album/index.html
These old BASF CrO2s are crossing -50 dB H3 at ~40 mV (-12 dB) and -40 dB at ~100 mV (-4 dB). That's easily 8-10 dB lower than a good ferric tape. Even assuming that reduced noise levels can actually (more than) make up for this substantial difference, that still means you better have a deck featuring a head amplifier with lower-than-usual noise. These have a reputation for requiring custom bias and all - can't say I'm surprised.
But a good typeII is better than just about anything
@@CassetteComeback Maxell are the kings at type II
Cassette Comeback curious, what do you not like about the Fuji dr-II? I know drcassette also doesn’t like them but I want to know what people really hate about them. I’ve never really had too many issues with them, the bass response is alright if a bit embellished and the treble maybe isn’t all the way there, but I haven’t noticed anything super bad about them. Thanks.
Best tape for answering machines that is for sure. Voice is nice and clear.
$1 for 3 department store brand type "0" (good for dictation , answering mach., or recording a special event off of tv)
For a bit more, a TDK D60, sold 2 in a package for maybe $2.50 or so.
I loved TDK SA. Took a few "test recordings" back in the 80s to tell the difference. Was good for recording from FM (and AM) radio.
SA-X was for recording from CD-Audio.
I went onto your site for a trip down memory lane. I forgot how beautiful the design of many of these was. I can really see that people want to collect these, if nothing else just to look at them. I won't be doing any new recordings, but regularly still play my own mixtapes I made in the late '70s, '80s and '90s. I do find that some of the early TDK Ds (with the non-transparent housing and striped label and the light brown tape) didn't age very well, a lot of treble loss and I need to clean my heads every 5 mins when playing them. But all the others (including the clear Ds) are still very much enjoyable. My SAs and SA-Xs haven't aged at all, although they still sound a bit clinical, especially the ones that were copied from CDs. You could almost say that many type II tapes have a digital sound to them 😆. But enjoyable to play just for all the mechanical stuff you need to do and seeing the tape run. Much more satisfying than watching a progress bar on your screen 😁
That's it. It's about more than just the audio...
TDK SD tapes from 1972/73 suffered a similar fate to the TDK D series of the same era - shedding and quality loss. But they were nice looking opaque/cream shell designs.
Well, I've got a Pioneer CT-606DR on its way to me. Now, I want to record a couple of CDs from the early 2000s, that were recorded digitally, onto tape to see how they sound. Never thought of doing that before, but it sounds like it will be fun. Great channel, thank you.
TDK AD and AD-X and Sony HF-S and HF-ES worked quite well for me, especially for music with high dynamics.
You know I was that crazy kid who did actually buy the UD1's, XLI-S, AD, AR and AR-X's in preference to the type II and IV's because I found they worked the best in my machines, not that there's anything wrong with those other tape types because I listened to what the tape would do rather than just shopping with class type prejudice and allowed that to inform what I bought. Regards curiosity707 of tapeheads forum.
No flies on you 😁 The only "super" I remember buying was the 1985 UDI as they were gorgeous and the odd AD when they were discounted to D level. Otherwise, Type 2 is better yeah?
@@CassetteComeback Sometimes a type II can be - did like XLII in the mid 80's through mid 90's - but I found with the types of music I was recording classical concerts a AR had all I needed being tonally balanced and a nice wide dynamic range to boot.
It's funny but despite the fact that cassettes had been phased out I never realised that most of the cassettes that I used to buy have disappeared from the shelves. I used to be a Sony HF fan, always preferred them to TDK D, but I loved ADson the other hand. And I agree some Type I sounded great, I always found Type II to sound a bit shrill, not to mention Type IV that I didn't really like... I had a box of Sony FECR back in the day and those were the best tapes in my opinion... Ia also found that type I would take multiple recording passes better than more "refined" tape formulations...
i love your channel. thank you. I'm involved in a tape-by-mail music project, and the Type I is our real workhorse, recorded via my TEAC 3-head deck. they sound great and can take +2dB with ease. love love love Type I.
Excellent video, congratulations. A pleasure to watch and listen to all the variances between tapes
Good video. There was a lot of misconceptions about Type 1 (Normal) cassettes. Actually, Type 1 (Normal) position only means that the bias current value should be normal and the equalization should be set to 120 microseconds. But material of the tape could not necessary be pure ferric oxide. So, Maxell Epitaxial tapes (like UD or XL) were made to meet IEC Type 1 recording conditions as well as IEC Type 2 recording conditions, while the tape material was similar in both cases. So that's why, for example, Maxell UD I tape would easily beat some cheap Type 2 tapes in sound quality. But, yeah, the hypnosis of Type 2 (High) position is quite strong, so a lot of people (including myself) were mislead by it, so not a lot of these Type I cassetes were sold.
Me too. I never bought expensive Type 1 back in the day, when I could get a Type 2 for similar prices. The super ferric are almost all FE/CO, like Type 2, the use of 120 microseconds makes them hissier than the Type 2 equivalent. The best though, like FRI-Super and SKC AX though don't seem cobalt doped however.
Really enjoyed your commentary. I enjoy cassettes for what they are and what they represent, a better time.
My collection is like 90% type 1's and 10% type 2. For what it is I still feel like I get a lot out of them. UDI is my work horse tape.
That was a great overview. I used a bunch of TDK D's, Sony HF and Maxell UR's in the 80's and 90's. They were all favorites of mine for recording from vinyl and radio. I liked recording with Dolby B on and then off for playback for the high end boost. Here in the USA I think Super Ferrics got overlooked because High Bias tapes got so much hype back then. And at many discount stores high bias tapes like Maxell UDII and XLII, TDK SA and Sony UX were discounted down to where they were cheaper than a Super Ferric.
That's it. The biggest downfall of the Ferric was branding them as "Normal"...I will admit, in the day I bought Ferric as you could get many for a low price and my (parents) low end gear didn't make a "High" bias sound much better, but when I was making a special cassette the perception of using a "high" cassette made it sound better. It's only time, knowledge and better decks that has allowed to me realise that a good Type 1 can slug it out with Type 2 & Type 4. This video was made to help people new to the hobby, who are being put off by those who simply say "I never use Type 1, they go in the trash". Advice from these "high rollers" isn't helping the hobby.
@@CassetteComeback I was a poor college student in the early 80's, and I had a cheap 3-Piece Panasonic stereo that could only use Normal bias tapes, so I used a lot of them. And I agree names are everything. I remember looking at the cassettes at a record store in the 80's, and a woman who was looking at them too asked me if Metal tapes were for recording Hard Rock and Heavy Metal music!
@@wildbilltexas Slayer sounds better on an MA :-) Using an MA in my boombox in the 80s was the worst £5 I ever spent. I expected it to sound like God piping the music into my ears...
@@CassetteComeback I remember buying a big box of mostly TDK high bias tapes at a garage sale cheap. Whoever owned them recorded on a cheap stereo or boombox and they were distorted and shrill as hell! I gave them all the bulk eraser treatment.
I've always left Dolby off for playback, it sounds shit muffled turned on
Listening to old cassettes I used to listen to a lot 30 years ago with the hiss really brings back those nostalgic feelings.
I'm a bit of a Type IV corksniffer but you have convinced me to get some type 1's and try them out again. They are certainly cheaper to source 'still sealed' but 'still sealed' is never a guarantee and the noise floor of older tapes is always a gamble. I've paid a lot for sticky, unusable tape over the years! TDK always seem to be the best bet for me.
I have one FUJI FR-Is, one later model 100min model...and sounds fantastic! tape is almost like source. One of bests tapes i ever used! Recorded it another day and i was really impressed. For me, its almost (if no at) same level of TDK SA, just noisier becouse its a type 1, but with dolby B sounds really really good! Man, i can't believe...all people talks about TDK, Maxell and sony but....this fuji omfg...just a awsome tape. I recomend to everyone to try a Fuji FR-Is. My are one of later models (1995s..maybe?) with a transparent-brown smoked shell color.
Fuji are indeed very underrated.
Great informative video! Just wondering why the BASF Ferro Extra (and Ferro Super) were left out. They are very hardy and really sound great, if you love analog "tapish" sound.
Right....... Got about a dozen of these at the thrift and the sound awesome!
I swear by the TDK D90's from that era, use them all the time. They sound great when you drive them really hot, I got my first one in a bulk of tapes I bought used on ebay and I was astonished by how good it sounded for the money you pay for them (even now). Not keen on the later ones though.
The very common Maxell UR type I cassettes, sound great on a deck where you can adjust the recording bias.
Muse on Film good news for you maxell still make the UR tapes where you can buy a 10 pack for $34.95 Australian.
Started recording my mates mixtapes again from my big vinyl collection. Really informative channel, new subscriber. Cheers
I imagine in some cases it depends on the deck you are using. If you are recording on multi-track home cassette recorders like the old tascam portastudios, those machines are definitely calibrated for/work best with type 2 tapes. When I was younger and recording on those machines, I’d use whatever tape was readily available, mostly type 1 (I had no idea what the difference was between type 1/type 2/metal), but every now and then I’d get a fancy maxell xl-2 or tdk SA and it’d make a noticeable difference in quality! By the early 2000’s, it became harder to find type 2 tapes (and there werent options to buy online), so I often resorted to buying 10-packs of Maxell UR, because it was so readily available. I don’t know if its because of that tape I was using, or the sheer amount of recording I did on the machines I had, or, because I could only afford the cheaper portastudios, but I had alot of trouble with heads wearing down and signal loss (possibly from residue buildup too).
I think the high speed will also have played a part there.
Cassette Comeback True, that. I was going to say as well, a lot of my old master tapes from those days way back when.....are type 1 tapes, some sound better than others, and despite having been stored in perhaps not ideal conditions, the best ones have held up quite well/still sound decent. The other factor for me is, now in the last couple of years, I’ve gotten back into recording demos and bought a much better portastudio than I would’ve typically had back years ago, so I now have features like 2 band eq and dbx, which both help with noise reduction somewhat (not to mention a little more experience with recording in general). I got back into the cassette multitracking thing on a whim, about a year or 2 ago, I saw a nice 4 track on sale locally and, remembering the old days, snapped it up quickly. The only tapes I could get at first, at my local dollar store....were type 1, Maxell UR 90’s, and I was surprised how good they sounded esp when using dbx. I’d actually love to try some of those better type 1’s you tested in the video, but my goodness are old stock tapes ever expensive!
Also, ‘back in the day’, I didn’t exactly maintain my cassette decks like I would, nowadays!
Try SKC AX. As good as an AR in my book, but half the price.
Cassette Comeback Gotta say, btw, I’m enjoying this channel and the vids you post. I’d like to get myself a deck like that Denon you have there! I’ve been mixing my cassette recordings down to DAW for the most part, occasionally I use an old boombox style deck I’ve had since the early 90’s.....but It’d be nice to have a good, dedicated mixdown deck. Something ‘gets lost’ in the transfer to digital. About tapes in general, theres just something about printing music to a physical medium like that, it has a unique sound with its compression/limited dynamic range, and tho I hate to use the old cliche....it sounds warm. Of course, theres definitely a nostalgia element too, thinking of those days when computers weren’t everywhere, and folks like me were just excited to be able to make multi-track recordings at home on a budget.....and once you learned to work within that medium, you could make some decent recordings! I find myself recording stuff on cassette more and more these days, because its a welcome break from staring at a computer screen and working within the cold, sterile climate of digital recording. Even dumping some of my daw-made recordings down to cassette gives those recordings a bit of that warmth, something that plugins can’t achieve. Recording to cassette is just so easy and familiar, I much prefer it for demo’s, in fact I’ve since acquired a tascam 488....a multitrack cassette machine that uses a combination of 2 heads, staggered, for a total of 8 tracks! One day, I aim to get a decent 8 track reel to reel as well, but thats a much more expensive racket! Anyways, apologies for the rant. Nice chatting with ya, and I look forward to watching more of those vids: )
I've got some TDK D cassettes from the late 1970's and the recordings on them still sound good.
Some very good points made here. Well done & thank you.
what i loved about MD was the ATRAC compression made digital sound warm and analog.
Thanks Tony for your excellent videos. I signed up as soon as I saw your first one. My first foray into cheap cassettes was in the early seventies when I was a teenager and I used webcor tapes on a Philips AM FM cassette recorder. Within six months I had worn the rec/play head down to the point where I had to order a new head from Toronto and I installed it myself, and that's when I found out what azimuth meant!! Webcor tape, as you say it was like sandpaper! Since then I'm a lover of maxell tapes. They last, and last, come with the 5 second head cleaning leader tape, and after 40 odd years they still sound perfect. I've had ONE type III tape, a Sony FeCr on which I recorded Rita Coolidge. Sounded great to me!
Keep up the nostalgia, I'll be watching. BTW, you mentioned 70 us or 120 us. That stylized u actually stands for micro, so it's 70 microseconds and 120 microseconds equalization, for our newb friends
Yeah, I say "US" as that's what it looks like on wrappers. Not everyone knows it stands for microseconds
Kinda sad the FeCr and Elcaset didn't take off
Got a lot of TDK, Sony, and Maxell type 1 tapes. With Dolby B makes for great mixtapes
How about dolby c ?
@@rafisainrafi3092 Dolby C is a bit finicky, it has less compatibility with other decks. Also portable devices such as Walkmans, boomboxes or lesser quality decks usually don't have Dolby C in the first place. Another advantage of "B" is that is slightly boosts the highs during recording - but not as much a C does. The result of that is a more pleasant and natural sound if the cassette is played on a deck that doesn't support Dolby in the fist place. Using C during recording, then playing back without often sounds too bright and shrill.
TDK AD excellent tape i have some old tapes and sound great , i do have some SA tapes but have had to through these away as they do not like to be stored in loft
I've used most of those tapes that you featured. My favorite was the trusty TDK AD. I liked the crisper high-end at the time.
I love using ferric tapes, they are plentyful and they sound great. I especially like using my old Philips N2415 Stereo Cassette Recorder as it adds an awesome warmth and character to the sound. When I record from a digital source I always prefer the sound of the tape afterwards. Thanks for the great videos!
That's it. Type 1 are the most "cassette" sounding cassettes...if that makes any sense.
@@CassetteComeback I agree to be honest and I think if you like the sound of a cassette they are the way to go. I have some Chrome tapes but i'm personally not really sold on them to be honest or the extra cost. You can get some very clear source like recordings but is that the point of tapes? All tapes will degrade and drop outs will occur whatever type you are using, I have some TDK SA that sound worse than Maxell URs because they have seen a lot of use and started to railroad. So I just stick with what sounds good to me! Wilko for 5 pack of Maxell URs for £4!
It's like hiss. These artefacts reminds me it's a Cassette. If I want it hiss free, I'll listen to digital. I'm just not on a journey to make a perfect recording on an imperfect format. It's about the variety, fun and joy when you make a recording that above all else just sounds good, even if it's not 100% accurate.
I remember in the early 80’s the TDK AR-X was actually called the AD-X. That was here in Australia anyway.....
Genuine TDK AD D and B are the best type 1`s IMO almost as good as average type 2, Stay away from Sony HF that are over 90 minutes and all 1990s EF, never had any luck with them on any decks.
I am one of those "high rollers" who now days use only type 2s (and on occasion Metals when recording live or nasty digital recordings) but will on occasion still use a good TDK ferric, you can still run them hot as anything and they are just a great tape and a real hidden gem for sensible people who don't want to pay huge money for good sounding tapes, especially if you use them in the car.
If they started making blank tapes again, the TDK B or D would be the one to remanufacture, as you say it was one hell of a dependable workhorse and it was not too long ago they stopped making these and the tooling must still exist somewhere...
Fuji FR-I are big money now...
After seeing this video a bunch of times, i finally convinced myself to get some hearty Type 1s off eBay with a gift card I got recently. Looking forward to recording on some good old TDK Ds.
excellent video! these recommendations of quality for the budget minded are very welcome,would love to see more! Thanks alot!
Untill I got a decent three head deck I as well thought type I was trash. Hell I am a snob anyway and at home use reel to reels! But once I got the Teac C-3X recapped and calibrated hell, type I sounds great in the car as well as the boat!
That's it. There are uses for all cassettes, this video was just to dispel the myth some hold that all Type 1 are not suitable for music.
I like experimenting with different noise reductions, outboard units mostly. Dbx and Super D have the best performance to me, with over 35db of noise reduction, more like 40db, even with normal tapes. The downside is they have to be played back on the same noise reduction to sound right. I have tapes I've archived with dbx and they still sound awesome to this day. Even type 1's.
Agree. It's just the compatibility in the future that puts me off using "exotic" NR.
I think we came across tape too early in our technological development. If we were just coming into tape now, we would be able to make insanely high quality decks and heads with our really advanced manufacturing processes, and I'm sure the same for the tape itself, our materials knowledge, surface materials knowledge is far advanced since tape was hot. And most importantly, we can share information now, and learn very easily through youtube and forums about what is good, and why it is good. For the young people, you can't imagine what it was like back in the day. We all lived our lives, but really we were stumbling along blindly, operating on base assumptions, rumors, half truths and guesses. I didn't really understand (not that I really even do now... yet) tape and tape decks until now.
So, I feel like, as a civilization, we're finally ready for tape. We have the manufacturing processes, we have the information exchange processes in place. Let's do it! (cue braveheart scream)
It's a nice dream, but not going to happen. The thing is, digital has the instant availability, convenience and profit that "modern" cassette wouldn't and it's so easy to use. Let's just appreciate Cassettes for the endearing relics they are.
@@CassetteComeback No, let's not! Let's make the best analog tape that has ever existed! I've been producing music since the late 90's, analog synths were a thing of yesteryear even back then, everybody said to forget those synths, use virtual analog or digital synths or even better, vsts. Meanwhile, prices shot through the roof on that analog gear, because the demand for it never went away, the supply was just choked off by greedy companies who saw huge margins in digital synths.
Through that time, everyone said, no you are just dreaming, no one is making the machines that are necessary to make the chips that were responsible for those old incredible sounds. Well guess what? We are now in the real golden age of analog synths. Behringer has built a factory where they can manufacture the chips that were used in those euphonic goodies of yesteryear. It happened, do you understand?! The thing that everyone said physically couldn't even happen, has happened.
I think there is a growing demand for hifi. These kids are realizing that laptop speakers absolutely SUCK for listening to music. I know you are seeing it, you're stacking cash off of it! We're in the early stages of it now, and the pioneers (no pun) are facing their challenges, but this reinvention is not over, it is just beginning.
One of mine decks which is Technics RS-B965 sounds the best with type I tapes, especially with top end like a ad-x or hf-es .... the sound is so warm and natural, I love it.
A good Type 1 in a good deck is as good as Cassettes get in my book.
Don't forget that nearly all prerecorded cassettes were made with type I tape , I only remember Mobile Fidelity using type II tape if you wanted their cassette instead of vinyl.The reason why is Researcher Mark Colen used an electron microscope at 10,000x to 50,000x magnification, and thermal spectral analysis gear, to analyze samples of all the major cassette tape brands. The analysis revealed that only BASF tape had uniformly sized crystals aligned in an almost woven pattern, and BASF PRO II Chromium Dioxide tape was chosen for use in MFSL Original Master Recording High Fidelity Cassettes
Tdk AR-X is the best normal tape ever made...fantastic tape!
Nice video Tony...well thought out. My favourite tape is the TDK AR 1988....after Auto Tune on my Yamaha it sounds Awesome. Don't agree about Hiss. As i listen on TOTL Sennheisers i hate tape hiss. I always use Dolby S which sounds superb on the AR, but that's my choice.
Each to their own. I listen to a lot of cassettes on portables and the highest they have is usually Dolby B. I don't mind the hiss, reminds me that it's a cassette 😀
I used UD1, AR and AR a lot in preference to type II's finding especially with dolby they held up well both on my home deck and my then Aiwa personal stereo in the 80's only usually buying XLII for a few recordings. I currently use AD and AR on my RS_B655 and 707 Technics decks where they sound just great.
I always search the media section of second hand stores for unwrapped cassettes. Since I started playing around with cassette recording I have yet to pay full price for tapes. I have found around 10 Maxell UR, 5 TDK D90, as well as a 1991 era TDK SA Type II tape for $0.50 USD.
"Listen to your flac files" hahahaha cheers
I can't explain exactly why...but as i grow older through the years...i find my self preferring Type 1 cassettes to record than any other type...my musical taste is Rock,Blues Rock,Heavy Metal and 80's Pop...I find tha a good Type 1 can catch the 'soul' of that musical styles better than any other type...and believe me,i have tried a lot cassettes in my life... nice video again...keep going...
Type 1s are the most "cassette" sounding cassette, as they are the least digital sounding. That's probably why 😃
@@CassetteComeback i guess something like that is also for cassette decks...i find the 90's 3head cassette decks more 'digital sounding' than the mid 80's 3head models...
Not as big a thing there as here, but Radio Shack Supertape came in I, II, and IV varieties. You should do an ep on them, try to show who actually made them.
I would, as they have an interesting bloodline, they're just so rare here in the EU.
Agreed, with a good deck most Type I are your friend. Great demonstration. Lovely name for a crappy tape, CHEIZA.
I think a lot of the type 0 companies came up with the names by selecting letters randomly from a Scrabble bag 😀
@@CassetteComeback Either a scrablle bag, or change a single letter of another brand.. like Maxvell
I've always used Sony HF. I've even run up to +9dB on some cases, and they sound awesome. There's a reason they were even made in the late 2000s. HX Pro and Dolby B makes them sound awesome, but I prefer no aids whatsoever.
Yeah, I don't use NR. The hiss doesn't bother me, it's part of the charm and nostalgia.
Type 1 is best for radio recording, especially if you have a deck with a fader, great video as always
I will never forget the Contek tapes my folks used!!
When the company I worked for (Teletape) sold up and ceased trading I took home a lot of blank cassettes. I still have a lot of Maxell UDXLI and UDXLII tapes still sealed.
My favourite tape for type 1 was TDK but only because I prefer the inlay cards and not the tape itself.
You've no contracts to someone who has a stash in a lock up do you 😁
No I have a personal stash but I don't want to sell them just yet. Not a pallet but more like a small suitcase. @@CassetteComeback
I was being facetious. Record them in good health fellah ;-)
Excellent video! I think I can hear a bit of distortion when he cranks em up tho!
Wow the Fuji sounds almost perfect like original source
Excellent! Thank you so much
Once upon a time, I thought Ashens was the only guy that reviewed items with his couch as a backdrop. I now realize its a UK thing.
Yeah. We have small houses and have to use whatever space we can. No room to setup a studio in one of our 5 bedrooms 😀
Very inspiring indeed! Bravo! I suppose these tape formulas were closely guarded secrets by the manufacturers with each one giving out its own flavour like Coke, Pepsi and Fanta!
Trouble is, too many morons never invest in a good cassette deck and play their tapes on shit, or just can't be bothered to put the effort in, great video 👍
So you call me, a person who can't even find a decent deck in my area, a moron, just because I use an LG boombox my mom brought from her workplace? I'm sorry, but has it eaten any of my tapes yet? No. Does it sound bad? No. Stop calling casual cassette listeners morons just because they can't or don't have enough space for a Nakamichi dragon or something
@@RealEpikCartfrenYT Exactly. They spend $$$$ to make their tapes sound just like CDs. If I'd want to listen to CD quality, I'd listen to a CD or a HQ streaming platform... Back in the day when all we had were CDs and tapes, yes you'd want your (mix)tape to sound as good as possible. And even then, Nakamichis were for the happy few. But nowadays with streaming playlists at our disposal, tapes are just fun or nostalgic. The only reason you'd want to try to make your tape sound like a CD now is if you'd want to challenge yourself for fun. Which is perfectly fine, hobbies don't have to make sense. But the people still spending $$$$ on making cassettes sound better than good enough are the ones who actually need help and NOT the people who just want to listen to tapes for fun on whatever cheap device they can get their hands on.
@@erwintimmerman6466 yeah the whole point is to have fun while recording and making mixtapes, in a lot of cases it doesn't even need to be hifi (but it also means that it should NEVER sound like lost ww2 recordings), plus you can create lots of cool analog sound effects while messing with the recorder
As for Dolby HX-PRO I can tell that Nikolai Sukhov, Russian engineer, developed better headroom extension system than Dolby HX-Pro. It was called Adaptive Dynamic Bias System. But unfortunately in Soviet Union these thins was quite hard to go to serial production. In the middle of 1980's the schematic diagram of this system was published in the Soviet "RADIO" magazine with recommendations how to build it into serial Soviet-made decks of this time. Later in 1989 there were several Soviet-made decks with this system factory installed, for example, Radiotehnika MP-7210 (www.rw6ase.narod.ru/00/mg_ks/radiotehnika_mp7210.html). The difference was that Sukhov's system was direct regulation system, unlike Dolby HX Pro, so better results could be achieved.
Very interesting. I have a lot of respect for Russian ingenuity in engineering.
@@CassetteComeback please make a video comparison with Dolby HX-PRO on or Off.
None of my decks with HX pro have the option of turning it off.
HX-pro isn't noise reduction, it stands for headroom extension. It's beneficial and doesn't need to be switched off.
Nakamichi Decks don't have or need HX pro.
I have often used type 2 tapes to master mix tapes to run multiple copies of type 1 tapes and both types how I've recorded them just keep going even since the late 80s as a kid when I started recording, so yes its all in having a reasonable deck and keeping it maintained and I'll say with reasonable certainty that the tapes on the most part, not including so much the type 0's will give good results and keep it for a long time as long as the right thing is done by the tape and the deck.
I used to record off the radio when LPs were expensive. I used normal bias cassettes and DBX noise reduction. Almost 0 hiss. And expanded dynamic range.
Type I tapes from the reputable manufacturers, especially those made before 1995, are quality stuff.
Even if decent type 1s didn't sound alright, I keep type 1s around for the looks alone
I have the AR-X and they are simply mind blowing!
I just got back into cassette tapes. I just made some recordings on a TDK D. It was unopened, I would say it's over 10 years old. It sounds very good.
I used a lot of those exact D90s, we used to record roadtrip tapes on to them, basically each person who was going on the trip got to pick a song no matter what it was or whether it fit any other music on the tape and we went round and round like that til it filled up.
Fuji FR1-S captures lots of detail
It's an amazing cassette.
An excellent demonstration on how good the better type ones performed. Love the tune. What is it? Thank you. Mark.
Had one of those That's FX tapes back in the day with Yello's Stella album recorded off a good quality record deck. Sounded phenomenal played in my car stereo at full volume :)
what about those TDK AR limited edition, I remember I had a couple of those in black. Their clamshell was something else, and they sounded great.
Fantastic video. Having just gotten back into cassettes after a successful deck repair I might have to get some more classic ferrics into the pile. Got a few Maxell's, TDK's, TEAC and SKC kicking around.
I love Type 1. They're the most "cassette sounding" cassettes 😀
I owned a single AR-X back in the day and put a compilation of my favorite songs on it. It was a fookin' amazing tape. And expensive.
And that's why they're rare now, at the time I thought "why would you spend that much on a Type 1..."
@@CassetteComeback indeed. To be honest, you could get the truly excellent SA-X or XLII-S at the very same price tag. You could even get some decent, affordable Type IV like the MA. But if you had to go with 120 microseconds, the AR-X was amazing.
My favorite tapes are TDK AR-X double coated. No tape can handle that kind of signal. This fast auto tuning system calibrates only the level and EQ but not bias. Bias is fixed on this model.
Gotta be said, you have some fabulous decks in your collection fella
Hi, bought last week a Sony TC-WR870 and an Pioneer CT-W820R, worth to play Type one on it? I've cleaned them, oiled and greased the mechanichs, changed the belts, seemes all good, works as new! A metal tape now cost a fortune, don't understand the difference, why spend a lot of money 4 a metal tape when you got a good sound with a type one. I am an ordinary guy! thanks
I used to regulary buy those "that's" cassettes, expensive but totally worth it (although not as expensive as the the better THAT'S CASSETTES)
Music like Rap, Techno and Metal I like to record on a good quality type I cassette as I don't need too much detail on the music.
If I need to record jazz or any audiophile quality or my my favorite music from the 80's and 90's I use Type II tapes like the TDK SA, TDK SA-X, Maxell XLII or Maxell XLII-S.
I even use once in a while type IV (Metal ) cassettes. I think using a good quality Type II cassette will take you up to 90% to 95% of what good quality Metal tape will give you.
Another thing to take into account is a good quality source and a good quality Cassette deck to record and play like a big 3-head Nakamichi, Harman Kardon, Tandberg, Revox, AIWA, Onkyo Integra, NAD, Akai, Sony ES or Pioneer Elite just to mention the best of the best decks!
Back in the 70's and 80's I used tapes to be able to convert both vinyl and cd recordings to something I could listen to in my car or truck.
I used a ton of type 1 tapes in the early days, its all that was really available then.
As type II tapes became more accessible, I slowly switched over, but only for mix tapes to be used at home. Neither made any difference in the car. The reality was that a car tape deck of the 70's or early 80's just wasn't that good and really couldn't discern between the two tape types or recordings.
A few weeks ago I stumbled on one of my old tape cases that I carried in my van in the early 80's. It was probably packed away in or around 1984 or so. What I'm finding is that the Type I tapes held up better over time then did the Type II tapes. Some brands were worse than others.
The Sony, Fuji, and some Memorex tapes are almost unlistenable, where as the Type I Radio Shack tapes, Maxell, and Scotch tapes were all as good as the day I recorded them 40 years ago.
In this area, Sony, Fuji and TDK were a bit harder to find. The big seller of tapes here was Radio Shack, at one point we had three stores here, and two more in the next town over.
It was RS, Sears, Listening Booth, or Silo for tapes here, and a few discount department stores that sold mostly only the cheap three packs of the cheapest of cheap tapes.
On occasion you could find a one time deal on something better at one of the various discount or 5 and 10 stores. I'm not sure where I got them from, but I do have a few 12 packs of Fuji D60 Type I tapes here, but for the most part, my recording back in the day was done on Supertape Gold 90 minute tapes, most of which still sound as good as the day I recorded them.
As I bought better equipment in the mid 80's, I slowly switched over to Type II tapes, mostly all Maxell UD XLS and plain XLS II Type II tapes for home use but for the car or truck, I used cheaper tapes because the sound systems in cars then just weren't that good.
Okay, the FR-I Super is amazing. What's the next closest thing you can actually find out there?
Sony HF-ES, SKC AX, BASF Ferro Maxima, Denon DX4, TDK AR-X, and Maxell XLI-S are all type 1 royalty.
@@CassetteComeback Hey, thanks for the reply. Do you know of off-brands containing SKC AX? Also, Have you ever come across the Goldstar HR? It's supposed to be a good Type I.
Thank M T for revealing what excellent stuff for music this is..
Good. When you started out I thought you would be knocking type one tapes. The brand name type one's make great recordings.
I’ve been collecting them at thrift stores and yard sales for years. If it’s sealed, I buy it. Doesn’t matter the type.
Fantastic content. Sure brings back some memories :)
I have a ton of tapes and used to love recording songs and interviews off local radio. Type I was my choice as it seemed to be the most compatible with a wide variety of recording equipment.
Later on I was able to get myself some HI-Fi "separates" made by a NAD and spent several years trawling around town buying up every type of tape I could get my hands on.
I'd stay up late and record things like Bob Harris on BBC Radio 2, and I am so glad I still have some of those recordings. The sound..let's just say I'd take it any day over digital. I also have recordings of loved one's joking around (type 1 tapes), and it is like they are in the room. Some tapes like those cheap and nasty budget one's haven't aged well, but most seem to have been surprisingly robust (including the TDK D).
You can say what you like about bit density, dynamic range and sampling frequency.. to me it's what the user prefers is all that matters. Aside from a few contemporary artists like Ulrich Schnauss and Enya I have never warmed to digital like I did and continue to do with tape. For the most part I find digital sounds cold, and highly fatiguing after a while.
I've bought endless CD's, spent lots of money on up-market amps/speakers/cables/headphones.. Yet still I return to the same setup I had originally (the NAD receiver came from 1988 and mostly still works..30 years use). I find that CD's from the 80's and early 90's tend to sound a lot better than their more modern versions.
There is a signature induced into tape and as such the sound-stage is different to digital sources. I would one day like to share my experience and let people judge for themselves but unfortunately the decks I own have failed so I need to get some replacements. But as far as the tapes go..they'll never be gotten rid of. I sure cannot say the same for a lot of the CD's and MP3's I own..
I love Ulrich Schnauss, but I don't think his stuff is mastered fantastically, but it doesn't matter when it's as musical as it is. Ultimately it depends if you're on a mission to get the ultimate "Top Trumps" music set up, or you just get to a point where it's good enough. I'd rather listen to a bad recording of a fantastic song, than a fantastic recording of a bad song.
Ditch those CD's MP3 for more tape and vinyl