Well, I am down to the last 3 virgin Maxell XL I & II reels I amassed in the 1980s, and they have been exceptionally preserved, and sound as such. Some years ago I bought a few 456, but they are not as good.
So what does one buy these days, and from where? And which ones would require me to re-bias the deck?
People are reporting that tape coming from full compass are either used or older bath numbers. Full compass and Splicit are no longer direct dealers. Better to buy from a RTM dealer since you are guaranteed to get fresh new batches only from them.
Depends on the tape you want. If you want the new Capture tapes, then Splicit is the only game in town. If you want ATR tapes, then there are some dealers. I use Lunchbox Audio in the Seattle area. Free shipping for orders over $100. RTM has redone their dealers, so some of the older dealers have to go around their distribution system to get their stock. My long time favorite Splicit can still get RTM, but are not an official dealer. Lunchbox is. I alternate between them depending on what they have in stock and how fast I need the tape.
Depends on the tape you want. If you want the new Capture tapes, then Splicit is the only game in town. If you want ATR tapes, then there are some dealers. I use Lunchbox Audio in the Seattle area. Free shipping for orders over $100. RTM has redone their dealers, so some of the older dealers have to go around their distribution system to get their stock. My long time favorite Splicit can still get RTM, but are not an official dealer. Lunchbox is. I alternate between them depending on what they have in stock and how fast I need the tape.
I'm not familiar with the Revox B77 biasing. I am guessing that the newer high bias tapes may need adjustment. They would include RTM SM900 and ATR Master. Maybe more. Others may know.
This is good to know. There were reports from other buyers on another forum complaining about older batch numbers. Batch numbers starting with 8 are current.
Back to this thread... Just ordered a few RTM SM-900 1/4" 2500 from lunchbox (thanks Larry), which appear to be one of the few who also provide a box,which I need, though granted I could get boxes from many places. I'm used to using 3600ft tapes which fit most symphonies with room to spare, and hopefully 2500 will be just long enough.
