Technics RS 1500 and TDK AUDUA

[scarra]

Hi all,

tanks for having me;

I would very much apprechiate your opinion on the Tape in question. I have one AUDUA which I recorded from CD, and I must say that it sound brilliantly compared to other Tapes like 456, rm911, Maxell UD ... What are your views?

Thanks

salvo
Italy

[Tim]

AUDUA is a very nice tape, however, the only fair way to compare tapes in terms of sound-quality is to set the bias and record EQ up for each tape. Most likely, all of those tape will sound fine once they are individually adjusted for the proper bias and EQ.  Another factor is age.  With RTR, usually newer is better.  If recording, it's best to buy new tape.  Any of the currently available tapes will give excellent results (given the proper bias and EQ).

[ironbut]

Hi Salvo,
Welcome to the forum.

I agree with Tim. Buying old tape is fine for collectors. Audua was pretty popular among consumers so it could be that your machine is biased for that tape (or more closely biased than the other tapes you mentioned). I think you'll get as good-better results with something from RMGI which is made in the Netherlands. To maximize the performance of your recordings, you should have your machine biased for a particular tape and I would advise you to have it biased to a current production product.
You can find some bargains with old stock tape but all it takes is one batch of poorly stored tapes which are useless and the money you saved is lost (along with the time and recording).

[scarra]

Thank you Guys,

this sound like a reasonable and useful point of you. If it true that my 1500 is probably biased toward the AUDUA spec, then I guess I can really get enjoyment from having it re-biased for new kind of tapes like the RMGI 911. I guess I will do that!

Thank you.
salvo

[tandyman]

I bought some tapes off ebay and found some unstable,but the reels were good,so reloaded with lpr35 pancakes,just a small adjustment to the bias and record levels were needed on a rs1700.very good tape for domestic use i found. did the adjustments with the switches in there centre position,recently purchased a reel of maxell udxl1 used, to see how compatible it was,and found no adjustments were required.