Nzoomed
Member
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2012
- Messages
- 1,259
- Format
- 35mm
I had been looking into this myself, and thought that chromium was still used in data tapes for computers, I think the biggest issue is that they coat on different base thickness and the formulas are still different. Type IV tapes would be very nice indeed.@dutchsteammachine I am talking about RTM, NAC, ATR and Capture. I've been testing some of the above. NAC in particular communicated that they were developing a new cassette tape 2+ years ago and a lot of the talk has been "WAAAA where's my tape? Why is it taking soooooo long?" from people who know nothing about the hurdles they are jumping.
There's no chance of type IV cassette tape again, and type II is a pipe dream. Nobody is manufacturing the chemicals required, the few companies that did have dismantled their CrO2 reactors and cobalt doping production; To restart would mean investment of millions to build new such facilities which conform to current environmental regulations. Unfortunately the products requiring manufacture for type II and IV cassettes have no other uses so there's no market for them.
I am prepared to say what I've published elsewhere in public. The NAC tape sucks. It's awful. But I hope they continue to develop it and produce something better.
The RTM FOX tape is good. Not outstanding, but the best cassette tape currently in production. Somewhere between a classic TDK D and AD in most measurable respects though it's noise floor isn't anything to write home about. It's a thoroughly decent starting point. Again people are moaning at the price which is around 3 Euros or dollarpounds. But when you account for inflation that is exactly what a decent type I cost in the mid 80s.
Kind of ironic that we still have vinyl records and no type I or IV tapes. Also ironic is that it appears harder to make than kodachrome.
As far as NAC goes, they are in the process of coating their own tape in house due to the lack of suppliers for tape.
They claim it will sound closer to a type II tape, but not sure how they will change the formula.