Just checking if anyone knows what Bias Maxell UD 35-180 Tape is?

8991XJ

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#2
Would depend on the machine but for the time period it is a high bias tape. Here is a switch poisiton settings list for a Realistic tape deck.


EQ & Bias for RS TR-3000 Deck.jpg
 

orange

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#4
Use HIGH bias and playback EQ. Bias is no a factor in playback, only recording. If you can't get it right with the switches, adjust or playback in NORMAL.
 

BlazeES

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#7
A UD is a high(er) output normal Ferric Oxide (not a true doped high bias) tape that can benefit from high bias settings - depending on the deck - because it can handle a higher MOL. You have to do a lot of reading to ferret this out of the interwebs. UD are not true high output, high bias tapes like XL1 and XL2.

Use your ears to judge the performance based on your machine, your source material and your levels.
 

BlazeES

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#8
1550976056053.png

Every machine's design/head design/bias circuitry is unique. Taking a look at this Technics reference - one data point out of many out there - they define the Bias & EQ settings for a Maxell UD tape = a Maxell LN (low noise). Food for thought !

The compact cassette sector tried to alleviate this 'settings' confusion/inconsistency problem with better standardization - but as better as it seemed to get on the marketing surface, the fact remained that tape stock varied - mechanicals varied - bias controls varied along with bias electronics... etc etc

Ultimately, three headed machines with +/- % bias (dial) controls and multi-staged EQ selectors made the most sense on the higher end products. In this way, the user could fine tune to their subjective ear and compensate for all the prior listed variances.
 
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Joetown

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#9
A UD is a high(er) output normal Ferric Oxide (not a true doped high bias) tape that can benefit from high bias settings - depending on the deck - because it can handle a higher MOL. You have to do a lot of reading to ferret this out of the interwebs. UD are not true high output, high bias tapes like XL1 and XL2.

Use your ears to judge the performance based on your machine, your source material and your levels.
Hey Thanks for the information.
 

MarkWComer

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#10
I never went with those charts.
On a three-head deck I’d monitor the play head and fiddle with the settings until I got the sound I wanted.
 

Skywavebe

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#11
On decks of age and with 400 hours or more on the heads there will be no correct setting as all the original specs will have changed. Not to mention some of those machines were built for Scotch 203 which was horrible tape by today's standards so the record eq needs to be cut down by capacitor changes and then the deck gone through with MRL alignment tape and sine wave oscillator to get to where a tape will be set up for a particular setting on the machine. I always use the high setting for the current tapes and with good heads I get very good results. The play EQ switch needs to be spray cleaned to get accurate EQ as otherwise the dirty eq switch can gibe you the 3.75 IPS EQ when playing 7.5 IPS and the other way as well. I discovered this at Teac in 1985. I have veebn cracking the switches open and spraying Deoxit in there a lot of years and they always clean up. I hate to see the day that they will not. Old machines need to go see the doctor and get fresh caps and new belts as well as a good adjustment set up - only then will they work like they are suppose to. Not the way they are now.
 
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