Re: [ARSCLIST] Risk assessment tool--off brands

[Tom Fine <tflists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Audiotape was superior to Scotch 111. It was the standard tape for all the Mercury Living Presence 
recordings as well as anything made at my father's studios. Judging from how those tapes have held 
up for reissue engineers, Audiotape stands the test of time. Capitol bought Audio Devices at some 
point and re-branded the tape Capitol eventually (remember the knock-off Peter Max boxes?). I do not 
know if quality was maintained. Audio Devices made open-reel tape, magnetic film, blank discs, 
broadcast cartridges, perhaps 8-track carts and maybe cassettes.

I have many 40+ year old reels of Audiotape that still play perfectly.

So, yes, hardly an "off-brand".

Now, as for that off-brand list, don't forget Radio Shack's various types, mainly branded 
Concertape. What junk!

What about 3M's Highlander brand, which was low-cost? I'd consider it off-brand in its junkiness.

Reeves Soundcraft tape has a mixed track record, based on stories in the transfer/remaster world. 
However, all the remasters I've heard of those Thelenious Monk albums done at Reeves sound very 
good, so at least those reels held up just fine (if it was recorded at Reeves in the 50's, it was 
recorded on Reeves Soundcraft tape). The story I always heard was that Mr. Reeves got into the tape 
business because he was not happy with Scotch product in the dawn days of tape recording. I think 
AudioTape came later.

-- Tom Fine


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Lennick" <dlennick@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, January 06, 2006 4:23 PM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Risk assessment tool--off brands


> >From the samples I've seen, I'm sure Emerald was another version of Shamrock.
> And Audiotape was hardly an "off brand"..it was #2 after Scotch!
>
> dl
>
> "Casey, Michael T" wrote:
>
> > How many companies actually manufactured open reel tape in the 1950s,
> > 60s and 70s?
> >
> > Does anyone have experience with these off-brands (all of which, plus
> > many more, are represented here in the Archives):
> >
> > Audiotape
> > Emerald
> > Crescendo
> > Knight
> > Lafayette
> > Magictape
> > Tonemaster
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Mike
> >
> > --------------
> > Mike Casey
> > Associate Director for Recording Services
> > Archives of Traditional Music
> > Indiana University
> >
> > micasey@xxxxxxxxxxx
> > (812) 855-8090