Should you use 90 meter tapes?

There is some controversy about using 90 meter (3 hour) DAT tapes in an audio DAT deck. Here are some positive reports from other users.

From: Mitch Grunat 
Subject: re: 3 hour tapes
Date: Sun, 30 Apr 1995 00:02:27 -0400

Scott wrote:

>"It has been my experience that 180 minute tapes are just plain bad for
>decks" in dat heads #280.

Well, my experience is that if you use good quality tapes (I prefer
Maxell's) and keep your decks clean, the 90m tapes are great. I've got
hundreds of 90m tapes and have never had a problem.  I've also never had
complaints from anyone I trade with.  

If there really is a problem with longer tape length, I would assume it
would be wide spread.  Maybe we should conduct a survey?  What do you think?


Mitch Grunat
mmg19@inetdirect.net

                    

From: Rob Fighter 
Subject: D-7 stories-2
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 1995 23:27:59 -0500

1-I have used Sony dry cleaning tapes nearly religiously after 20 hours of
use since day one.

2- I have used isopropyl alcohol and cue-tips to attempt wet cleaning of all
moving parts about twice a year

3-I use the same anti-static wiping cloth and spray that I use on my
computer over the outside of the deck every once in a while

4-I have always used 90 meter tapes in the deck (not exclusively, but most
of the time) and chave been using mostly the Terrapin Sonys, with an
occasional once-run Wang DDS. Although I have experienced several oddities,
the only tape this machin has ever eaten was a Dennon 60 meter audio grade. 

5- I religiously FF-Rewind the tapes before taping and always leave a 1
minute (recorded) blank space at the beginning on 90s and 30 sec on 60s

6-8 (deleted, not related)

9- The last point is that I have used this deck to record more than 500
hours of live music and have no idea how many hours it's been used for
playback and dubbing, but I'd have to estimate it at well over 1000 hours. I
knew when I got the deck that I wasn't getting a pro deck and that it
wouldn't last forever, but I have to say that for $500 I've got more than my
monie's worth.
  I don't know if any of these pontifications will help anyone; I hope so.

                    

From: Seth Breidbart 
Subject: Re: Sony 90 meter DDS tape
Date: Mon, 1 May 1995 09:38:26 -0400

> That may very well be your opinion, but I have seen endless, 
> Endless, *ENDLESS* !, posts about problems with 90m tapes.

I've been on this list since it was created, and I've seen problems
with almost every tape made (including Panasonic audio grade).  The
only tapes nobody seems to have had problems with are tapes no longer
made (e.g. BASF, Fuji audio grade), older Sony brand-names DDS tapes
(either length), and HHB tapes (which quite probably nobody here uses,
since they're very expensive).

>p.s. I thought there was no advertising on this digest!!!

There obviously is.  Several years ago, the question was raised, and
the vast majority of respondents said they found the advertising
useful.  Advertising here tends to be informational ("I'm selling X
for price Y (it has features Z)"), since hype will be stepped on by a
lot of very knowledgeable people.

Seth

                    

>From: "John R. Vanderpool" 
>Subject: Panasonic 3700 vs. Tascam DA30 mk2 (input wanted for 2nd deck)
>Date: Tue, 2 May 1995 16:15:04 -0400 (EDT)
>
>i'm looking for a 2nd deck (1st one is a Sony 59ES which i got in Oct 94
>and use Sony name-brand 90m DDS tapes almost exclusively w/ no failures
>yet)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
> From: Seth Breidbart 
> Subject: Re: Sony 90 meter DDS tape
> Date: Mon, 1 May 1995 09:38:26 -0400
> 
> I've been on this list since it was created, and I've seen problems
> with almost every tape made (including Panasonic audio grade).  The
> only tapes nobody seems to have had problems with are tapes no longer
> made (e.g. BASF, Fuji audio grade), older Sony brand-names DDS tapes
> (either length), and HHB tapes (which quite probably nobody here uses,
> since they're very expensive).

And just to offer a counterpoint:  I've had no problems in my DTC-75ES 
with 60- or 90-meter tapes, audio or DDS.  I've not even had any 
problems with the infamous TDK audio DATs that so many reported 
problems with.  Maybe I lead, as some other poster put it, a charmed 
life (but you wouldn't know it from other signs! :-)

        --- Jamie Hanrahan, Kernel Mode Systems, San Diego CA
Internet: jeh@cmkrnl.com (JH645)  CompuServe: 74140,2055  

                    

From: Kurt William Vogel 
Subject: HHb Tape Prices?
Date: Thu, 4 May 1995 12:26:11 -0700 (PDT)


Just curious-- I keep seeing that HHb tapes cost "a lot".  How much do
these things go for and who sells them?

FWIW- I tape every concert I go to (quite a few) on a D7 using 90
meter tapes.  No problems in 2 years (due to 90 meter tapes anyway).
Of course, I immediately clone the shows onto standard 120 min tapes.
(usually Panasonics these days).  I then re-use the 90 meter tapes for
the next show.

As a few calmer souls have said- if 90 meter tapes work for you,
great, and if they don't, then don't whine about it here!  If I burn
out the motors in my D7 using 90 meter tapes, it is _my fault_!
I won't blame Art or Sony.

Kurt

                    

Andy Bensky
InfoSeek Corp.
http://www.infoseek.com/

ps-ODC-I have had a Sony 75ES for over 3 years and have never had any
serious problems (although I have had the heads replaced once and tension
adjusted a few times). I use mostly Art's 90m Wang Dat's and also a lot
of Panasonic audio grade tapes.  they all work for me. just another
data point.