Akai GX-90's being talked up on NakTalk

[Scorpion8]

Naktalk: Naktalk Digest, Vol 67, Issue 7 has some questions and discussion of the Akai GX-90 tapes. I even tossed in a good word for us folk! If you subscribe to nakTalk, you undoubtedly have seen this. If not, I can post the e-mail.

Jim

[Des-Lab]

Nice. Perhaps you can refer them to the REVIEW (http://www.tapeheads.net/showthread.php?t=753) I did for them. I have yet to see anyone else dissect their performance to this level.

[Scorpion8]

Nice. Perhaps you can refer them to ....

Done. The reply and link will be in tomorrow's edition of NakTalk.

[Acoustic]

I saw that too Jim. Amazing how subjective this hobby is.

[Scorpion8]

It is. I also hope the "free advertising" helps us out here too, so I gotta admit I had ulterior motives. But for guys like NAD613, they should take notice that lots of other people know about Batteries n' Butter and his exclusive source may not be so exclusive.

[close652]

I would be interested in their review.

[NAD613]

It is. I also hope the "free advertising" helps us out here too, so I gotta admit I had ulterior motives. But for guys like NAD613, they should take notice that lots of other people know about Batteries n' Butter and his exclusive source may not be so exclusive.

Oh, I know it's not my exclusive source. Besides, I've already got over a dozen boxes of the GX-90's, so I'm good to go. However, I am a little concerned that B&B doesn't stock the TDK SA-60 anymore.

[Scorpion8]

Oh, I know it's not my exclusive source.

:D :D :D :D :D

[Mr. Lin]

Nice. Perhaps you can refer them to the REVIEW (http://www.tapeheads.net/showthread.php?t=753) I did for them. I have yet to see anyone else dissect their performance to this level.

I highly doubt anyone will ever study and review these particular tapes as thoroughly as you did.

[Scorpion8]

I posted the link to Matt's review, and there continue to be a wide variety of responses to these tapes: (from today's NakTalk)

I actually just recorded music I know very well (my own) using a cheaper deck (MR-1) and GX90. Sounds good to me. Not nearly as good as my Dragon though. I've also found the new SA90 and UD-XL IIs will have slight drops here and there during recording.

The AKai GX is a mediocre tape at best and not by any standards an excellent one as compared to even the new Maxell XLII or XLII-s. The newer TDK SA are of better tape quality than the GX,� but inferior molded shells.The bass is undefined at best and sounds muddy in almost any deck you play/record on, unless you have a BLE adjustable deck like the ZXL, Teac Z series decks.

If price is the only criterion, then by all means go for it. Otherwise, ebay still has better tapes like Fuji DRII, or older Fuji, Maxell, TDKs still available.

Akai GX90 are great tapes! The shell and mechanical tracking are better than most other tapes. You may have to tweak the deck's bias, because with most deck's standard setting, the GX90 suffers a bit higher treble distortion than TDK or Maxell, and tends to be a little bass-heavy. Tweaking the bias (usually, reducing bias current) opens up the treble and reduces the distortion to equal or better that of TDK or Maxell. I've experienced fewer dropouts with the GX90 than with Soy or generic tape brands. Grab 'em wherever you can find 'em!

My experience with Akai GX-90 tapes is quite different. I got a bunch of these tapes in Germany in 1991-1992. All of them suffer a very heavy copy-through effect making them worthless for serious recordings. I also found the tape highs were dull and lifeless while the bass tends to be boomy. So I stopped buying them since then.

At the same time please note that all my comments could be specific for the tapes sold in a particular country at a particular time, i.e. be specific to the certain lot of these cassette tapes made during some period of time.

[NAD613]

I posted the link to Matt's review, and there continue to be a wide variety of responses to these tapes: (from today's NakTalk)

Yeah, as some have said, these Akai tapes seem to be very deck dependent. It's seems odd to me that the results would vary so greatly. I've recorded them on my NAD 613 without any problems at all. The highs are sharp & crisp, no problems with bass, and the overall sound quality has been quite good. I'm going to try using them with my Teac A-103 & Sony TC-WR535 this week to see if the results are the same.

[Marc Hugo]

Hi Scorpion,

Thanks for that from some old friends. Kermit is at Woods and Waters Labs so I would respect his findings without doubt - but I know Nick personally and his standards and expertise I can't question. He has high standards.

In short, very variable. I do however pick up some consistency in a sense - but expressed in different ways by the users. Could that be flat senstivity, lowish SAT 10kHz figures and quite generous 315Hz MOL?

Cheers - Marc

[Scorpion8]

Marc-- The issue I'm starting to read, and maybe NAD will confirm this, is that the tapes may be very deck-dependent. NakTalk (not posted above) also had a possible issue about Nak decks and the pressure-pad-lifters and possible poor tape contact, and that these tapes needed pressure pad contact to get maximum signal. Most of my 3-head decks (even the dual-capstan drive ones) aren't pad-lifters, while all my Naks are. Maybe somebody should investigate or discuss this?

[NAD613]

Marc-- The issue I'm starting to read, and maybe NAD will confirm this, is that the tapes may be very deck-dependent. NakTalk (not posted above) also had a possible issue about Nak decks and the pressure-pad-lifters and possible poor tape contact, and that these tapes needed pressure pad contact to get maximum signal. Most of my 3-head decks (even the dual-capstan drive ones) aren't pad-lifters, while all my Naks are. Maybe somebody should investigate or discuss this?

That's an interesting theory. I'll see how they work with my Sony & Teac decks later this week.

[macster]

Marc-- The issue I'm starting to read, and maybe NAD will confirm this, is that the tapes may be very deck-dependent. NakTalk (not posted above) also had a possible issue about Nak decks and the pressure-pad-lifters and possible poor tape contact, and that these tapes needed pressure pad contact to get maximum signal. Most of my 3-head decks (even the dual-capstan drive ones) aren't pad-lifters, while all my Naks are. Maybe somebody should investigate or discuss this?

Sir

I posted this very thing in my comments about the tape(s)

M~

[Scorpion8]

On here, or on NakTalk? Maybe that's where I read it and collected it from. Anyway, am trying to gather all that info here.

[macster]

On here, or on NakTalk? Maybe that's where I read it and collected it from. Anyway, am trying to gather all that info here.


Here for one http://tapeheads.net/showthread.php?p=6772#post6772

M~

[Des-Lab]

Well SOMEBODY posted a link to TH elsewhere. We have been inundated with guests and visitors this afternoon! Maybe a few of them will sign up and become active members here.

Awesome! *Hi5*

[MacGyver]

Marc-- The issue I'm starting to read, and maybe NAD will confirm this, is that the tapes may be very deck-dependent. NakTalk (not posted above) also had a possible issue about Nak decks and the pressure-pad-lifters and possible poor tape contact, and that these tapes needed pressure pad contact to get maximum signal. Most of my 3-head decks (even the dual-capstan drive ones) aren't pad-lifters, while all my Naks are. Maybe somebody should investigate or discuss this?


so pad-lifting is a feature largely exclusive to nak decks?

[Scorpion8]

Well SOMEBODY posted a link to TH elsewhere. We have been inundated with guests and visitors this afternoon! Maybe a few of them will sign up and become active members here.

Awesome! *Hi5*

I did, actually twice, on NakTalk. One the day before discussing these tapes, and another with a reference link to your review of the tapes. I hope it helps.

[braxus]

so pad-lifting is a feature largely exclusive to nak decks?

There were other decks to use this feature, but it was mainly Nak that implimented it. I think Luxman's K-05 used it. Not sure who else did though.

[Scorpion8]

I'm not 100% sure either, since I have a couple of dual-capstan drive decks w/o pad lifters.