Question; Would Quantegy 456 be an appropriate tape to use with my A77mkIV? I ask because someone told me that 499 and above would be too high biased for this machine. Is that true?

Thanks in advance.

Dave

Use 456 on your deck.

Thanks.

456/7 is compatible, and sound wonderful on the A77 if biased properly for it. 499/GP9 requires too much bias current to be erased on any Revox.

There is no other tape that sounds quite as beutiful as good 456. The trick is getting the new tape, since it hasn't been made in a couple of years or so.

Stay away from old or even NOS Ampex 456 like the plague though as almost all Ampex 456 had horrible sticky shed. I'm not sure if this problem was fixed by the time they changed their name to Quantegy or not, but supposedly the tapes make in the last 10 years do not suffer from this problem.

I'm talkin' NOS, currently. According to the Quantegy website they plan to "revive" production of 456, 499, & GP9. So, if that happens.................................maybe new.

Just keepin' my eyes on the horizon.

Dave

I've used it with my B77 MkII and it works great. I also have a reel with the dreaded sticky-shed syndrome. Sometimes it happens.

Most decks were set up for 456 in the days. Sure wish they'd make it again.....

Otherwise you can re-bias to emtec lpr-35 or similar. I have NO 465 left without sticky shed. Sad.

I'm talkin' NOS, currently. According to the Quantegy website they plan to "revive" production of 456, 499, & GP9. So, if that happens.................................maybe new.

Just keepin' my eyes on the horizon.

Dave
NOS 456 is not necessarily good! It depends upon just how old the tape is. Ampex 456 became sticky after about 10 years no matter if it was factory sealed or not.

I'm not certain if the binder problem was solved before or after they changed their name to Quantegy. So even NOS quantegy 456 may be suspect, if it is really old.

Also, if Quantegy is planning on making 456 again, please provide a link to a specific page making this claim. Frankly I find it difficult to believe that they would be able to rise from the dead twice.

Quantegy's Peter Hutt told me about the re-issue of 456, 499 and GP9, last year. This bears out on the current Quantegy site:
http://www.quantegy-online.com/index.html
As you are well aware by now, we are working on reviving Quantegy 456 Studio Mastering Tape, Quantegy 499 Gold Studio Mastering Tape, GP9 Platinum Studio Mastering Tape

Now, unless they changed their mind, 456 is coming back.

I have NO 465 left without sticky shed. Sad.
Fortunately I had enough foresight to purchased a few cases of 456 and 457 when I heard the rumor that Quantegy was going under again on 2007.

Fortunately I had enough foresight to purchased a few cases of 456 and 457 when I heard the rumor that Quantegy was going under again on 2007.

I snagged a ton of 406 for regular use myself. Pretty happy with it. :thmbsp:
Missed out on the 456.