Type 3 FerroChrome Cassettes - You Wanted Them, You Got Them!

Over the past year I've had so many asks to do a video on these, rare, expensive and temperamental cassettes that I don't have a deck for.
Well, here you are. There are some graphic (tape) scenes in this. Be strong!
DECKS USED: Nakamichi ZX-9 & Revox B215
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[@walterharriman]

I’ve always had a fascination with Type 3. I love weird things that were unpopular in their time, and I love obscure tapes. Then again, I‘m into British Leyland so it’s the perfect match. Perhaps my opinions/tastes should be taken with a grain of salt...

[@CassetteComeback]

If it makes you happy, sod what others think.

[@markleman57]

Double-layer FeCr tape was commonly used in the ELCASET system cassettes. It allowed for very, very high quality recording. It was as dynamic as reel to reel. It is a pity that the ELCASET system has died out. You're doing a great job Tony! Greetings from Poland

[@NJRoadfan]

Sony was the biggest backer of FeCr tapes in general. Elcaset really didn't see too much improvement with it based on my quick listen with a friend's deck. The wider tape and faster speed made the base Type I sound fantastic already. He had a ton of FeCr tapes with the machine (along with the demo tape) and there really wasn't that much of an improvement. CrO2 showed up on El Caset too, but too late to make much headway.

[@ajjuneja]

The Sony FeCr sounded fantastic!

[@therestorationofdrwho1865]

Couldn’t fault it personally. No drop outs at all. Sounded brighter than the BASF too.

[@FixingOldStuff]

Regarding the "Security Mechanism", I remember Wilhelm on the tapeheads.net forum (long time top tier BASF employee) telling the story behind the SM. Apparently it was invented by a BASF engineer who stumbled up the career ladder ending up in the board of directors, so even though the BASF people knew of the possible problems with the SM, like causing tape damage when a loop inside the cassette got caught in one of the guides (I've seen this actually happen first hand) it was kept till this guy finally resigned and then it got unceremoniously dropped. I always considered the SM a rather cool feature back then, till I experienced its dark side myself. That was... disappointing.

[@CassetteComeback]

Good insight. It would explain a lot.

[@krollpeter]

Causing more tape damage when the tape winds up into the SM guide mechanism is logical. Being the cause of a tape jam seems highly unlikely. Shaving off magnetic layer at normal operation speeds, too. Doing nothing for the tape's security seems the most likely explanation for dropping SM.

[@Константин-ш1ц8ш]

I wonder how they can put inside this strange thing. The simple is the best.

[@_____.__]

I guess, the described problem may happen either with a bad, not serviced deck or when there is a loop of tape inside the cassette and the user carelessly tries to run it without winding up it first. Apart from that the SM works great.

[@bryede]

The shedding problem of the late '70s and '80s had to do with the banning of whale oil as a component of tape binder (oxide glue). New formulations were being tested and some of them absorbed moisture from the air (hygroscopic) and broke down rather quickly.

[@CassetteComeback]

Nice info 👍

[@anthonyperkins7556]

The cassette manufacturers brought them out thinking they were a good idea but as type I and type II cassettes got better, the popularity of these waned. It was basically the manufacturers answer to a non existent problem.

[@watershed44]

@Cassette Comeback I have a Sony TC-K 555 bought new in 1983 and it has a dedicated FeCr setting and the owners manual I have even recommends the Sony FeCr tape for best results, I have tried them ( bought one back in 1983 cost USD 11.95! only one in stock) and sure enough the sound is REALLY excellent, at least as good as a good metal tape and for some reason it seemed like the noise level was lower than a typical metal tape! The reason I didn't use them back then was even in 1983-84 on they were ridiculously expensive and hard to find even at the big electronic super stores in NYC! This older Sony is in like new condition and has had NO service, just basic cleanings and deguassing of the three heads. This model also had three motors and super low wow and flutter of 0.04% and -80db S/N with Dolby C noise reduction....I love this deck old Sony's were built like tanks and sounded amazing. Merry Christmas Tony!

[@gekkehenk1980]

The Sony TC-K555 has a signal to noise ratio of 56dB with type 1, 57dB with type 2, 61dB with type 3 and 60dB with type IV. Even with Dolby C ativated, it does not reach 80dB.

[@craigdavidson2278]

I have the Sony TC-K44, TC-K55, TC-K61, TC-K65 and hope to get the (71, 75 and 81) in the new year. Great decks they are.

[@UHF43]

My old Sanyo boomboxes (an M9990K and an M9994K) from the late 70's both have a lever to manually select tape type and both have an FeCr position. Interesting, this is position is in the middle, being "CrO2" the upper and "Normal" the lower positions.

[@watershed44]

@232686434 Actually my original Sony manual does indicate with Dolby C it reaches -80 db S/N. I meant to post it was that low WITH dolby NR.

[@kiirunavaara]

That's what I meant, a good deck with dedicated type III position makes FeCr tapes sing, as long as the upper Chrome layer has not degraded. Try to get some gently used Sony, Denon or late BASF type III cassettes, record them in the 555 and tell us about the results. Scotch Master III is also said to be good. Agfa and older BASF FeCr are suffering from different kinds of degradation.

[@SFtheGreat]

I remember testing the settings for III some time ago, I tested Bias and QU as I/I, II/II, I/II and II/I, there is a thread on tapeheads. Also, there were decks that specifically would indicate such settings for FeCr where you would set Bias to normal position and EQ to chrome position. There was also a pro-walkman (usually for bootleggers) from Sony that utilized a FeCr settints.

[@tarstarkusz]

Merry Christmas Tony. Great video. I liked that song. It's pretty good.

[@CassetteComeback]

Merry Christmas to you too sir.

[@АвторЗак]

@@CassetteComeback Who is singing?What group,write!

[@autodidact537]

@@CassetteComeback If you want to hear how good cassettes can sound try and find pre-recorded tapes from In Sync Laboratories a company that made them the 1980's in NYC. They took 30ips master tapes then made 15ips dubbing tapes & then with high end Nakamichi cassette decks (on TDK SA-X & SA tapes, their earlier ones used BASF Chrome) finally ending up with the best sounding tapes ever, although you need to be a fan of Classical music. I still have about a hundred of them (35 years old) & they still sound fantastic.

[@mrnmrn1]

Finally FeCr! Me too asked you to do a video about them a few months ago. Thank you! I bought 10 pieces of 90 min BASF* FeCr about 3 years ago for less then 10$ total, and they sound fantastic! I don't have a deck with proper FeCr settings, nor separate EQ and bias setting capability, but the recordings they came with sound great, all 10 of them are full with LP recordings. My Sony TCS-430 Walkman likes them a lot (the few ones which not yet started to shed). Unfortunatelly they are shedding, even without the SM. *: how I got them so cheap? They were made by Polimer, a Hungarian manufacturer from the '70-80s, who used BASF tape stock. Usually discounted BASF tape stock, which either was old, or had some defects. Improper tape width was not uncommon, unfortunatelly. 2 of my 10 probably has too wide tape in them, which casues instant shedding, as the tape crumbles at one edge on the tape guide fork of the head. Merry Christmas, Tony!

[@kiirunavaara]

Too wide tape seems unlikely, I don't think any serious tape manufacturer would have sold or even given batches with this fault to any other company. It is more likely that the Polimer shells are the guilty part here; if the azimuth of their tape guides is not correct, or the pressure pad is applying uneven pressure, you get these typical damages on the tape edges. FeCr tapes with their thicker double coating and thinner base films are more sensitive to this than most other tapes: The base film of a FeCr C-90 is almost as thin as the base film of a normal C-110 or C-120.

[@mrnmrn1]

@@kiirunavaara Thanks, I haven't thought about that, but really, with the thicker coating they had to use thinner base film. I'll measure the tape width with a micrormeter. I'm not sure, but maybe Polimer cut the tape rolls to the final width. I don't know if it can be true that BASF sold the huge, uncut rolls to them. But I've heard about Polimer tapes cut too wide on reel-to-reel as well.

[@kiirunavaara]

@@mrnmrn1 Ok, with Polimer cutting the Jumbos to cassette tape width themselves, it would make perfect sense... thanks!

[@philbiker3]

As Type Is got better through the late 70s and early 80s they were able to perform like a Type III. I had a Nakamichi CR-1A in the late 80s and the 90s and I used to do this (record at normal bias but at type II eq) all the time with higher quality type I tapes such as BHF, UD-XLI, XL-IS, AD and AD-X tapes. They essentially all worked well as FeCr equivalent.

[@TheProGamerHW]

I have the exact same BASF Ferrochomes, grandpa bought them in the 1970s, they are beautiful...

[@TheProGamerHW]

Merry Christmas, Tony. Thanks for the like. I've also realized something now - mine are slightly different, the sticker on the cassette shell is blue, not white (perhaps mine are older, year ~1974) and on the J-card, BASF even shows the frequency response graph of ferric, chrome and ferrochrome combined, it's also followed by a lengthy text explaining the new technologies and benefits of the tape. It's all in German and BASF proclaimed that the quality of the tape is something "people only heard from vinyl". Very interesting cassettes, I think most people here have an awesome Christmas gift, thanks for doing these videos, even some young people like me love cassettes and old analog technologies.

[@markymarcus5752]

My pioneer deck has auto tape selector and doesn't recognise those, always wondered what they sounded like. Great vid again tony 😎

[@Algabatz]

Just found an overlooked Sony fecker 90 in my collection, albeit used. Now I know how to record it! Although I have a Marantz 5020 with the Type III bias I'll try it on the Nak. Thanks!

[@flyingkillerrobots877]

Thanks to the video, Tony (and for sacrificing the Sony) - it was really illuminating. Merry Christmas to you and yours and have a happy 2020!

[@CassetteComeback]

You too sir!

[@AndyBHome]

I got an Aiwa deck when my Sankyo started failing and it was FerroChrome Type 3 ready, before metal came out, and I was totally pumped. I went all in on FerroChrome cassettes, spent a fortune on blanks, only to have metal type IV eclipse them soon after. I got some metal and liked those, but they were expensive and stayed expensive forever, so I ultimately clung to the Maxell UDXLII as my regular cassette of choice. Edit: I realize I wrote FerroChrome above. I guess it's supposed to be Ferri-Chrome, with an I. I once got a bunch of cassettes from Spain that might have had the spelling with an O. And I'm not the best speller.

[@claudeabraham2347]

Thanks for a great video. I bought my Tandbeeg TCD3014A cassette deck in 1986. It makes flawless recordings. It has settings only for types 1, 2, & 4. Type 3 is not supported. I never missed it. To me a good type 1 beats type 3. Likewise a good type 2 or 4 beats type 3. Type 3 offered nothing that wasn't offered by 1, 2, & 4. The dual layers was the problem. Type 2 needs much more bias than type 1. No bias setting could minimize distortion on both layers. Any bias setting was a compromise. Types 1, 2, & 4 had homogeneous magnetic particles. This made it feasible to home in on the exact optimum bias setting. Any top end tape in type 1-2-4 can outperform type 3.

[@CassetteComeback]

Yeah. That's why they disappeared...

[@montana01971]

A good type I beats type III? That is nonsense. The type I tapes of the late 70's were awful. In that era FeCr ruled by far and even the best type II didn't come close. It is not fair to compare a '79 type III with a '93 type I, as tape technology evolved so much over the years. By the mid 90's the better type I tapes such as Sony hf-es or Maxell XLI-S sounded so good that you could hardly tell them apart from type II or even IV, maybe with a good Nak you could just tell the difference. Who knows how awesome type III would have become if they had been under development for 1 or 2 decades more? Also, the types III still on the market now are more than 40 years old while a lot of the other tapes are just over half that age on average... Of course you have a point that the dual layer system had its disadvantages. For one they were much more expensive to produce.... And then came type IV, which was even better (slightly) but much easier and cheaper to produce. Plus the recordings could last longer over the years then any of the other tapes. So key deck manufacturers by the 80's started omitting the type III position but they did en masse adopt type IV. That was the main reason for the demise of type III imho.

[@claudeabraham2347]

@@montana01971 of course type 1 tapes improved from the 70s to the 90s. When I said that type 1 surpasses type 3, I was referring to 80s & 90s type 1 tapes. They were spectacular! I had no cassette deck in 1979 when type 3 was in its heyday. In 1986 I got my Tandberg TCD3014A cassette deck, it had adjustable bias & sensitivity for tape types 1, 2, & 4. I could get optimum results with any tape. The TDK AD-X & Maxell XL1-S were really good. Ran close to type 2 & not far behind type 4. My car deck only had 120 usec playback EQ. I liked type 1 tapes in my car, 1984 Buick Riviera. Anyway, I was basing my comparison on 1986 & later type 1 tapes, including Maxell XL1-S, which gave me great results. As far as 1970s type 2 not coming close to type 3, my ears heard otherwise. In 1976 I auditioned an Advent 201 cassette deck with Dolby B. Using type 2 tapes, it copied LPs with amazing fidelity. Great FR, low noise, no issues at all. In all fairness, type 3 tapes at that time were good, but I did not think they surpassed type 2. I was 21 years old in 1976, so my ears were still good. When making comparisons, types 1 & 2 must not be driven into the red zone. Recording at or below 0 dB gave me best results. Type 1 did not have the high frequency ability of type 2 or 4. Type 2 had good hf headroom, but the 70 usec EQ required more treble boost during record mode. The 70 us gives lower noise on playback. Metal had better hf headroom & overall headroom. With metal, you can record above 0 dB. Most issues with types 1 or 2 are due to over-recording. My experience. Best regards.

[@s.g.3042]

That funny whining at unpackaging the SONY FeCr😋👍 - one gotta love our Tony! He's a great, talented, very knowleadgeable and very generous guy!

[@paulgoudfrooij6561]

Those BASF ferrochrom tapes were bad when new as well, at the time. The Sony FeCr was a great tape though.

[@m1k869]

I'm on the border of beeing too young to having made mixtapes in my youth and really beeing into cassettes, but your videos make me feel I missed something. Eventually everything on my desk is about capstan motors and belts to get an old deck and a walkman working again. Stole a few tapes from my parents place, from a FE I to a Fuji ZII to see what this is all about. Thank you. I guess ;)

[@CassetteComeback]

Keep up the good work 😁

[@m1k869]

@@CassetteComeback You do :D

[@grizzlyaddams3606]

If I outlast my tapes... Bury them with me. 😄

[@seacampal1425]

Love it! Merry christmas Tony! I have found 5 used sony tapes like these 6$ each! They are like new. I record them on a JVC KD-A7 at the FeCro2 position and play them back at the normal position. High-pitched metal music with a lot of hi-hats and cymbals is softened and the sound is very warm dark and fluffy if you play them back on FeCro2. Saturation occurs quickly with little distortion but with pleasant compression. I use them to soften too hard digital sources because they sound super warm. Sometimes, i record them with Dolby B ( JVC ANRS) and play them on Super ANRS position. The Super ANRS boosts high frequency in a more natural tonal balance than playing them back as type one but with a little pumping effect on transients. They are fascinating to use. I feel the two layers are on battle against each other sometimes. To be continued...

[@CassetteComeback]

They are unique and that adds to their appeal.

[@seacampal1425]

@@CassetteComeback After a service on my deck, i tried again and i used to record and play them at FeCro2 position. I prefer type three over type 4 tapes!!!! They have so much character. They just add some fluffy analog feeling. t's a pleasure to use them as a new master for CD recording.

[@FluxCondenser]

Great info on Fecr’s. But tell us more about the song. That’s you? Such a cool retro vibe to it that evokes the period and exuberance of the 80s when cassettes were popular. The whole thing just works for me even though it wouldn’t typically be my style of rock, as I lean more toward alternative. I especially like the NYC theme and guitar work. I can’t play a note myself, but seems like it needs a guitar solo to fill the hole in the middle and a better ending to wrap things up, but so close to really being a gem.

[@CassetteComeback]

I'm not the singer or the guitar player. I wrote it, arranged it, did the synths and drums and production. It's still a work in progress, I just used it to gauge a response to see if I'm on the right track with this style.

[@mariobrito427]

Such a great 80s vibe, that song really took me back, love it!

[@FrightfulAccountant]

My pioneer CT-F 600 2header can do Type III FeCr, must be a '79 deck, I think Type IV was not available yet at the time. With FeCr I always think, there was only one generation, there were no improvement on the formulation. If Type IV never would had come to live, we may have seen stuff like cobalt dopped FeCr, an audiophile grade cassette that could sound like no other tape. It was expensive, but not too if you think of it. If you had already ferric and chrome running in your plant, it only took some good development to get both in one cassette, if it would had gone big this could had been the cassette to have. Anyway, great tune, it sounds 80s, I love it!

[@kiirunavaara]

The real successors of FeCr were the double coated type II tapes, either with two layers of Chrome or two layers of FeCo. These outperformed FeCr in almost all measurable parameters, and were more compatible with the majority of tape decks.

[@moshezaharia4666]

Merry Christmas Tony! Whishing you all the best for the new year! The Sony did sounded great on the Revox, and the song is great (for me it could easily pass as a song from a movie soundtrack, like Beverly Hills Cop or such). Keep enjoying this fun rewarding hobby, Best regards, Moshe.

[@CassetteComeback]

All the best to your and yours too Moshe.

[@pokepress]

For what it's worth, the game Cassette Beasts (a Pokemon-ish game where you "record" monsters using tapes) has "Ferrichrome" (I checked the in-game spelling-they use an i instead of an o) tapes that are better at recording metal-type creatures. Not sure why they didn't just use "metal" tapes.

[@mcm3069]

Great song!

[@Mouse2113]

Great vid and was looking forward to this. Sony definitely have to be the best in terms of durability, even better than Maxell

[@jameschavez6400]

Still recall the 85-Sony u x ad with a guy had flock of seagulls hair with writing -stop recording your new wave on punk tape🤣

[@dilly2408]

Hi Tony. Greetings from Robert. I've found your excellent channel quite late. Regarding the subject in discussion, I will be short : the best cassette-decks for these FeCr cassettes are AKAI CS series from the late 70s. For sound quality I don't recommend GX series ! I had a CS-705 D (still strong regrets for selling it last year) and all I can say, regardless the dedicated Type III button, those decks are strong as a tank, very reliable and easy to maintain. I've tested a type III BASF cassette and a Type II TDK SA90 (Made in Japan - early 90s) with the Type III setting for comparison in recording. Results has been amazing ! Both cassettes sounds excellent ! You should try it. AKAI CS series are quite cheap ( from 25 30 to 100 Euro) and easy to find on internet but first of all you need to fully recap and replace the DC motor because the capacitors and the magnets inside the motor at that time wasn't so good quality to pass the time test. After I've recapped my AKAI, as I said, the difference "before" and "after" was from the ground to the sky. The sound quality for both tapes was amazing ! I hope my suggestion worth a try. Greetings from Mainland Europe.

[@DeepPastry]

My guess with those BASF tapes is hardening of the plastic, turned that originally soft springy SM mechanism into a hard scrapper. And I'll twitch onto it only taking a decade or so before BASF started to notice the issue in its infancy, and dropped it as fast as they could to avoid brand suicide.

[@CassetteComeback]

Supposedly it was something to do with an engineer who did the patent and got a share. When he left, the dumped it.

[@redrobbosworkshop]

Great vid Tony. I've just ordered 2 of the BASF - one will be a shelf queen (I'm a big BASF fan) and with the other I'll take the risk with some recording :) Type III are interesting for many reasons but there is also another reason for the slightly dull and laidback sound. Ferric has good LF sensitivity and output, Chrome has good HF sensitivity and output - however both have lower sensitivity in the mids, or rather upper mids. Therefore when you combine these 2 layer types you get a 'smile' contoured frequency response. One of my decks, a JVC KDA66 has auto cal wich includes EQ inaddition to bias and level, so it lifts the upper mids to match the level of the HF and LF - voila - flat response. If the recording goes well I'll rip to youtube on my channel and you can take a listen. Have a wonderful christmas and new year. Rob

[@CassetteComeback]

That's the thing, they're such hard work that I can't be bothered 😄

[@kiirunavaara]

It is the mid-range dip which all double layer tapes have, more or less. Decks with a proper type III position should have a pre-set recording EQ which compensates for it. This is why it doesn't really lead to good results to record a FeCr tape in a non-type-III-capable deck, regardless how you set the bias and the EQ. The trick to record it in 70 µs and play back with 120 µs is only a workaround, which nevertheless can sound pleasing. You may wonder how this makes sense, but during recording, you never use 70 or 120 µs as the EQ which is applied to the tape. These figures do only point to the playback EQ, which is standardised. The recording EQ can be very different and depends on bias and tape type, but even on the head properties and on the recording amplifier in your deck, so it is not, and must not be standardised. In each deck, the recording EQ is preset to curves (for each tape type it can handle) making sure that this deck, on the tapes it is aligned to (type I, II, IV and maybe III), will record onto these tapes in a way that it will give you a neutral frequency response when played back on any deck with the standard playback EQ values of 120+3180 µs for type I, and 70+3180 µs for types III, III and IV.

[@nexus-sk9dr]

These audio tape position III have unique great audio output i think a great level sound

[@apislapis]

Me rry Cr istmas Tony. Have a belting Fe stive period.

[@stevealexR1]

I always found Ferrichrome cassettes to sound very muffled with a weird “hole” in the midrange (the crossover where neither the ferric nor chrome layers weren’t being magnetised very well?). I had an Aiwa deck with a specific setting (Aiwa marked the two manually operated switches for FeCr as 110% bias compared to 100% for normal ferric and 150% for hi bias tapes but with a recommended (on the switch) 70 microsecond equalisation for recording AND playback). FeCr tapes were NOT designed to be played back with 120 microsecond EQ as that would make them virtually as noisy as a normal ferric tape; it would though, of course, make it sound less dull...

[@jari2018]

I listened to Ferrochrome back in early 80s and that was the case -the dynamic range was better .-maybe it was a ageing case as with Metal -ageing meaning they sound the best just after the recording and maybe a week or 2 then later then metal would loose the highest pitch -Muffled but dynamic is Fe Ch tapes or maybe the recorders fault dunno -I had a nachamici their cheapest cassetterecorder with dolby c

[@cdwhiley]

Subscribed as soon as I heard the techno on the disassembly fast forward.

[@szejker1989]

19:45 Słychać utratę wysokich tonów

[@christopherrigby2798]

Happy Christmas Tony. I still have the Sony FeCr's I recorded on a Panasonic deck with the FeCr setting before they started this tape class numbering thing and a Sony TC-K-22 around 1981 through 1984 which did sound very good with lower noise than the original TDK SA. I play them back with a Yamaha deck with play trim to whip the top response back to somewhere near where should be. For me they eclipsed by the UD1 and later the TDK AR which I am sure you'd love that were better and easier to use on the increasing number of decks that had auto tape sensing that came out from the mid 1980's.

[@CassetteComeback]

Merry Christmas to you too. Yeah, I'd take a cobalt doped ferric over most cassette types.

[@xaverlustig3581]

Apparently they were planning to standardise notches for FeCr like this, which makes sense: lh5.googleusercontent.com/-zaTh_riY_wY/VPC6v3CBg6I/AAAAAAAAKhU/3F9kyMtrPy0/s800/DUAL.jpg So it's like a binary code, 2 notches giving 4 possible codings for 4 types. However this never came to be before FeCr disappeared, the ones actually sold had no notches like type I. This is why the only way to use FeCr properly is on decks with manual type selection.

[@DineshiKotamuro]

There is a significant source / tape difference. But maybe Pioneer with SuperAutoBLE and HX Pro records better? Just for this cassette you need an automatic equalizer and Doldy HX Pro system.

[@stevealexR1]

You are incorrect regarding playback equalisation. Ferrochrome tapes were originally designed to be played back at 70 microseconds. The cutout on the top of the tape was primarily designed to auto set bias NOT equalisation. Ferrochrome cassettes needed bias closer to normal ferric cassettes but 70 microsecond playback equalisation.

[@t0nito]

For me it's the other way around, I have a FeCr capable deck (Technics RS-M7) but no FeCr tapes 😅

[@dwoodog]

Merry Christmas to you too. I was always fascinated by type III, I thinnk as a 10yr old, would have been around 1981, you know give or take a few yrs I remember seeing type III in stores and wondered what the frigg do you use these for? But anyway thanks for the great video, and that BASF purple and gold look mighty tempting.

[@ismellstatic]

Found one of those BASF ones at a Sally Ann for $0.99 a while back and it did the same thing, shred itself to bits second I rewound it. Real shame

[@nitrofar34]

Usually in most of the BASF SM cassettes they just have the 2 tusks loading the tape on the hubs, never seen that third one on the top. That looks to me like it would be scraping the play side of the cassette.

[@CassetteComeback]

Yeah. I've other SM in chromes that don't damage it. I think that one as the top is the culprit in the Type 3

[@FromTheRoomOfLittleEase]

I remember always using these particularly...I'm not excited to find out people are hunting them, because I was just starting a high end tape set up for my Solid state Pioneer set up. (Have to have two take decks, it's in the manual you know.)

[@bigtimefans100]

I've been binging Tony's videos and I find it funny that in this one FeCrs are lil fuckers when they shed like that. It seems like a cool concept in theroy but of course, it's not that practical to own it for use; I looked on eBay and they are not cheap indeed but it could be a nice display or addition to your collection!

[@303nitzubishi4]

Good call removing the SM guides from the BASF. I'm going to do that to mine! I have accumulated a few used Sony FeCr and BASF Ferrichrome tapes and have never really messed with them for the same reasons as you, my decks all have auto tape select so they're all but useless to me. Now that I know folks are interested in them and I have seen them in action here I think I'll get them up on the bizay for someone to enjoy.

[@previousslayer]

Ol on a sec, you're now filming in 50 fps? :P So it turns out both layers pry off those poor Basfs... (Side note, keeping fingers crossed everything's gonna be okay with that package... uh oh) And forgot to say: Merry upcoming Christmas! Peace and best wishes to your home.

[@CassetteComeback]

All the best to you and yours too Leonid.

[@DeltaFox1970]

at 50 fps works perfectly here, at 60 ... well, it's like a cassette full of dropouts :P

[@jacekschneider4686]

I think yo're bit wrong with recording and playing with different EQ. Main problem is different. Tape lost its properties and doesnt record highs above -10db. Easy to test using control sinus wave via computer/generator.

[@FixingOldStuff]

Wow, that's some horrifying tape shed there, never seen a tape shedding complete stripes of the coating like this. But then I never got across a Type III even back then, so that's that. Sounds like I didn't miss much, though.

[@montana01971]

Don't forget these tapes are like 40 years old...

[@craigdavidson2278]

Get yourself a Sony TC-K75 or TC-K81. Types I, II, III and I are playable. Excellent cassette decks from 1979.

[@sp2un]

Great video. The song stucked in my mind. Can we find it anywhere? Name and band ?

[@CassetteComeback]

It's from an old band I was in. It was never released.

[@sp2un]

Awesome. 👏🏼 Thank you for sharing!

[@wrestletube1]

Hmm the 1st one sounded like the Ferric half of the compound at least to me was that Sandpaper coloured sound.

[@s.g.3042]

Goody bugger off gumdrops 👍 👻

[@darrengomes2203]

Wonder if FeCr was used for commercial releases? Albums always stated they were chrome tape, but always stated play as a ferric type I.

[@claudeabraham2347]

They were type 2 bias with 120usec eq, this was done to avoid saturation.

[@RWL2012]

Auto thumbnail subtitles: Hi it's Tony from Cassette Combat... 😄

[@CassetteComeback]

😄

[@kdrum90]

Type 3 playback in Revox was full of granulated noise - I didn’t like it. Not sure if if this is a Type 3 trait but it sounded weird to my ear.

[@squirrelarch]

I had a Sony TCK-81 back in the day that worked well with Ferrochrom though frankly the end result was a bit boom & tizz soundwise at times with a distinct lack of midrange.The Sony's seemed the most stable (Sony produced FeCr in cassette ,reel and Elcaset so I'm guessing they knew what they were doing) and I had some Agfa Carat's that were just not fun to bias and the high end dropout was bad though not as bad as a Realistic FeCr tape I stupidly bought once. Interesting there's so much interest in type III these days.

[@endoplasreh]

Ha. I have a TC-K81 that is being serviced right now. Looking forward to getting it back, but not for FeCr. I think the novelty of FeCr is cool, but like your results, I'm not seeing much worth while in them. Type II tapes just improved so much.

[@CassetteComeback]

There's always interest in rare and expensive stuff...

[@adamlipsky8010]

Pretty much same experience, had Dual with FeCr setting, results were actually better with simple Type 1 setting, but the medium frequencies were somehow quieter than original. That was my only Type 3 tape I ever had (Basf, but smaller window than the one shown here).

[@ThatMontmorency]

Removing SM mechanism to prevent the tape from shedding? What's the point? If it sheds because of SM mechanism, it will definitely shed inside the deck.

[@CassetteComeback]

So 2 identical cassettes from the same batch. SM in one, it sheds. SM removed from the other, it doesn't. Look at the evidence smartass.

[@davek12]

Didn't the Sony Elcaset have type III as well? A little surprise that SM was in a Sony tape, though.

[@QUADBOYification]

I would advice to spend a little money on a different deck that has a full BLE diagnostic of the tape and even sets (Calibrates) the EQ correctly. I noticed that a Pioneer CT-339 or a Pioneer CT-W701R has a perfect calibration system called "Super AUTO BLE" It does 3 things, optimizes BIAS, LEVEL and EQ. The CT-701R even uses auto reverse to play the tape in the opposite direction but measures through the same Side. Genius and wonderful to look at. EQ is excellent set between what this FeCr needs. it won't sound dull.

[@Johny666EU]

your sugestion is like swap super sport car with manual gearbox into volkswagen with auto gearbox. ps, it will soud dull, its III type cassette and non of yours pioneer etc has compatibility with type 3 cassettes. ps, get some knowledge.

[@robine5280]

@@Johny666EU Well, it's not officially mentioned anywhere on the deck because it was long dead, but it would be interesting if the Auto BLE could calibrate to type III.

[@Johny666EU]

@@robine5280 nope, it's not design to type 3 and will not calibrate it. Its like to use diesel engine for airplane fuel. It simply doesn't work. Type 3 is only on very old decks where the auto calibration didn't exist so there is not deck to do it.

[@robine5280]

@@Johny666EU Have you tried? Maybe it calibrates as some strange tape. Tape selection happens mechanically so it would recognize it as type I but I don't know how far it can adjust. Its adjustment range. I mean, it records different test tones and listens back to them, saving the settings the sound was best with. Tape type shouldn't matter if the calibration range is big enough. I've got an S. A. BLE deck but no type III tapes and I wouldn't consider my ears to be suitable for testing this kind of stuff. Maybe Tony knows something about this but I don't know if he still reads his comments on old videos (or if he even gets a notification).

[@Johny666EU]

@@robine5280 nope, it will not as I have described above. Technical differences. Water is not petrol etc.

[@daniellizard7077]

Wonderfull. Merry christmas

[@dantevortex]

Simply said, you can get a good type 4 for the price of a type 3 now It's a nobrainer.

[@CassetteComeback]

Exactly why I've no real interest in them...

[@ychesnokov]

You can buy a good ssd to record thousands of hours of hirez music for a price of a pack of type3s...but are you a true tape head then???))

[@dantevortex]

Sure the "feel" of having a type 3 and playing with it is fun. But if the price is insane like that, then it's just bad.

[@Djd_Records_Zone]

kinda sounds like Synthrock artist Ultraboss :)

[@CassetteComeback]

I'll check him out!

[@dendys04]

the sony tape is actually good

[@nancy4don]

Been enjoying your vids. One thing: The 120/70 microsecond switch only affects playback - it is playback EQ. Has nothing to do with record bias. So if you're using a 3-head deck that setting only comes into play when you're monitoring (or playing back) off of the tape. It would be fun for you to try recording as a Chrome tape and playing back as a ferric. I did it a long time back - very interesting!

[@wrestletube1]

The second one sounded really worse than the first even. I guess if they had continued with it though they would have switched to a Chocolate Brown Cobalt Ferric and pure Black Chrome by it's later days. Interesting from a tech standpoint but I wouldn't use them unless they were still around now and used the latest good compound technology.

[@markstewart1807]

This got me thinking about Pre Recorded cassettes which are Chrome but biased at 120uS are they maybe ferro chrome or just standard chrome biased at 120uS I have a Dire Straits tape like this and sound was faded with drop outs so tried re recording from SACD and was surprised how good the tape actually is,I did record in Normal position at 120uS I wonder if it would have been better at 70us but the tabs restricted me trying on my particular deck with automatic tape type selection.

[@CassetteComeback]

They were recorded at 120us so they could play back on all decks. I got given a Laura Brannigan album that had been recorded over, but I put Laura back on it. I recorded it as a type 2 but a 120us. It was a pure chrome tape and so it sounded good.

[@markstewart1807]

@@CassetteComeback do you think it would have been better at 7us ?

[@wrestletube1]

I would think that FE would have been the best cassette in the 70s for sure. Don't forget Chrome was only new although decent from the start although crap compared to later and Ferric was crap full stop but had a warmth to it in the 70s. For something very 70s I guess it was the best you could get. Although it should have lasted longer and had Cobolt Chocolate Ferric and Colbolt pure Black Chrome. It should have become the home format of the 90s and had a comeback when Cobalt came in when it really could have been a hitand then it would have been Super Ferrochrome for Home Market Vs Metel for Professional Market and there wouldn't have been much of a sound different other than our home format being more welcoming warmer analouge purest sound because it was the best Ferric with the best Chrome.

[@marcusfountain1694]

I still have about a dozen ,BASF's ,i think i used for DBX research . BASF i love but the pressure pads came loose on a bunch of mind ,i fix when i come across them. ,i have a lot of rare awia ,Denon & jvc cassettes

[@otomobilmece]

Hi Tony. 2 Questions. I've just found one BASF Ferro Chrom. Of course it's not brand New but in a Nice condition. I would like to record on it. What is the best way? Should I take off the SM ( securty mecanism ) or not? I had one BASF Chromdioxid 120minutes with SM also. I only listened it on my Technics M224 deck tape from more than 30 years and avoid to use rew or ffcue fonction on it. But now, when I listen it the quality is not the same. Is it because of SM or because of 120 minutes (maybe not made for listening music)? I dont know. What's your opinion? Thanks a lot.

[@ahah1785]

I have 2 of the scotch brand fecr ones ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/gV6ykoyCjNJ2r68 ) When ajusted for and recorded on a nak dragon, these sound absolutely flawless...after almost half decade...Also tape spool weight is almost 1.5x normal fe tape spool. No shedding eather after almost 30 complete plays...

[@BigKelvPark]

I tend to agree that the SM is the cause of destroying the tape. I've had it happen to me with just LH (and this was in the mid 80's). I avoid SM tapes like the plague. The Sony on the other hand: I have a few used examples and the recordings are amazing (if you like classical music) and suspect were recorded on a dedicated type 3 deck. I'll have to try you're method (It's still playing to be fair so I don't know how it turns out).

[@BigKelvPark]

OK, I'm sold on the technique. Prices for the Sony, I may as well buy a new deck. I will have a play with the used examples I have. Cheers!

[@CassetteComeback]

Yeah, I remove all SMs now. Maybe back in the day they added something, but like you, I've had Agfa grind to a halt, but work fine with them removed. If they were that good, why did they stop and why weren't they widely copied....

[@Musicradio77Network]

BASF used the SM cassette from 1971 through the mid 1980’s, and it does fine, but I don’t have any problems with BASF cassettes. I used to have a bunch of BASF cassettes that has the Security Mechanism on many Ferro Super LH, Studio I and a few others. By the mid 1980’s BASF Stopped making SM cassettes and replaced with a different kind. I have a few LH E I cassettes with no SM at all.

[@kiirunavaara]

​@@CassetteComeback BASF stopped making the SM for several reasons: - 1. Some sloppy low cost transports without back tension on the supply reel could, in combination with the tusks, lead to the tape being trapped and come to a sudden halt, or cause other jamming accidents. On a good transport, the SM does very well, but there were too many bad transports out there, with too many customer complaints as a result. - 2. The engineer who had invented SM received a royalty, albeit only the fraction of a penny, for each cassette sold, and was becoming a very rich man. When he retired, BASF started to phase out the system. - 3. When the SM was introduced in 1971, it was about the only way to ensure halfway even tape packs during fast winding. By the mid-1980's, the precision of the cassette shells had been significantly improved, as well as more and more sophisticated slip sheets with auto-spacing structures and anti-static coatings were developed. These improvements made the SM technically obsolete. - 4. The first tape model to drop the SM was the fabulous LH-MX I, which was introduced in 1985. Its tape was BASF's first double layer type I, and it was a tad thicker than standard C-60 or C-90 tape. Its tape packs were so fully loaded that there was no room left for the SM tusks in the cassette shells. - SM could not simply be copied, at least not legally, because that BASF employee mentioned above had been wise enough to have it patented. Every other company that wanted to use it had to pay a royalty. Agfa and Teldec did, as well as some companies who had their cassettes OEM made by BASF, for example Grundig. Other cassette manufacturers tried to mimick the SM without really copying it: Audio Magnetics had some floating guides, BRG from Hungary had a rather primitive SM knock-off, and TDK installed a very sophisticated guide system into their D 180 cassettes, which was also clearly SM-inspired.

[@kiirunavaara]

It was a binder problem: Even some BASF reel to reel tapes from the same period are shedding off their oxide layer like the cassette tape in this video. The SM may help to start the destruction process on an affected tape, but SM wouldn't do any harm to a tape where the magnetical coating is sticking as firmly to the base film as it should.

[@adamwheeldon]

Loving the Track Tony 👍👍👍

[@CassetteComeback]

Cheers. Let's see if the singer leaves for a covers band soon...

[@bloxyman22]

Have you checked out the blank tapes released by crosley?? Just came across this today and I am really curious how bad they are.

[@CassetteComeback]

They'll be Chinese junk, like all the rest of their gear.

[@bloxyman22]

@@CassetteComeback I am sure, but still would make an interesting video ;)

[@jessiegonzalvo5581]

I have brandnew more or less 800pcs Sony cassette tape ,they have value?

[@CassetteComeback]

Yes, they have value.

[@jessiegonzalvo5581]

Where i sell it bro?

[@chrisa2735-h3z]

I have a scotch ferrochrome cassette!

[@batteryman2852]

if you already know this or someone else, sorry for saying something you all know :-D , but i guess i just post it anyway So i watched the latest unbox video and was wondering if it had Type 3 setting, but i couldnt see any, so i did some google and found that the Sony TC-K15 , seems to support it,

[@richw.9746]

For me, it was TDK, Sony, Maxell then BASF, then all the cheapo brands like Boots, Woolworths, Chinese makes like 'Kingsonic' 'Kaytape' in that order of preference. First three are all Japanese

[@CassetteComeback]

Turns out UK high Street brand ones from the 80s onwards were good stuff, especially Boots, Dixon's brands and WH Smith, made by That's, Maxell, ICM, Agfa and Philips.

[@carsos00]

Have to say I loved these type 3s back in the day, (79 - 83) I used a few for the radio1 top40 on Sunday's here's one of those top40 recordings from July 1980 on mixcloud, though the mixcloud sound is not great.. www.mixcloud.com/stewart-carson/1980-bbc-radio1-top40-20th-jul-1980-tony-blackburn-type3-c-90/ Have to also say that, I recently transferred the recordings of these type 3s into my PC with no issues.

[@alphanumeric1529]

Your intro music... is it recorded off of cassette, or direct from your computer?

[@CassetteComeback]

It's all digital

[@alphanumeric1529]

@@CassetteComeback Thumbs up!

[@otomobilmece]

I ve juste found 5 BASF ferrochrome cassettes and I Will collect them with my brother. 3 for me and 2 for him😂😂

[@randyharrigan4790]

Merrh christmas tony!

[@CassetteComeback]

Merrh Christmas to you too Randy 😁

[@AVadim]

Merry Christmas! SONY is better. On BASF at times, the sound is as if the cassette is jammed.

[@RWL2012]

Don't you have a lower end 80s deck that would have a Type 3 setting...? Could've sworn you used one in a video.

[@CassetteComeback]

I think I've got a 70s 2 head Technics that does, but I've never used that in one of my videos, as it need repairing.

[@dubious3749]

One for sale in the Netherlands for 35 euro. Yoko c60

[@sergiototote]

Hola!!! Tengo 2 cintas basf ferrocrome de 60’, y tienen dentro de la caja su hoja de datos o especificaciones de trabajo... Buen video... Felicidades...

[@MusicmanDavid]

Hey Tony, where can I send you something?

[@alfie3123]

cool video

[@bluelithium9808]

you've killed the advantage of FeCr by using 70 eq which a normal tape deck wouldn't do. The 120 would under bias it ergo the hf boost

[@vinylcity1599]

Nice song, Tony! More than I can say for the tapes though, but I'm making this comment at the 26:15 point of the video! Maybe the Sony will do better!

[@vinylcity1599]

Yep, it did much better!

[@vinylcity1599]

.... but I'd rather use a true type ll

[@CassetteComeback]

Snap or a Super Ferric

[@stefanegger]

what does that mean azimuth? It should be the tape head position in relation to the "track" on the tape or so, but is usually a screw and factory set. You cannot set the azimuth on a knob, nor is it any problem if you record and play on the same deck, it only ensures that the tape can be played on varous decks. Not sure what this guy is doing there, prob does not understand that he cannod set it by a knob, or the wording for the knob is wrong or something. Also it cannot be off so much, you basically NEVER have to touch that.

[@CassetteComeback]

You don't know what you're talking about more like. The head is aligned at the factory, but 30+ years later they could have moved. There is a screw you can turn on one side of the head to adjust it. The azimuth is the perfect angle. You've obviously never had a quality deck as you'd know this. Oh, and several decks have an azimuth alignment "knob" - The Nakamichi CR-7 for example...you can even set it with the remote control.

[@blackhawk606]

Nakamichi top end decks have an azimuth adjustment knob. Some models let you adjust playback head azimuth, some recording head. Nakamichi 3 head decks bear not a "sandwich" rec/play heads but discrete record and playback heads and can be adjusted independent of each other. On this particular deck recording head is adjusted and plpayback head is factory set. This makes sense as due to different cassette shells manufacturers tape path can be slightly off a factory setting.

[@_____.__]

@@CassetteComeback Yes, this is how it usually works with prerecorded tapes, but how does it work with blank tapes, could you please explain? Is the playback head independently adjusted to the fixed position of the recording head for a perfect match? Which means the recording head is preset at the factory and only playback head can be user adjusted.

[@paulgoudfrooij6561]

I have a lot of those Sony FeCr tapes and they sound great. Stopped buying them when type IV became affordable.

[@robertkosinski2105]

This is why we can never have nice things ;)

[@hifinphoto]

the SONY FeCr IN THE Revox is the shit! That Revox makes every Nak sound BORING.

[@alexandershalin3543]

Merry Xmas! Many Soviet hi-grade decks had FeCr switch www.rw6ase.narod.ru/00/mg_ks/elektronika_mp204s02.jpg

[@thorbennielsen3845]

Have you made a video on HX-Pro?

[@melaniezette886]

I used it before metal

[@wiitarded100]

18:55 Song Link?

[@CassetteComeback]

It's an unreleased song of my own composition

[@Константин-ш1ц8ш]

Cool song. Should be released )@@CassetteComeback