NAC (National Audio Company) no longer making cassette tape (still doing Duplication though)

[markjazzbassist]

The biggest cassette tape manufacturer in the US has put up a release saying they aren't making tape anymore. they are only making their duplication tape and still doing duplication orders (from digital, to large bin machines), so releases will be fine. but if you wanted to buy type 1 tapes for DIY releases it looks like A to Z media and Duplication.ca are your only choices now. I really hope they get it back up and running after the COVID and find a great formulation. Duplication tape is different since it's ran at high speeds on those Bin Machines. The tape they are no longer making is their Type 1 Music grade stuff.

Splicit and Recording the Masters are making Cassette tapes now, but they are super expensive, so not really an option i don't think. I'm guessing these are more for the audiophile community.

Just wanted to pass this along to my fellow cassette lovers

[kslight]

Are you referring to a different announcement than this? http://nacduplication.com/pdf/Consumer_ ... 031120.pdf

This notice just sounds like they are working on new formula?

[markjazzbassist]

Are you referring to a different announcement than this? http://nacduplication.com/pdf/Consumer_ ... 031120.pdf

This notice just sounds like they are working on new formula?

that's exactly what i'm referring to. yes the last time they did this i believe it took 1-2 years to get the formula that they just discontinued. not many within the tape community (audiophile's mostly) were happy with that last formulation, maybe it's a response to that? with COVID i can only imagine the work has stopped so it could be awhile on top of how long it usually takes to create a new formulation.

just wanted to warn fellow Cassette people of this. Duplication.ca and A to Z Media seem to have their own proprietary stock that is not affected by this, which is great news.

[kslight]

Are you referring to a different announcement than this? http://nacduplication.com/pdf/Consumer_ ... 031120.pdf

This notice just sounds like they are working on new formula?

that's exactly what i'm referring to. yes the last time they did this i believe it took 1-2 years to get the formula that they just discontinued. not many within the tape community (audiophile's mostly) were happy with that last formulation, maybe it's a response to that? with COVID i can only imagine the work has stopped so it could be awhile on top of how long it usually takes to create a new formulation.

just wanted to warn fellow Cassette people of this. Duplication.ca and A to Z Media seem to have their own proprietary stock that is not affected by this, which is great news.

Gotcha. I don’t know the ins and outs of it all but my interpretation of their statement is they make a supply of it at a time and now they need to make more. Missouri (raises hand) is also under stay at home orders (and the bigger cities have already been under stay at home for a few weeks) so there is that as well. Manufacturing related businesses (Among many others) are definitely tough at the moment.

[drumsound]

I'm shocked any of these places are still in the cassette business.

[markjazzbassist]

I'm shocked any of these places are still in the cassette business.

the story goes that while everyone else was closing up shop NAC still had enough business to stay afloat, so they were literally the only ones in the US open for years (decades maybe) doing cassettes and duplication for cassettes. they were able to stay open long enough that when the revival hit they are doing better than ever. i'm happy for them, nice to have manufacturing in the US that is still viable and alive.

[Scodiddly]

Apparently there are still two significant markets for cassettes - old people getting church services, and prison inmates. Youtube channel Techmoan did an episode recently on prison tech, entertainment devices that are approved for use in correctional facilities.

[A.David.MacKinnon]

I'm just happy (and slightly shocked) that I can still get tape for my cassette multi-tracks. Type II is getting harder to find though.

[markjazzbassist]

I'm just happy (and slightly shocked) that I can still get tape for my cassette multi-tracks. Type II is getting harder to find though.

i'm buying my type II on ebay in bulk. it's all NOS sealed tapes from the 80's and 90's. i've got a hoard of 100 right now, but am always looking. I became less picky with length too. I no longer lust for 60 min tapes, i'm fine with anything 60 or less. That has opened up the possibilities as well.

[Scodiddly]

If I find any more blank cassettes amongst my stuff I'll let you guys fight over them.

[standup]

I still have half a box of blanks c60s from delta media. It has taken 5 years to go through those. And I have two small boxes of fancy TDK smx20’s that I got when they were still cheap. If this turns out not to be a lifetime supply I’ll start recording over the Maxxell and TDK car tapes from the early 90s. No idea how those have held up.

[kslight]

I still have half a box of blanks c60s from delta media. It has taken 5 years to go through those. And I have two small boxes of fancy TDK smx20’s that I got when they were still cheap. If this turns out not to be a lifetime supply I’ll start recording over the Maxxell and TDK car tapes from the early 90s. No idea how those have held up.

Yeah I have like a 100 from Delta, which I bought when I had a 688. Then I sold the 688 And if I find NOS tapes at the thrift stores I snag them.

Not being a hoarder, I have other cassette gadgets, otherwise I'd get rid of them.

[Brett Siler]

Tapes.com is where I go. I've heard a lot of bad from Delta. Messing up peoples orders fairly often, things of that nature.

Yeah, tapes sell quite well in certain underground communities. Punk, psyche, garage, math rock, etc..

[markjazzbassist]

Tapes.com is where I go. I've heard a lot of bad from Delta. Messing up peoples orders fairly often, things of that nature.

Yeah, tapes sell quite well in certain underground communities. Punk, psyche, garage, math rock, etc..

tapes.com is out of CrO2 tapes unless you get the ATR ones. Have you tried the ATR cassettes in portastudios? How do they sound? I ask because the TDK SA and Maxell XLII forumulation was very close so the Tascam were biased for them. The ATR says it's 4db hotter, which makes me think it could sound off, and i'm not about to rebias.

[Recycled_Brains]

Man, this pandemic is a bummer. I was hoping to get some tapes of my band's new thing pressed during this, but NAC is closed and dup.ca is not doing realtime transfers due to staffing shortages.

EDIT: I also am very behind companies not forcing their staff to work during this just so I can have fucking TAPES. haha. Just bummed.