Quantegy closes its doors

[Girl Toes]

This is really bad news. I'm going to try to stay positive about this though, I honestly don't believe that this is the end of analog recording. I know for myself I would be willing to pay higher prices for tape if necessary. I think I'll still order a few reels to have on hand, in case there may be a drought. I honestly have to agree about magnetic tape ending up in the same category as vacuum tubes. There are a lot of "outdated" formats still available. I think you can still get new film for 8mm, and 16 mm video cameras. There are a lot of folks who rely on tape.... That's not quite the same, but movie theaters still use (video) tape in projection booths. Nothing to do but stay positive about it. Just my 2 pennies,
Brian

Yeah, that's been my reasoning too. I mean, they still make 78 rpm phono cartridges, several companies still do. But tape, maybe I don't understand the process, but.... I should call Joe Grado. "Joe, please. You've got to start making tape. What are we going to do?"

[wayne kerr]

There are a lot of "outdated" formats still available. I think you can still get new film for 8mm, and 16 mm video cameras. There are a lot of folks who rely on tape.... That's not quite the same, but movie theaters still use (video) tape in projection booths. Nothing to do but stay positive about it.

I appreciate your optimism, but unfortunately your analogy is a little unsubstantiated. Those "outdated formats" have something going for them that OUR outdated format does not - they are consumer crossover products and profit margins are very high. Our industry is very insular in nature and while there will remain a strong demand for VHS cassettes for years to come because there are MILLIONS of VHS units around the world, that is just not the case with pro audio. The "big guys" are always going to drive this market and they have spoken. They like computers because they make their job so much easier - they are even willing to let sound quality suffer a bit for the sake of this convenience. And like lemmings to the sea, the prosumer world got in line right behind them. "Gee I guess digital really DOES sound as good as analog - and look how quick I can make my fat old bald uncle sound like Avril Lavigne!" (most people don't know this, but Avril really IS someone's bald, fat uncle - that chick who appears as "Avril" is just a model.)

I dunno, from where I sit it's gonna take a supernatural act to resurrect analog tape as a viable format for professional recording.

Be careful of what you ask for... you just might get it.

SMH

[Tim Casey]

Avril is pretty cool. Because of her, my daughter is taking guitar lessons...

[Girl Toes]

I appreciate your optimism, but unfortunately your analogy is a little unsubstantiated. Those "outdated formats" have something going for them that OUR outdated format does not - they are consumer crossover products and profit margins are very high.

Quarter inch tape was a consumer format!!!! Certainly more so than beta tapes were, and theys till make those, don't they?


Well, i think a lot of the problem might be that tape manufacturing has been built expecting to sell at such high levels, and none of the companies were prepared for the great losses they've endured over the past few years.

It seems possible to me that a company could reorganize and build a business plan that includes manufacturing tape for the expected level of business these days. I don't know how much tape sells, but I'm sure they still sold a couple million reels last year.

What's more is tape is too important. I really don't think the government can afford to replace its old mainframes on such short notice, and probably has good reason not to.

I'd expect there will be no more 2" tape, unfortunately. But some one has to keep making it. Its an important part of our infrastructure.

Worst Case Scenario: Quantegy's assets are bought by DigiDisign, and they sit on it.

[wayne kerr]

Avril is pretty cool. Because of her, my daughter is taking guitar lessons...

Tell your daughter not to bother. She doesn't really need to know how to play. She just needs to learn how to *look* like she can play and be willing to wear clothing that is prob'ly a little more revealing than you want to see your own daughter in. Plus, learning guitar is hard work. If something is hard, it's really not worth doing, is it? Convenience is king!

SMH

[nacho459]

I just called Quantegy, the machine answered. I'm heading for the Hills!

[wayne kerr]

Quarter inch tape was a consumer format!!!! Certainly more so than beta tapes were, and theys till make those, don't they?

1/4" WAS a consumer format - and a very short-lived esoteric one. Yes, they still make beta cassettes, but there are still prob'ly a million beta machines in use for broadcast and home use. I'd be surprised if there are even a tenth that many quarter-tracks still spinning out there - in studios AND in homes. There is likely not a household in the industrialized world that does not have or has not had a VCR. The same can not be said for open reel analog I'm afraid.

Well, i think a lot of the problem might be that tape manufacturing has been built expecting to sell at such high levels, and none of the companies were prepared for the great losses they've endured over the past few years.

Well, for a time, there was no choice when you wanted to make a record and tape mfrs could exist in what was essentially a closed economic system. You just knew if you had a major label budget that you'd be ordering at least 20 reels of 2" and 40 reels of 1/2" or 1/4". There was a formula in place and as long as the variables didn't swing too wildly (ie: record labels were willing to fork over $500,000 for the next Springsteen album), everybody was fat and happy. But as early as the late 80s, the tape industry started feeling the crunch. That's when ADATs literally decimated the home analog market and something called SoundTools was poised to transform and industry. I remember around 1990 or so talking to my tape distributor and being surprised that he actually showed me an invoice - they made like $3 on a reel! The mold was cast. I'm surprised Quantegy held on for this long actually.

It seems possible to me that a company could reorganize and build a business plan that includes manufacturing tape for the expected level of business these days. I don't know how much tape sells, but I'm sure they still sold a couple million reels last year.

The problem is they have to be able to make it predictably profitable - otherwise they'll get no backing, financial or otherwise. It's a balancing act that few are willing to perform any more because the percieved ROI just isn't there. $200 160GB hard drives prob'ly cost $20 to manufacture and even after you factor in shipping, labor, insurance, overhead, distributor markup, etc., there's still plenty of profit left over so everyone gets a taste. Analog tape that sells for $175/reel (and nets only 30 min of recording time at 15 ips) prob'ly costs $125 to make. The margins are so slim that by the time it gets to the retailer, there's $3 left to make. Nobody is gonna tie up inventory dollars and shelf space for $3/unit unless they can be guaranteed to sell a couple of million units. I'd love to see the numbers too, but I can tell you for a fact that mfrs DO NOT abandon PROFITABLE goods and they really have to fight their shareholders and boards of directors to keep loss-leaders alive.

What's more is tape is too important. I really don't think the government can afford to replace its old mainframes on such short notice, and probably has good reason not to.

Tape is important to you. Tape is important to me. The average Joe doesn't even know what tape is. The average Joe DOWNLOADS his music and listens on crappy computer speakers or substandard MP3 players. You may be right about the government, but that is a very different kind of tape. It is not optimized for sound quality or frequency response, but rather for maximum data retention. Yes it's tape, but prob'ly not tape you'd like to listen to.

I'd expect there will be no more 2" tape, unfortunately. But some one has to keep making it. Its an important part of our infrastructure.

Correction, it WAS an important part of *our* infrastructure. Before digital, it WAS our infrastructure. As much as I know I love the sound of analog tape, I also know that I can make a damn fine record on my laptop.

Worst Case Scenario: Quantegy's assets are bought by DigiDisign, and they sit on it.

Yeah, that would certainly be the end of 456! Quantegy is still around - they make hard drives and other data storage products, they just decided to trim the fat. Like I said, progress.

SMH

[DavidATX]

Pro-Tape, one of the best retail shops to buy tape in Texas is almost completely out of tape. Supposedly their Houston store is completely sold out. The store in Austin sold about 30 reels just today!!!

This is a fuck. We just got a 1" machine for the studio. I have a 2" reel that was used for one project that I am going to erase and sell pretty soon.

Prices for 1" tape on ebay are at 65 quid in the UK. Thats about $115 USD!

[JohnDavisNYC]

i bought 26 reels of tape today between myself and joel. it sucks. sucks. sucks. sucks. sucks. sucks.

at least i have a bunch of print reels.

john

[McPhaul]

I did not read every post in this thread so I don't know if the point has been made - but

Looking at this from a guitarist point of view it seems that tape may end up a lot like tubes. Nobody on earth uses tubes in their homes other than we in audio, yet they are still produced.

I for one am glad that computer audio is as easy to get into as it is. I don't know if I would have ever recorded if it required 2" tape. I did use a Tascam 8 track to cassette but never made the leap to a "True" tape setup.

Though I may never need it I do hope that tape remains as easy to get as power tubes.

Just a thought
Will

[Girl Toes]

from usrecordingmedia.com

NOTICE--------NOTICE------------NOTICE----------NOTICE-----------NOTICE

Quantegy Inc. has unfortunately shut down production of all their products and shut down the entire factory in Opelika Alabama which explains why we have so little Quantegy product left.? We're told this is a temporary situation for restructuring (financial.)?

The recording business consists of thousands of talented engineers, artists, and studio people who are not going to, in our opinion, let analog tape die. It is still the preferred method to capture sound although it may be mixed and edited digitally. It is also the preferred archiving method in many circles.? Many recording artists will not record on digital equipment and this includes some of the biggest names in recording history.

It may be a little while but we're convinced there will be analog tape manufactured once again and we don't feel it's dead. The new tape may not be a Quantegy product.? If it isn't, we're talking about a brand new production line with brand new equipment here in the USA.? We want to thank everyone who supported Quantegy and AMPEX over the years. Be patient, we feel everything will be ok.

This matter will have little financial impact on US Recording. We're not going anywhere. And we're looking forward to dealing with the new owners of Quantegy or whomever might be "drafted" into making new tape.

[aurelialuz]

i think this *has* to be able to make someone enough money to keep doing it. i really don't think there's some industry-wide conspiracy to off tape. i don't think having both formats really hurts the industry at all.

and really, the comparison to super 8 is quite apt. little old grandmas who still happen to have super 8 cameras around aren't using them, it's only a handful of art school kids and film geeks who still care and keep that format alive. there's more people with tape machines than super 8 cameras.

[cassettefetish]

I am taking the opposite approach. NO MORE COMPUTER IN MY STUDIO... as soon as I get one of them fancy-pantsy stand alone cd recorders. hmmm... that gives me an idea...


HEY DID YOU HEAR THEY STOPPED MAKING CD-R media??? Wow. You probably all want to get rid of your stand alone cd burners... I'll buy them for a couple bucks... just to take the hassle away from you having to take them to the dump.

--Nick

[wayne kerr]

I did not read every post in this thread so I don't know if the point has been made - but

Looking at this from a guitarist point of view it seems that tape may end up a lot like tubes. Nobody on earth uses tubes in their homes other than we in audio, yet they are still produced.

I for one am glad that computer audio is as easy to get into as it is. I don't know if I would have ever recorded if it required 2" tape. I did use a Tascam 8 track to cassette but never made the leap to a "True" tape setup.

Though I may never need it I do hope that tape remains as easy to get as power tubes.

Just a thought
Will

Comparing tubes to tape is like comparing apples to oranges. Unlike tape, tubes are very inexpensive to make, ship and store. They don't require vast factory and warehouse space, nor do they require multimillion dollar machines that need daily maintenance. Tubes remain profitable. If tape was profitable, you'd have 4 or 5 brands right now. I hope angainst all hope that I am wrong, but I've been in this industry in one capacity or another for 18 years now and I think I have a pretty good bead on the prevailing trends. The word on the street is there is still no substitute for tubes. Not so for tape say the pro fraternity. So long tape.

SMH

[Girl Toes]

from usrecordingmedia.com

NOTICE--------NOTICE------------NOTICE----------NOTICE-----------NOTICE

Quantegy Inc. has unfortunately shut down production of all their products and shut down the entire factory in Opelika Alabama which explains why we have so little Quantegy product left.? We're told this is a temporary situation for restructuring (financial.)?

The recording business consists of thousands of talented engineers, artists, and studio people who are not going to, in our opinion, let analog tape die. It is still the preferred method to capture sound although it may be mixed and edited digitally. It is also the preferred archiving method in many circles.? Many recording artists will not record on digital equipment and this includes some of the biggest names in recording history.

It may be a little while but we're convinced there will be analog tape manufactured once again and we don't feel it's dead. The new tape may not be a Quantegy product.? If it isn't, we're talking about a brand new production line with brand new equipment here in the USA.? We want to thank everyone who supported Quantegy and AMPEX over the years. Be patient, we feel everything will be ok.

This matter will have little financial impact on US Recording. We're not going anywhere. And we're looking forward to dealing with the new owners of Quantegy or whomever might be "drafted" into making new tape.