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5 STUDIO GRADE 1 METER LONG TAPE LOOPS.
** MADE & SHIPPED IN THE USA! ** VERY FAST DELIVERY!
X-TRA BRAND TAPE LOOPS WITH SPECIAL FEATURES & BENEFITS. EXTRA LONG LIFE!
· ‘X-TRA’ Brand Pro Audio Tape Loops By GRS
· Proper Back-Coated & Lubricated Tape for Roland Space Echo
· Extra Long Life Tape Stock unlike other loops. Lower User Cost
· Extended Frequency Range for Deep Echoes & Sustained Oscillations
· Made & Sold in the USA for fastest delivery & Lowest Shipping Costs
· Low USA Shipping Versus $10 to $25 Shipping by others!
· OEM Tape Loop Supplier to Roland Distributors Since 1973
· Tape Loop Splices Guaranteed for 1 Year
· Precision Tape Splices with Extra Thin Splicing Tape Eliminates Clicks
· No Tape Splice Gaps or Adhesive Oozing. Prevents Audible Drop-outs
· Anti-Jam Tape Stock with Proprietary Lubricant System
· Special Packaging & Shipping that Prevents Shipping Damage
Read More, Below….
FOR ALL ROLAND SPACE & CHORUS ECHO MACHINES.
X-TRA LONG LIFE TAPE LOOPS, ECHO OSCILLATIONS & FEEDBACK!
These are the proper Back Coated / Lubricated
Tape loops for your Roland Space & Chorus Echo Machines.
Specifically made for continuous loop use in Roland Tape Echo machines.
For Roland RE-100, RE-150, RE-200, RE-201, RE-301, RE-501, SRE-555
A FREE DETAILED INSTALLATION GUIDE IS INCLUDED!
These are TL1m (RT-1L) versions that are 1 meter in length each. We also offer 4 meter long tape loops in another listing - part # TL4m
STUDIO GRADE TAPE LOOPS
PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU NEED CHEAPER, ECONOMY GRADE TAPE LOOPS, PLEASE SEE OTHER VENDORS....
WE USE ONLY THE BEST PROFESSIONAL GRADE ENDLESS LOOP COBALT TAPE STOCK THAT HAS THE CORRECT BIAS SPECS & LUBRICATION SYSTEM TO BE FULLY COMPATIBLE WITH YOUR ROLAND SPACE ECHO UNIT. THESE ARE HIGH OUTPUT, LOW NOISE TAPE LOOPS.
WE DON'T USE NON-BACK COATED STUDIO 'MASTERING TAPE' OR 'MILITARY' TAPE AS OTHERS DO. THESE TYPES OF TAPES ARE LIKE SANDPAPER TO YOUR PRECIOUS TAPE HEADS!
OUR LOOP TAPES ARE MANUFACTURED WITH THE PROPER LUBRICATION SYSTEM AND BACK COATING TO ALLOW YOUR TAPE LOOPS THE LONGEST LIFE AND AT THE SAME TIME PRESERVE YOUR TAPE HEADS FROM EXCESSIVE WEAR!
OUR GRS 'STUDIO GRADE' PROFESSIONAL TAPES EXCEED THE ORIGINAL TAPE SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE ROLAND LINE OF 'SPACE ECHO' MACHINES.
OUR LOOP TAPES GIVE YOU THE HIGHEST QUALITY SOUND WITH THE LOWEST NOISE POSSIBLE!
SATISFACTION GUARANTEED !
WE HAVE BEEN MAKING PROFESSIONAL ENDLESS LOOP TAPES FOR NAB BROADCAST TAPE CARTRIDGE MACHINES SINCE 1969 AND REPLACEMENT ROLAND SPACE ECHO & CHORUS ECHO TAPE LOOPS SINCE 1973.
WE ARE ROLAND FACTORY TRAINED 'SPACE ECHO' MACHINE SPECIALISTS AND REPAIR CENTER..
WE GUARANTEE OUR TAPES TO BE OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY AND WE GUARANTEE OUR MANUFACTURING PROCESS (TAPE SPLICE) FOR 1 FULL YEAR FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE!
EACH GRS 'STUDIO GRADE' TAPE IS INDIVIDUALLY PACKAGED IN A SEALED ROUND ACRYLIC PROTECTIVE CONTAINER TO PREVENT TAPE KINKS AND TO PROTECT YOUR TAPE WHILE IN TRANSIT TO YOU.
A TAPE LOOP INSTALLATION GUIDE IS INCLUDED WITH YOUR ORDER FOR EASE OF INSTALLATION.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE ABOUT BUYING TAPE LOOPS ONLINE
We have sampled tapes from most every vendor online who is selling tape loops for the Roland Space Echo machines (and for other tape echo machines) and this is what we have found...
TAPE LOOP PACKAGING
Most tapes we have sampled from online sellers come 'packaged' in improper type containers that allows the tapes to un-spool, twist and become kinked in shipping! Tapes in this condition are usually damaged and do not perform correctly in your tape echo machine!
Be sure that you buy tapes that are protected in a HARD, ANTI-STATIC TREATED CONTAINERS that are ROUND and fits to the tapes closely (top to bottom) so as not to allow the tape to un-spool and kink or obtain curled tape edges, tape creases, lengthwise tape twists and scrapes that wear off any lubrication coating from the tape's backside! We have seen these problems in our sampling.
WHAT WE DO TO PREVENT THESE PROBLEMS...
All of our GRS tape loops come in tight fitting, hard round clear acrylic containers with screw-off lids. Protection is fitted inside each contained to prevent the tape edges from becoming curled!
Each container we sell has be electronically treated (Corona Discharge Treatment or CDT) to eliminate static charges which prevents dust and dirt attraction onto the tapes and inside the containers! Clean tapes and containers make your tapes and tape heads last longer and provide the clearest audio performance.
The special protective inserts we put in each container cushions the tape edges to prevent edge damage and edge curling! This is very important to the tracking performance of your tape loops in your echo machine! If your tape edges are curled or twisted, the tape cannot track through the tape guides properly and will 'skew' off center of the tape head. This causes audio drop outs and muffled or muted audio fidelity!
Take a good look at the packaging provided by many online tape loop sellers! Some have it right and others don't have a clue! You'll find everything from tape loops simply placed loosely in zip-lock baggies, to being placed inside very ill fitting small food containers. Damaged tape is sure to be a result with this type of packaging! But it is cheap for the seller to package their tapes this way. But damaged tapes are no bargain, even at the cheapest prices!
Buyers, please look into the packaging of your tape loops before buying! Tape loops coming from Greece seem to be very problematic in this regard!
ARE YOU BUYING NEW OR USED TAPE?
Believe it or not, some online sellers are claiming their tape loops are made from NEW tape when in reality they are selling you USED TAPES that have been erased and have been reused to make, quote, un-quote, "NEW" tape loops. I suppose they figure that the buyer will never know.
We looked at many samples under our stereoscope microscopes and you can see the scrape marks on the tape coatings from being pulled across tape heads! What does this mean? It means these tapes are made from used tape stock!
So how do you know if your tape loops are made from used tape? Take a good, strong magnifier glass or a jewelers loupe and look at the tape coatings (oxide side and the back coated side) and look for scrape marks that run the length direction of the tape. If you see scrapes, it's a loop made from used tape stocks! Return the tape for a refund and find an ethical and reliable supplier!
As an example, many tapes we sampled from a supplier in GREECE were made with used tape stocks!
WHAT WE DO AT GRS
We sell ONLY NEW TAPE LOOPS MADE FROM NEW TAPE STOCKS! GUARANTEED!
We literally have miles of new, sealed and temperature controlled, specially back-coated (lubricated) tape stocks in our inventory! These tapes are Premiere grade and are specially designed for endless loop tape operation, as in tape echo machines.
This tape is a premium product, originally made for the strenuous duty found in the broadcast industries in endless loop tape cartridge machines. These tapes are very robust and provide exceptional audio performance and extended physical durability, unlike the very thin (1/2 mil), standard studio and mastering audio tapes offered by other sellers!
Check our Ebay & Reverb feedback and see what other tape echo machine users are saying about our tape loop products!
SO WHAT ABOUT TAPE SPLICES?
We hear a lot about bad tape splices! Not about our splices, but of other seller's tape loop splices!
A good or bad tape splice will make a huge difference in your echo machine's audio performance! Most people who own a tape echo machine know about good splices...and about bad splices too!
In the samples we received from other online vendors, we were very surprised to see so many bad splices! And we are not just talking about the tape splices themselves...we are also talking about the quality of the tape cut and the angles of the tape cuts, before splicing!
There is a proper way to cut audio tapes so that the edges of both pieces of the cut tape align perfectly! And this is KEY to achieving OPTIMAL tape loop performance! If the cut edges of the two tape halves are mismatched, you will get an audible click or gap in your tape echo machines playback! Not to mention a gap in the two tape halves that allow dirt and shed tape oxide particles to stick into!
Then look at the tape splice tape itself. It should be slightly narrower that the actual tape width and it should be very well adhered to the tape backing with no air bubbles or extra slits, creases or oozing adhesive! We have seem all of the above in our random sampling fro various tape loop vendors online !
WHAT WE DO DIFFERENTLY...
All of our tape loop splices are done under 500 & 1000 X magnification using stereoscope microscopes in the production line. This insures each tape is cut precisely, at the proper angle and evenly!
We cut each tape loop 'half' properly so as to produce an exact alignment of both cut ends. This is done under the microscope.
We align both ends of the precision cut tape loop ends using the microscope to insure exact alignment. We then precisely align the 'proper type' of splicing tape over the pre-aligned tape ends to create the most perfect splice possible. This is also performed under the stereoscope for accuracy of the alignment.
Then each tape splice is burnished down to properly 'wet-out' the permanent adhesive system on the splicing tape. This insures that the splicing tape's adhesive bond will be smooth and more importantly, permanent! Without this step, the splicing tape's adhesive will not form a permanent bond as the adhesive will not properly 'wet-out' as it is a 'pressure sensitive' type of adhesive system.
So what does this mean to you and the user? This means that you will have precision aligned tape loop splices from GRS that won't cause audible gaps, clicks or audio drop-outs! And your tape loop splices are guaranteed by GRS for the life of the audio tape's usable life. That means, if your tape is not worn out from playing, as they all eventually do, and the tape splice should ever fail, we'll replace it free of charge! And so far we have never had a tape loop with a bad splice come back to us since 1972!
TAPE LOOP MANUFACTURING... OIL AND OTHER CONTAMINATION...
We have inspected a lot of 'competitive' tape loops and have found a lot of interesting things on the surfaces of the tape coatings that shouldn't be there!
The number 1 contaminate that we find on 'competing' tape loop surfaces is 'oil'... human fingerprint oil and other types that are unidentified, probably from dirty machines and/or splicing blocks.
Oils contaminate the surface of your tape loop's oxide coating and attracts dust and dirt to your tapes. This also gets transferred onto your tape heads when the tape passes over the heads. This gums up your tape heads quicker than normal and of course degrades the audio playback.
Take a good look at your tape loops with a magnifier glass or jewelers loupe in strong light. You'll probably see lots of finger prints. Some are probably yours, but in the area of the tape splice, where the seller has handled the tape mostly when making the tape splice, you'll probably see lots of oily residue (shinny smears) and fingerprints. This is not good and should NOT have been contaminated by human hands or dirty machines!
WHAT WE DO DIFFERENTLY...
We have been making tape loops for tape echo machines since the early 1970's. Many of our loops were re-branded by other companies. We know what works, what doesn't and especially HOW to best manufacture tape loops.
At first glance, a tape loops looks like a very simple product to make. And it basically is... but it's all the prep work, the proper machinery & tooling, the manufacturing environment, cleanliness and the process controls in place that really make this 'simple' product either a success or a failure.
HANDLING...
First off, we handle all tapes with lint-free, anti-static gloves so that we do not transfer oily fingerprints or dirt onto your tape loops! And before even opening a master tape box and handling the tape itself, all tapes have been stored in a clean tape room with positive airflow at a regulated 70 Degrees F. at 30% humidity.
All of our custom manufacturing equipment (rotary cutting, trimming & winding machines) are cleaned 4 times per each 8 hour shift with non-tape-contaminating cleaning solutions and then dried with filtered pressurized air. Our floors are anti-static surface coated and all tape winding devices have electronic static control stations that eliminate static charges during tape winding and unwinding operations. This keeps the equipment, tape reels and tape stocks free of static which prevents the attraction of dust and other particulate matter onto the tape stock surfaces.
CHEAP IS CHEAP...
The old saying is so true... 'Do you want quality or a cheap price? You can have one or the other, but not both'.
Tell us what you want... do you want to buy a certain item because it's cheap in price or do you want a certain item because of its quality. You can have one or the other, but not both! Cheap and Quality is really an oxymoron when used together!
Occasionally we will offer a sale when our stocks get out of balance, just like we did with our 4 meter long tape loops recently. But for the most part, we offer our tape loops at a very fair price point, based upon the extra costs we incur to provide a superior product as outlined above.
WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER TAPE LOOPS ON EBAY, REVERB NATION & OTHER SITES?
We were very curious about some of the other tape loop products for sale online . So we had some of our regular customers buy random samples of tape loops from all the vendors here on Ebay so we could find out first hand, why and how some vendors were selling some loops for very cheap prices! We got our answers after testing and inspecting the 2 dozen plus samples we received.
What it comes down to is that "you get what you pay for"... really. We have seen very cheap tape loops with poor product packaging being sold with damaged products resulting from improper packaging. We have discovered used tape stocks being sold as new tape! We have discovered vendors selling dirty tapes (probably used and recycled) and a lot of edge damaged tapes with twisted and creased damages from poor packaging.
We have most often found online sellers selling incorrect tape types! These tape were being sold as 'specialty' type tapes made specifically for tape echo machines. Most of these tapes were very thin (0.5 mil thickness) tapes that are regular studio or mastering type tapes that are NOT the proper Back Coated (lubricated) tape types to use on the Roland Space Echo Machines, nor on other tape echo machines.
These regular studio and mastering type tapes are very abrasive to the tape heads on the echo machines and cause numerous problems, such as premature head wear, severely gummed up tape head gaps, prematurely worn tape guides. These tapes are readily available and they are cheap, but not meant for the Roland Tape Echo machines or any other tape echo machine brands!
And regarding very thin tapes being used on tape echo machines, this is a bad practice from the start. In the broadcast industry, more robust tape stocks are required for the longest life span with the best audio performance when used in endless loop tape cartridge machines. And this is just as true with ALL brands of endless loop tape echo machines!
Tape Echo Machine tapes continuously run the entire tape path in your machine as long as the machine is powered on! Thin 0.5 and even 1 mil thick tape wears out in this environment very easily and can stretch, deform and break... very quickly. Our GRS tape loops are made with thick, broadcast quality endless loop tape stocks, designed for endless loop tape record & playback machines...just like your tape echo machine!
ALWAYS SET YOUR TAPE TENSION FOR OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE!
As stated above, tapes come in many different thicknesses and each different tape thickness requires that YOU check and adjust the tape spring tension arm on your echo machine for optimal tape travel performance and audio performance! If not, your tapes can drag , stall or warble (wow & flutter) when changing from thin to thicker tape stocks and vice versa. You should do this with ANY tape you install on your Space Echo machine.
The tape tension adjustments are easy to do. The details are in your Roland Space Echo Manual. If you don't have a manual, we can send you one FREE..see the details below.
FREE SPACE ECHO MANUAL
WE CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH A FREE MANUAL FOR YOUR SPACE ECHO MACHINE WITH YOUR TAPE LOOP ORDER PURCHASE. JUST PROVIDE US WITH YOUR MODEL NUMBER (RE-101, RE-201, etc) ALONG WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS AND WE'LL SEND YOU A DOWN-LOADABLE COPY!
FREE INSTALLATION GUIDE IS INCLUDED!
Specifications:
Reference: 5 GRS TL1m PRO LOOP TAPES FOR ROLAND SPACE ECHO Weight:0.25 lb
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5 STUDIO GRADE 1 METER LONG TAPE LOOPS.
** MADE & SHIPPED IN THE USA! ** VERY FAST DELIVERY!
X-TRA BRAND TAPE LOOPS WITH SPECIAL FEATURES & BENEFITS. EXTRA LONG LIFE!
· ‘X-TRA’ Brand Pro Audio Tape Loops By GRS
· Proper Back-Coated & Lubricated Tape for Roland Space Echo
· Extra Long Life Tape Stock unlike other loops. Lower User Cost
· Extended Frequency Range for Deep Echoes & Sustained Oscillations
· Made & Sold in the USA for fastest delivery & Lowest Shipping Costs
· Low USA Shipping Versus $10 to $25 Shipping by others!
· OEM Tape Loop Supplier to Roland Distributors Since 1973
· Tape Loop Splices Guaranteed for 1 Year
· Precision Tape Splices with Extra Thin Splicing Tape Eliminates Clicks
· No Tape Splice Gaps or Adhesive Oozing. Prevents Audible Drop-outs
· Anti-Jam Tape Stock with Proprietary Lubricant System
· Special Packaging & Shipping that Prevents Shipping Damage
Read More, Below….
FOR ALL ROLAND SPACE & CHORUS ECHO MACHINES.
X-TRA LONG LIFE TAPE LOOPS, ECHO OSCILLATIONS & FEEDBACK!
These are the proper Back Coated / Lubricated
Tape loops for your Roland Space & Chorus Echo Machines.
Specifically made for continuous loop use in Roland Tape Echo machines.
For Roland RE-100, RE-150, RE-200, RE-201, RE-301, RE-501, SRE-555
A FREE DETAILED INSTALLATION GUIDE IS INCLUDED!
These are TL1m (RT-1L) versions that are 1 meter in length each. We also offer 4 meter long tape loops in another listing - part # TL4m
STUDIO GRADE TAPE LOOPS
PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU NEED CHEAPER, ECONOMY GRADE TAPE LOOPS, PLEASE SEE OTHER VENDORS....
WE USE ONLY THE BEST PROFESSIONAL GRADE ENDLESS LOOP COBALT TAPE STOCK THAT HAS THE CORRECT BIAS SPECS & LUBRICATION SYSTEM TO BE FULLY COMPATIBLE WITH YOUR ROLAND SPACE ECHO UNIT. THESE ARE HIGH OUTPUT, LOW NOISE TAPE LOOPS.
WE DON'T USE NON-BACK COATED STUDIO 'MASTERING TAPE' OR 'MILITARY' TAPE AS OTHERS DO. THESE TYPES OF TAPES ARE LIKE SANDPAPER TO YOUR PRECIOUS TAPE HEADS!
OUR LOOP TAPES ARE MANUFACTURED WITH THE PROPER LUBRICATION SYSTEM AND BACK COATING TO ALLOW YOUR TAPE LOOPS THE LONGEST LIFE AND AT THE SAME TIME PRESERVE YOUR TAPE HEADS FROM EXCESSIVE WEAR!
OUR GRS 'STUDIO GRADE' PROFESSIONAL TAPES EXCEED THE ORIGINAL TAPE SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE ROLAND LINE OF 'SPACE ECHO' MACHINES.
OUR LOOP TAPES GIVE YOU THE HIGHEST QUALITY SOUND WITH THE LOWEST NOISE POSSIBLE!
SATISFACTION GUARANTEED !
WE HAVE BEEN MAKING PROFESSIONAL ENDLESS LOOP TAPES FOR NAB BROADCAST TAPE CARTRIDGE MACHINES SINCE 1969 AND REPLACEMENT ROLAND SPACE ECHO & CHORUS ECHO TAPE LOOPS SINCE 1973.
WE ARE ROLAND FACTORY TRAINED 'SPACE ECHO' MACHINE SPECIALISTS AND REPAIR CENTER..
WE GUARANTEE OUR TAPES TO BE OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY AND WE GUARANTEE OUR MANUFACTURING PROCESS (TAPE SPLICE) FOR 1 FULL YEAR FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE!
EACH GRS 'STUDIO GRADE' TAPE IS INDIVIDUALLY PACKAGED IN A SEALED ROUND ACRYLIC PROTECTIVE CONTAINER TO PREVENT TAPE KINKS AND TO PROTECT YOUR TAPE WHILE IN TRANSIT TO YOU.
A TAPE LOOP INSTALLATION GUIDE IS INCLUDED WITH YOUR ORDER FOR EASE OF INSTALLATION.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE ABOUT BUYING TAPE LOOPS ONLINE
We have sampled tapes from most every vendor online who is selling tape loops for the Roland Space Echo machines (and for other tape echo machines) and this is what we have found...
TAPE LOOP PACKAGING
Most tapes we have sampled from online sellers come 'packaged' in improper type containers that allows the tapes to un-spool, twist and become kinked in shipping! Tapes in this condition are usually damaged and do not perform correctly in your tape echo machine!
Be sure that you buy tapes that are protected in a HARD, ANTI-STATIC TREATED CONTAINERS that are ROUND and fits to the tapes closely (top to bottom) so as not to allow the tape to un-spool and kink or obtain curled tape edges, tape creases, lengthwise tape twists and scrapes that wear off any lubrication coating from the tape's backside! We have seen these problems in our sampling.
WHAT WE DO TO PREVENT THESE PROBLEMS...
All of our GRS tape loops come in tight fitting, hard round clear acrylic containers with screw-off lids. Protection is fitted inside each contained to prevent the tape edges from becoming curled!
Each container we sell has be electronically treated (Corona Discharge Treatment or CDT) to eliminate static charges which prevents dust and dirt attraction onto the tapes and inside the containers! Clean tapes and containers make your tapes and tape heads last longer and provide the clearest audio performance.
The special protective inserts we put in each container cushions the tape edges to prevent edge damage and edge curling! This is very important to the tracking performance of your tape loops in your echo machine! If your tape edges are curled or twisted, the tape cannot track through the tape guides properly and will 'skew' off center of the tape head. This causes audio drop outs and muffled or muted audio fidelity!
Take a good look at the packaging provided by many online tape loop sellers! Some have it right and others don't have a clue! You'll find everything from tape loops simply placed loosely in zip-lock baggies, to being placed inside very ill fitting small food containers. Damaged tape is sure to be a result with this type of packaging! But it is cheap for the seller to package their tapes this way. But damaged tapes are no bargain, even at the cheapest prices!
Buyers, please look into the packaging of your tape loops before buying! Tape loops coming from Greece seem to be very problematic in this regard!
ARE YOU BUYING NEW OR USED TAPE?
Believe it or not, some online sellers are claiming their tape loops are made from NEW tape when in reality they are selling you USED TAPES that have been erased and have been reused to make, quote, un-quote, "NEW" tape loops. I suppose they figure that the buyer will never know.
We looked at many samples under our stereoscope microscopes and you can see the scrape marks on the tape coatings from being pulled across tape heads! What does this mean? It means these tapes are made from used tape stock!
So how do you know if your tape loops are made from used tape? Take a good, strong magnifier glass or a jewelers loupe and look at the tape coatings (oxide side and the back coated side) and look for scrape marks that run the length direction of the tape. If you see scrapes, it's a loop made from used tape stocks! Return the tape for a refund and find an ethical and reliable supplier!
As an example, many tapes we sampled from a supplier in GREECE were made with used tape stocks!
WHAT WE DO AT GRS
We sell ONLY NEW TAPE LOOPS MADE FROM NEW TAPE STOCKS! GUARANTEED!
We literally have miles of new, sealed and temperature controlled, specially back-coated (lubricated) tape stocks in our inventory! These tapes are Premiere grade and are specially designed for endless loop tape operation, as in tape echo machines.
This tape is a premium product, originally made for the strenuous duty found in the broadcast industries in endless loop tape cartridge machines. These tapes are very robust and provide exceptional audio performance and extended physical durability, unlike the very thin (1/2 mil), standard studio and mastering audio tapes offered by other sellers!
Check our Ebay & Reverb feedback and see what other tape echo machine users are saying about our tape loop products!
SO WHAT ABOUT TAPE SPLICES?
We hear a lot about bad tape splices! Not about our splices, but of other seller's tape loop splices!
A good or bad tape splice will make a huge difference in your echo machine's audio performance! Most people who own a tape echo machine know about good splices...and about bad splices too!
In the samples we received from other online vendors, we were very surprised to see so many bad splices! And we are not just talking about the tape splices themselves...we are also talking about the quality of the tape cut and the angles of the tape cuts, before splicing!
There is a proper way to cut audio tapes so that the edges of both pieces of the cut tape align perfectly! And this is KEY to achieving OPTIMAL tape loop performance! If the cut edges of the two tape halves are mismatched, you will get an audible click or gap in your tape echo machines playback! Not to mention a gap in the two tape halves that allow dirt and shed tape oxide particles to stick into!
Then look at the tape splice tape itself. It should be slightly narrower that the actual tape width and it should be very well adhered to the tape backing with no air bubbles or extra slits, creases or oozing adhesive! We have seem all of the above in our random sampling fro various tape loop vendors online !
WHAT WE DO DIFFERENTLY...
All of our tape loop splices are done under 500 & 1000 X magnification using stereoscope microscopes in the production line. This insures each tape is cut precisely, at the proper angle and evenly!
We cut each tape loop 'half' properly so as to produce an exact alignment of both cut ends. This is done under the microscope.
We align both ends of the precision cut tape loop ends using the microscope to insure exact alignment. We then precisely align the 'proper type' of splicing tape over the pre-aligned tape ends to create the most perfect splice possible. This is also performed under the stereoscope for accuracy of the alignment.
Then each tape splice is burnished down to properly 'wet-out' the permanent adhesive system on the splicing tape. This insures that the splicing tape's adhesive bond will be smooth and more importantly, permanent! Without this step, the splicing tape's adhesive will not form a permanent bond as the adhesive will not properly 'wet-out' as it is a 'pressure sensitive' type of adhesive system.
So what does this mean to you and the user? This means that you will have precision aligned tape loop splices from GRS that won't cause audible gaps, clicks or audio drop-outs! And your tape loop splices are guaranteed by GRS for the life of the audio tape's usable life. That means, if your tape is not worn out from playing, as they all eventually do, and the tape splice should ever fail, we'll replace it free of charge! And so far we have never had a tape loop with a bad splice come back to us since 1972!
TAPE LOOP MANUFACTURING... OIL AND OTHER CONTAMINATION...
We have inspected a lot of 'competitive' tape loops and have found a lot of interesting things on the surfaces of the tape coatings that shouldn't be there!
The number 1 contaminate that we find on 'competing' tape loop surfaces is 'oil'... human fingerprint oil and other types that are unidentified, probably from dirty machines and/or splicing blocks.
Oils contaminate the surface of your tape loop's oxide coating and attracts dust and dirt to your tapes. This also gets transferred onto your tape heads when the tape passes over the heads. This gums up your tape heads quicker than normal and of course degrades the audio playback.
Take a good look at your tape loops with a magnifier glass or jewelers loupe in strong light. You'll probably see lots of finger prints. Some are probably yours, but in the area of the tape splice, where the seller has handled the tape mostly when making the tape splice, you'll probably see lots of oily residue (shinny smears) and fingerprints. This is not good and should NOT have been contaminated by human hands or dirty machines!
WHAT WE DO DIFFERENTLY...
We have been making tape loops for tape echo machines since the early 1970's. Many of our loops were re-branded by other companies. We know what works, what doesn't and especially HOW to best manufacture tape loops.
At first glance, a tape loops looks like a very simple product to make. And it basically is... but it's all the prep work, the proper machinery & tooling, the manufacturing environment, cleanliness and the process controls in place that really make this 'simple' product either a success or a failure.
HANDLING...
First off, we handle all tapes with lint-free, anti-static gloves so that we do not transfer oily fingerprints or dirt onto your tape loops! And before even opening a master tape box and handling the tape itself, all tapes have been stored in a clean tape room with positive airflow at a regulated 70 Degrees F. at 30% humidity.
All of our custom manufacturing equipment (rotary cutting, trimming & winding machines) are cleaned 4 times per each 8 hour shift with non-tape-contaminating cleaning solutions and then dried with filtered pressurized air. Our floors are anti-static surface coated and all tape winding devices have electronic static control stations that eliminate static charges during tape winding and unwinding operations. This keeps the equipment, tape reels and tape stocks free of static which prevents the attraction of dust and other particulate matter onto the tape stock surfaces.
CHEAP IS CHEAP...
The old saying is so true... 'Do you want quality or a cheap price? You can have one or the other, but not both'.
Tell us what you want... do you want to buy a certain item because it's cheap in price or do you want a certain item because of its quality. You can have one or the other, but not both! Cheap and Quality is really an oxymoron when used together!
Occasionally we will offer a sale when our stocks get out of balance, just like we did with our 4 meter long tape loops recently. But for the most part, we offer our tape loops at a very fair price point, based upon the extra costs we incur to provide a superior product as outlined above.
WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER TAPE LOOPS ON EBAY, REVERB NATION & OTHER SITES?
We were very curious about some of the other tape loop products for sale online . So we had some of our regular customers buy random samples of tape loops from all the vendors here on Ebay so we could find out first hand, why and how some vendors were selling some loops for very cheap prices! We got our answers after testing and inspecting the 2 dozen plus samples we received.
What it comes down to is that "you get what you pay for"... really. We have seen very cheap tape loops with poor product packaging being sold with damaged products resulting from improper packaging. We have discovered used tape stocks being sold as new tape! We have discovered vendors selling dirty tapes (probably used and recycled) and a lot of edge damaged tapes with twisted and creased damages from poor packaging.
We have most often found online sellers selling incorrect tape types! These tape were being sold as 'specialty' type tapes made specifically for tape echo machines. Most of these tapes were very thin (0.5 mil thickness) tapes that are regular studio or mastering type tapes that are NOT the proper Back Coated (lubricated) tape types to use on the Roland Space Echo Machines, nor on other tape echo machines.
These regular studio and mastering type tapes are very abrasive to the tape heads on the echo machines and cause numerous problems, such as premature head wear, severely gummed up tape head gaps, prematurely worn tape guides. These tapes are readily available and they are cheap, but not meant for the Roland Tape Echo machines or any other tape echo machine brands!
And regarding very thin tapes being used on tape echo machines, this is a bad practice from the start. In the broadcast industry, more robust tape stocks are required for the longest life span with the best audio performance when used in endless loop tape cartridge machines. And this is just as true with ALL brands of endless loop tape echo machines!
Tape Echo Machine tapes continuously run the entire tape path in your machine as long as the machine is powered on! Thin 0.5 and even 1 mil thick tape wears out in this environment very easily and can stretch, deform and break... very quickly. Our GRS tape loops are made with thick, broadcast quality endless loop tape stocks, designed for endless loop tape record & playback machines...just like your tape echo machine!
ALWAYS SET YOUR TAPE TENSION FOR OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE!
As stated above, tapes come in many different thicknesses and each different tape thickness requires that YOU check and adjust the tape spring tension arm on your echo machine for optimal tape travel performance and audio performance! If not, your tapes can drag , stall or warble (wow & flutter) when changing from thin to thicker tape stocks and vice versa. You should do this with ANY tape you install on your Space Echo machine.
The tape tension adjustments are easy to do. The details are in your Roland Space Echo Manual. If you don't have a manual, we can send you one FREE..see the details below.
FREE SPACE ECHO MANUAL
WE CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH A FREE MANUAL FOR YOUR SPACE ECHO MACHINE WITH YOUR TAPE LOOP ORDER PURCHASE. JUST PROVIDE US WITH YOUR MODEL NUMBER (RE-101, RE-201, etc) ALONG WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS AND WE'LL SEND YOU A DOWN-LOADABLE COPY!
FREE INSTALLATION GUIDE IS INCLUDED!
Specifications:
Reference: 5 GRS TL1m PRO LOOP TAPES FOR ROLAND SPACE ECHO Weight:0.25 lb
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