At TDK, we're proud of our reputation as the leader in recording tape technology. We got that reputation by paying attention to all the little details other manufacturers sometimes skim over But there's more to a cassette than just tape. There's a shell to house that tape, and a mechanism that has the function of transporting the tape across the heads. Unless that mechanism does its job evenly and precisely, the best tape in the world won't perform properly, and you won't get all the sound you paid for.
The TDK cassette shell and mechanism are every bit as good as our tape. And when you begin to understand the time and effort we've spent in perfecting them, you'll appreciate that our engineers wouldn't put TDK tape in anything less than the most advanced and reliable cassette available.
The Shell
Our precision-molded cassette shells are made by continuously monitored injection molding that creates a mirror-image parallel match, to insure against signal overlap, channel or sensitivity loss from A to B sides. We make these shells from high impact styrene, which resists temperature extremes and sudden stress better than regular styrene or clear plastic.
The Screws
Our cassettes use five screws instead of four for warp-free mating of the cassette halves. We carefully torque those screws to achieve computer-controlled stress equilibrium. That way, the shell is impervious to dust, and the halves are parallel to a tolerance of a few microns.
The Liner Sheet
Our ingenious and unique bubble liner sheet makes the tape follow a consistent running angle with gentle fingertip-like embossed cushions. It prevents uneven tape winding and minimizes the friction that can lead to tape damage. Also our cassettes will not squeak or squeal during operation.
The Rollers
Our Delrin rollers are tapered and flanged, so the tape won't move up and down on its path across the heads. This assures a smooth transport and prevents tape damage.
The Pins
In every cassette we make, we use stainless steel roller pins to minimize friction and avert wow and flutter and channel loss. Some other manufacturers "cheat" by using plastic pins in some of their less expensive cassettes. We don't.
The Pressure Pad
Our sophisticated pressure pad maintains tape contact at dead center on the head gap. Our interlocking pin system anchors the pad assembly to the shell and prevents lateral movement of the pad, which could affect sound quality.
The Shield We use an expensive shield to protect your recordings from stray magnetism that could mar them. Some manufacturers try to "get by" with a thinner, less expensive shield. We don't.
The Window
Our tape checking window is designed to be large enough for you to see all the tape, so you can keep track of your-recordings.
The Label
We've even put a lot of thought into the label we put on our cassettes. Ours is made from a special non-blur quality paper. You can write on it with a felt-tip pen, a ballpoint, whatever. Its size, thickness and placement are carefully designed and executed so as not to upset the cassette's azimuth alignment.
The Inspections
When it comes to quality control, TDK goes to extremes. Each cassette is subject to thousands of separate inspections. If it doesn’t measure up on every one of these, we discard it. Our zeal may seem extreme, but it is this commitment to quality which allowed us to offer the first full lifetime warranty in the cassette business-more than 10 years ago: In the unlikely event that any TDK cassette ever fails to perform due to a defect in materials or workmanship, simply return it to your local dealer or to TDK for a free replacement. It took guts to pioneer that warranty, but our cassettes have the guts--and the reliability--to back it up.
A Machine for All Your Machines
Now that we've told you how we move our tape, let us remind you about our tape. SA, the first non-chrome high bias cassette, is the reference tape most quality manufacturers use to align their decks before they leave the factory. It's also the number one-selling high bias cassette in America. For critical music recording, it is unsurpassed. AD is the normal bias tape with the "hot high end." It requires no special bias setting, which is why it is the best cassette for use in your car, where highs are hard to come by, as well as at home. Whatever your recording needs, TDK makes a tape that offers the ultimate in sound quality. But it's our super precision shell and mechanism that make sure all that sound gets from our tape to your ears, year after year TDK Electronics Corp., Garden City, NY, 11530
The machine for your machine.
Also see: