The ultimate tape, created to reach the pinnacle of the analogue cassette.
Metal Position. Released in 1993.
46 minutes - ¥2000 / 60 minutes - ¥2300 / 90 minutes - ¥2600.
Explanatory Note
Sony brought all its available technology to bear and developed everything from a clean sheet, challenging the limits of the analogue cassette. The result aimed to be an ultimate, top-level cassette surpassing the previous pinnacle, Metal Master.
Four years passed from the initial concept, one year was spent selecting tape materials, and the repeated prototypes are said to have numbered in the dozens or even hundreds.
The tape has no fewer than five layers: from the bottom, a back coating, an ultra-smooth tape base, an adhesive layer and two magnetic coatings above them. The lower magnetic layer handles low and middle frequencies and uses ultrafine ファイン・ダイナ・メタル (Fine Dynametal); the high-frequency upper layer uses the even finer スーパー・ファイン・エクストラロイ (Super Fine Extraloy), also used in 8 mm video tape. An ultra-smooth UFS base suppresses modulation noise.
The cassette uses a ceramic shell, as did Metal Master, but of a new, upgraded design. Two composite materials are laminated into a two-layer molded shell called マルチ・セラミック・コンポジット (Multi Ceramic Composite). The tape guide is also newly designed and called アドバンスド・セラミック・コンポジット・テープガイド (Advanced Ceramic Composite Tape Guide). The heavy, cool-to-the-touch shell, together with the new tape construction, substantially reduces modulation noise.
The cassette case also has an unusual construction: an aluminium lid covers a plastic base, giving it a premium feel characteristic of metal.
The 60-minute version cost ¥2300, nearly twice the price of DAT, which itself cost far more than a typical analogue cassette. Even so, looking back at what it offered, perhaps it was quite a bargain.
In 1993, when this cassette was released, digital recording formats such as DAT and MD were rising. Analogue cassettes had already begun to decline, and even this product could not stop the trend.
The case was not the only luxury: a lettering sheet for the index was included as well.
The substantial aluminium cover, hard to believe it belonged to a cassette case, had a pleasing matte finish. Embossed details at the four corners provided a mechanical accent. The contrast between the off-white shell and black around the hubs, and the cursive Super Metal Master lettering, formed a carefully considered, elegant appearance that could be called the ultimate fashion cassette.
Specifications
- スーパー・ファイン・エクストラロイ (Super Fine Extraloy) and ファイン・ダイナメタル (Fine Dynametal) magnetic materials
- Original binder system
- Dual coating
- マルチ・レイヤー・マグネティックス (Multi Layer Magnetics) (five layers)
- マルチ・セラミックコンポジット (Multi Ceramic Composite)
- アドバンスド・セラミックコンポジット・テープガイド (Advanced Ceramic Composite Tape Guide)
- パラレル・スプリング・パッド (Parallel Spring Pad)
- Accidental-erasure prevention plugs
- MP case
Magnetic Characteristics
- Coercivity: 96.5 kA/m (1213 Oe)
- Squareness ratio: 0.88
- Operating bias: 0 dB
- Sensitivity: 315 Hz +1.5 dB; 3.15 kHz +1.0 dB; 10 kHz +2.0 dB; 12.5 kHz +2.7 dB
- MOL: 315 Hz +8.5 dB; 10 kHz +1.0 dB
- AC bias noise: -60.0 dB
- Sensitivity variation: 0.3 dB
- Print-through: 52.0 dB; erasure: 70 dB; output fluctuation: 0.2 VU
Compared with IEC reference tape MJ507A.
Museum note: see our separate in-depth article on Sony Super Metal Master.