Disk Alliance Announces special issue Classic cassette – the new UD-60U released in partnership with Maxell. The two companies are clearly hoping to appeal to nostalgic shoppers.
Image source:diskunion.net
Disk Union made it clear that the tapes were meant to evoke nostalgia for those who grew up with the original UD series, and playfully encouraged them to record music on vinyl on them. The recording quality of iron oxide-based Type I tapes is inferior to the more expensive chrome-plated Type II and “metallic” Type IV tapes, which are also used for high-quality music recording. But regular Type I tapes are familiar to retro computer enthusiasts: In the 1970s and 1980s, they were widely used to store programs and data on home 8-bit computers, including the Commodore VIC-20 and Plus/4, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, MSX and BBC Micro.
The Maxell UD series of tapes debuted in 1970 as a low-noise, mass-market product line. Later, Maxell began using a purer magnetic layer based on gamma hematite. UD cassettes are also used by major music publishers to release albums, and their main competitors include TDK SD and Sony HF.
Maxell UD’s resurgence began in 2016, when the Japanese manufacturer began selling cassettes in retro packaging. Last year, Maxell and Disk Union released the first batch of resurrected UDs, which aroused strong interest from buyers. Now, these companies have prepared new versions. Each box retails for 990 yen ($6.25), and three boxes retail for 2,900 yen ($18.28).
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