04.07.2024, 08:50
We can assume that PDM made most of their tapes themselves in Oosterhout, except for the obvious OEM cassettes from SKM and Genmag. Not sure about the ones from Germany (Magna) and Italy (Magnex). But their regular line-up of Tri-Oxide Ferro, Tri-Oxide Ferro HG, 500 Crolyn, 500 Crolyn HG, 1100 Metal should all be loaded with Dutch tape, regardless if in Philips shells and marked Made in Belgium/Holland, or in ICM shells and marked Made in Switzerland. Also the ater PDM FE, FE X, CD, CD X should be Oosterhout tapes, as long as they came in ICM shells.
Now what is still a mystery to me is that from ca 1983, the tapes in Philips' own line-up FE*I, UF*I, UC*II, MC*II were mostly different from the tapes in ICM cassettes. With the appearance of Philips FSX, UCX and MCX in ICM shells, they were identical again. Maybe I only have too few examples of those and the differences were not because of which brand they were sold under, but just the date of production. According to German Stereo, there was for example a "qiuet change" from FeCo to Chrome in the Philips MC*II bewteen their 1984 and 1985 cassette tests, so way before Philips and PDM started to out-source cassette production to SKM.
Regards
Martin
Now what is still a mystery to me is that from ca 1983, the tapes in Philips' own line-up FE*I, UF*I, UC*II, MC*II were mostly different from the tapes in ICM cassettes. With the appearance of Philips FSX, UCX and MCX in ICM shells, they were identical again. Maybe I only have too few examples of those and the differences were not because of which brand they were sold under, but just the date of production. According to German Stereo, there was for example a "qiuet change" from FeCo to Chrome in the Philips MC*II bewteen their 1984 and 1985 cassette tests, so way before Philips and PDM started to out-source cassette production to SKM.
Regards
Martin