Studio Alchemist NAB Adapters

My first impression of the new NAB adapters from Taiwan was very good. They are very solidly made of full material and feel good in the hand. The removable latch has three sockets on the bottom that screw into a bayonet lock on the mount after a tape reel is placed on it. Plastic pieces, each with two recessed screws, have been attached to the ends of the three "wings" of the latch to protect the surfaces of the reel core during tightening. This is much needed because these adapters make a very tight connection when turned until they snap into place. The bottom part is the base, which is locked onto the tape machine by a trident. It lies flat and also rotates accordingly without any vertical or lateral runout. At this point, I would like to point out that when handling the removable latches, you have to be very careful that they don't slip out of your hand and leave damage on surfaces by falling down.

The tape reel is pressed onto the base when it is put on. In this process, the three long pegs provide the guide. The coil is centered with the three short pegs, which are spring-loaded. Then the shutter is put on and tightened.

The weight is 312 g per complete adapter. By comparison, a darklab adapter weighs 156 g, exactly half that. If one uses the Studio Alchemist with a "light" tape machine from the consumer sector, I suggest to check in advance of the purchase if the weight ratios are balanced. Since these adapters center very well, I don't see an issue regarding any mechanical stresses affecting the tape winding motor bearings.

With the Studio Alchemist NAB Isolator, form and function correlate to a high degree. The design and also the finish are perfectly done and give a more valuable and professional look to any adequate tape machine. I chose the pair in silver/silver. If you like it colorful, you can mix or match the creations with blue, red, gold and silver color scheme. The 0.8 mm thick base plate of the base always remains in silver color, but is no longer visible under an applied coil.

Note: This adapter cannot clamp all tape spools available on the market. The most common variety of reels is 11.5mm thick, there is no problem here. There are some reels that are about 12.3 mm thick. With these, the bayonet lock no longer grips. They cannot be clamped. When I asked the manufacturer, I received the answer that he has optimized his adapters to "standard thicknesses". I could not find a standard or norm for tape reels. He sees no problem if I write this note that his NAB adapters are limited to a so-called "standard flange thickness".

Product: https://sepeaaudio.com/studio-alchemist-reel-tape-accessories/

Contact: orders@sepeaaudio.com Tel.: +421905612447

Photos: Claus Müller