I haven’t noticed the width condition you’re describing, but I did have a problem recently editing some GP9. While attempting to scrub the tape slowly and mark my edit point, the guides on the 827 would wobble, causing the tape to output a warbling sound, making it difficult to fine tune the edit point. We put up a blank piece of tape and tried adjusting the edit-mode tension parameters, to no avail. We tried the tape on another 827 with marginally better but still not good results. I was finally able to perform the edit on an Ampex MM1200, by disabling the transport and scrubbing the tape manually. In my previous experiences, scrubbing on an 827 has been smooth as silk, although I’ve mainly used Emtec 900 in the past. Is it likely that my difficulties were due to the tape formulation, or that there is a setup problem with the Studers? (I don’t know if the machines were tensioned specifically for GP9, and I tend to be suspicious of maintenance). I haven’t used GP9 much in the past (it does seem kind of heavy and thick) nor have I experienced such difficulty editing on a sophisticated machine like an 827, so I’m a bit puzzled.

-greasygoose