I have an issue with high flux tape (SM900, GP9, etc.). Yes it has higher headroom, but when you hit the top of that headroom, the distortion is really hard and unmusical. It can sound cool on drums (I think of Rick Rubin's production of 'System of a Down') but it doesn't offer the *sound* that people crave tape for for most instruments. I think of the Beatles' recordings, around Rubber Soul, and I have that stuff on the original vinyl in good condition, and there's no problem with tape hiss at all and the recordings sound perfectly compressed. I am under the impression that they were just slamming the 1/4" 2-track super hard with the low-flux tape of the time, and that made for a really smooth compressor. Am I wrong?
Nicholas