A hard disk drive includes a disk having a servo region and data tracks. The servo region has servo data for formatting some of the data tracks for high capacity storage and others of the data tracks for low capacity storage. A head writes user data to the high capacity tracks in response to vibration less than a threshold value, and otherwise writes the user data to the low capacity tracks.

An apparatus according to one embodiment includes a plurality of first modules each having a first write transducer. The apparatus further includes a plurality of second modules each having a second write transducer. Planes of deposition of write gaps of the second write transducers are oriented at an angle of greater than 4 degrees relative to planes of deposition of write gaps of the first write transducers. The media bearing surfaces of the modules are primarily planar, and lie along offset parallel planes. An apparatus according to another embodiment includes a first module having a plurality of first write transducers. The apparatus further includes a second module having a plurality of second write transducers. Planes of deposition of write gaps of the second write transducers are oriented at an angle of greater than 4 degrees relative to planes of deposition of write gaps of the first write transducers.

An apparatus according to one embodiment includes a plurality of first modules each having a first write transducer. The apparatus further includes a plurality of second modules each having a second write transducer. Planes of deposition of write gaps of the second write transducers are oriented at an angle of greater than 4 degrees relative to planes of deposition of write gaps of the first write transducers. The media bearing surfaces of the modules are primarily planar, and lie along offset parallel planes. An apparatus according to another embodiment includes a first module having a plurality of first write transducers. The apparatus further includes a second module having a plurality of second write transducers. Planes of deposition of write gaps of the second write transducers are oriented at an angle of greater than 4 degrees relative to planes of deposition of write gaps of the first write transducers.

A computer program product for writing a servo track includes a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith. The program instructions are executable by a computer. The program instructions cause the computer to monitor a lateral position of a magnetic tape passing over a servo writing head during a servo track writing operation and write servo marks to the magnetic tape. A timing of the writing of each mark is based on the monitored position of the magnetic tape. A computer program product for writing a servo track includes a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith. The program instructions are executable by a computer. The program instructions cause the computer to optically monitor a lateral position of a magnetic tape passing over a servo writing head during a servo track writing operation.

According to one embodiment, a method includes running a magnetic recording tape over an edge of a tape bearing surface of a module, where the edge is proximate to a sensor of the module, detecting magnetic fields from the magnetic recording tape at different wrap angles, and selecting one of the wrap angles of the magnetic recording tape to provide about a predefined height of tenting of the magnetic recording tape above the sensor.

According to one embodiment, a method includes running a magnetic recording tape over an edge of a tape bearing surface of a module, where the edge is proximate to a sensor of the module, detecting magnetic fields from the magnetic recording tape at different wrap angles, and selecting one of the wrap angles of the magnetic recording tape to provide about a predefined height of tenting of the magnetic recording tape above the sensor.

A tape drive-implemented method, according to one embodiment, includes: using formatting information which corresponds to a magnetic tape loaded in the tape drive to identify wraps on the magnetic tape. Identifying wraps on the magnetic tape includes: identifying an outermost wrap on the magnetic tape on a first side of the magnetic tape, and identifying an outermost wrap on the magnetic tape on a second side of the magnetic tape. A procedure is also performed for each of the wraps identified using the formatting information. Performing the procedure for a given one of the wraps includes: sending one or more instructions to position a magnetic head of the tape drive over the given wrap, and collecting PES information which corresponds to the given wrap.

An apparatus includes a module having a tape bearing surface, a first edge, and a second edge, where a first tape tenting region of the tape bearing surface extends from the first edge along the tape bearing surface toward the second edge. A guide is positioned relative to the first edge for inducing tenting of a moving magnetic recording tape and to create a point of inflection of the moving magnetic recording tape at a location above the tape bearing surface that is about midway between a peak of the tenting and a point of closest approach of the moving magnetic recording tape to the tape bearing surface. A sensor is located in a thin film region of the module. The sensor has a free layer. The location of the point of inflection of the moving magnetic recording tape is between the free layer and the second edge.

An apparatus includes a module having a tape bearing surface, a first edge, and a second edge, where a first tape tenting region of the tape bearing surface extends from the first edge along the tape bearing surface toward the second edge. A guide is positioned relative to the first edge for inducing tenting of a moving magnetic recording tape and to create a point of inflection of the moving magnetic recording tape at a location above the tape bearing surface that is about midway between a peak of the tenting and a point of closest approach of the moving magnetic recording tape to the tape bearing surface. A sensor is located in a thin film region of the module. The sensor has a free layer. The location of the point of inflection of the moving magnetic recording tape is between the free layer and the second edge.

An apparatus according to one embodiment includes a module having a tape bearing surface, a magnetic transducer in a thin film region, and an edge closest to the transducer. A guide is positioned relative to the edge for inducing tenting of a moving magnetic recording tape above a tape tenting region of the tape bearing surface. The magnetic transducer is positioned along the tape tenting region. The magnetic transducer is positioned a distance from a location on the tape bearing surface directly under a peak that is more than one-fourth the length from the location directly under the peak to the edge closest thereto.