Resurgence of Tape Cassettes
Discussion
How does everyone feel about this? Just pre-ordered Vampire Weekends new album (Gotta get that Orange vinyl SE) and there was an option for a cassette.. it was £8 compared to £25 so a much cheaper way of getting new music but still nearly as much as a month of Spotify premium
Has anyone even got any way of playing these? Classic cars without replacement MP3/CD head units?
What's the benefit of a tape vs CD? Just nostalgia? Full Hipster points?
Has anyone even got any way of playing these? Classic cars without replacement MP3/CD head units?
What's the benefit of a tape vs CD? Just nostalgia? Full Hipster points?
Just silly nostalgia for nostalgia sake, cassettes always were horribly compromised, especially the pre - req ones which were made of the cheapest grade tape, you were better getting the CD and making a copy onto a decent tape.
Ironically my dad who has a massive collection of home made compilation tapes was moaning a couple of years ago you can no longer buy an in car cassette player, I checked and unbelievably he was right! Nothing, piffling squat.
Ironically my dad who has a massive collection of home made compilation tapes was moaning a couple of years ago you can no longer buy an in car cassette player, I checked and unbelievably he was right! Nothing, piffling squat.
Teddy Lop said:
Ironically my dad who has a massive collection of home made compilation tapes was moaning a couple of years ago you can no longer buy an in car cassette player, I checked and unbelievably he was right! Nothing, piffling squat.
You'll pick one up s/h cheaply and easy enough at the usual places, I think i've got a couple gathering dust on a shelf in the workshop. The next problem will be fitting them in a modern car though, but stuff is available.
boxst said:
dundarach said:
Sorry and the other thing, virtually indestructible within normal use.
In that I can get tapes out from 30 years ago and play them with no issues what so ever.
The tape outside may be indestructible but the inside certainly isn't and degrades over time. In that I can get tapes out from 30 years ago and play them with no issues what so ever.
)3.5" floppies for the Amiga were often dead.
The microdrives (pain when new) work perfectly once you replace the little foam pads on them, indeed I have a video to prove it!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF99Cl_4MO8
So yes I'm sure they'll ultimately die a death, however as long as they outlive me, that'll do.
The whole point is, whether something is rubbish or not, doesn't diminish a persons enjoyment of it, I deliberately bought Videodrome on ex-rental big box VHS to watch, as that's exactly what the film is about....
Here's another tape working well after all these years:
dundarach said:
They certainly do, interestingly, all the computer tapes you see in that photo work perfectly. (I bought most of them 30 years ago, well my mum did )
3.5" floppies for the Amiga were often dead.
The microdrives (pain when new) work perfectly once you replace the little foam pads on them, indeed I have a video to prove it!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF99Cl_4MO8
So yes I'm sure they'll ultimately die a death, however as long as they outlive me, that'll do.
The whole point is, whether something is rubbish or not, doesn't diminish a persons enjoyment of it, I deliberately bought Videodrome on ex-rental big box VHS to watch, as that's exactly what the film is about....
Here's another tape working well after all these years:
That's great. I got rid of all of my computer equipment, although even back then some of the (Atari) floppy disks were degrading. )3.5" floppies for the Amiga were often dead.
The microdrives (pain when new) work perfectly once you replace the little foam pads on them, indeed I have a video to prove it!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF99Cl_4MO8
So yes I'm sure they'll ultimately die a death, however as long as they outlive me, that'll do.
The whole point is, whether something is rubbish or not, doesn't diminish a persons enjoyment of it, I deliberately bought Videodrome on ex-rental big box VHS to watch, as that's exactly what the film is about....
Here's another tape working well after all these years:
J8 SVG said:
How does everyone feel about this? Just pre-ordered Vampire Weekends new album (Gotta get that Orange vinyl SE) and there was an option for a cassette.. it was £8 compared to £25 so a much cheaper way of getting new music but still nearly as much as a month of Spotify premium
Has anyone even got any way of playing these? Classic cars without replacement MP3/CD head units?
What's the benefit of a tape vs CD? Just nostalgia? Full Hipster points?
Nostalgia, hours of fun winding the tape back and forth to find the one track you want, playing old tapes your friends chuck away. I still have a stack of audio tapes from decades ago. They all sound fine. Dubbed them to MiniDisk ten years ago, then, er, ripped the MiniDisks to Flac. Kept the tapes as backup. Has anyone even got any way of playing these? Classic cars without replacement MP3/CD head units?
What's the benefit of a tape vs CD? Just nostalgia? Full Hipster points?
Tape was/is a nice medium to record to, hiss aside, there's that lovely warm compression tone, or whatever it is. I no longer have a decent tape deck, but still have a cassette boombox. Sounds like 1970.
There are still cassette boomboxes on Amazon for that authentic scraping noise as the hubs go round.
I still use cassette and they often remind me how s
t they are compared to CDs and MPs.
I think the best option for music is a USB port or SD card whether in a car or at home. Bluetooth can be unreliable sometimes - had a 2018 GLC over Christmas and it kept dropping the BT link. Fortunately, it also had a USB port. Managed to pick up a cheapo hifi unit with a USB port.
t they are compared to CDs and MPs.I think the best option for music is a USB port or SD card whether in a car or at home. Bluetooth can be unreliable sometimes - had a 2018 GLC over Christmas and it kept dropping the BT link. Fortunately, it also had a USB port. Managed to pick up a cheapo hifi unit with a USB port.
In a lot cases its the cheapest form of physical merc that a fan buy to support the band. Its also more tactile and visual than digital music.
Lots of tapes come with download codes too.
A life line for lot of bands who have to find different ways to monetise their music as they now have to give it away for free via Spotify etc.
Lots of tapes come with download codes too.
A life line for lot of bands who have to find different ways to monetise their music as they now have to give it away for free via Spotify etc.
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