The Cassette thread

Still use it now and again. VHS sounds great.

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Did this not long ago, video and audio str8 to VHS. No post processing that I can remember either.

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More on the ‘new’ Technics deck. I was expecting some kind of lo-fi sound, but what I get is quite excellent.

I’ve bought a 24-bit 96k WAV download of Nils Frahm’s latest album and recorded it onto chrome tape. — a TDK SA90. If I didn’t know I was listening to a tape, I’d assume it was, well, something better.

Next is a test to A/B this recording with the Apple Music AAC version.

I’m having so much fun. I’m even thinking about picking up a Walkman!

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Yes even good ferric tapes can give excellent quality too, I think much of cassettes bad rep comes from poor decks and users not knowing how to record onto them properly, certainly back in the day my recordings varied a lot in quality as I didn’t have the knowledge I have today, and of course in those pre-internet times it meant info was much harder to find.

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I only listen to cassettes

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For everyone interested in syncronising sequencers or eurorack gear to a tape, using the old school “click-track” method, I have got two boxes to check out:

The Klik takes audio and generates eurorack compliant pulses … price is about EUR 55,-

https://www.e-rm.de/multiclock/

The Multiclock takes audio and generates Midi … price is about EUR 520,-

Just ordered the Bastl Klik to check it out with my Pyramid …

i am in the middle of repairing a walkman d6c it’s quite the project lol

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I always wanted to get some of my stuff on cassettes, now it seems I finally did it :alien:

got a bunch of C60 tapes, recorded a 50 minutes set and added a couple of tracks for filling the tape.
Spent last weekend duplicating them and designing the cover.

I think they turned out quite well :male_detective:

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Man all these cassette cover designs look so nice! Kinda refreshing actually, to see some music artwork that‘s not the standard square digital album cover - not to speak of the additional love that goes into cassette production anyways.

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I have a tradition of collecting my favourite albums in all three formats LP/CD/MC and when I have the holy trinity I take a group photo of them and put the cd in the fleamarket bin to sell it. I could always up the ante and also try to get them on MD too but that would be near impossible.

It’s really nice to have classic album artworks you’ve known and loved for years in a weird non-rectangular size. As a graphic designer I would hate the extra work involved in designing in all different sizes but as a collector it’s quite satisfying to have Music For The Jilted Generation, Dummy or Homework on cassette.

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Thanks! I think that a cover design like this works fine with cassettes given their rectangular shape, I’ll probably design something completely different for the next project though

there is also a folded inner sleeve with a couple of extra black and white artworks, I’ll get a pic of it later

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Getting set!

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Damn - look at those fancy cassettes! I went the ultra-cheap route and got the reject box from duplication.ca. 20 cassettes meant for “art projects” that may or may not work. Out of that box, I think I got 6 in unknown lengths that look usable (one was cracked, but otherwise fine). 2 or 3 that were fine, but didn’t have any metal tape on the spools just the leader. and the balance (12 or so) were just broken where the tape meets the leader. Considering I’m planning on using these for experimenting and making some tape loops, I’m OK with the mix. I get to practice splicing / joining by attempting to repair the tapes with broken leaders. I also get to have some of that sense of recycling / up-cycling by taking plastic discards and turning it into something usable. Coffee must be kicking in as I think I’m rambling at the moment. In any case, you guys are getting me all excited for recording to cassette!

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There’s no denying, tapes are sexy. I also LOVED minidiscs. Was so sad when they ended.

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Did some tape sampling last night.
Gonna put it in the AnalogRytm, see if I can get any granular goodness out of ol Gazza


image

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This thread makes me wanna try recording to tape. I could get a Tascam Syncaset 134 locally. Any opinions about it?

no apologies for spamming the cassette thread with an acid cassette release that sounds way better on tape than cold digital.

also i’ve reached 303 followers so seems to be entirely viable and guilt free
tb55

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Haha, your are hitting that tape hard with the 606 :wink: I have a lot of stuff I did in the late 80’s with this sound on the 606, I think a 606+Cassette is pure win! Every sound in the 606 sounds amazing hitting cassette hard :heart_eyes:

Just want to say how infinitely better (polar opposite) this thread is than the GS version.
<3 tape

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I acquired over 1000 cassettes around 10 years ago, with the intention of selling them on eBay, but it was too much hassle, so I gave them all to charity apart from 1. I am more a singles person, but I liked the way cassette design mirrored their single releases from that time period. Custard or cheese burger yellow anyone!

Speaking about cassette restoration, this quite a good youtube channel if you are into classic hiphop and early dancehall/heavy dub.

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