Cassette tape revival

You can .... but gone are the days of going into a stereo store and finding walls of gear, everywhere you look. :cry:

This to me is a sad commentary on society. "Advancements" in technology seem to be increasingly replacing something truly great with something terribly convenient.
 
I share your sentiment. Of stores that no longer exist, what I really miss the most is Tower Records. They had EVERYTHING (recordings). If they didn't have it, it just wasn't ever recorded.
Fondly remember going into Tower in LA (I'm British) in the 90s - they had a machine that would make your own compilation tapes for you.
Here comes your man and Birthday, Sugarcubes spring to mind 😍
 
This to me is a sad commentary on society. "Advancements" in technology seem to be increasingly replacing something truly great with something terribly convenient.

You have a enviable level of skill with framing issues in compelling ways, wouldn’t you agree?
 
Leaving them in the car didn't help.
And what's the point of music if you can't play it in the car?

And the portability of cassettes was the whole point IMO. They clearly were no substitute for vinyl records. Cassettes provided a "good enough" way to listen to audio on the go.
 
Been there, done that. I kinda get the nostalgia aspect, but man, I really don't want to relive that technology. I looooooved my vinyl album collection, but again, I'm not looking back with heartache.
I relate with this. I think the people who are mostly interested in the old analog ways are the ones that didn't necessarily live through those days. As nostalgic as I can feel about threading an old reel-to-reel deck, or playing a record, I've never forgotten what you had to go through to get a clean signal recorded, or how good your system had to be to play back a nice analog recording. Back then it all mattered and it cost alot of money to do it right. Now, any digital mp3 file sounds OK coming off your phone into your wireless bluetooth earbuds. Any recording I make using digital technology is just clean and I no longer have to think about making a bad recording with budget equipment.
I loved shooting film too in my photography, but staying with the times just meant everything got easier, too. Why I would go back permanently to those analog ways is befuddling to me. I can't do it. I've got too many other things that occupy my time so I'm not so hung up on "analog perfection" anymore.
 
I can't remember which artist said it, but i was listening to the radio while driving to work and that guy said he actually liked the sound of the album (and mix) on casette better. Can imagine that it can do something with the ambiance.

Was looking for a casettedeck for nostalgic reasons, but like posted before they're really expensive. I still have some old tapes lying around at my parents and would love to listen to them some day. Would also like to have a cd player, but those a pricey too! Just hate to start up my Xbox every time i want to listen to a cd, while a cd player boots up almost immediately.

I grew up when the cd was the main media, but my dad still had vinyl records. I got a vinyl player few years ago and actually prefer it over cd. Compared to cd's (or digital media) the sound is a but muddy, but the reminds me more of the raw sounds when performing live. Downside is obviously that they need a lot of space. But we live in a great time where there are tons of options. When cooking in the kitchen the Marshall bluetooth speaker and my phone is more than enough, but i like once in a while just so sit in my couch, put a vinyl record on and just sit and enjoy it. Just something about having to manually put it on the table, put the needle on and halfway through flip the record.
 
One of the other downsides of vinyl is you have to get up every 20 minutes or so to turn it over, or lift the needle. I had forgotten. To me the CD is STILL the perfect format. Streaming is great for discovery, to check out an artist or record someone has recommended, but streaming itself is too ephemeral for me. I like to own something, read the liner notes etc.
 
all of this cassette talk makes me glad that I did not get rid of my old cassette players. And the ~2000 cassettes I have from back in the day. I wonder how many off them will even work?
 
My 22 year old collects cassettes. For him it’s all about the player. He bought a couple of vintage (what else is there?) 70’s Pioneer decks. He’s an engineer and loves the mechanical aspect. He has a couple of reel to reel‘s for the same reason. Just wants to see them light up and move. I totally get that.
 
To me the CD is STILL the perfect format. Streaming is great for discovery, to check out an artist or record someone has recommended, but streaming itself is too ephemeral for me. I like to own something, read the liner notes etc.
When I was going through John Riley’s books I signed up for Apple Music to work through his recommended listening list. I never looked back. The ability to discover has been invaluable for the learning process. At this point I would have piles of unwanted CD’s if were it not for streaming music, but I agree that CD’s are optimal for owning recordings.
 
One thing that makes me nostalgic about these formats is that people were forced to listen to whatever one album they were able to buy occassionally, and that made them more open to different kinds of music and maybe listen more closely. Today if you click "like" on a song, you are served with another hundred of the same, which I can also appreciate, but wonder how much it can help people broaden their tastes. There is a wider selection easily available, but people's tolerance to anything new may be much lower. Pros and cons.

Also thinking that artists may get no money from streaming, but could earn some from physical formats and merch, so I like to show my support sometimes by buying such items. In that sense for me CDs and cassettes are similar things to a hat or a hoodie, just maybe less useful. :)
 
Goodness I loved my tapes. Unfortunately I had a cursed tape that corrupted my last 2 players. It's was Deep Purple - Made in Japan. Still occasionally buy them when I can
 
as far as streaming goes, when I follow a new artist, I buy a shirt from them, usually as direct as I can. It allows me to support and "spread the word"

I agree thhat streaming makes more sense from a storage standpoint. I own over 5000 cd's, and they have all moved with me the past 3 times <---- that sux
 
all of this cassette talk makes me glad that I did not get rid of my old cassette players. And the ~2000 cassettes I have from back in the day. I wonder how many off them will even work?
I dont have that many, but have a lot (couple hundred). They all move freely and "work" properly, but time has not been nice. I gave up trying to play them because they sound horrible and keep snapping. I dont think the tape itself does time well. All the plastic is still fantastic lol.
 
I have Lots of tapes and room full of audio gear here .........I’m sick in the head.....in a good way .........my car has original cassette and CD changer ..........they work just fine
 
When Punk and Hardcore bands were releasing recordings on cassette tape, the phrase I kept hearing was "No respect till vinyl." Even back then, cassettes were seen as grossly inferior. So I can't understand at all why cassettes would have a resurgence.
 
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When Punk and Hardcore bands were releasing recording on cassette tape, the phrase I kept hearing was "No respect till vinyl." Even back then, cassettes were seen as grossly inferior. So I can't understand at all why cassettes would have a resurgence.

The exact same reason some older men want restored Chevelles or Corvettes or Mustangs from the 60s and 70s, instead of much faster, better-performing, and more reliable muscle cars of today.
 
I dont have that many, but have a lot (couple hundred). They all move freely and "work" properly, but time has not been nice. I gave up trying to play them because they sound horrible and keep snapping. I dont think the tape itself does time well. All the plastic is still fantastic lol.

yeah..I would imagine most of mine have deteriorated over the past 40 years or so... it wasn't like the plastic they used for the tape itself was the best quality

When Punk and Hardcore bands were releasing recording on cassette tape, the phrase I kept hearing was "No respect till vinyl." Even back then, cassettes were seen as grossly inferior. So I can't understand at all why cassettes would have a resurgence.

yeah..but...I also remember a TON of punk and hXc bands totally relying on tape trading and mix tapes to get their sounds out too. Hsl the un of a show was going to the parking lot afterwards and buying/trading tapes.. That is where you met other bands to play with as well
 
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