Casette thread

Let's see those collections!

Thank you East coast Xperia lain, I am reminded of something I can throw away to free up space.

>>1967 Your soul?

>>1968 Cassette soul music. So yes, my soul. lol -_-

Getting a new tape deck in the mail tomorrow ! It's an Onkyo TA-R301.

I have a fuarrrkton of old cassettes (mainly mexican music) that I've wanted to digitize for a while, but my ancient cassette player is broken. Do any lains have any guides on how to fix a cassette player?

>>2029 is it actually worth fixing? at least where I'm from, decent hifi cassette players practically grow on trees in thrift stores. apologies for not actually answering your question

>>1966 Is it worth getting into cassettes for audio reasons or is it purely aesthetic? I listen to a lot of retrowave and have been considering supporting some artists, who sell cassette tapes as well.

>>2030 You're lucky. I haven't seen either a decent cassette deck or turntable at a thrift store or garage sale in years. >>2051 Some scenes never gave up on cassettes, not just out of some hipster notion of aesthetics, more like stubborn luddism. Depending on what you're into, it could be worthwhile. Something I'd like to do is track down all the people I used to know who traded metal, noise, punk and every other thing by mail and ask to borrow sections of their old tape collections to digitize them and share them.

>>2052 I am a luddite despite being a computer engineer, so perhaps that mixes well with me. I just like emphasis on physical, analog technology versus the mass-digitization we're seeing today. I'm looking to make an amateur starting sound system for my study, but I'm not an audiophile nor am I up to date on everything someone needs. I'd prefer to be a little original and not buy an overpriced one-and-done set from Bose if possible.

>>2053 Some of the biggest luddites around come from computer backgrounds. It usually stems from having a system that works really well and then being told that it's going to be made obsolete without your consent. This isn't off topic either, it's the reason some people refused to give up cassettes. "I have it and it still works so F.U."

>>2054 Do you by chance have any recommendations for getting into tapes then? I was going to create a sound system with a vinyl and bluetooth set originally, but I think I want to incorporate a tape deck into it now as well. Should I just look around ebay?

>>2055 Honestly I lost most of my music and gear in a flood while I wasn't even in the country. It was all stored in my dad's house. That was stuff I'd been collecting since I was 13 and I haven't had the heart to start over. So I don't know what the best strategy for today is. But yeah... eBay I guess, is where people start.

>>2053 Definitely go with ebay. Onkyo decks are usually top tier for about 50-60 woolongs.

>>2056 >>2060 I purchased 2 denon bookshelf speakers from '93 and and a sony TC-WE305 tape deck yesterday at a thrift store. Now I'm going to try and find an integrated amplifier from a nearby shop, and if I can't I'll just be stuck getting a new one for the time-being at amazon. I'm a student and don't have the money for the prices they're charging on ebay, sadly

>>2063 I feel ya. My set up is kinda cobbled together atm. My record player needs work and my receiver is kinda sketch. I'd like a new receiver, but can't afford one for a while. I did get some new speakers though. They're Micca MB42 bookshelf speakers. Plenty loud for what I need.

Here is a list of my small collection. https://www.discogs.com/Youkai-Battle-Lolis-Guanoson-Youkai-Battle-Lolis-The-Guanoson/release/5030021 https://www.discogs.com/Adolphine-Hitler-卐卐卐卐卐卐卐卐卐ナシ卐卐卐卐卐卐卐卐卐卐卐/release/11656996 https://www.discogs.com/Catgirl-Sweet-Sweet-Noise/release/4143723 https://www.discogs.com/To-Die-Brad-Borejko-TT012-To-Die-Brad-Borejko/release/11035818 https://www.discogs.com/Himeko-Katagiri-I-Love-You-Azusa/release/5074580 https://www.discogs.com/Syndicate-Deathtrap/release/10733164 https://www.discogs.com/projectsinge-LogForData/release/6287119 https://www.discogs.com/Dj-Badman-Trance-Jungle/release/9250637 https://www.discogs.com/Ninja-McTits-Discogs-Fascists/release/10208393 https://www.discogs.com/Various-Thirteen-Weeks-Oneman/release/9834697 https://www.discogs.com/Compa-Ipman-Let-Them-Earths-Orbit/release/5673166 https://www.discogs.com/Slupr-Possessed/release/8257942 https://www.discogs.com/L-G-Untitled/release/8257922 https://www.discogs.com/High-In-Chinatown-High-in-Chinatown/release/8257930 https://www.discogs.com/Pressure-Cooker-Relief-Valve-Untitled/release/11938789 https://www.discogs.com/Mmmoowwcowtitugz-In-the-Living-Room-at-the-141-Slug-Oven/release/8257940 https://www.discogs.com/AxH-Tokyo-EP-Extended/release/12212080

>>1966 I wish I had that ace of base tape

>>2191 Is there any way you could post rips of some of these tapes? I'll admit that I'm more than intrigued by Adolphine.

>>2330 I can rip some of these but they are very low quality, if you are fine with that let me know what tapes you want and I'll eventually get around to them.

>>2491 Any one of them really, but if I must choose I would say the Adolphine Hitler tape, it seems to be the most absurdly edgy one.

>>2329 It was my moms. Had it hanging around since I was a kid.

>>1966 >Mourning Effort nice I'll have to take a picture of some of my more interesting cassettes at some point. I have a Saint Pepsi tape which apparently sold for 500 bucks on discogs once. Seems a bit ridiculous though, most of the others sold for much cheaper.

I've cracked about 60% of the jewel cases of my (admittedly small) tape collection. How am I supposed to travel with tapes? I can't just chuck them in my bag because something might snag the tape. For now I've settled travelling with two tapes, one in my walkman, and the other in a conveniently-sized compartment of my bag, but I'd like to take along 4-5 on the weekends.

Some new additions! I'm expecting a Waxahache tape soon too. Unfortunately, my tape deck needs a new belt.

>>2583 Tape cases used to exist. With hard plastic or wood slots to protect them. You could dig up a portable one now, but it might take a little looking. Pretty easy to make a little one out of wood though.

>>2583 There used to be slim, soft plastic cases that weren't brittle. They made it cheaper to send tapes in the mail. You'll have to leave the sleeves at home and I don't know where you'd find these cases now.

>tfw get back home after a month and my mother has thrown out most of my cassettes >not even mad, just sad I managed to save The Matrix, but not much else

Got a copy of Amma and Yung Bae on the way! Now if only Saint Pepsi would put hit vibes on tape my favorite future funk albums would all be on physical media.

>>1966 Nice japanese breakfast collection.

>>2699 Thanks! I've been a fan of hers for years. My copy of Big American Sound was the first new tape I bought in years, and the first thing I bought off bandcamp. I can tell she hand copied it too, because the input was too loud, and the tape is really quiet. Still, I like it.

I'm just starting in here, but I'm wondering about decks. I picked up a Sharp RT-W800 in seemingly good condition at a thrift store. It's clean and sounds nice, I'm just wondering about whether or not it's going to destroy tapes long term. And other than eating tapes, what concerns are their for cheaper models? If the thing will keep from destroying my tapes it's perfect in my mind, sounds nice, I can record, I just really don't want to get some limited stuff and destroy it.

>>2600 That sailorwave looks awesome!

>>2702 It's a decent model. It's got auto reverse, dolby b and can play type 1,2 and 4 tapes. Pretty much all you need. Other than the belts wearing out, make sure the capstans, pinch rollers and play heads are clean. >>2703 Thanks!

My industrial section

>>2721 We would have been pals if we met in high school. Bonus points for Pailhead; best thing to come out of the Ministry camp and the best thing Ian Mackaye ever sang on.

>>2191 Some more tapes I have gotten. https://www.discogs.com/Unknown-Artist-Moog-Plays-Pop/release/12632005 https://www.discogs.com/Reserving-Dirtnaps-and-Tom-Skeemask-Look-At-Us-Wrong--/release/12535291 https://www.discogs.com/CDR-is like kicking dead whales down the beach/release/12471601 https://www.discogs.com/Haizai-Audio-Live-In-Shin-Kusoikore-2018722/release/12448467 https://www.discogs.com/Haizai-Audio-SatoShin-Haizai-Audio--SatoShin-Split/release/12021840 https://www.discogs.com/AxH-Tokyo-EP-Extended/release/12212080

>>2760 How did you end up with that Reserving Dirtnaps tape?

>>1966 nice psychopomp! did she write you a note too?

>>2773 I can't remember, but this was the era when she mailed stuff out herself, so probably. I've got all that stuff in a box. She sent me a Card Captor Sakura card when I ordered a shirt from her once. I love it when bands go the extra step and put little extras like that with the tape.

>>2768 I bought it from here https://reservingdirtnaps.bandcamp.com/album/look-at-us-wrong

Still waiting for my AMA tape. Dang Neon City you were supposed to ship it two weeks ago!

Where do you guys find new cassettes to buy? Searching on discogs seems pretty time-consuming. I don't really want to just spend $15-20 on new vaporwave and retrowave releases either. I feel like it'd almost be easier to just record my own tapes via a line-IN, but then your library is a bunch of blank tapes. What do?

>>2894 I only purchase cassettes at shows and record stores. The process of finding them is what makes collecting them fun.

>>2895 That's why I miss actual record stores. Sure there's one near my house, nominally at least, but mostly they sell T-shirts and box sets of TV shows. I miss the times when every non-chain record store had racks and racks of used tapes to dig through. Then again, this was the only way for my friends to hear certain things which we'd only read about before the days of online services, so a couple of dollars isn't a bad gamble for something you may or may not like after you get home. More than that was the randomness of it, not knowing what was going to be there every week.

>>2894 I usually get my tapes from band camp. Either the artists will make it themselves, or will be on an indie label who will have them made. I like to pick them up at shows too. I don't go to discos unless I'm looking for something old and out of print. I got a copy of Shonen Knife Let's Knife that way.

>>2894 You can just print your own J-cards and tape covers. It's just kind of lame in my mind to have nothing but bootlegs you made your self.

Finally got my Amma. Probably last tape I'll buy this year.

I decided to pull the trigger on wolfclub's chasing the storm since there were only 3 copies left. I'm going to thrift around a bit and see if I can land any steals before buying any more modern cassettes

that fuarrrking morning effort cassette

>>2559 >>2954 I'm surprised anybody has ever heard of it. The tape sounds GOD AWFUL. He even sent a note with an apology for the sound when I got it hahaha! Still kinda cool to have though.

OP. Over the past year of mining for all this stuff across the whole entire world I found these inside the net.

How do I get a tape deck for recording and fuarrrking for really cheap

>>2894 The only place I've found so far that sells NEW packaged cassettes in person is called Waltz, in Meguro. There's a good selection of classic rock, old hip-hop, and some film soundtracks, they also feature new artists both domestically and internationally. >>3013 Audio repair shops/record stores sometimes sell them. Expect to spend around 100USD for secondhand with good sound quality.

>>2960 Haha To this date one of the worst sounding tapes I have ever gotten was I'll Get Over it I Guess by Guest House released on Driftwood Recs before the dude that ran it got outed as an abuser or something. Underappreciated little EP though

What does /music/ think about cassettes, and whole cassette culture? I have one bootleg I like (made by my friend, it's Rez OST), I want to print a better cover for it and make some more bootlegs of my own (was thinking of Lain OST and Cyberia Remix album songs, but idk.)

I honestly love cassettes, they have a unique charm to them, they tend to feel more personal in my opinion. As well as if you are into music production, recording things to a cassette and than manipulating them with the recorders mixer and effects as you record those sounds into a DAW is great fun and can yield some amazing results in sound design.

>>3262 Cassettes were part of my childhood, since in car we mostly listened to tapes, at home too. There's just something so nostalgic that even tho quality on some prerecorded tapes can be bad, you still want to listen to it

I understand why the culture itself is coming back, I think everyone who was around in the 80s/90s misses sharing music around their friends on physical media What I don't understand is why tape, of all formats, is coming back. It's an objectively awful format for listening to music >audio quality degrades >will likely play at the wrong speed, or worse, fluctuate between speeds >gigantic noise floor >needs noise reduction for the gigantic noise floor, introducing more artifacts >needs to be rewound and flipped I guess I was too excited to see CDs and digital audio replace them that I don't feel any nostalgia for the little pieces of soykaf.

>>3267 I think it's tape because it's most portable format out there, since it's even smaller than CDs.

>>2896 Those stores are still there, they are just fewer and farther between. It's worth making regular pilgrimages to keep them alive. >>3267 The low audio quality of tapes combined with their high portability and ease of replication attracts artist/genre fanatics without attracting the cost prohibitive audiophile hanger-on culture that vinyl collection has attracted. Additionally, tape sections to buy from in the meatspace are rarer than other media and tend to include a smaller cross section of music than others due to the general dead nature of the medium. A side effect of this is that selections are more eclectic. This all makes collection more fun for those of us that feel put off by vinyl culture as it has been embraced and transformed in the mainstream in the last few years and bored by being able to find anything on CD in any store. Finally, the tactile experience of tapes is comforting and nostalgia-inducing to those of us who experienced the transition to CDs as children. On a personal level, I just think they're neat.

>>3448 > On a personal level, I just think they're neat. That's enough then. People make a big deal about storage space and argue online about digital vs. analog, or this digital medium vs. another digital medium but music is supposed to be art or entertainment. I don't care about efficiency, I care about enjoying it. I miss having something to fold out and read, not just having a 1000x1000 jpg with the filename "cover".

Allright so how the furrrryack am I supposed to listen to cassettes? I have a garbo-tier player from amazon and a boombox from the 90s, but I want portability. I'd love a walkman but last time I checked they basically don't make them anymore and the sony ones on ebay are all $300+ and questionably in working order. Advize?

>>3608 An Amazon search for "portable cassette player" yields multiple sub-$20 options for Walkman-shaped-objects. I haven't tried one but I just might.

>>1966 10/10 taste for Japanese Breakfast