• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Are cassettes like a drug?

MetalFisher

MetalFisher

Semi-Vintage fan
After I found my Pioneer CT-W900R deck at the local goodwill and got it working well, my enthusiasm for cassettes came back with a vengeance after umpteen years. They just have a "charm" that CDs and MP3s do not. (I hate CDs and MP3s are just functional/practical)
I had a couple other decks but one is awaiting a part and the other got tossed after stripping a gear.

So anyways, I like to record stuff off the radio. Not often but if I can get my lazy butt out of bed on Sundays in time for Casey Kasum's AT-40 reruns from the 80's, that will be my main recordings.

I find though that I am wanting to collect blank tapes. Right now I own only 9 and awaiting 6 more (Maxell UR 90's) from ebay.

We have a couple people here who own several hundred blanks. Are blank tapes just the thing a lot of us just collect? As they are usually dirt cheap for NIP at thrift stores, seems an inexpensive luxury.
 
Register to hide this ad
Yes.

In the 2 years I've been back into vinyl my collection is sitting at 600+. In just six months my cassette collection has jumped to nearly 550 counting blanks.

For me is the price and availability of albums I want. It's not about the format for me but about the music (and yes I know all about how cassettes suck). When you can get cassettes for 10-50 cents for the same albums that would cost 20 dollars or more in used shops it's hard to pass up the cassette.

As for blank cassettes I just get them locally. Ebay is way way to expensive, even on cheap cassettes, compared to what you can find them for in thrifts and flea markets. I've bought over two dozen Maxell XLII cassettes for less than what just two would cost on ebay. It's all about just being willing to wait.
 
Got a teac v700 and playing a tape through
That is great
I pick up tapes and blanks where ever i can
Mainy chome ferro chromes so far
 
Back in the 80s when I bought my first CD player and though albums to be on the way out, I recorded most of what I had to Cassette and sold/gave away my records. (still kicking myself for that one)

I still have a higher end Onkyo-Integra single side deck and many of the old tapes aside from the lower volume and tiny hiss, sound much better than many of today's CDs.
 
some of the newer pre-recorded tapes have better tape and transports. Not as good as the high end tapes but much better than early tapes. If I find an album I like on a newer cassette recorded in HX-Pro I typically buy it. I often find these at garage sales very, very cheap.
 
To answer the OP's question...yes.
I enjoy recording the local classic rock station Thursday Vinyl selection. Sent a msg to the PD and he said there's no digital link, not 100% on that but I've made some really nice recordings so far. Nothing like the nostalgia of recording off the radio, the original playlist.
 
Although I do not for one minute think that cassettes, even the best of them, are any match for other formats in terms of music reproduction, I confess to liking them.

I recently obtained a Tascam 102 for 99 cents from eBay. I was shocked no one bid against me. Working condition, three heads, Dolby B, C, and HXPro, what's not to like?

I cleaned it up and it works great. I like to play with it. I do not need it. But I still spent an hour recently taping a Minidisc and then playing it back on cassette. I'm a lunatic.
 
MetalFisher said:
After I found my Pioneer CT-W900R deck at the local goodwill and got it working well, my enthusiasm for cassettes came back with a vengeance after umpteen years. They just have a "charm" that CDs and MP3s do not. (I hate CDs and MP3s are just functional/practical)
I had a couple other decks but one is awaiting a part and the other got tossed after stripping a gear.

So anyways, I like to record stuff off the radio. Not often but if I can get my lazy butt out of bed on Sundays in time for Casey Kasum's AT-40 reruns from the 80's, that will be my main recordings.

I find though that I am wanting to collect blank tapes. Right now I own only 9 and awaiting 6 more (Maxell UR 90's) from ebay.

We have a couple people here who own several hundred blanks. Are blank tapes just the thing a lot of us just collect? As they are usually dirt cheap for NIP at thrift stores, seems an inexpensive luxury.
Click to expand...

I have one as well and I found mine thrown out in a backlane!
The Pioneer CT-W900R was one of their best dual well capable of recording on both sides/2 - 1st generations copies so no more dubbing or loss of quality!I have the CT-F900 as well among others and the 900 sounds as good or better than the others.Finding new or NOS Blanks Tapes around at Local Thrifts are no problem and usually 50 cents :thmbsp:
 
With the internet, it's pretty easy to convince yourself to buy cassettes in bulk when good deals come along. I never really got to do this back in the day. You can get quite a few way cheaper than you could get in the 80's. At this point, I'm looking for a few for the nostalgia, as my deck gets great results even with TDK D and Maxell UR tapes.
 
Any pre-recorded cassette I come across that's no more than 10p I just have to buy (as long as it's not classical,country etc).. And yep,there's just something real nice about watching a cassette playing in a nice deck.. Also,some can sound just as good if not better than their CD equivalents when played back on a TOTL deck.
 
mrdbdigital said:
You can listen to Classic American Top 40 hosted by Casey Kasem on the following link:
http://www.iheart.com/live/Classic-American-Top-40-6545/
They have been running a tribute of various shows and year end count downs since he passed away.
They say the shows have been re-mastered, and they sound really good!
Enjoy!
Click to expand...

Casey WAS the master. I just heard on the radio about his passing. Being the first host, he was the father of AT40 and passed on Father's day.

I think his shows are going to sound a little different now, and it has nothing to do with remastering, cassette brand etc.
Thank you for that link. And thank YOU, Casey, for many great memories.
 
I started buying cassettes from Columbia House in the early seventies and have always liked them, still have some of those in my cassette case, when it comes to blank tapes, I like the Teac cassettes that look like a reel to reel and they look very cool when played on a smooth running player:D
 
Those reel to reel cassettes are cool looking. Weren't they mostly problematic though? I used to have some years ago. I do not remember much about them except there was more tape than could fit on the reel so anything recorded the first few minutes was slightly garbled, I guess from the tape not having a solid surface to wind.
 
I recently got two nice cassette decks. Luxman suckface and Pioneer 900 like the OP has.

I look on ebay and it's ridiculous the price they want for tape!!! I have seen single tapes going for over 20 dollars EACH!!!!?!?!?!?!

What is that?
 
Yep, a reel drug. Though I have more vinyl than cassette albums, it's just barely, and virtually all are in the last 4 years, vs vinyl since the 70s! For me, it was the bargain availability of true TOTL tape decks for fractions of what they were, though their recent popularity surge has brought prices way up, and at least in these parts, all the thrifts stopped carrying cassettes as well. Except for the occasional clueless score (like recent CR-7 for $25) the real bargains are in the mid line decks nowadays and random album scores in out of he way places. It's just a different strain of the same drug that cheap vinyl and turntables were 10 years ago.

Then just like vinyl, I found collecting cassettes to be inexpensive nostalgic fun, with the added fun factor of blanks and recording, not just listening.
 
I was at goodwill today and apparently they got a shipment.
They had like 20 or 30 NIP blanks. Mostly TDK D90 and 60 but with a few Maxell and Sony.
I had to practice a bit of restraint to not buy all of them. I made off with three Maxell UR90, one Sony CD-IT 90, and six TDK D90's.

I do NOT care for the cases on the CD-IT tapes but I had three and wanted a 4th (long story)

I have not tested the TDK's but I imagine they will be good.
Thank goodness whoever donated wasn't unloading some crap like Certron or Sentry.
 
I didn't think tapes were a drug until I got these at a garage sale today..............for $10 :banana:

Mark
 

Attachments

  • Cassettes.jpg
    Cassettes.jpg
    109.3 KB · Views: 65
Holy CRAP Wolfe, you scored! Now let us talk about Irony for a moment -
Most of those tapes are by 80's hair metal bands. Hair metal bands kept at least a few drug dealers behind the wheel of a caddy.
Cannot see what most of them are but recognize a few. If there are any tapes by Trixter in there, throw them out! Those guys sucks!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom