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Who is still using tapes ??

gmku said:
Count me in among the tapeheads. I've been taping on cassette since 1978 and don't plan on stoppign any time soon. Just made cassette copies of my minty original issues of Their Satanic Majesties Request, Tattoo You, and Black and Blue last eveing, as a matter of fact. With my decks, I can make near-identical copies.
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+1 gmku. Thats round about time I started with cassette and I'm sure, with 80+ NOS TDK-Sa's, I wont be stoppin anytime soon either
 
Yes sir, I still use cassette decks pretty much on a daily basis. Growing up in the 70's/80's I have a rather large collection. Most of them still sound just fine to me to this day, but they were looked after.

No fancy decks or holy grails, just a Sony TC-WE475 dual deck and a Sansui SC5300. Although, my eyes are open for a Sansui D-550M.....
 
Four.

A Kenwood KX 830 that needs its belts replaced and needs serious cleaning.

A Kenwood KX 1030 that needs some adjustment.

A Kenwood KX W 8030 that I think may be just plain worn out.

An Onkyo TA630D that works fine.

I was going to get them all brought up to snuff but I am sort of leaning toward just hanging onto the Onk and letting the rest go. Dunno yet. I probably will not decide until next year.

Many of my old cassettes have deteriorated with age, especially the Ampex Grand Master tapes. The TDK SA and Maxell UDXL II tapes seem to be OK.

I only play them once in a while. The sound quality is just __not quite__ as good as vinyl.
 
I have a Pioneer and a Yammie. The Yammie is a double and it gets used every day. I like the the ability to listen to two tapes back to back. And they are easy to maintain.
 
jfzea said:
...... There was always a rule to consider : play from the beginning to the end without stopping the tape.
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+1 on that rule! :yes:

I have 2 RTR decks (Akai 365D & Pioneer RT-909) and 2 Cassette Decks (Harman/Kardon TD 4400 & Proton 740) that I use and a couple of nondescript Kenwood cassette decks for back up.

When I first got the Akai about 15 years ago, it came with a box of 7" reel tapes that had been recorded about 1968. When I tried to transfer those tunes to new tape, I found that the tapes that had been played through without stopping were fine. The tapes that had been fast forwarded or rewound were fused in those places. Apparently they had been stored that way for decades.

The tape would be playing then just snap off when it came to one of those fused areas. I took a screwdriver and chipped off the fused section and continued to transfer the rest of the tape.

It was a good lesson for me, so I ALWAYS play a tape all the way through and put it away like that. I still have cassette tapes that I recorded in 1981 that play and sound good. I was fond of TDK SA tapes at that time.

After I got the Akai reel deck, I used it to record on first, then transfer that to cassette. All the cassettes that I made using that method sound much better than just recording straight to cassette. Open reel tape is a hassle, but the results are worth the extra effort.

Same for video cassettes. "Be kind, re-wind" is not so kind to your tape. No wonder those video cassettes from the old rental stores would always be stretched at the beginning of the tape.

Good tape is always worth the extra expense. Taking good care of good tape seems common sense to me.

//Smorgy
 
i am!

I'm using R2R tapes still. Have a bunch of old ones my dad recorded in the 70's and 80's, and I'm recording my scratchy old 45's to reel so I don't have to get up every 2 minutes. I know i could just hook everything up to a PC and record to mp3... but these 45's aren't the best quality, hardly worth all that effort. Recording them to reel is easy. And i get to play around with cool vintage gear, so I'm happy.

Here's my setup:

290595_2287178267463_1489128093_32553648_2733864_o.jpg



Pioneer QX4000 receiver, Pioneer RT-707 reel to reel, and Samsung DVD-HD841. Also a Technics SL-D202 turntable that's not in view.

Charles.
 
imready said:
Nakamichi 700ZXE in the main system. It gets more play than the digital media and less than vinyl in the system. Just bought about 100 CRO2 and Hi Bias factory tapes lasat weekend, mostly smooth jazz. No hiss from those babies.
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Would you have its service manual ? My 700ZXE has to be rebuilt.

Thanks.
 
Hells yeah cassettes. Apple has SO much security on MP3s it was SERIOUSLY getting in my way. So I quit. That Apple store can now shove it's core straight up it's blossom for all I care.
Now I have a pair of Pioneer CT-F750 cassette decks. One is by my computer. I use the headphone jack as my audio-out, up into the cassette deck's audio-in. Turn on Pandora, play whatever I want as it records onto my 90min High bias tapes. Design a fun cover on my Mac and print it, then the tape goes to the living room deck for playing. It is bliss.
And unlike an ipod, I never have to worry about a cassette tape being charged before I try to play it.
 
I have 8 cassette decks, 2 boomboxes, 1 small cassette recorder, and a walkman. All but two are used often. I love ripping vinyl to cassette. Good times.
 
Sony TC-KA3ES cassette -- used often
Pioneer RT-901 reel to reel -- used every few days
Fostex D-5 DAT -- used once in a while

other cassette decks that get use at least periodically: Nakamichi CR-3A (bedroom), Sony TC-KA1ESD (test system), Sony TC-K71 (office)

I also have a Pioneer CT-F500 that needs a part.

Guess this means I still really like tape formats!
 
740 cassettes for $100 on craigslist.
What I wouldn't do to get my hands on an extra $100 right now! :pity:
 
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Still love the cassettes and have fun with 8-tracks. Although the local thrift stores have dried up for a lot of vintage equipment, very nice cassette decks still show up with some regularity. In my various systems I have a Pioneer CT-F900, CT-F700, Marantz 5020, Nak BX-300 and a Teac Z-5000, all purchased at thrifts for $25 or less. Plus I have a couple of Wollensak 8-tracks in systems.
 
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