-=Cassette Tapes=-

Edward_Alexander

Haha you are NOT alone!

My favorite things to sniff back in the day were new LPs from my favorite artists. Something about the ink used just smells amazing! It’s like that “new car scent.”

Or a new book.

Dav

Thanks, I'd be interested in knowing how it sounds, @Spidericemidas. When my nakamichi decks break down I would be looking for a replacement. I've always like the sound of cassettes - my first 8-track recorder was a TASCAM 688 midistudio that got 8 tracks on a cassette, and it sounded pretty good. BTW, off topic, but thanks for freely sharing your various ios synth patches. I've downloaded a few of them, thanks to videos by thesoundtestroom.

Dav

shinyisshiny

@Edward_Alexander i just spent the last hour trying to open this thing up. couldn't even get it open! I got the 4 screws on the back, + the screw in the battery compartment + the screw in the actual tape deck.. but theres something else holding it. I thought it may be a plastic latch of sorts, but ran my screwdriver along the inside and couldnt get anything to budge... ive bent literally 100 + various kids toys, tape machines, and 80s casios, but not once have i not been able to open something lol.

i feel like it may just be a force thing and it will just snap open, but also dont want to force it and crack it, as its cheap plastic. im going to try again tomorrow...

Edward_Alexander

@shinyisshiny said:
@Edward_Alexander i just spent the last hour trying to open this thing up. couldn't even get it open! I got the 4 screws on the back, + the screw in the battery compartment + the screw in the actual tape deck.. but theres something else holding it. I thought it may be a plastic latch of sorts, but ran my screwdriver along the inside and couldnt get anything to budge... ive bent literally 100 + various kids toys, tape machines, and 80s casios, but not once have i not been able to open something lol.

i feel like it may just be a force thing and it will just snap open, but also dont want to force it and crack it, as its cheap plastic. im going to try again tomorrow...

lol wow

Sounds like when I try to open things lol I usually end up bleeding.

Tomorrow you’ll find the one screw in the middle,of the board

Spidericemidas

@Edward_Alexander said:

@Spidericemidas said:

@Dav said:
Wow - I didn’t know higher end cassette decks like the TEAC up there was still being produced. How do they sound? Once in a blue moon I come across a pack of new blank tapes at yard sales for almost nothing. Instant buy. I have a nakamichi mr1 and a mr2 that work. Great sounding decks.

Dav

My TEAC W-1200 arrived this week. Haven’t had time to get it set up in my component system yet. A job for the upcoming bank holiday next week, I think.
I love the way it’s so new but they made it look like it was made in the late 80s early 90s. Most of my component system is still going strong from the 80s when I first purchased. The TEAC will fit right in as if it was purchased with the other components 30-odd years ago! So cool.

Pictures please! After you get it all set up of course.

Pics of my new TEAC Cassette deck now sitting comfortably on top of the minidisc deck.

Edward_Alexander

@Spidericemidas said:

@Edward_Alexander said:

@Spidericemidas said:

@Dav said:
Wow - I didn’t know higher end cassette decks like the TEAC up there was still being produced. How do they sound? Once in a blue moon I come across a pack of new blank tapes at yard sales for almost nothing. Instant buy. I have a nakamichi mr1 and a mr2 that work. Great sounding decks.

Dav

My TEAC W-1200 arrived this week. Haven’t had time to get it set up in my component system yet. A job for the upcoming bank holiday next week, I think.
I love the way it’s so new but they made it look like it was made in the late 80s early 90s. Most of my component system is still going strong from the 80s when I first purchased. The TEAC will fit right in as if it was purchased with the other components 30-odd years ago! So cool.

Pictures please! After you get it all set up of course.

Pics of my new TEAC Cassette deck now sitting comfortably on top of the minidisc deck.

Nice! The TEAC looks like it has everything one would need for tape warble fun!

Whoah! Look at that Rickenbacker! What’s up with the receipt?

Spidericemidas

@Edward_Alexander said:

@Spidericemidas said:

@Edward_Alexander said:

@Spidericemidas said:

@Dav said:
Wow - I didn’t know higher end cassette decks like the TEAC up there was still being produced. How do they sound? Once in a blue moon I come across a pack of new blank tapes at yard sales for almost nothing. Instant buy. I have a nakamichi mr1 and a mr2 that work. Great sounding decks.

Dav

My TEAC W-1200 arrived this week. Haven’t had time to get it set up in my component system yet. A job for the upcoming bank holiday next week, I think.
I love the way it’s so new but they made it look like it was made in the late 80s early 90s. Most of my component system is still going strong from the 80s when I first purchased. The TEAC will fit right in as if it was purchased with the other components 30-odd years ago! So cool.

Pictures please! After you get it all set up of course.

Pics of my new TEAC Cassette deck now sitting comfortably on top of the minidisc deck.

Nice! The TEAC looks like it has everything one would need for tape warble fun!

Whoah! Look at that Rickenbacker! What’s up with the receipt?

I bought that Ricky 12 string in ‘89 when I was 19 years old. Got it from Axe Music. Took about 6 weeks to ship over from the States.
I still have the original receipt somewhere. The receipt in the photo is actually a receipt for a general overhaul and fret re-dressing and a few chips in the bodywork fixed up. I had the work done a number of years ago. I kept the receipt as a momento because the work was done by the guitarist from Cockney Rebel who played the original solo on “come up and see me, make me smile...” Really nice bloke. Amazing guitar workshop. Lives just down the road from my Sister. He handed me a Fender Strat to play when I stopped by one day. Then told me it used to belong to Bruce Welch!

First job with the TEAC is to get on with backing up my old cassette collection. Then I might source some new cassettes and make some mix tapes! It’s like being 18 years old all over again! 🤣😃

Edward_Alexander

@Spidericemidas said:

@Edward_Alexander said:

@Spidericemidas said:

@Edward_Alexander said:

@Spidericemidas said:

@Dav said:
Wow - I didn’t know higher end cassette decks like the TEAC up there was still being produced. How do they sound? Once in a blue moon I come across a pack of new blank tapes at yard sales for almost nothing. Instant buy. I have a nakamichi mr1 and a mr2 that work. Great sounding decks.

Dav

My TEAC W-1200 arrived this week. Haven’t had time to get it set up in my component system yet. A job for the upcoming bank holiday next week, I think.
I love the way it’s so new but they made it look like it was made in the late 80s early 90s. Most of my component system is still going strong from the 80s when I first purchased. The TEAC will fit right in as if it was purchased with the other components 30-odd years ago! So cool.

Pictures please! After you get it all set up of course.

Pics of my new TEAC Cassette deck now sitting comfortably on top of the minidisc deck.

Nice! The TEAC looks like it has everything one would need for tape warble fun!

Whoah! Look at that Rickenbacker! What’s up with the receipt?

I bought that Ricky 12 string in ‘89 when I was 19 years old. Got it from Axe Music. Took about 6 weeks to ship over from the States.
I still have the original receipt somewhere. The receipt in the photo is actually a receipt for a general overhaul and fret re-dressing and a few chips in the bodywork fixed up. I had the work done a number of years ago. I kept the receipt as a momento because the work was done by the guitarist from Cockney Rebel who played the original solo on “come up and see me, make me smile...” Really nice bloke. Amazing guitar workshop. Lives just down the road from my Sister. He handed me a Fender Strat to play when I stopped by one day. Then told me it used to belong to Bruce Welch!

First job with the TEAC is to get on with backing up my old cassette collection. Then I might source some new cassettes and make some mix tapes! It’s like being 18 years old all over again! 🤣😃

Nice! Thanks for sharing that story!

I too have a guitar with some sentimental value that make it virtually priceless.

Edward_Alexander

I was just looking at the prices for those new TEAC decks, wow! They’re not kidding around, and I guess, neither are you!

Spidericemidas

@Edward_Alexander said:
I was just looking at the prices for those new TEAC decks, wow! They’re not kidding around, and I guess, neither are you!

Yeah it was around £368.00 from Amazon. I seem to remember my old Technics double cassette deck was something like £140.00 back in the 80s! 😅

Still. There’s a ton more features on board this one. Very useful. Not sure if I’ll be using its Karaoke feature though. Lol.

It sounds great and controls feel robust. It’s been a long time since I heard the sounds of a cassette deck mechanism engaging and disengaging, and the tape winding forwards and backwards. Sounds exactly the same as it did 30 years ago, nostalgic, hehe. Have been trying it out this evening. Very pleased with it. I have access once again to my old and precious cassette library. Now to commence the rest of my backing up plans. Would definitely recommend this deck to anyone wanting a component for cassettes.

shinyisshiny

@Edward_Alexander sooo i finally opened it up by using a bit of force, and this thing is not worth the hassle. Its all SMD components, which are teeny tiny little resistors and caps. There was no obvious trim pot that i could see that would be an easy swap.

SMD soldering is still doable, and i found some great over drive and distortion/ feedback, just by running my fingers across the board, but its honestly not worth it without an obvious pitch bend. Its a great little unit and im glad i got one regardless.

I would say keep an eye out for cheap walkmen and the like at your local swap meet, goodwill etc. Those things are a piece of cake and if you fry it, its no biggie, cuz they cost a couple bucks.

rs2000

My two cents: If you're about to purchase a cassette deck (most likely second hand), consider getting a 3 head model with a "tape monitor" function while recording.
These (usually higher end) decks have separate recording and playback heads that not only allow you to get live tape sound as long as the cassette can record but they're also a nice option if you like to add some feedback in order to build your DIY tape delay.

mistercharlie

I picked up a Technics BX-707 last year and it has three heads, plus biasing controls. It sounds incredible, and you can use it as a tape saturation effect by monitoring the tape during record. Well, I guess it's not an effect. Just real tape saturation.

I've managed to get hold of some NOS chrome tapes, but I'm surprised at how good the FOX (normal) tapes sound with Dolby C.

https://www.recordingthemasters.com/audiocassettes/

Edward_Alexander

@shinyisshiny said:
@Edward_Alexander sooo i finally opened it up by using a bit of force, and this thing is not worth the hassle. Its all SMD components, which are teeny tiny little resistors and caps. There was no obvious trim pot that i could see that would be an easy swap.

SMD soldering is still doable, and i found some great over drive and distortion/ feedback, just by running my fingers across the board, but its honestly not worth it without an obvious pitch bend. Its a great little unit and im glad i got one regardless.

I would say keep an eye out for cheap walkmen and the like at your local swap meet, goodwill etc. Those things are a piece of cake and if you fry it, its no biggie, cuz they cost a couple bucks.

Well thanks for looking into it! We had to sacrifice your Retro Rocker in the name of musical experimentation and discovery!

The Thrift/2nd hand search continues…