The resurgence of cassette tapes

G-MAN2004 · 12 Sep 2013 at 18:44

Good thing for collectors, like me. I think last year, Feeder's single release made up most of the UK's cassette sales.

Edit: http://www.nme.com/news/various-artists/68040

I always buy an album on every format if available, but that's just me.

Bear · 12 Sep 2013 at 22:36

Tapes can sound great if decently recorded. I have recordings on chrome and metal tapes and played on my Nakamichi deck sounds great.

Lysander · 12 Sep 2013 at 23:07

One point. Do cassettes have the same bass limitations as vinyl? And in the 80s did the vinyl and cassette releases generally both come from the same master?

NZB · 12 Sep 2013 at 23:47

I couldn't see myself using any type of media again never mind cassettes, there is just no need these days.

DezUk · 13 Sep 2013 at 00:16

Forget cassettes what about bringing back MiniDisc, now that was a cool format

Richie · 13 Sep 2013 at 08:23

Steampunk said:
If you want to makes something sound a certain way, then mix it properly and it's still cheaper to bung it on a CD, or even just go digital with high bitrate ogg, flac, ape, etc.

The reason why so many MP3s sound crap is because they've been encoded at low bitrate, mixed to be tinny-sounding, and had the loudness boosted to make it jump out on radio play, which also gives clipping. And MP3 isn't even that good an encoding format in the first place.

Just produce/mix/encode your music properly, and it will sound good.

Just to add to this - anyone think MP3 will be replaced at any point much like Blu-Ray may eventually replace all DVD?

ZXSpectrum · 13 Sep 2013 at 10:06

For some reason my 2006 Lexus with the top end Mark Levinson audio system has a Cassette deck... WHY???

Nexus · 13 Sep 2013 at 10:29

Only reason they will make any kind of comeback is because the retro hipster crowd are trying to look clever with them. I'm sure there are plenty walking around Shoreditch with an 80's Sony Walkman on.

As for anyone in the industry music scene seeing it as a great way to get their music out there.... they are deluded. The majority of people likely don't even have a tape deck anymore, I know I don't, its going to seriously limit your audience.

Spook187 · 13 Sep 2013 at 10:45

DezUk said:
Forget cassettes what about bringing back MiniDisc, now that was a cool format

Look what i just found, i still have my player under my telly as well

As for tapes making a comeback, err no

BigDannyO · 13 Sep 2013 at 10:59

Total fad. They sound awful, are impractical to use and wear over time. Anyone who is using a cassette now is just doing it be "retro" and a hipster ****. We all new they were crap the first time round when we had nothing better!

What's more ridiculous is that any recording now will probably have been done on a digital desk, mixed digitally in Pro Tools/Logic and then mastered digitally. And then put on to analogue tape because it "sounds better". :rolleyes:

MagicBoy · 13 Sep 2013 at 11:02

Must be an analogue thing - cassette quality varies and influences the sound. With a decent deck and tape the quality was OK. Ghetto blaster and ferric tape and it was gash.

/off to dig my Hi-Fi deck out of storage and find some cheesy 90s dance

BigDannyO · 13 Sep 2013 at 11:16

MagicBoy said:
/off to dig my Hi-Fi deck out of storage and find some cheesy 90s dance

Energy Rush Dance Hits!

Lysander · 13 Sep 2013 at 11:29

Richie said:
Just to add to this - anyone think MP3 will be replaced at any point much like Blu-Ray may eventually replace all DVD?

Everything will be superceded at some ppint, but by what? I can't see what could supercede mp3s at this point. Portability is perfect, as it sound quality [unless you're into lossless stuff].

THMRK · 13 Sep 2013 at 13:58

Tapes were terrible quality. These hipsters and hardcore kids have a lot to answer for. They should stay in the past. Horrible, horrible things. My label will NEVER release a tape. I'd sooner go mini disc or even bloody floppy disk than release a tape.

marc2003 · 13 Sep 2013 at 14:02

Lysander said:
I can't see what could supercede mp3s at this point.

nothing will. AAC is arguably a better codec and that has the full weight of apple/itunes behind it but outside of that ecosystem, people ~~don't~~ rarely use it.

Steampunk · 13 Sep 2013 at 16:05

I haven't used an MP3 on my or my wife's player for years. It's been Ogg for me!

MagicBoy · 13 Sep 2013 at 16:28

THMRK said:
Tapes were terrible quality. These hipsters and hardcore kids have a lot to answer for. They should stay in the past. Horrible, horrible things. My label will NEVER release a tape. I'd sooner go mini disc or even bloody floppy disk than release a tape.

What do you expect of 50 year old technology? We've still got an early Sony recorder my Dad bought in the mid 60's somewhere. Was still doing sterling service in the mid-80s connected up to the family BBC Micro...

Cosimo · 13 Sep 2013 at 16:37

Bear said:
Tapes can sound great if decently recorded. I have recordings on chrome and metal tapes and played on my Nakamichi deck sounds great.

We used to have a pile of recordings and they sounded fine on a Denon deck. They were mainly used on a portable player.

cu3ed · 13 Sep 2013 at 16:56

Hipsters trying so hard to impress.

Kick them in the head is what I say.

Columbo · 13 Sep 2013 at 17:00

Argh tapes.....I can't think of a medium I'd rather use less.

Spook187 that's a lovely MD collection there, I invested heavily in MiniDisc myself, even to the point where I paid around £500 for an MD head unit to be installed in my car.

I've even still got a Sony MDS-JE480 MDLP boxed in my loft!

The resurgence of cassette tapes

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