Levanel Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 Digging through my electronics scrap heap, I rediscovered my Panasonic Shockwave cassette player that's totally dead/fried. The interesting this was that it had a remote and external battery compartment, like many MD recorders out there.I also had a Panasonic cassette "recorder" much like this unit but I sold it a while back. It's kinda' funny and sad that these units never make it out here states side. I've seen a couple same brand units but they were "fat" compared to this compact unit. I was wondering whether anyone still uses cassettes or, know of places in Akihabara where they still sell these.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strungup Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 I have a Sony TCD-5M sitting in a case , and record with it often . I play tapes , in my WM-EX9 or WM-FX1 (W/Radio, AM Stereo /Fm Stereo/TV) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KJ_Palmer Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 (edited) I actually bought a couple of 'musicassettes', ie. pre-recorded tapes on Saturday at a second hand stall. Vivaldi Concertos, from the mid 1980's. Got home , stuck them in the Sony bookshelf, expecting the worst - but no! They're very crisp and clear, no apparent wobbling or tape stretching. Anyway, next step is recording them to MD, and possibly uploading to SS... Edited December 3, 2008 by Barock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strungup Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 I actually bought a couple of 'musicassettes', ie. pre-recorded tapes on Saturday at a second hand stall. Vivaldi Concertos, from the mid 1980's. Got home , stuck them in the Sony bookshelf, expecting the worst - but no! They're very crisp and clear, no apparent wobbling or tape stretching. Anyway, next step is recording them to MD, and possibly uploading to SS...I Like Vivaldi , just good stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KJ_Palmer Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 Yes, and some of those old recordings are fantastic. I love rummaging through second-hand cassettes. Another good reason for hanging on to old equipment... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strungup Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 Yes, and some of those old recordings are fantastic. I love rummaging through second-hand cassettes. Another good reason for hanging on to old equipment...These wouldnt happen to be the Concertos' for Cello and Flute would they ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfbp Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 Yes, and some of those old recordings are fantastic. I love rummaging through second-hand cassettes. Another good reason for hanging on to old equipment...I have converted a fair number of cassette recordings to MD and thence CD's, conversion of recordings I own being my motivation for getting into MD to begin with. I note the following (about cassettes):1. Many or most started out life as LP's. These ones invariably give themselves away by a click or three showing up in the sound wave. These tiny noises are the ones that cannot be eliminated from 99% of LP's. I delete the clicks since they are less than a millisecond in most cases.2. Any cassette that wasn't made from an LP will have an underlying SQ that is terrific. All that is needed in many cases is to remove the hiss, which is easily achieved because almost every tape has silent lead-in which is a perfect place to pick the background from, with which to do the FFT hiss removal. You can experiment, but it's safe to remove quite large percentages of the background, like 80%.3. There is no wow/flutter on a cassette that is in decent shape. LP's mostly have an unavoidable signature (like the noise you hear if your stylus gets to the middle without automatic lift, NOT including the click when the needle meets the incoming groove again).Speaking of old equipment, the biggest problem in some cassettes/machines is pitch (which should be adjustable, but perhaps the recording wasn't right if the cassette wasn't made commercially in the first place). There's no frequency lock on any cassette deck I have used. But MD is perfect if you have a way of calibrating it, unless you were unlucky and somehow the tape got stretched unevenly, because you can "fix" the pitch on many of the MD deck models. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levanel Posted December 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 Unfortunately, I didn't live in the LP generation. But I was told that there's still a following to this format and the general consensus is that the audio quality is superior to everything else. This true? I mean, we're talking analog in the digital age.. needle points in a world of exact digital/audio copies.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfbp Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 I well recall meeting our most famous classical radio personality whose show (like most of the CBC classical programs) got closed down Sept 1st in their pathetic attempt to attract (ha I almost wrote Atract) new audiences. No email in those days, so we ended up meeting and having dinner. What started it was that he played one of my favourite tracks and I thought it sounded a bit sort of dull (mind you this was off the air but I still thought I noticed). So I wrote and asked him if it was from CD or LP (there were both in those days) and he admitted that it was the CD version. Afterwards he went and compared the two and said there was a significant difference.I put off buying my first CD player for 2 more years after that.......I still find that chamber music where one of the instruments is a piano is easily the most demanding test of any sound for quality. This was a piece for 2 pianos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strungup Posted December 22, 2008 Report Share Posted December 22, 2008 (edited) Unfortunately, I didn't live in the LP generation. But I was told that there's still a following to this format and the general consensus is that the audio quality is superior to everything else. This true? I mean, we're talking analog in the digital age.. needle points in a world of exact digital/audio copies.. Do you know the song by Queen " Radio Ga Ga " and another line " Radio , someone still loves you " as the Digital age was entering , and Copyright management was taking over , the reason FM sounded so fat , was LP's , and the transmission equipment, of that time . Some of the MOST passionate songs on the radio , are ....... ABOUT Radio . There was a Reason . Wizard , just got his Mark4 turntable I had to search hi and low for ........ end result , when he got it put together from the packing crate , he stayed up all night spinning vinyl ....... There is a warmth , there is a Character , and tangibleness , of Analogue audio , especially on good hi end gear . I love the smell and feel of warm tubes , on a good Class A/B twin triode amp , with EL34's on the back end , and the clarity , and detail , that makes you feel like you are in the room with the musicians . doesnt have to be a lot of power , just pure and clean .If you ever come to Japan , I will take you where you can experience it in full measure. Edited December 22, 2008 by Guitarfxr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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