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Old 3rd Jan 2021, 5:47 pm   #21
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Default Re: BBC News on new cassette releases

When I first read the title I thought the Beeb were doing the news on cassette for later listening!
 
Old 4th Jan 2021, 8:13 pm   #22
Martin Bush
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Default Re: BBC News on new cassette releases

I said in would report back on the McCartney cassette when it arrived. The new album is called McCartney 3.

It comes in what they call an 'O' case. Essentially a card sleeve like you used to get cassette singles in. No sleeve notes or anything else not even a download code. I wonder if they think people are more likely to play the album on a streaming service and buy the tape as a collector's item?

The music itself is great and to my ears the cassette sounds excellent. As I often point out I currently use an Aiwa personal cassette player given to me by a forum member, an 80s Sony amp bought as part of a lot for £20 and a pair of speakers from a charity shop for £5 (Denon/ Mission). So, a supposedly obsolete format played on some old gear.

So, having said all this, what really frustrates me is that the tape is faulty. On one track theres at least two drop outs which I have traced to some bubbled tape. I've photographed it and will contact the official site I bought it from.

What a shame... I'm a new convert to cassette and also to Paul McCartneys solo work.

If it had a proper case and faultless tape I'd give it 10 out of 10. But it's not diminished my interest in tape at all.
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Old 4th Jan 2021, 8:27 pm   #23
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Default Re: BBC News on new cassette releases

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Originally Posted by merlinmaxwell View Post
When I first read the title I thought the Beeb were doing the news on cassette for later listening!
So did I 😄

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Old 4th Jan 2021, 8:38 pm   #24
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Default Re: BBC News on new cassette releases

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It comes in what they call an 'O' case. Essentially a card sleeve like you used to get cassette singles in.
Fascinating... I remember "cassingles" as being a thing in the early-to-mid-80s, popular with indie/student-bands because they were cheaper to produce than pressing proper 45s. Several bands I did roadie/amp-build stuff for back then released their stuff on cassingles - alas none of said bands ever made it to the bigtime. The cassingles were always made with cheap-and-nasty tape, cheap-and-nasty shells and a slipcover probably made from recycled copies of NME. Listen a few times then forget!
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Old 5th Jan 2021, 11:58 am   #25
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Default Re: BBC News on new cassette releases

I'd have thought Macca would have gone a bit further with the packaging. There's lots of interesting stuff being done by small labels on cassette at the moment but this one falls short.

Despite getting into tape recently I always hated cassette singles and still don't feel inclined to buy any.
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Old 5th Jan 2021, 3:56 pm   #26
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Default Re: BBC News on new cassette releases

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Originally Posted by Martin Bush View Post
I'd have thought Macca would have gone a bit further with the packaging. There's lots of interesting stuff being done by small labels on cassette at the moment but this one falls short.

Despite getting into tape recently I always hated cassette singles and still don't feel inclined to buy any.
I initially thought that when I brought a special edition of Buggles "Age Of Plastic" on CD only for it to arrive in a thick carboard sleeve, similar to a free newspaper CD. It was only when I got the CD out and found it was styled to look like a record (with a black looking CD like PS1 games) that the packaging/cd were designed to imitate the original Vinyl release just in miniature.
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Old 5th Jan 2021, 4:03 pm   #27
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Default Re: BBC News - new cassette releases

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Originally Posted by merlinmaxwell View Post
When I first read the title I thought the Beeb were doing the news on cassette for later listening!
Me too. I've edited the title slightly.
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Old 7th Jan 2021, 4:43 pm   #28
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Default Re: BBC News - new cassette releases

Believe it or not, Teac (not sure how much they have in common with the original company - methinks it's a trade mark owned by a large umbrella firm, along with other one-great makes such as Denon / Akai etc.) still make a twin cassette player. It's called the W-1200. Alas, Dolby no longer gets the NR ICs made, so no Dolby (not everyone will bemoan this fact - although it can work well when playing back tapes made on the machine that recorded them).

Tape is the peak of hipsterdom at present. Check secondhand prices - even for quite mediocre decks, let alone Naks and Tandbergs. I very much doubt the Teac has the kind of 5-motor DD transports that high-end decks such as Revox had back in the day, but they work well for most people.

NB - Search systems that I've seen seem to involve contact between head / tape when searching. If you wish to preserve the life of your head, as well as tape, I'd advise against using them. Who makes heads any more? There probably is a factory in China or Russia somewhere, but are they any good?
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Old 7th Jan 2021, 4:45 pm   #29
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Default Re: BBC News - new cassette releases

NB - Are these cassettes being released using Dolby? If they're not, then the best SNR they will ever have (assuming perfect performance) might nudge about 60dB... SOTA digital recording can exceed 120dB (assuming the analogue buffers are up to it).
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Old 7th Jan 2021, 6:43 pm   #30
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Default Re: BBC News - new cassette releases

Whats next ?? Return of the 8 Track, far better Audio quality.
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Old 16th Jan 2021, 9:56 pm   #31
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Default Re: BBC News - new cassette releases

I have just purchased on ebay a Boots vintage cassette player at a nice price in perfect condition and working order and the sound quality is great so i am now able to hear my large collection of pre-recorded vintage tapes some very rare including Round the Horn box set and also my sons dubs and my answerphone saved tapes from the 1970s it is a real bargain
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Old 16th Jan 2021, 10:41 pm   #32
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Default Re: BBC News - new cassette releases

Back in the day, Boots were choosy about the audio gear they sold under their own name. It was well known to be good value.

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Old 16th Jan 2021, 10:52 pm   #33
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Default Re: BBC News - new cassette releases

My Wife worked for Boots in the late 1980's and we bought 2 of their "boom boxes" for my kids as well as 2 portable colour TV's fantastic quality and were still working nearly 20 years later when the now adults finally moved them on.

I think the Cassettes were Sharp under the hood and the TV's Toshiba/Tatung but I could be wrong as I never had need to open them up.

I had a Boots audio cassette care kit that I used for years cheaper than buying IPA.
I suppose I need to go looking for my AIWA now

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Old 17th Jan 2021, 1:19 am   #34
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Default Re: BBC News - new cassette releases

Just a product not this well made Boots Model CR375 was made in Korea ?
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Old 17th Jan 2021, 3:11 am   #35
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Default Re: BBC News on new cassette releases

Quote:
Originally Posted by Martin Bush View Post
Going back to the original story, has anyone on here bought a new cassette in recent times?
Yes, I've got a few. I'm getting quite a collection on Bandcamp - a virtual shopfront where musicians get more money per sale made on their pages. Lots of interesting record labels and individuals on there. Death Is Not The End release compilations of interesting old music on cassette. I've just got a Greek 'Rebetika' selection called 'The Sun is Setting on the World', after a Greek friend recommended it.

Also songs by Linda Smith: Reimagined has been a recent cassette purchase. Lots of novelty colours and cases, and the quality is as variable as vinyl. I imagine some are backroom punk releases, others are 'professional' duplicators. They almost always come with downloads as well.
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Old 18th Jan 2021, 6:49 am   #36
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Default Re: BBC News - new cassette releases

I did in the late 70`s work for a company called TAM, (TV and Audio Maintenance), it was
the London part of Telefusion (of Telpro fame), later taken over by Visionhire/Serviscope.
We did the repair work for Boots, and yes it was all decent branded makes, just labeled up as Boots.
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Old 18th Jan 2021, 11:10 am   #37
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Default Re: BBC News - new cassette releases

My friend's band is now planning to produce a cassette as part of a digital/ book/ tape package.

I've just sourced the tapes for them. Hopefully they will be decent as the seller states they are wound with TDK tape.
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Old 18th Jan 2021, 11:40 am   #38
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Default Re: BBC News - new cassette releases

I suspect I am just the right age (50) to find the idea of self-released tapes by small bands on tiny labels -again- really funny! At least it won’t be a 9th generation copy of something made badly on a porta-1!
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Old 18th Jan 2021, 12:28 pm   #39
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Default Re: BBC News - new cassette releases

Not sure it's funny... but it is fun.

The idea with this one is that the cassette sales will form a sort of pre-release offer, which will in turn fund the rest of the package. It's quite clever really.

I think it's good for small bands to be able to produce something physical, even if they also make their music available digitally. Some, including the band in question here, are quite visually creative too so a cassette gives them the opportunity to produce physical artwork.

They have also released a record too...
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