Cassette - Everything old is new again

[PHC1]

What is the allure of tape decks these days? Is there a source of original analog masters to tape transfer when it comes to buying music? Recording digital to tape? Is the music industry too happy to provide digital to tape if there is enough demand like they are doing with some vinyl now that sounds worse than the actual CD of the same?

[PHC1]

I'm all for it if the cassette tapes would offer the true analog transfer like it used to be. I used to record vinyl to cassettes and it was OK. Obviously convenient and offered the smooth analog sound. But the digital to tape would be ridiculous.

[Maks]

For me it's just fun to play around with, I don't like playing digital files so sometimes I'll take a bunch of LPs/45s from a single artist and make a tape out of them. That way I can play music without having to swap out several records. Could I digitize the same records and make FLACs out of them and then a playlist? Yep, but to me it's not the same.

For artists, it's a way to sell something at a show (with a download card) without having to wait for the ever growing pressing times and higher cost for LPs/7"s.

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by Maks

For me it's just fun to play around with, I don't like playing digital files so sometimes I'll take a bunch of LPs/45s from a single artist and make a tape out of them. That way I can play music without having to swap out several records. Could I digitize the same records and make FLACs out of them and then a playlist? Yep, but to me it's not the same.

For artists, it's a way to sell something at a show (with a download card) without having to wait for the ever growing pressing times and higher cost for LPs/7"s.

I can understand that.

[damacman]

Originally Posted by Maks

I've since gone back to the ZX-9 and RX-505 setup. The CR-7 appears to need some work, there are some tapes where the wow is noticeable, it won't even play some tapes without stopping. So it needs a tune-up. I may just sell it as is, I'm not sure I want to keep it around. Nice deck, sounds great, auto calibration for record is nice and excellent meters. However, with a ZX-9 it seems a bit redundant. I'm really liking the convenience of the 505 with its UDAR for reverse and the blank skip that I mentioned previously. Put a tape in and forget about it for an hour and a half.

I've been buying up any cheap (~$2/ea or less) type II tapes I can along with plenty of the older TDK D type Is and I think I'm set for life in that department. Vinyl is still my main listening source, but it's fun to tool around with tapes on the weekends.

I do also really enjoy my 505. By far the nicest cassette deck I've yet owned.