Duane Cunningham
Member
Man, this is making me so nostalgic. This was my prized possession as a kid:
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Why cassette tapes not as popular as vinyl?
- Thread starter RP912
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n64coder
Member
I remember when I was a kid that I wanted an 8-track player for Christmas and my Mom got me a cassette player instead. She said that the clerk told her that they were better than 8-tracks. I was disappointed but Mom was right.
No, I would never go back to cassetts/vinyls/etc. MP3/Flac is the way to go. I do miss the days of kicking back in the bean bag chair and studying the liner notes or album covers for my favorite bands but this kind of info is so much more accessible on the internet.
The only good thing cassettes were good for was to let me make my own copies of music. I use to trade Led Zeppelin/Grateful Dead bootleg tapes with people from all over the world.
No, I would never go back to cassetts/vinyls/etc. MP3/Flac is the way to go. I do miss the days of kicking back in the bean bag chair and studying the liner notes or album covers for my favorite bands but this kind of info is so much more accessible on the internet.
The only good thing cassettes were good for was to let me make my own copies of music. I use to trade Led Zeppelin/Grateful Dead bootleg tapes with people from all over the world.
MultiCore
Member
http://www.sonicscoop.com/2013/08/2...depth-is-probably-wrong/#sthash.DuOz7gBd.dpbs
https://www.xiph.org/video/vid1.shtml
https://www.xiph.org/video/vid2.shtml
http://xiph.org/~xiphmont/demo/neil-young.html
If you really want to know how/why digital audio is the best, consider investigating the above resources.
Cassettes, and vinyl, only offer about 6 bits of resolution.
Even the worst digital audio you hear today offer more than twice that, at 16 bits.
Cassettes degrade quickly upon playback, and require decent storage conditions.
CD, DVD or other digital storage mediums are inherently much more robust, and offer audibly perfect audio.
MP3 at high bitrates(320kb/s), offers audio you can't reliably differentiate from lossless formats, and also gives us the choice of smaller file sizes with some accompanying tradeoffs if we so desire.
Since storage is finite, many people accept these tradeoffs for the benefit of storing more music.
Anyone telling you that vinyl or cassette offers higher quality audio than what you can get from iTunes is lying.
If they "prefer" it, that's fine, but it isn't better.
This doesn't address bad mastering, but that's not the format's fault. Mastering quality is still better than it ever has previously had the opportunity to be.
Every analog filter is an approximation, and adds noise, distortion and coloration.
https://www.xiph.org/video/vid1.shtml
https://www.xiph.org/video/vid2.shtml
http://xiph.org/~xiphmont/demo/neil-young.html
If you really want to know how/why digital audio is the best, consider investigating the above resources.
Cassettes, and vinyl, only offer about 6 bits of resolution.
Even the worst digital audio you hear today offer more than twice that, at 16 bits.
Cassettes degrade quickly upon playback, and require decent storage conditions.
CD, DVD or other digital storage mediums are inherently much more robust, and offer audibly perfect audio.
MP3 at high bitrates(320kb/s), offers audio you can't reliably differentiate from lossless formats, and also gives us the choice of smaller file sizes with some accompanying tradeoffs if we so desire.
Since storage is finite, many people accept these tradeoffs for the benefit of storing more music.
Anyone telling you that vinyl or cassette offers higher quality audio than what you can get from iTunes is lying.
If they "prefer" it, that's fine, but it isn't better.
This doesn't address bad mastering, but that's not the format's fault. Mastering quality is still better than it ever has previously had the opportunity to be.
Every analog filter is an approximation, and adds noise, distortion and coloration.
sixteen-bit
Member
easier to pirate
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^.
n0razi
Member
styl3s
Member
This huge used book/movie store here like a year ago had a huge bargain section where you could get VHS tapes for basically free now they are going for like $5-10.I think VHS collecting is making a comeback. This guy is at the forefront of the movement:
Even flea markets here have started inflating VHS prices i don't know why anyone would want inferior versions of movies.
Yep, those were my go to tapes...
The Albatross
Member
Vinyl is niche-popular because of the sound quality and their aesthetic appeal... We talk about "Gold Records" and "double platinum records," and if you go into a recording studio, you'll see those hanging on the walls as ornaments. The vinyl is much closer in aesthetics to that master, where as a cassette tape is very obviously a far off derivative.
shiftplusone
Member
True but records don't have different versions to pick man
because this looks way fuckin sweeter
Tapes look dumb
I bet you like transparent video game controllers, too
ThankYouDaletech
Banned
I can't wait until Minidisks make a comeback.
Heh, I just had to do this in the Dropsy the Clown adventure game. Certainly hit some nostalgia points there.
Wag
Member
I have a good tape deck that does metal tapes with DBX noise reduction. Has good sound but I can only really play it back on that deck when I use Metal+DBX.
Served a purpose until the PC came around.
Lol
Some people really don't remember the cassette dark ages. Sound quality was pure shit. It was only popular because it was by far the most portable medium. They sucked hard when new, and they only got worse over repeated listens.
The nostalgia for them is odd. They aren't convenient, they don't sound good, they degrade quicker than any other medium, and they're a bitch to store. Maybe it's just ironic nostalgia like Crystal Pepsi.
Dude...who wouldn't love transparent game controllers :3...hell clear consoles should have been current gen.
evilromero
Member
Poor audio quality, short lifespan, easily damaged in playing during normal use, tiny artwork and liner notes, very susceptible to heat (not good for those leaving them in their cars), having to rewind or fast-forward.
Benefits? Very portable.
Benefits? Very portable.
RoadHazard
Gold Member
FTFY.
My recent cassette pick ups.
Cassette Store Day is next month: http://cassettestoreday.us
There's a cassette documentary coming out next year: http://www.cassettefilm.com
Cassette may never experience a revival quite like vinyl, but it's still alive and well.
Cassette Store Day is next month: http://cassettestoreday.us
There's a cassette documentary coming out next year: http://www.cassettefilm.com
Cassette may never experience a revival quite like vinyl, but it's still alive and well.
Simply Sarah
Member
I really don't get the idea of cassette nostalgia. I grew up with the things and for normal playback the only thing I've experienced that was worse were 8-tracks and their "What's rewind?" functionality. Sure, they still have some value for their other traits, such as being able to record on them and quirky playback tricks, but if you just want an album then they're awful and I never want to deal with that again.
FriedConsole
Banned
I have a good tape deck that does metal tapes with DBX noise reduction. Has good sound but I can only really play it back on that deck when I use Metal+DBX.
Served a purpose until the PC came around.
Metal tapes were such a scam. They just cut out even more treble. They didn't sound significantly better especially since the source material was always from another plastic tape.
I was more in awe of people who had high speed copying dual cassette decks.
PetriP-TNT
Member
Colored vinyl is awful though.
There was an (mostly kinda awful) thread about cassettes just now
edit: there it is: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1108871&highlight=
lachesis
Member
I am not a audiophile, but cassette was great for portability & being able to record your own track - i mean, copying the audio from incoming signal (from Radio & LPs) so that you can customize your soundtrack.
LP is like one way track - but I do believe it gives superior sound over any cassettes, and cassettes were so prone to damage because it was so portable.
LP is like one way track - but I do believe it gives superior sound over any cassettes, and cassettes were so prone to damage because it was so portable.
PassiveObserver
Member
Aren't cassettes already making a comeback? At least in indie/DIY circles.
Yeah it's a novelty though. You'd probably keep the cute colored cassette on your shelf and listen to the mp3s.
What's the cassette on the far left, the one with The Mars Volta font?
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Yeah it's a novelty though. You'd probably keep the cute colored cassette on your shelf and listen to the mp3s.
What's the cassette on the far left, the one with The Mars Volta font?
sir_kevith
Member
People saying the sound quality sucked are just flat out wrong.
The late 80s and 90s cassettes actually sound great if you have a decent player and tape. Most people played cassettes in their car or a shitty knock off walkman with a dirty tapehead. If you had a mid to high end deck and sound system then tapes sounded great:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUx4kMTXfy4
That said, they are remembered fondly mostly for recording. Recording songs right of the radio or friends' tapes was a great thing before the internet. Also it was the the best portable format for a long time.
One more thing that about cassette players is that the rubber belts have mostly melted off and every manufacturer made them pretty hard to replace. It's possible but it takes a whole afternoon on some of these things.
Here's the shrine I built in my lair:
The late 80s and 90s cassettes actually sound great if you have a decent player and tape. Most people played cassettes in their car or a shitty knock off walkman with a dirty tapehead. If you had a mid to high end deck and sound system then tapes sounded great:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUx4kMTXfy4
That said, they are remembered fondly mostly for recording. Recording songs right of the radio or friends' tapes was a great thing before the internet. Also it was the the best portable format for a long time.
One more thing that about cassette players is that the rubber belts have mostly melted off and every manufacturer made them pretty hard to replace. It's possible but it takes a whole afternoon on some of these things.
Here's the shrine I built in my lair:
Harlock
Member
This Company Is Still Making Audio Cassettes and Sales Are Better Than Ever
It waited out 20 years of technological advances in audio and is now cashing in on a movement back to tapes. Dust off your Walkman.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...udio-cassettes-and-sales-are-better-than-ever
It waited out 20 years of technological advances in audio and is now cashing in on a movement back to tapes. Dust off your Walkman.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...udio-cassettes-and-sales-are-better-than-ever
I think VHS collecting is making a comeback. This guy is at the forefront of the movement:
It's definitely a niche community. The reason VHS collecting has caught on is the fact that a lot of films released during its hay day, particularly lower budget horror films of the era, can only be watched via VHS or piracy.
Edit: There's actually a good documentary on it: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2395970/
Plasticine
Member
You can't fetishize a cassette as easily as you can vinyl.
FriedConsole
Banned
Like hell you can't...
That faded dust on the cases just oozes character.
Somebody was a Colombia House member.
Spider from Mars
tap that thorax
I have friends in bands who do cassette pressings of thier ep's.
Skellig Gra
Member
The degrade and eventually don't work.
PetriP-TNT
Member
Tapes from last week or so:
- Kylmä Sota discography 2 x tape from Blood War Records in Malaysia (still unopened cause I haven't had the time to listen to it yet
)
- Joni Ekman Revival cas single on Fuck CD's
- Red Dons Fake Meets Failure
Tapes rule.
- Kylmä Sota discography 2 x tape from Blood War Records in Malaysia (still unopened cause I haven't had the time to listen to it yet
)- Joni Ekman Revival cas single on Fuck CD's
- Red Dons Fake Meets Failure
Tapes rule.
Death Waltz's recent release of Halloween III: Season of the Witch. They also released it on vinyl with practically the same cover.
WanderingWind
Mecklemore Is My Favorite Wrapper
Even when cassettes were the only thing to get new music on, we all knew they sucked. Nothing worse then spending five minutes looking for the song you want to listen to. CDs were badass were badass were badass even if they skipped if you sneezed near the early players.
Chainsawkitten
Member
They still are in the noise / trve cvlt black metal scene.
OverBlood 3
Banned
I think VHS collecting is making a comeback. This guy is at the forefront of the movement:
Good luck Gregg!
Counter argument...CDs were superior which is a given fact...but they scratch as easy as a tape popping to be honest. I remember being so butthurt at my C Murder cd having so many scratches on it *some my fault...others due to a shitty cd player*, however...most of my cassette tapes were still riding high during the time.
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