The common access to recorders, dual decks that made copying tapes easier, and all types of media helped keep cassettes ubiquitous.Ĭassettes reigned as the media of choice until the early '90s, when CD became accessible to most consumers. Portability has always been a keystone of cassette use, and brands like Walkmen became synonymous with the format. Their flexibility and relatively low cost made copying, combining, and sharing music easier than ever. New releases on 8-track can still be found, although the medium has become niche.Īs compact cassettes caught up in quality in the early 70s, they became the standard audio format. They were more popular than compact cassettes through the late 60s, partially due to their inclusion in some factory automotive stereo systems. In the mid '60s, blank and pre-recorded cassettes came to market.Īround the same time, early versions of 8-track tape cartridges were released, composed of a single reel of magnetic tape. In the late '50s, the RCA Victor produced the first tape cartridge, but magnetic tape-based cassettes were not popular until Phillips developed a version using narrower tape in a smaller form factor, known as Compact Cassette. Current albums and reissues both go for hundreds of dollars. The entry level, even for new releases on ¼-inch tape, is steep. Although the format is mostly obsolete, partially because loading and storing media is less than convenient, the resale market for vintage units is healthy, and some boutique companies offer brand new R2R players. Reel to Reel Tape PlayersĪround the 1960s, audiophiles began adding reel to reel players to their home systems. Keep in mind that vintage machines will require regular maintenance. Some examples of open-reel tape recorders that can be found at reasonable prices include the Akai models and the Sony TC line. And the earliest samples were created by building tape loops. Many effects heard on classic albums, such as those by The Beatles and Slowdive, were created by physically manipulating tape. The image of a reel to reel recorder has become synonymous with the studio: two large metal circles rotating near the top corners of a large rectangle.Īlthough never really popular with consumers, collectors and producers still value these devices for their warmth, flexibility, and nostalgia. Engineers capture sound on analog tape using reel to reel recorders. Reel to Reel Recordersįor decades, tape was the standard medium for recording anything. Open reel tape has been produced at various sizes and speeds, as well as digital formats before solid state drives became more practical. Many musicians still record to analog tape, and even mainstream artists are again releasing music on cassettes. We have a working machine and we can retrieve the audio from the tape as wav files, mp3, or CDs.Tape Decks/Reel to Reel Players For Sale on ReverbĪlthough magnetic tape technology is decades old, it’s never gone away. Deep Signal Studios can recondition the tape's foam pressure pad so it is playable. On top of this, it may be tough to find a working player. Secondly, the sticky tape splice that keeps the two ends together will be dried up and get disconnected from the other end once the tension is placed on it when it is played. First, the foam pressure cushion that pushes the tape against the play head will have disintegrated. Pretty much all 8 track tapes that still exist today are not playable, now being 50 years old, for two reasons. However, it was possible to purchase blank 8 track tapes and record your own audio on them and many people did record personal messages, music demos or dictation to them since most home recorders had microphone inputs on the front. Most 8 track tapes sold were of prerecorded music. By 1979 cassettes were the most popular recordable format and best for playing in a car. After it reached the end it would detect a small strip of metal tape and then jump to the next position. Later, home stereo 8 track players and recorders became available.Ĩ Track tapes player heads move across 4 play positions, each one being 2 track stereo, which added up to 8. 8 track tapes first came on the scene in 1963 and were first featured in car stereos.
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