Cassette culture: know & choose the best audio cassettes and tape decks!

Summary

The video discusses the resurgence of audio cassettes, explaining the different cassette tape types and their sound quality tradeoffs. It advises on buying a quality tape deck, looking for key features like 3 heads, dual capstan, and auto calibration. Overall it aims to spark interest in analog and cassette culture.

Takeaways

• 😀 Cassette tapes are making a comeback which is leading more people to experience analog formats
• 👍 There are 4 main types of cassette tapes, with Type 1 being the most common but lower quality
• 🎧 Chrome and metal tapes offer better frequency response and dynamics vs standard ferric cassettes
• 🔧 Bias current is important for recording and playback to compensate for the non-linear magnetization of tape
• 📼 Most commercially released cassettes used cheaper Type 1 tape instead of higher quality options
• 🚀 Type 4 metal tape was the pinnacle of cassette technology with excellent dynamic range
• 💰 High quality pre-recorded chrome and metal tapes were very expensive to produce
• 🎸 The cassette revival has allowed independent artists to release tapes cheaply
• ⚙️ Important features to look for in a high quality tape deck include 3 separate heads and dual capstan
• 👍🏻 Overall, with the right equipment, cassettes can provide very satisfying audio reproduction

Q & A

オーディオカセットが再び人気を集めている理由は何ですか？

オーディオカセットはアナログメディアとしての魅力と、ビニールレコードに続くアナログ復興の流れにより、温かみのあるサウンドや色彩豊かな音質が評価され再び人気を集めています。

オーディオカセットの音質はどのように発展してきましたか？

オーディオカセットは長年にわたる開発を経て、非常に優れた品質のメディアとなりました。これには、サウンドの彩りやサチュレーションなど、特有の音質特性が含まれます。

なぜ新品のオーディオカセットを見つけるのが難しいのですか？

ほとんどの製造業者がオーディオカセットの生産を停止しているため、新品の在庫を見つけることは難しくなっています。しかし、中古市場での需要は高まっています。

CDが市場に登場した際、オーディオカセットに対する人々の反応はどうでしたか？

CDが登場したとき、多くの人々はその明瞭な音質と便利さから、オーディオカセットを低品質なメディアとみなし、CDに移行しました。

オーディオカセットのタイプはどのように分類されますか？

オーディオカセットは、タイプ1（フェローまたは酸化鉄）、タイプ2（クロム）、タイプ3（フェロクロム）、そしてタイプ4（メタル）の4つの主要なタイプに分類されます。

タイプ1カセットの主な欠点は何ですか？

タイプ1カセットは最も一般的でコストが低いですが、高域の音質が劣るという欠点があります。

クロム（タイプ2）カセットの特徴は何ですか？

クロムカセットは、高域の音質を改善するために開発されましたが、低域の再生には欠点があります。

メタル（タイプ4）カセットの利点と欠点は何ですか？

メタルカセットは動的な範囲が広く、高域も低域も優れていますが、非常に高価であり、テープヘッドの摩耗を早める可能性があります。

カセットデッキを購入する際に重要な機能は何ですか？

良質なカセットデッキを選ぶ際には、3つの独立したヘッド（消去、再生、録音用）、デュアルカプスタン、自動デマグネタイゼーションシステム、およびドルビーBとCのノイズリダクションが重要です。

現代の「カセットカルチャー」とは何ですか？

現代の「カセットカルチャー」は、独立したアーティストやバンドが自らの音楽をオーディオカセットに録音し、手頃な価格で配布する文化です。これはアナログメディアの魅力と個性を活かした動きとなっています。

Outlines

00:00

📼 オーディオカセットの復活

このセグメントでは、アナログ音楽再生に関する対話として、「アナダイアログ」が紹介されます。オーディオカセットが再び人気を集めている現象に焦点を当て、ビニールレコードに続くアナログメディアへの関心の高まりを説明しています。オーディオカセットは優れた音楽再生メディアであると主張し、その魅力として音の飽和や暖かみを挙げています。さらに、高品質のカセットを見つけるための挑戦、特に新旧の在庫を探す必要性についても触れています。

05:04

🔍 カセットの種類と特性

オーディオカセットの主なタイプについて詳細に説明しており、タイプ1（フェローまたは酸化鉄）が最も一般的なタイプであり、多くのプレ記録されたカセットに使用されていることを指摘しています。しかし、このタイプは音質が最も低いため、音楽業界がクロム（タイプ2）、フェロークロム（タイプ3）、そして最終的にメタル（タイプ4）というより高品質のカセットを開発した経緯を説明しています。各タイプの特性、利点、欠点について詳しく解説し、特にメタルカセットが音質において最も優れているが、コストが高く生産量が少ないことを強調しています。

10:04

🎵 高品質カセットの探求

タイプ3カセットの希少性と、市場でのタイプ4（メタル）カセットの位置づけについて説明します。メタルカセットは非常に高い音質を提供するが、その高価格と希少性がネックであることを指摘。また、これらのカセットが主にデモ録音やジャーナリズム用途で使われ、一般的な音楽リリースにはほとんど用いられなかったことを説明しています。高品質な録音を求める消費者にとって、メタルカセットが理想的な選択肢であるが、コストと入手の難しさが課題であることを強調しています。

15:08

🛠 カセットデッキの選び方

高品質な音楽再生を実現するためのカセットデッキの選び方についてアドバイスを提供しています。単一デッキの選択、オートリバース機能の避け方、三つのヘッドを持つデッキの重要性、デュアルキャプスタンの利点、自動デマグネタイズ機能の有用性など、購入時に考慮すべき主要な機能について解説しています。また、Dolbyノイズリダクションシステムの必要性と、オートキャリブレーション機能があるデッキのメリットについても触れています。

20:08

🎤 カセット文化とインディーズ音楽

カセット文化の復活と、インディーズバンドによるカセットを使用した音楽リリースの増加について語っています。低コストで音楽をリリースできるため、多くの独立系アーティストがこのメディアを選択していること、そしてそれがリスナーにとって新たな発見と魅力的な経験を提供していることを強調しています。一方で、市場には質の低いカセットも多く、質の高い音楽体験を求めるリスナーは選択に注意が必要であるとアドバイスしています。

Keywords

💡audio cassettes

The main topic of the video - different types of audio cassettes are explained in detail, including their history, composition, biases, frequency responses, and costs. The video advocates for a 'cassette culture' revival.

💡cassette culture

A recent movement promoting the use of cassette tapes for music listening and production. Driven by independent artists releasing albums on cassette.

💡chrome cassettes

Type 2 cassettes that use chromium dioxide as the magnetic particle coating to improve treble response. However, they lack good bass reproduction.

💡metal cassettes

Type 4 cassettes that use pure metal particles in the tape coating, allowing extended dynamic range and frequency response. But they are very expensive and wore out tape heads quicker.

💡bias

The high frequency signal added during recording to correct for non-linearity in the magnetization process. Matching bias levels is crucial for recording and playback.

💡Dolby Noise Reduction

Technologies like Dolby B and C for encoding and decoding tapes to improve the signal-to-noise ratio. Dolby S was used in high-end decks.

💡tape heads

The recording, playback, and erase heads that make contact with the tape to read/write the magnetic signals. Their condition and alignment is critical for quality.

💡auto-reverse

A feature allowing automatic tape playback reversal without manually flipping the cassette. But it can negatively impact head azimuth alignment.

💡high bias

Used with chrome and metal tapes to extend treble response. But early chrome tapes lacked good bass, while metal tapes increased head wear.

💡new old stock

Unused cassette stock from past decades, desirable for its quality since new cassette production is limited currently.

Highlights

Audio cassettes are making a comeback, leading consumers towards analog formats

Cassettes have excellent saturation, coloration and warmth comparable to higher resolution formats

Cassette quality depends greatly on the deck, tapes and other hardware - optimizing these can yield great results

Chrome and metal cassettes offered improved treble and overall frequency response over basic ferric cassettes

Bias current is crucial for proper recording and reproduction, needing to match between recording and playback

Type 1 ferric tapes lacked treble, type 2 chrome tapes lacked bass, leading to development of further tape formulations

Metal cassette formulation allowed extremely wide dynamic range and frequency response exceeding reel-to-reel tape

Cassette culture sees independent bands releasing albums on cassette for low cost and added experience

Key tape deck features: single deck, 3 separate heads, dual capstan, auto demagnetization, Dolby B/C

Avoid auto-reverse decks which can cause azimuth issues

Auto calibration optimizes bias and EQ for different tape formulations prior to recording

High quality metal cassettes can achieve excellent recordings rivaling reel-to-reel tape

Links provided to sources for buying cassettes and finding independent cassette artists

Please provide feedback, suggestions and ask questions to further the discussion

Stay tuned for future videos on this audio dialogue series

Transcripts

hi everyone and welcome to Ana dialogue

the dialogue on analog music

reproduction today we're going to talk

about audio cassettes I know it's

something covered in a variety of videos

on YouTube articles because tapes are

coming back audio cassette tapes compact

cassettes

are coming back which is a good thing I

think because it'll lead the the public

consumers towards an analog domain the

process are a started with vinyl records

and now it's getting bigger

touching media such as compact cassettes

which is after all I must say an

excellent media why do I say after all

well let's take a look so as I was

saying nevertheless I must say I must

admit personally that this after all is

a good typology of media of platform for

music reproduction I over all love tape

I love the saturation that it gives the

coloration the warmth which you can find

also obviously in a higher resolution

but we must remember that audio

cassettes had a very long development so

that's why we can have a very excellent

typology of quality in of them of the

support of the tape obviously we have to

we have to find new old stock because

almost and nobody else is producing

cassettes hopefully not for long

hopefully they'll come back but again

are they're gonna be of high quality

probably not so might as well just dive

in the in the used market although on

eBay the prices going are going

higher and higher unfortunately so

what's the the big difference I must

admit and I'm talking about my

experience back in 80's and 90's and my

experience now well when we were using

cassettes in that period 20 30 years ago

at least in my situation as I assume for

the majority of kids or teens and also

grown-ups was using bad quality supports

was using bad quality cables ultimately

was using bad quality or normal quantum

quality tape decks

which is why as soon as CDs finally hit

the market everyone cried that's a

miracle fantastic grade cassettes are

crap come on let's go on with CDs forget

the rest well actually in that moment it

was probably right because if you bought

a CD with a normal disc man or a normal

CD reader and player you could have a

decent result probably in most cases

surpassing what was what was that of a

cassette layer of an audio cassette but

turning back now I must admit that um if

you find the proper tools the proper

gear the quality of the sound

reproduction actually is kind of magical

I must admit and the same thing regards

walkman we will come back to that in

another video in the future but a far

apart from that I just want to take a

look now at the main type ologies of

cassettes and after that then we'll also

take a look at my tape deck which will

give us a few points to discuss on the

main aspects you need to look for a good

quality tape day so let's go on okay

then let's explore the main type ologies

of audio cassettes this

tapes um first of all it's important to

know that the cassette tapes are

subdivided four types and that there are

mainly realized in polyester cassettes

were invented practically by Philips in

the early 60s and after that we have

development of a very important

development of this technology which

produced in the end four topologies of

cassettes the most common cassettes the

most common topology is type 1 the

so-called federal or ferric oxide which

reveals the composition of the compound

which is and the polyester which is on

the film of the tape and this typology

is at the base of all the music

cassettes of the pre-recorded cassettes

that we have bought owned listened to in

the past

in fact unfortunately most of the early

cassettes like these you can see he can

recognize these in there from the 70s of

this orange back all these cassettes

which in some cases are our excellent

recordings are all mainly record I would

say 90% are mainly record on type 1 type

ology 1 of cassettes which is the

Pharaoh or ferric oxide typology why

this is well mainly I would say because

of the cost of the are the typology well

obviously in the beginning we only had

this the only have type 1 them as we

will see there are other technologies

there are good examples of albums I

would say like this one

Arsen parsons but um unfortunately you

you keep on thinking how could these how

do these albums could would have been

good on a better typology of support of

media of tape so remember then when you

go to buy pre-recorded cassettes as I

said the almost all of them are recorded

produced on low quality type one pharoah

cassettes unfortunately which i think is

it's a ritual pretty pity a true shame

because if only the industry would have

invested a little more like for example

mobile fidelity did at a certain point

we would have had great recordings

obviously this was very expensive as you

can see this is a very high quality

cassette it's Chrome and a a chrome

dioxide which we will see is a type to a

source from original master tapes and

the sound of these was incredible

obviously as you can imagine but they

were very very expensive because they

were produced in low numbers of copies

people does not want do not didn't want

and does not want to spend that much

money and the supports so unfortunately

only high quality audio file high five

ex-military and stuff is produced and it

has absurd prices

unfortunately otherwise you gotta stick

with this which as I said isn't it it's

not that bad it's not even that good

unfortunately but let's proceed so as we

say type one pharaoh or ferric oxide

cassettes type number two

are the chrome cassettes sukhothai

so-called chrome cassettes or chromium

dioxide which again reveals the compound

the main compound in this technology of

cassettes

which is chrome and sometimes also

called out and things like that this was

a great a huge leap in the technology of

audio cassettes and I must say that here

we finally have a good pump compromise

in quality although we must say that um

coming what was the problem with the

first type the problem is here in this

typology of cassettes here is that we

have a very bad treble the high

frequencies weren't that good weren't

that good that's why the industry

developed the Krone cassettes which had

excellent treble excellent high

frequencies why is this because of the

higher bias now the bias is a key aspect

of all these type ologies of cassettes

that the different topologies go

accordingly following the composition

but also the bias what is bias bias is a

very difficult concept to explain let's

just say that um when you record a music

signal using a magnetization of the tape

map hence a magnetic field the signal is

not linear unfortunately it's not

proportional to what you have just

recorded but since there is this strong

magnetic field hence you need a very

high frequency in current which is

somehow added to the magnetization along

with that which corrects the somehow

somehow compensate the the mistake

introduced

the magnetic field and you have to have

that same or similar bias in the rocker

in Durham the recording phase and

obviously in the reproduction phase bias

is very important important type indeed

reproduction the higher the bias the

higher the frequency response what is

the downside though of this typology of

cassettes of chrome cassettes the

downside unfortunately due to the

composition is the lack of bass the

lower frequencies that does not are not

correctly reproduced unfortunately

obviously after time chrome dioxide

gathered much more success and the

composition got better over the years

but in the beginning we must say that we

had these miss typology of issues in the

lower frequencies which is why was

developed technology number three and

what was the problem of these these

there are very difficult to find type

three cassettes unfortunately if you

check your cassette deck you're not

gonna find type three settings you're

gonna find type 1 type 2 or type 4 but

type 3 wears type 3 well it's very

simple

type 3 was the combination of pharaoh

ferric oxide cassette with chrome

dioxide compound we were both put

together to create a mix and hopefully

obtained good treble in growth in good

bass what was the problem though the

bias again because unfortunately if this

has a low bias this has a very high bias

compared to tune up to number 1 so again

you need to have defined a compromise in

that sense which makes useless that the

production of take-up tapes number 3 and

in fact only a few years there were in

production and rapid

Tuukka taken out of the of the market so

after that problem what was the final

response of the market in music assets

in in order to have to surpass all these

issues tied to the different parts of

the frequencies well the answer was

something like this metal cassettes type

four cassettes this is the top of the

top of music cassette production

well type four cassettes unfortunately

have one big issue and at the end I

would say which is cost these are very

very very very expensive unfortunately

and one of the main problems that

started at the beginning of this of the

production was the composition so with

the introduction of type 4 cassettes

also known as metal cassettes in fact we

have a new formulation the tape film

which is pure metal particles this

composition allowed to have a very high

bias allowing hence an extreme dynamic

range with excellent low frequencies and

very high frequencies you know in for a

frequency response which I absolutely

blow out of the water all the other

topologies the problem is that these are

very expensive they were very expensive

at the time and there are very expensive

now since they are kind of rare and

unfortunately the no pre-recorded

cassettes will it be I'm sure there are

a few but it's not a standard procedure

I mean this was not used to do something

commercial it was used for your voice

for

to record your band for demos for

journalism and things like that so

unfortunately this very high quality

media which surpasses somehow I in my

opinion what is a reel-to-reel tape in

proportion

since this typology of cassette is the

result of over 30 years of wool even

less actually many years of development

and let's just say because mill

cassettes came around actually pretty

pretty early there were already

introduced at the end of the 70s but

this doesn't matter I mean they never

they never were broadly distributed and

due to this to this problem of the costs

another problem that arises immediately

was that this metal composition

unfortunately was wearing the cassette

heads the tapered ex heads or recorders

which was it's a very bad issue because

obviously if you start using these

constantly in your in your cassette tape

in your tape neck

you're gonna wear out your your heads in

no time at least this was happening in

the first part of the production then

after some years we must say that the

different labels the different houses

found much better solutions and the last

productions during the 80s and 90s we're

much better and we're probably found the

right compromise in terms of wear out of

the heads and sonic quality so what is

another feature that can distinguish all

these technologies of cassettes well

something else interesting I think to to

notice is how they appear on top as you

can see a type 1 cassette has just these

little squares which can be popped down

in order to preserve what is recording

the tape otherwise you need these in

order to give access to the tape deck to

record under on the medium while chrome

dioxide typology of cassettes had a

different type of construction of

geometry as you can see they have a

double space with little squares here on

the external parts plus an empty little

square on the lot on the side of these

so this is type 1 this is tape - I don't

have type 3 as I said there are they're

very rare it means we don't need to want

to mess around with those and while type

4 cassettes are also very easily

identifiable because there are identical

to the chrome cassettes under two

external parts but they also have these

two squares in the middle so they're

easily recognizable so apart from that

what is a good reason to go ahead and

follow this cassette culture well an

excellent reason apart from from buying

old media for very very cheap I mean

less than a dollar in some cases and I

think after all if you had a good tape

deck as we will see in the following

part of the video you do take on you you

you can have some rewarding listening

sessions I think but apart from that the

good part is it's taking place now with

the cassette the so-called cassette

culture where independent bands are

creating their own albums for just a few

dollars on this technology of media now

you have to be careful I picked up these

on Bandcamp there are hundreds of bands

issuing their own cassettes now because

obviously it's cool but at the same time

I think it adds something to the

listening experience this example of

Ocean Beach I think it's an excellent

album

very well recorded very well recorded

excellent product in my opinion so you

can also find high quality stuff around

in this in this context instead I'm

sorry to say but something like this

which came along with the vinyl or

record vinyl this was very very poor

quality unfortunately you can also

recognize these are very simple and

cheap with colors and um these

technology of cassettes do not give

justice to this media and unfortunate

you will find yourself throwing these

out of the way but instead your grade

you're gonna miss some excellent

products as this one and for example

other issues of albums which probably

something like this I would say this

probably was one of the main actors and

starting this cassette culture I'm not

gonna even tell you what this is

Whoville early if you don't know but I

can tell you that this was one of the

reasons why assets are coming back yes

this is awesome ok then now that we know

a little bit more on the composition of

bias and the typology of tapes and how

good they can be

already in the topology of the media

let's take a look at as an example my

tape deck but also the main features

that you're supposed to look for if

you're about to buy a tape deck which i

think is the right moment now actually a

few years ago was even better because

now the demand is growing so obviously

even the prices are but again the go for

it because just for a few hundred

dollars euros or whatever you're gonna

get an excellent product a high-quality

or probably even a professional tape

deck which will have astounding results

in a hi-fi music reproduction let's take

a look okay

so if we decide to buy a tape deck which

I must admit that now is the correct

time to do that because actually a few

years ago it was even better because you

can find a lot of professional tape

decks or high quality tape decks like

this one you can see here for a very

reasonable play price I pick up picked

up this a few months ago for 200 euro

and I had it serviced for a another 50

euro so that the toll the total expense

is around 250 euro in this this machine

I don't know the exact price in 80s but

it was very very expensive

I absolutely could not afford something

like that back in the 80s so good stuff

guys I mean if you're interesting

cassette culture now is a good moment I

think there are four main aspects you

need to look out for when you're hunting

for a good tape deck um let's take a

look well first of all you should avoid

those tape decks that have double decks

to two parts where you can put two

cassettes usually the motors and the

components are not as good as one

dedicated tape deck so go for that for a

single typology another thing to avoid

in terms of avoiding aspects we don't we

don't absolutely want is a auto reverse

you do not want that because

unfortunately with our auto reverse the

bottom azimuth of the of them the heads

of the tape deck will go out of out of

line unfortunately so the best thing to

do is to look for something simple a

very simple tape deck thick but the

features that this tape deck has to have

in my opinion at least are mainly for

first of all it has to have three heads

I mean the three heads have to be

separated one for erasing obviously one

for playback and one for recording but

these have to be separated it has to

have a dual capstan which allows the

motor to be to work much more easily and

with precision in terms also a while and

flutter and and reading reading back the

the media on the film of the tape so

it's important to have a dual capstan

and I would add to this a third point is

a demagnetization system you can do this

by hand if you want you can do

magnetized your heads but for example

this model does have an automatic

demanding then demagnetization system

which is very which is very cool because

every time you have the perfect um

setting for a reproduction you have to

do that every once in a while again as I

said you can do it by hand if your tape

deck does not have that so it's not

fundamental a good element that a tape

deck should have is obviously also Dolby

Dolby B and C if you have Dolby s is one

of the latest tape decks so it should be

all in and there should be all three of

them and it should be a high quality

tape deck because Dolby s was a very it

was are out for only a few years but it

was a really high typology of culinary

high quality typology of global

component and a resolution I'm not a big

fan of Dolby although a lot of people

say that when Dolby is correctly used in

recording and reproduction the sound

quality of recordings should be much

better in any case we need they'll be B

and C in order to reproduce for example

pre-recorded recordings so we need that

you have to look for that so another

good thing I would say that at least

this deck has and that not many decks

have although high quality

or professional decks do have is is an

auto calibration which allows to example

we put a metal cassette allows to have

an auto calibration of the whole system

of all the parameters in order to have a

perfect setting before starting to

record like work for instance it's

calibrating the correct bias v is

finalizing the calibration and the

equalization and as you can see at this

point it says ready in fact the tape

deck recorder is ready now to record in

metal type for mode for example instead

we have a chrome dioxide cassette say

thing which as I said in order to

perfectly record your music your voice

or anything and this is a very very

helpful feature in my opinion as Tobias

calibrates finds the credit equalization

and the tape is ready in just a few

seconds very cool very cool and if you

have this feature obviously at that

point you're going to have excellent

recordings like something like this I

think high quality type for metal

cassettes it's here

[Music]

I've got 13 cards blues I'm not a bad

name okay guys um I will put in the

video description here below a few links

to whom is still producing cassettes a

few artists were to find independent

artists a useful set of contacts to to

start moving around I hope you liked

this video please give leave me your

comments please leave your suggestions

here below because remember this is a

dialogue it's not a monologue so I'm

interesting in what you're writing and

as you can see for now at least I'm

trying to reply to every comment or a

question well thank you for following

guys and stay tuned bye