The Last Audio Cassette Factory [video]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMTpvr9HXeI

by chkuendig • 11 years ago

38 48 11 years ago

I go to one or two shows a month with smaller touring bands, generally shows with less than 100 people. Almost all of them have at least one tape now, some are tape only. I think it's kind of silly, like no one remembers what a pain rewinding is. I even have a friend who runs an all tape label.

Edit: I bet that's what people older than me thought when I was buying vinyl in 1999.

mikeash3• 11 years ago

Is there some advantage to it, or are they just being weirdly retro?

dec0dedab0de4• 11 years ago

One time I was ranting to a guy selling tapes about how I hate tapes, and he said yeah me too, but the kids love it.

eastbayjake2• 11 years ago

I have a 1988 BMW 325i with the original stereo + cassette deck. I don't want to replace the stereo because I'd like to keep it in original condition, so I've been in the market for cassettes! There are a surprising number of older cars -- and some not that old -- where cassette decks were the base model option unless you paid for a CD changer.

toxican2• 11 years ago

I don't get it. Wouldn't it be easier/cheaper for them to produce CDs? Or is it an "indie cred" type thing?

dec0dedab0de4• 11 years ago

I think there is the general feeling that CDs are the same thing as a download, and if you're going to buy something physical it should be different than the download. Along that line of thinking tapes are much cheaper than vinyl, at least in short runs.

dogma11383• 11 years ago

Consider that tapes require more materials and that the production capacity is near non-existent there is no way they are cheaper than CD's they are probably several times more expensive than CD's these days.

Early on CD's were more expensive but you have completely different fabrication process and royalties to deal with, but today nope. So it is nothing more than an "indie" thing and like many comments on YT said thank the hipsters and they are kinda right.

I also wonder if there are any bands that do analogue recording since i don't think a single studio exists that isn't digital these days and if it does then considering the price of that rare gear and the expertise needed to operate it it would also be much much more expensive than traditional recording.

OneOneOneOne• 11 years ago

Vinyl makes more sense to me. I monkeyed around with cassettes for a little while but type II always sounded muted. Never played with type IV. Also, my older cassettes seemed to degrade. Even older commercial tapes sounded bad with time.

oqnet• 11 years ago

I was told they demagnetize over time, not sure if that's BS or not though.

dghughes• 11 years ago

They should release it on wax cylinders with a bonus bowler hat.

51Cards2• 11 years ago

To those here who don't understand it... Why do we seek out retro gaming machines? Fire up a Commodore 64? Dig the Z80 unit out of the closet? Have massive projects attempting to bit emulate old TV gaming systems? Are these in some way better than our current hardware?

Retro has its own appeal... for a game, a vintage automobile, a manual transmission, a paper photograph, 35mm film, a watch without a microprocessor, a softer audio sound, or the scrape of a needle over vinyl. Someone will love it on nostalgia alone even if the world has "moved on".

mrob• 11 years ago

Old games console + CRT TV is objectively better than almost everything modern by at least one measure: control latency. Punch-Out!! for NES is literally impossible to complete on a lot of modern hardware, because it doesn't take much additional latency to push the reaction time requirements beyond human ability. And even with less demanding games the feeling of responsiveness you get with original hardware is very noticeable.

Someone12343• 11 years ago

Little odd to read "a manual transmission" listed amongst other retro things. It is the most popular style of transmission in the world. Even in the US most vehicles larger than a minivan are manual transmission.

Most people drive that way, it isn't odd, retro, or hipster. It is the norm, the US is the oddity. CVTs might change that a little as we go more hybrid/electric, but as of 2015, manual remains the norm.

51Cards2• 11 years ago

True on this one as I am a manual driver myself, though I've had this debate recently with several members of the generation after mine. :) Being from North America myself (Canada) the percentage of people who can use a manual transmission is plummeting.

In general many couldn't understand why you would manage your own gears when you have traction control, highly efficient automatics, and tiptronic options in most cars now. Agreed, probably not a solid part of that list yet, but not far from it with electric vehicles on the rise as well.

wil4213• 11 years ago

Even in the US most vehicles larger than a minivan are manual transmission.

I beg to differ, the best selling automobile is an F-150. Which hasn't offered a manual since ~2009 and only in a v6 (v8 trucks are more popular in this class anyway).

The top 3 autos in the US are all trucks.[1] The next up is the Camry which doesn't offer a manual.

Not to mention many car manufacturers are switching to CVT transmissions for their base models. Audi even uses them along with GM, Honda, Nissan etc.

Its hard to even find new BMWs with manuals. Have a friend with a manual x3 and the dealer said its one of the only ones in the US.

These Quora responses indicate it's more of a price issue in Europe than a preference. Most auto's are about $2000 more with a manual.[2]

[1]http://autocontentexp.com/20-best-selling-vehicles-in-americ...

[2]http://www.quora.com/Why-do-the-majority-of-cars-in-Europe-h...

at-fates-hands• 11 years ago

I drove a manual through high school (1978 Chevy (327 engine), classic "3 on a tree" manual transmission) and my freshman year of college.

Then I broke my ankle playing pick up soccer and had to drive myself to the hospital, with a broken left ankle no less. Since then, I swore to myself, never again would I own a manual transmission. Now that my playing days are over, I've been thinking of going back to a manual.

You are correct though, the US is a total oddity. Most of the guys I play hockey with are Scandinavian or European and thought it was weird I drove an automatic. It as if I was the weird one.

mojuba• 11 years ago

I don't think it's just nostalgia. I think there is certain craving for touching physical things, moving them around, giving as gifts, and even breaking them. Digital takes over because it's more practical, but the physical stuff no matter how impractical even, is here to stay unless evolution takes our brains to the next levels and makes touching/sensing unnecessary.

oconnore• 11 years ago

And I thought I was a hipster for buying an external Bluray drive...

digi_owl• 11 years ago

Hipster would be to get a external 5.25 drive.

Grabbing a BR drive, in particular if it is a burner, is basically about covering ones behind.

larrys• 11 years ago

Not sure I agree with the "warm analog sound of tape". I do agree vinyl has a nice sound. As someone who grew up with high end cassette decks (denon iirc and Ohm speakers) (with dolby which always muted the highs for me) there is really (in my opinion) nothing nice about the sound of a cassette to my ears.

robodale• 11 years ago

"warm analog sound of tape"...yea more like "dull hiss..."

msandford7• 11 years ago

To people who grew up with tape, that dull hiss means "music is about to happen!"

pnut• 11 years ago

I sort of get the appeal of the audio cassette.

You can throw it directly into your backpack or pocket, no delicate fiddliness like a CD.

It has enough physical substance to be meaningfully comparable to its contents, in contrast to a USB thumb drive, plus it has a finite amount of storage.

The limited storage is important in the context of mixtapes. That was a currency back in the 80's and 90's, a very meaningful and thoughtful gift to give or receive. Like a love letter.

You only got 20 or so songs, and that's it. Giving someone a subset of your torrent library is not the same.

The Last Audio Cassette Factory [video]

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