Twoism tape trading

[Jonse]

anybody trading tapes? anyone want one?

I would participate in any community-related activity but have yet to really see the appeal in trading cassette tapes.

I get the idea of making a mixtape and passing it on to your friends like the "good old days", but magnetic tape quality of that size is relatively low. Maybe I'm just being a cynical audiophile, who knows.


Still, maybe I'll make a mixtape and get into this whole tape trading thing just for the hell of it.

[turquoise70]

Yeah sorry I was drunk.

I DO really want that tape, though. I put a lot of heart into it, and I sent it away in good faith that it would be part of something - a group of tapes that would be ripped to MP3 and shared with the whole community. Instead I apparently sent it off into NOWHERE LAND, where it would disappear forever.

That makes me sad.

[Cryabetes]

anybody trading tapes? anyone want one?

I would participate in any community-related activity but have yet to really see the appeal in trading cassette tapes.

I get the idea of making a mixtape and passing it on to your friends like the "good old days", but magnetic tape quality of that size is relatively low. Maybe I'm just being a cynical audiophile, who knows.


Still, maybe I'll make a mixtape and get into this whole tape trading thing just for the hell of it.

The appeal of trading cassettes is that it's a mix without the disposable connotations of digital media. A mix tape that's well made versus one that's not is the difference between a skilled DJ and a jukebox. It takes time and effort and preferrably a crossfader [although that is really optional] and when it comes together it's really awesome- there's no "write at 52x speed" for tapes.
Also the quality argument doesn't come down to the tape, it comes down to the reader/tape heads, and the preamp choices when recording.

In addition, a cassette tape is a bit more tactile and physically interactive than a disc [and infinitely more than some abstract data that is an mp3 playlist].

I'm moving right now but if in a month or so anyone would want to do a mixtape trade, I'm game.

[Lens Larque]

anybody trading tapes? anyone want one?

I would participate in any community-related activity but have yet to really see the appeal in trading cassette tapes.

I get the idea of making a mixtape and passing it on to your friends like the "good old days", but magnetic tape quality of that size is relatively low. Maybe I'm just being a cynical audiophile, who knows.


Still, maybe I'll make a mixtape and get into this whole tape trading thing just for the hell of it.

Just a pause button tape with anything on it. No big deal man.

[Jonse]

anybody trading tapes? anyone want one?

I would participate in any community-related activity but have yet to really see the appeal in trading cassette tapes.

I get the idea of making a mixtape and passing it on to your friends like the "good old days", but magnetic tape quality of that size is relatively low. Maybe I'm just being a cynical audiophile, who knows.


Still, maybe I'll make a mixtape and get into this whole tape trading thing just for the hell of it.

The appeal of trading cassettes is that it's a mix without the disposable connotations of digital media. A mix tape that's well made versus one that's not is the difference between a skilled DJ and a jukebox. It takes time and effort and preferrably a crossfader [although that is really optional] and when it comes together it's really awesome- there's no "write at 52x speed" for tapes.
Also the quality argument doesn't come down to the tape, it comes down to the reader/tape heads, and the preamp choices when recording.

In addition, a cassette tape is a bit more tactile and physically interactive than a disc [and infinitely more than some abstract data that is an mp3 playlist].

I'm moving right now but if in a month or so anyone would want to do a mixtape trade, I'm game.

Oh, I understand the aspect of interaction with it.


And there's no way I'd suggest trading discs or something like that, that'd be absurd.

However, me and a group of friends traded read only flash drives containing exclusive tracks of ours that had heavily customized shell artwork that was added to by each person who got it. Don't think that form of digital media isn't really "disposable".

As for quality, I personally haven't ever heard a cassette tape that sounds as clear as lossless audio or a vinyl record, but the lo-fi sound is probably one of the main attractions of it all. With IDM mixtapes, I can imagine so.

[Jonse]

anybody trading tapes? anyone want one?

I would participate in any community-related activity but have yet to really see the appeal in trading cassette tapes.

I get the idea of making a mixtape and passing it on to your friends like the "good old days", but magnetic tape quality of that size is relatively low. Maybe I'm just being a cynical audiophile, who knows.


Still, maybe I'll make a mixtape and get into this whole tape trading thing just for the hell of it.

Just a pause button tape with anything on it. No big deal man.

Welp, I've got a cassette deck, a couple of old, half-warped tapes and plenty of music. Guess I'll make one.


By the way, there's a lot of people here quite confused about ripping tapes to mp3. Ever thought of using an auxiliary hookup from a cassette deck to a computer microphone jack, pulling up recording software, playing back the tapes into the software and then exporting the file to flac/mp3/wav/whatever? I don't think it would be that difficult.

[Cryabetes]

?

.

( )

Oh, I understand the aspect of interaction with it.


And there's no way I'd suggest trading discs or something like that, that'd be absurd.

However, me and a group of friends traded read only flash drives containing exclusive tracks of ours that had heavily customized shell artwork that was added to by each person who got it. Don't think that form of digital media isn't really "disposable".

As for quality, I personally haven't ever heard a cassette tape that sounds as clear as lossless audio or a vinyl record, but the lo-fi sound is probably one of the main attractions of it all. With IDM mixtapes, I can imagine so.

Like I said, it's more in the player and preamp processing.

[Jonse]

?

.

( )

Oh, I understand the aspect of interaction with it.


And there's no way I'd suggest trading discs or something like that, that'd be absurd.

However, me and a group of friends traded read only flash drives containing exclusive tracks of ours that had heavily customized shell artwork that was added to by each person who got it. Don't think that form of digital media isn't really "disposable".

As for quality, I personally haven't ever heard a cassette tape that sounds as clear as lossless audio or a vinyl record, but the lo-fi sound is probably one of the main attractions of it all. With IDM mixtapes, I can imagine so.

Like I said, it's more in the player and preamp processing.

Like the difference between a poorly mastered CD vs. a well mastered one?

[Cryabetes]

that and the preamp section on the playback apparatus, yes. a nice tape deck sounds better than one that hasn't been properly serviced in a long time, etc.

[Jonse]

that and the preamp section on the playback apparatus, yes. a nice tape deck sounds better than one that hasn't been properly serviced in a long time, etc.

How high ultimately is the potential of the format though? Technically, can it sound of CD/LP quality if done correctly?

[Cryabetes]

yeah. I mean, tapes have a 17Hz-22KHz sound spectrum as opposed to the (admittedly arbitrary) 20Hz-20Khz of CD and variable-but-full-of-compromises spectrum of LPs. True, they have a slightly lower signal-to-noise ratio and upkeep is necessary both on the media and the deck but they can sound pretty damn wonderful.

[Jonse]

yeah. I mean, tapes have a 17Hz-22KHz sound spectrum as opposed to the (admittedly arbitrary) 20Hz-20Khz of CD and variable-but-full-of-compromises spectrum of LPs. True, they have a slightly lower signal-to-noise ratio and upkeep is necessary both on the media and the deck but they can sound pretty damn wonderful.

Well, I'll have to find myself a tape that sounds nice and play it on a good tape deck. I've never heard that before.

[Lens Larque]

All of this sounds incredibly complicated.

[turquoise70]

All of this sounds incredibly complicated.

It does.

But it doesn't have to.

These guys are engaging in a time-honored Twoism tradition: Hardware Geek Porn Roleplay.

How it works: one person posts technical information regarding audio recording, mixing, mastering, or music production. Then the other person replies, supplying an equal or greater amount of technical information that non-hobbyists could never hope to understand. Then the ball's back in the first guy's court. Repeat!

Anyway, I recorded my mixtape using a 1990-era boombox and a 1980-era Playskool tape recorder. I was drunk for most of it. It was fun.

I want my frigging tape back, dammit!

[Lens Larque]

All of this sounds incredibly complicated.

It does.

But it doesn't have to.

These guys are engaging in a time-honored Twoism tradition: Hardware Geek Porn Roleplay.

How it works: one person posts technical information regarding audio recording, mixing, mastering, or music production. Then the other person replies, supplying an equal or greater amount of technical information that non-hobbyists could never hope to understand. Then the ball's back in the first guy's court. Repeat!

Anyway, I recorded my mixtape using a 1990-era boombox and a 1980-era Playskool tape recorder. I was drunk for most of it. It was fun.

I want my frigging tape back, dammit!

Where is the tape?

Did it get lost in the mail?

[Lens Larque]

The Other, speak ye

do you have the tape?

[Lens Larque]

Maybe he died. Can the mods confirm this?

[Jonse]

Maybe he died. Can the mods confirm this?

LENS.


LAY OFF THE CRACK PIPE FOR ONCE.

[turquoise70]

Maybe he died. Can the mods confirm this?

LENS.


LAY OFF THE CRACK PIPE FOR ONCE.

Nah, it's all good. Lens is just being Lens, and that's cool.

I'm pretty curious about what happened, too. I doubt The Other just trashed them all. He's probably still got 'em. Maybe I could ask for mine back and rip it myself.

[Jonse]

Maybe he died. Can the mods confirm this?

LENS.


LAY OFF THE CRACK PIPE FOR ONCE.

Nah, it's all good. Lens is just being Lens, and that's cool.

I'm pretty curious about what happened, too. I doubt The Other just trashed them all. He's probably still got 'em. Maybe I could ask for mine back and rip it myself.

Nah man that much coke is bad for ya.

If I had it, I'd rip it for you. Too bad whoever's got it seems to have disappeared.