www.shortscale.org

Asher · . Joined: 14 Feb 2010 Posts: 340 Location: Venezuela

I've seen that some of you guys do tape recording and stuff. Do you guys know of any good places to get audio cassettes, where you could possibly customize the length of the tape?

Mages · Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 7:02 pm Post subject:

here's my advice for getting the best quality recording on cassette recorders: you want brand name. like maxell, TDK, memorex, etc. you want the shortest tape. the long tapes they use thinner tape that isn't as good and the recording speed is uneven because the recorder has to pull such a large reel. also check the manual for your tape machine to see what kind of tape it's supposed to use. TASCAM uses Type II High Bias.

broomhandle · . Joined: 27 Dec 2011 Posts: 165

really? no joke? cassettes?

Al_ · . Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 510230 Location: Vista, CA

haha, yeah. There's a label (Burger Records) up in OC that is releasing cassettes. Our very own SerfX just sent me one as well.

hotrodperlmutter · Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 11:36 pm Post subject:

you can have all these for free if you want:

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broomhandle · . Joined: 27 Dec 2011 Posts: 165

just go to a goodwill and get a ton, punch the tabs, and you have cassettes. it would be cool to hand out a cassette and say, here is our music. and its paula abdul or something....

broomhandle · . Joined: 27 Dec 2011 Posts: 165

and, how would one listen to a cassette? the last place i had a tape deck was in my car like 5 years ago.

Al_ · . Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 510230 Location: Vista, CA

I've got a dual well one down in the studio; plus my daughters have a Hello Kitty boom box that has both a CD and cassette player.

broomhandle · . Joined: 27 Dec 2011 Posts: 165

but who else do you know that has one?

i guess it depends on what you are doing with them...

Al_ · . Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 510230 Location: Vista, CA

My wife also has one in her 2008 Volvo station wagon. Don't really know who else of my friends have them; but if there's a label releasing them, it's got to be a fair number.

broomhandle · . Joined: 27 Dec 2011 Posts: 165

I think Cassettes died with VHS, and soon to be CD and DVD's....

if you want new ones, try like ebay or something. if your looking on just doing budget recording, just get a digital handhend recorder or something. or if by some chance you have a iphone or computer. better yet.

Al_ · . Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 510230 Location: Vista, CA

There's actually a mini-resurgence of people recording on casette based 4-tracks. Something about the limitation and that lo-fi, analog goodness.

broomhandle · . Joined: 27 Dec 2011 Posts: 165

well, i have to agree with that. its got that not over produced and fake sound....

i try and achive that with the computer, buts just not the same.

Josh · Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 2:08 am Post subject:

Al_ · . Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 510230 Location: Vista, CA

Yep, that was my first rig. Recorded a bunch of stuff on that thing. Still have it in fact.

robroe · Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 2:32 am Post subject:

SHORTSCALEGEARDEMOS TO THE FUCKING RESCUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Link

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Al_ · . Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 510230 Location: Vista, CA

Yeah buddy! And WTG recording forum! This place hasn't been this lively in like forever. Strong work broomhandle!

robroe · Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 2:48 pm Post subject:

i got a whole fucking huge box of old tapes. i never got rid of them. just like i won't sell my 500 or so CD's that are just sitting on a shelf doing nothing. fuck that. these things were all part of my childhood.

zzounds.com has been pushing this Zion usb walkman this week on its front page. looks neat. and costs less than what i used to pay for my old walk mans after i fucking destroyed the headphone jacks on them getting crushed by books in my school backpacks.

http://www.zzounds.com/item--IONTAPEXH

i could have sold 100's of these little things in the mens department at Lord and Taylor this christmas for gifts
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James · Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 3:17 pm Post subject:

Presumably you are recording to a 4 track? I spent a while using one a few years back and mostly remember the stuff I learnt about what type of tapes to use. You might already know all this but if not it's worth knowing because it will help you narrow down what you're looking to buy.

- Because you're using both sides of the stereo tape to turn side L, side 1 R, side 2 L and side 2 R into tracks 1,2,3,4 you have half the length of the tape available to you if you run it at normal speed. So a 90 minute tape yields 45 minutes of recording time.
- You're better off recording at double speed if you have the option, though it halves the available time again.
- 90 minute tapes are thinner than 60 and under, so aim to use a 60 minute tape at the longest though any shorter length (as long as the recording duration is long enough of course is fine too).
- Type I tapes are far more readily available, but Type II are supposedly higher fidelity. I think the difference is that Type I are iron/ferrous based and Type II are chrome (or at least advertised as chrome).

So in summary, use Type II tapes with a maximum duration of 60 minutes recording at double speed.

To answer the question you actually asked, I haven't a clue where to buy them. I was searching recently for some tapes like I described and did come across a website that made tapes to order and you could specify the duration. It probably wouldn't be too hard to find if you base your searches on type II tapes.
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Shabba.

James · Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 3:35 pm Post subject: