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what next format to revive?

sheet music?
Folk music passed from one generation to the next, the medium? people, together playing and singing. Don't expect consistency.
 
Who on earth would anyone waste their time going back to tapes, i mean, come on, it's a nonesense.
 
I like to mooch around the internet, charity shops and boot fairs so its handy to be able to play whatever source I find...minidisc, reel to reel, vinyl, cd, cassette, flac, ogg, wav. mp3. I draw the line at 8 tracks, 78s and punched cards for pedal organs.
 
Cassette is a poor choice, the tapes themselves are unstable, shedding oxide. Heads wear out and there are usually several of rare drive belts perishing.
In comparison vinyl is much easier to keep running
 
Tapes generally speaking are utter trash, regardless of how good they can be.

I think it should be minidiscs, they look cool, or failing that, tiny one inch diameter blu rays.
 
Tape is really not great and had to chuck most of mine due to degredation and cassette decks do not last well either unless high quality ones so basically not a good choice for revival .
A bit of a shame as back in the day cassette tape was revolutionary
 
James said:
I have a small curiosity about R2R. They look proper retro and a 15ips machine is capable of truly high fidelity. Compact Cassettes, not so much, except on Naks.
Click to expand...

You don't even need 15 ips, 7 1/2 ips will do more than nicely. In fact, there were some rather good pre-recorded 7 1/2ips reel tapes offered Stateside, right up until the late '70s. The best of these were duped in real time on basic Ampex tape that has stood up very well (and far better than Ampex's more exotic formulations) to the rigours of time, age, and storage. The tape does lend a certain hint of mid-forward emphasis, a kind of luminous presence, but when combined with the airy big-boned sound of reel tape, you can need up with a sound that is really rather lovely and a world away from what we've become used to from digital replay.

I have a couple of hundred 7 1/2 ips pre-recorded reels, and to take just one example, Dave Brubeck's Time Out, I have this on CD, Hi-res, many different vinyl issues, but it's the reel that I come back to as my favourite time and again. Same for something like David Cosby's If Only I Could Remember My Name, I have the CD, the remaster, the Hi-res, many different LP issues, but it's always the reel that's just a bit more special.

And when they're playing they look cool...
 
Oh, I should also add that the choice of replay machine is important too. Much as I love my Revox decks, particularly with the big 10.5 inch reels, I find that it's the smaller Sony's that really give me the most pleasure when playing back these pre-recorded reels. The TC-377 family is a great start and the model that first bit me with the reel bug. But you have to be right on top of the greasing ritual otherwise speed can suffer. My favourite Sony for pre-recorded reel reply is the nigh-on bomb-proof TC-645; it has everything you need (3 motors, 3 f+f heads, excellent response, good sounding circuitry, easy to overhaul) and no fancy bits that will go wrong like solenoid controls, complex transport etc..

Oh, and I'm afraid that in spite of having had a number of Akai R2Rs, I've always found them just too opaque sounding compared to the equivalent Sony decks. Not my cup of tea.
 
As we all know, cassettes - as analog medium - have infinite resolution. Vinyl, too. Copying you lps to cassettes gives resolution of double infinity. What's not to like?
 
I use minidiscs and have a bit of fun with cassettes. Thats all it is though....a bit of fun. Its hobbyists buying and restoring the equipment. There is no serious revival. People are buying laserdiscs and DCC players but it doesnt mean there is a revival on.

The companies that dumped these technologies knew there was no future. The more I accept computer audio the more I realise its potential. I have heard some crystal clear detail from computer files. I thought ooh I didnt realise that was in the mix

If anything Im reaching a peak now where Im going to go more minimalist.

The vinyl revival is an interesting one which Im watching closely. I see one local guy has already closed down his "retro/vinyl" store after about a year.
 
Good job I kept my old Nak then. I also have quite a few packs of brand new TDK and Fuji tape put away for the rainy day :cool:
 
Minstrel SE said:
I use minidiscs and have a bit of fun with cassettes. Thats all it is though....a bit of fun. Its hobbyists buying and restoring the equipment. There is no serious revival. People are buying laserdiscs and DCC players but it doenst mean there is a revival on.

The companies that dumped these technologies knew there was no future. The more I accept computer audio the more I realise its potential. I have heard some crystal clear detail from computer files. I thought ooh I didnt realise that was in the mix

If anything Im reaching a peak now where Im going to go more minimalist.

The vinyl revival is an interesting one which Im watching closely. I see one local guy has already closed down his "retro/vinyl" store after about a year.
Click to expand...

wow DCC now thats something that seemed a good idea at the time. Any one here have one?
 
Time to revive the HitClip.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HitClips

Hitclips.jpg
 
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