Cassette tape recorder

[Kasey]

I'm looking for a good dual cassette tape recorder... I'm just starting to get my first recordings done and i cant afford a computer or a cd recorder, so i decided to release stuff on casette tapes and give it away for free, just to get my name out. I have a dual cassette recorder (i found it in a bunch of my dads old stereo equipment, its probably 30 years old at least). the problem is its broken and wont dub tapes. I can record onto tape with it just fine, i just cant copy it. So i guess i need a new one so i can do that. Does anyone have any suggestions of any that i can get off ebay? rack mountable sizes are a plus, the ability to dub x2 (like mine would if it worked) is a plus... and well, obviously i might as well try and get good sound quality even though im making cassette tapes. What should i look for spec wise? what is a good s/n ratio for cassette recorders? Do pretty much all of them have noise reduction now? help me out brothers.

 

[The Ghost of FM]

TASCAM makes some sweet double cassette decks that offer decent specs and all the features you asked for and even some that you didn't but, they ain't cheap! So, if you're trying to save a couple of bucks maybe look for these models on ebay or elsewhere and make sure they are in complete working order and come from sellers with good reputations.

Here's a link to the TASCAM site where the decks are detailed;

http://www.tascamcontractor.com/products/cassette.html

You might also consider a stand alone CD recorder deck as they are in some cases, cheaper then the decks in the link I provided and so long as you have another CD player to act as a player, the CD recorder deck can make copies from that player too.

Handing out free cassettes these days is probably not the wisest idea in that many newer people to audio don't own cassette decks. Many cars stereos don't include them any more as well as many home mini and surround sound systems don't include a cassette deck.

Think it over.

Cheers!

 

[Kasey]

Handing out free cassettes these days is probably not the wisest idea in that many newer people to audio don't own cassette decks. Many cars stereos don't include them any more as well as many home mini and surround sound systems don't include a cassette deck.

quite understood, but i figure that most people still have a cassette tape player. The fact that most people dont have them is part of the reason why theyre free (as is the fact that they dont sound so great). If i were to put stuff on cd 1. it'd cost more, and 2. it'd actually be worth something. Maybe its just me, but the idea of giving out free tapes of stuff recorded in my basement studio is... sort of romantic.

 

[themaddog]

I know what you mean, I'd actually rather give out cassettes, but there'd be noone to hear them. On top of that, buying cassettes will cost more than buy CD-R's. I closed out on a lot of 40 new Emtec type I cassettes and they were still about 30 cents apiece. You probably won't be able to find cassettes much cheaper than that, yet still CD-R's are even cheaper.

I like the way my cassettes sound over CD-R's, you're not expected to make the tape rediculously loud and it's easier and better sounding (in my opinion) to use analog compressors rather than the digital computer ones.

-MD