Members Andmoreagain Posted March 9, 2012 Members Share Posted March 9, 2012 Lately I've been noticing quite a few local bands doing 'limited releases' of their music on cassette, and I've seen a few more prominent bands do the same in the past. It's got me thinking, what's the point of this? Is it just an ironic gesture? I honestly can't figure why you would want to spend money to release your music on low fidelity format that is, by and large, out of use. Is this just a means of giving people a tangible form of music in the digital age? Your thoughts please. If anyone has a good defense for this practice I would sincerely like to hear it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cassette Posted March 9, 2012 Members Share Posted March 9, 2012 hey man what the hell but seriously: 1) tangible format that can be distributed cheaply2) retro/nostalgic factor3) kinda hip right now4) a bit out of the ordinary5) quite suited to limited editions If you wan to put out something special, but you don't want to commit to a full vinyl/CD run, it's a fun and cheap option that still yields pretty cool results Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AimmarCair Posted March 9, 2012 Members Share Posted March 9, 2012 Cassette tapes, you have a lot to learn young padawan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members diocide Posted March 9, 2012 Members Share Posted March 9, 2012 Good defense? What is there to defend? People are still putting out vinyl, why not put out tapes too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members decode6 Posted March 9, 2012 Members Share Posted March 9, 2012 hey man what the hellbut seriously:1) tangible format that can be distributed cheaply2) retro/nostalgic factor3) kinda hip right now4) a bit out of the ordinary5) quite suited to limited editionsIf you wan to put out something special, but you don't want to commit to a full vinyl/CD run, it's a fun and cheap option that still yields pretty cool results Numbers 2,3, and 4 essentially are the same. It makes sense: the people who would buy them probably still drive a car with a tape player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AimmarCair Posted March 9, 2012 Members Share Posted March 9, 2012 Cassette culture never really died but I'd actually say there's been less of it happening than there was in the mid-2000s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Andmoreagain Posted March 9, 2012 Author Members Share Posted March 9, 2012 I drive a car with a cassette player, but I have never seen anyone listening to a cassette at home in the last ~10 years. Comparing it to vinyl doesn't really work for me as a good vinyl system has good sound quality, while a good system with cassettes is still just.. a tape deck. I'm not claiming to be an authority on the subject but I really fail to see the point beyond the tangibility factor, and the retro/irony factor. I guess what I'm saying is that I don't see the practicality of it, but then again who said music has to be practical? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TomCTC Posted March 9, 2012 Members Share Posted March 9, 2012 Its neat I guess. I suppose its just the tangible form that is the main draw, CDs are fairly pass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members melx Posted March 9, 2012 Members Share Posted March 9, 2012 Lately I've been noticing quite a few local bands doing 'limited releases' of their music on cassette, and I've seen a few more prominent bands do the same in the past. It's got me thinking, what's the point of this? Is it just an ironic gesture? I honestly can't figure why you would want to spend money to release your music on low fidelity format that is, by and large, out of use. Is this just a means of giving people a tangible form of music in the digital age? Your thoughts please. If anyone has a good defense for this practice I would sincerely like to hear it. 'Low Fidelity' ???? audio tape isn't low fidelity. ...anyway, what's the point? what's the point of anything? ... making something people want to buy doesn't need defending, they are cassettes not bombs. Big record companies have been so out of touch the last 10 or 15 years, they didn't have a {censored}ing clue what music fans want, they kept trying to make people buy MP3's but we all know nobody wants to pay for something you can copy on your computer in seconds, they are starting to realise this and are going all out with sexy limited packaged vinyl and Cd's, local bands doing cassettes is the same thing, just on a cheaper lower level. Music is a product and digital downloads are a poor product. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Andmoreagain Posted March 9, 2012 Author Members Share Posted March 9, 2012 'Low Fidelity' ???? audio tape isn't low fidelity. ...anyway, what's the point? what's the point of anything? ... making something people want to buy doesn't need defending, they are cassettes not bombs. Big record companies have been so out of touch the last 10 or 15 years, they didn't have a {censored}ing clue what music fans want, they kept trying to make people buy MP3's but we all know nobody wants to pay for something you can copy on your computer in seconds, they are starting to realise this and are going all out with sexy limited packaged vinyl and Cd's, local bands doing cassettes is the same thing, just on a cheaper lower level. Music is a product and digital downloads are a poor product. I've always thought that cassette tapes were low quality compared to CD or vinyl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members eti Posted March 9, 2012 Members Share Posted March 9, 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiWrC5dymcg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members amp_surgeon Posted March 9, 2012 Members Share Posted March 9, 2012 'Low Fidelity' ???? audio tape isn't low fidelity. No, audio tape isn't low fidelity, but most cassette tapes are. They move too slow compared to reel tapes, and without noise reduction (Dolby, etc.) the signal/noise ratio is too low (60dB or less), and they hiss like a leaky steam pipe. But if you want to distribute a cassette that's compatible with the broadest range of equipment then you've got to use type I cassettes without noise reduction. They were popular in the 1980's because they were easily portable, and far less expensive than CD's. These days there are too many disadvantages compared to alternatives for distribution of music on physical media. CD's have much better signal to noise ratio, are more durable (no moving parts, and no physical contact between the media and the playback head), and can be duplicated much faster. In fact, we're rapidly reaching the point where it will be economical to distribute LP's on micro SD cards in high bit-rate MP3 format. I think the main reason people sometimes still distribute music on cassette is the nostalgia factor, but I'd bet there are a lot of people who don't even have a deck to play them on anymore. In fact, I'll bet if someone distributed their LP on 8-track there would be people who would buy them just because of the retro coolness factor, and not because they actually had an 8-track deck they could play it on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members melx Posted March 9, 2012 Members Share Posted March 9, 2012 I've always thought that cassette tapes were low quality compared to CD or vinyl. low quality isn't the same as low fidelity though, tapes wear out and can degrade over time and the actual plastic 'cassette' can be very poor quality.... but a good recording on tape can sound better than an average vinyl pressing with good reproduction equipment. certainly nothing lo-fi about it.... I mean until fairly recently most albums were recorded onto tape in studios. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members letsgocoyote Posted March 9, 2012 Members Share Posted March 9, 2012 Im not super into them, but I would like to be, I guess. Theres lots of reasons for cassettes in this day and age. Aside from what is already mentioned, I say these two additions 1) Its part of the presentation of the music as a tangible product. Just like they bother to now include 'cover art' for mp3 albums, or cool digipak or wallet sleeves for CDs, or crazy colored vinyl with gatefold sleeves, the cassette offers just one more medium for the visual expression of a musical artist or group. to this point, check outhttp://aurisapothecary.org/ its made by one of our forum members, cant remember who. i think it leans to the doom/noise/experimental side which isnt my cup of hot chocolate but i love looking at his website to see all the creative looking releases 2) Whether the fidelity of tape is good or bad i shant say, but we can most definitely say that it has a different sound than CD, mp3, or vinyl. This can add to the the sound of the music. Its almost like the release medium is like the final seasoning that flavors up the sound in one way or another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members triviani Posted March 9, 2012 Members Share Posted March 9, 2012 In fact, we're rapidly reaching the point where it will be economical to distribute LP's on micro SD cards in high bit-rate MP3 format. I have barely touched CDs in like 8 years now, if I were a recording band I'd definitively do this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members McManus Posted March 9, 2012 Members Share Posted March 9, 2012 This kind of thing is why it is great to have your Grandparents around. You can ask them about cassette tapes and they'll just look confused and then take you out for Chinese food. {censored} a cassette tape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members penelope twee Posted March 9, 2012 Members Share Posted March 9, 2012 A lot of the bands I've seen selling tapes have been in some way making lo-fi music and either record their music on tape 4-tracks or attempt to evoke that recording method in some way. So I suppose they may well fetishise the audio tape format more generally and probably like the idea that each cassette's contents will degrade quite rapidly. The items are much more tangible than a digital release but are still quite ephemeral. Presumably some of the bands may think tapes are 'cool' and anti-capitalist as cassettes have never really been associated with snobbery and elitism like vinyl. MP3's are synonymous with a global status symbol (the iPod). .The Sony Walkman once held a similar position and people may think it is funny/ironic/interesting to resurrect the format that was used with that long abandoned but once coveted device. A nostalgic, retro Walkman can be acquired for next to nothing. Listening to a tape requires different equipment and the resultant experience may also differ a lot to using other formats/devices. The format imposes a track list on listeners to an extent which would seem alien to a lot of younger music fans. Navigation to a favourite song requires a bit more commitment than with an iPod or whatever. . I wonder when the MiniDisc will be revived? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HeartfeltDawn Posted March 9, 2012 Members Share Posted March 9, 2012 I have barely touched CDs in like 8 years now, if I were a recording band I'd definitively do this. Really? I've gone back to my CDs because it's no fun listening to MP3s. I even bought a Discman last year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Heck, I'll tell you what - why don't I just transfer the mix to a cassette, then back into the computer and do a LAME MP3 file for you... you'll get all the wow & flutter, tape hiss and other lofi characteristics of the cassette deck in your digital file that you can use anywhere. I've actually got the gear that will let me make the masters for cassettes, but it seems to me you're just trying to be clever / trendy / lofi hipsters / exclusive if you release to cassette only; it severely restricts your audience. Most folks don't use cassette decks anymore. Heck, CD's have already become antiques, and soon so will MP3's... on-demand streaming ala Spotify is the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 APresumably some of the bands may think tapes are 'cool' and anti-capitalist as cassettes have never really been associated with snobbery and elitism like vinyl. No, but cassettes were the king cash cow during one of the most commercialized periods of music history. At one point, they were the most popular format in terms of units sold, so claiming it as some sort of anti-capitalist thing now kind of cracks me up - the capitalists have already used that format for all they could squeeze out of it and then moved on... digital is the truly democratic means of distribution since it allows everyone to have the same thing if you wish to make it freely available. MP3's are synonymous with a global status symbol (the iPod). .The Sony Walkman once held a similar position and people may think it is funny/ironic/interesting to resurrect the format that was used with that long abandoned but once coveted device. A nostalgic, retro Walkman can be acquired for next to nothing.Listening to a tape requires different equipment and the resultant experience may also differ a lot to using other formats/devices. The format imposes a track list on listeners to an extent which would seem alien to a lot of younger music fans. Navigation to a favourite song requires a bit more commitment than with an iPod or whatever. .I wonder when the MiniDisc will be revived? You do have some good points there. Again, I grew up with tape decks. I got my first recorder when I was eight. I started my recording engineer career on analog decks. And I listened to cassettes a lot for years. Especially in my car, but on my Walkman too. It IS a different listening experience, and one that it's kind of nice to see some younger people experiencing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members McManus Posted March 9, 2012 Members Share Posted March 9, 2012 One day they'll cure all STDs and have a 100% effective male birth control pill. Guaranteed 10 years later some hipsters will be all about wearing condoms for retro vibes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members echodeluxe Posted March 9, 2012 Members Share Posted March 9, 2012 Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members letsgocoyote Posted March 9, 2012 Members Share Posted March 9, 2012 I'm gonna release a cassette!!!! I don't know if I came up with this or maybe I heard of another band doing it, but if you were doing a cassette exclusive release and selling at your merch table you could also maybe scrounge up a small collection of cassette players from thrift stores and yard sales and sell them for a couple bucks so people can hear the tapes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cantoXIII Posted March 9, 2012 Members Share Posted March 9, 2012 cassettes never died, they simply went underground. i encourage anybody who thinks cassettes are lo-fidelity to listen to any pro-dubbed tape that's been copied on digital bin-loop duplicators. will change your mind rightquick about that misconception. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members letsgocoyote Posted March 9, 2012 Members Share Posted March 9, 2012 I think one reason for maybe a resurgence in small tape labels is that you can buy dupers for peanuts now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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