TEAC O'Casse Open Cassette - Reinventing the Reel

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  • Опубліковано 29 лис 2024

КОМЕНТАРІ • 1,6 тис.

  • @nathansmith3608
    @nathansmith3608 5 років тому +527

    That's like replacing usb cords with beautiful golden wires you can conveniently solder between your devices

    • @alecwhatshisname5170
      @alecwhatshisname5170 4 роки тому +62

      I'd say its more comparable to re-soldering a flash chip into a flash drive whenever you're finished with it. Hilarious, unnecessary, impractical, yet still completely baller.

  • @Swenglish
    @Swenglish 8 років тому +1688

    The convenience of cassettes without any of the convenience.

    • @jacobwebb8818
      @jacobwebb8818 8 років тому +65

      all the fun of fiddling with technology with the simplicity of a cassette tape

    • @dragonbutt
      @dragonbutt 8 років тому +55

      But ten times the cool factor!

    • @invisibletenants
      @invisibletenants 7 років тому +32

      This would make a perfect gift for Shelden Cooper. He likes non user friendly things. Like his mind for example. And Linux.

    • @thegardenofeatin5965
      @thegardenofeatin5965 7 років тому +20

      What's user unfriendly about Linux?

    • @Swenglish
      @Swenglish 7 років тому +32

      Installing programs, for one thing. You can't just run an installation executable. Instead you've got to go into the command prompt and first remember the root password from last time you installed something on that particular device, then figure out what series of commands you need to put in to get the thing you want, which may suddenly change or not be applicable for your particular Linux build (which just so happens to be the only one where you could get the sound working on your particular hardware)... There's definitely a lot of room for improvement in the user friendliness area. Kind of the opposite of the problem with recent versions of Windows, where they're so obsessed with some bizarre idea of user friendliness and competing with Apple for the can't-do-anything user that the user has to fight a gorgon to get control over their own computer.
      All operating systems are a pain in the ass, because they're all terrified of the happy middle ground between user friendliness and user control, and Linux happens to be on the side of not enough user friendliness.

  • @PascalGienger
    @PascalGienger 9 років тому +600

    Combining the downsides of a compact cassette with the downsides of a reel to reel tape - sounds like an EXTREME winning team....

    • @Leo_Berger
      @Leo_Berger 9 років тому +1

      +Pascal ”Le Bakala” Gienger Ha-ha! Bullseye

    • @darek4488
      @darek4488 8 років тому +2

      +Pascal „Le Bakala” Gienger What downsides of a compact cassette? Cassette has no downsides.

    • @johnhalley7114
      @johnhalley7114 6 років тому +1

      I can't imagine for the life of me how that system just didn't take off!

    • @TassieLorenzo
      @TassieLorenzo 5 років тому +7

      @@darek4488 1/8" tape vs 1/4" on home reel to reel, plus a slower tape speed.

  • @GamesFromSpace
    @GamesFromSpace 7 років тому +469

    "Such a bloody ludicrous stupid idea" that would probably do well on kickstarter.

    • @arccityangels
      @arccityangels 5 років тому +1

      Joshua Pearce lol love this comment! 😂😂

    • @thorlo1278
      @thorlo1278 5 років тому +8

      As is usual with ignorant Mellinials, you put down technology that was part of history. Which, if it had not been developed, we would not have the tech we have to do. Technology is like a baby, you have to learn to crawl before you can walk, and you have to learn to walk before you can run. Learn history and embrace it, because your ancestors were the ones who had to exist before you could even have been born!

    • @newjamisonia
      @newjamisonia 4 роки тому +20

      @@thorlo1278 Jesus Christ this is a self righteous and absorbed comment

    • @-TheRealChris
      @-TheRealChris 3 роки тому +8

      @@thorlo1278 Err you do realize most millennials grew up using cassette's and VCR's don't you mate?

    • @eritain
      @eritain 3 роки тому +1

      @Константин Родчанин He's probably barely 45.

  • @DusteDdekay
    @DusteDdekay 9 років тому +49

    I'm always impressed by the beautiful and very-high-quality engineering that goes into so much of the old analouge stuff.

    • @TheFatAndTheFurious
      @TheFatAndTheFurious 2 роки тому

      I had a go on an anal louge once. Never again, lemme tell you!
      I was sore for weeks.

  • @markwoolley3672
    @markwoolley3672 7 років тому +30

    I'd have loved this as a teenager - I don't think people realise how bulky carrying a decent selection of music with you could be if you have to have 1 cassette per 2 albums. I remember travelling to the USA for a holiday with my parents in 1989 - half my carry-on rucksack was full of tapes I wanted to take to listen to on the 3 week trip - if only needed the reels, I'd have much more space!

  • @brendancarlson1678
    @brendancarlson1678 5 років тому +87

    "If you thought reel to reel was a pain in the ass now, wait till we miniaturize it"🔍

  • @AlRoderick
    @AlRoderick 8 років тому +264

    Instead of that lug at the end, it should all just snap together with really strong magnets. I can see absolutely no problems with this idea at all.

    • @gramursowanfaborden5820
      @gramursowanfaborden5820 8 років тому +64

      much like stacking your cassettes between hi-fi speakers, which looks ultra cool and has literally no implications regarding the integrity of the information stored on said cassettes whatsoever!

    • @vladtomoiaga4721
      @vladtomoiaga4721 8 років тому +25

      DO NOT DO THIS WHATSOEVER!!!! Magnetic tapes hate strong magnets (or magnets in general)

    • @gramursowanfaborden5820
      @gramursowanfaborden5820 8 років тому +72

      Vlad Tomoiaga
      yes Vlad, we know, that's the joke.

    • @falcoperegrinus82
      @falcoperegrinus82 8 років тому +38

      Did the joke make a sound as it flew over your head?

    • @vladtomoiaga4721
      @vladtomoiaga4721 8 років тому +6

      Mikail Elchanovanich Yeah, I know 😁

  • @TheProCactus
    @TheProCactus 9 років тому +32

    This is probably one of the coolest things ive seen that I dont want to own.
    My head stops working when I think about this thing.

  • @HeatherSpoonheim
    @HeatherSpoonheim 8 років тому +62

    You really can't understand TEAC without understanding the 'Prosumer Market' of the mid 80's to mid 90's. It was a time when tens of thousands of dollars could give you the ability that hundreds of thousands of dollars (if not millions) worth of equipment had provided only a decade earlier. You could use a TEAC 4 track recorder (4 tracks in one direction on stereo tape) to record 3 mics and a time code signal that would sync with your camcorders that recorded the time code on one of the audio tracks.
    Catalog all media and you had a 3 camera, 3 mic, time-coded shoot with full audio backup or extra tracks of ambient sounds. In the 70's that would cost you a million in gear, and in the early 90's I did it with about $25k in gear (including chroma-keying, graphic overlays, etc).
    Basically TEAC was a heavy player in the 'multi-media' market - a term that became meaningless as computers became fast enough, portable enough, and cheap enough to render obsolete by 2000. Those were very exciting times. :D

    • @KySilverfish
      @KySilverfish 8 років тому +4

      Thank you for this addendum, it helps greatly in understanding this phenomenon.

    • @HeatherSpoonheim
      @HeatherSpoonheim 8 років тому +4

      +mstrfool Well, that was my first company and it didn't go so well for me. I wanted to make music videos - really dreamed of being some famous music video director even though, as it turned out, music video directors never became 'famous'. In reality I wound up doing trade show videos for a juice company, wedding videos, and a cooking video that I tried to flog at flea markets and places like that, ha ha.

    • @HeatherSpoonheim
      @HeatherSpoonheim 8 років тому +2

      +mstrfool Well that was 25 years ago - I've done plenty of things since and learned a bit more with each venture. I've only recently thought of doing some video work again - but this time just as a hobby making youtube videos about my hobbies.

    • @HeatherSpoonheim
      @HeatherSpoonheim 8 років тому +1

      +mstrfool I should have my first video up sometimes this summer. I'll likely start with one a month - but nothing 'artsy' - just going to share a bit about my hobbies.

  • @4G3NTanon
    @4G3NTanon 9 років тому +323

    So it's like repairing a broken cassette every time you use it. :)

    • @jasonmurawski126
      @jasonmurawski126 7 років тому +7

      4G3NTanon yes

    • @mehstgful
      @mehstgful 7 років тому +9

      But easier to repair if the tape ever breaks vs opening up a normal cassette. Grrr!

  • @argyleandplaidful
    @argyleandplaidful 8 років тому +52

    Wow, that thing is beautiful in action.

  • @ClintMaas
    @ClintMaas 9 років тому +110

    Teac made unremovable versions of those too. I remember how cool they looked in my $300 cassette deck. lol

    • @leopold7562
      @leopold7562 5 років тому +14

      I was going to comment on this, as I seemed to remember something like this being available, but wasn't sure if it was Teac or someone else that did it. So thanks for confirming my rather hazy memory! I remember they were achingly cool to look at, but they were a bit on the expensive side, so I stuck to ordinary looking type IV tapes instead, which sounded utterly amazing on my system at the time.

    • @tonyzed6831
      @tonyzed6831 5 років тому +5

      i had a few and I loved them. They looked so great!

    • @Opel_Guy
      @Opel_Guy 5 років тому +3

      Still have a couple of these somewhere. I had them for my BBC computer and brought them from W H Smiths or John Menzies way back in 83/84 I think.

    • @sailaab
      @sailaab 5 років тому +2

      wow, the Nostalgia! wonder how old all of you are.
      though in my latter 30s, i never lived in the western world back then, so never saw these days n real life :-/

    • @DanielBrownsan
      @DanielBrownsan 5 років тому +4

      YES! I had a few. They looked cool. They were still cassettes, but...

  • @madaemon
    @madaemon 6 років тому +1

    The reels are absolutely ADORABLE, but the whole setup for installing a reel is just too ridiculous. Regardless of whether an album (for instance) was sold on a reel at a cheaper price or that it takes up less space than a full cassette, I'd rather suffer the extra bulk of a full cassette for the time and effort saved each time I want to load a new one. I had absolutely no idea these ever existed, which is why your channel is so great!

  • @matteswe
    @matteswe 6 років тому +9

    I'm absolutely amazed at the quality of your videos. You put so much time and effort into them and I find myself interested in things I would otherwise never looked twice at, all thanks to your dedication. Fantastic channel!

  • @Eddiedahomeless
    @Eddiedahomeless 4 роки тому +2

    I got one of these from a friend back in the 80’s, the case and 4 reels, and I found them really easy to load and use, I was pretty quick with the process and found carrying the 4 reels less cumbersome to carrying 4 full cassettes. I contacted TEAC in Canada at the time to ask about ordering more reels but was told it was only in Japan and most likely discontinued, so I never did get more, and seeing the price on e-bay now most likely won’t any time soon.

  • @Techmoan
    @Techmoan  9 років тому +30

    @Usernameowain you can read up on tape tabs here en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_Cassette#Cassette_types
    "Notches on the top surface of the Compact Cassette indicate its type"

    • @therealquade
      @therealquade 9 років тому +11

      Techmoan I would much rather have a tiny reel to reel machine sitting on my desk.

    • @Halterung01
      @Halterung01 8 років тому +1

      +therealquade Oh my God. When I think about a little machine to have these in there open... That would be way cooler.

    • @nuckelheddjones6502
      @nuckelheddjones6502 8 років тому

      +Philip vB
      DAMN RIGHT.

    • @therealquade
      @therealquade 8 років тому

      Philip vB well.... I watched some videos on how tapes actually work. with modern tools it could't be *that* hard to make one. now, making one that sounds good.... that's another question entirely.
      Now, after watching Techmoan 's newer video about different kinds of tape... how hard would it be to get metal versions of these (metal tape) and building a mini reel-to-reel with dolby type S. it could be done....

    • @TruAnRksT
      @TruAnRksT 8 років тому

      +therealquade
      I think we could put 4 to 6gb on a tape in the same cassette format today and have it play full HD movies! But what's the point, we have postage stamps now for that. And they are random access.

  • @pigknickers2975
    @pigknickers2975 8 років тому +2

    I used to work for TEAC in the 80s and never ever saw this. We used to get numerous calls about the cassette with the reels but somehow never saw this.

  • @HockeyVictory66
    @HockeyVictory66 8 років тому +26

    We definitely had time to do this kind of stuff in the 80's because we didn't have e-mails, phones, or even much TV programming back then. I spent a lot of time hanging out at the pool listening to cassette tapes on our boom boxes.

    • @Selrisitai
      @Selrisitai 6 років тому +8

      So instead of wasting time arguing with people online and looking at cat pictures, you wasted time listening to pop music. Times sure have changed.

    • @cube2fox
      @cube2fox 5 років тому +5

      Much time was also wasted on watching TV...

    • @A-G-F-
      @A-G-F- 4 роки тому

      I still have to do a lot of work to find .FLAC files of the music i like, them download it and listen to it while i take a walk.
      Times have changed but music hasnt

    • @chuggachuggawoowoo
      @chuggachuggawoowoo Рік тому +1

      There was not much television programming in the 80s?

  • @framerate3056
    @framerate3056 3 роки тому +2

    I used to ask what the deal was with these cassettes, as I thought they looked cool (and still do). Finally got the answer to my question 37 years later. Thanks, Techmoan!

  • @mikecowen6507
    @mikecowen6507 8 років тому +4

    +Techmoan Very cool! I've never seen one of these before. In the States, Teac did offer an enclosed "open reel" cassette better suited to the marketplace. It looked similar to this (the reels being nearly identical, but only offered in gold), however, it was fully enclosed. Overall, it wasn't the highest grade cassette, but it really scored on visual appeal (often being used in promotional photos of Teac's own equipment). Perhaps the coolest cassette ever was TDK's metal-framed metal-tape cassette. It was a cast aluminum frame with transparent polycarbonate side panels affixed with screws. Given I only have one example of each (in that black hole of 'somewhere in storage'), I wasn't inclined to do descructive testing, but I could easily see the TDK example surviving being run over by a vehicle with little more than cosmetic scratches. Both of these were pretty rare, even back in the day. Ah, memories...

  • @BruceElliott
    @BruceElliott 8 років тому +10

    Nice! I remember these from magazine advertisements and catalogs, where they were used all the time because they looked cool. I wanted one because they looked so cool, but this video makes me feel a lot better about never having found one!

    • @quantumleap359
      @quantumleap359 8 років тому +2

      +Bruce Elliott No kidding! What a pain in the ass to use! Looks cool, sure, but really impractical, no wonder it flopped.

  • @mike.thomas
    @mike.thomas 9 років тому +18

    It is definitely amazing that this system made it off the designer's desk and into production. Nice collectors item, though. I may look for one to load into my Nak.

  • @hananas2
    @hananas2 8 років тому +78

    i think most people just buy these for decoration

    • @garyblack8717
      @garyblack8717 5 років тому +3

      I never new anyone who actually bought them at all! I was fairly plugged in to audio in the '80s and never knew this existed.

    • @A-G-F-
      @A-G-F- 4 роки тому +1

      @@garyblack8717 these were probably never popular outside Japan

  • @stonedcommander
    @stonedcommander 9 років тому +59

    Yeah, did look awesome...Almost retro-futuristic...Too bad it didn't load quicker and being plastic took away some of its coolness...I never saw this and once again thanks for bringing something to our attention.

  • @MagicPumpkin
    @MagicPumpkin 7 років тому +1

    This would be cool for that one special recording you wanted to cherish.

  • @MakunaRGBIC
    @MakunaRGBIC 8 років тому +8

    "...makes the world a duller place." love that comment!

    • @jayswarrow1196
      @jayswarrow1196 5 років тому +1

      That's what we got for letting wymyn and mommasbois vote: before they take a roll of toilet paper from the shelf, they demand to hear at least 80% accurate prediction on 5 year marriage with it. As a result of which, we now end up with (pretend_to_be~)effective-only stuff on the market.

  • @jakubr2769
    @jakubr2769 2 роки тому +2

    I didn't even realize this video is 7 years old. It seems that you perfected making videos years ago

  • @MsMadLemon
    @MsMadLemon 9 років тому +23

    I'm really liking these vintage audio equipment videos. I've always been fascinated with things like this :o)

  • @geespar1
    @geespar1 5 років тому +1

    I know it’s a lot of mucking about but I love this, the precision and the quality look superb

  • @vinyleyezz
    @vinyleyezz 8 років тому +34

    Great video!

  • @fernandom6724
    @fernandom6724 4 роки тому +1

    I remember when I bought them in electronics stores, for me these cassettes were expensive, even in the 80's, but I bought them because when the reels were in motion in a sony walkman, I imagined that I had a sophisticated electronic mechanism in the palm of my hand and that excited me .... now I look for them online and they are very expensive .. mexico city memories

  • @macsnafu
    @macsnafu 6 років тому +3

    This actually sounds like a good idea to me. The problem is that Teac didn't (or couldn't) make it easier to swap out reels. If they had solved that problem, it might have had a decent chance to take off.

  • @morganfjp
    @morganfjp 7 місяців тому +2

    These things go for ridiculously high prices on eBay, etc. They are nice to look at - but for that purpose (and much easier handling) I prefer those cool pure-white ceramic cassettes from Sony.

  • @kichigaisensei
    @kichigaisensei 8 років тому +10

    I can imagine driving down the street in my car in 1985 trying to feed the tape in the caddy...lmfao.

  • @GRSEMETROMALL
    @GRSEMETROMALL 6 років тому +13

    You just buy 1.

  • @Ciprian-Amarandei
    @Ciprian-Amarandei 8 років тому +111

    People need to invent better ways of making things difficult. That was a good start :))

    • @OrangeHarrisonRB3
      @OrangeHarrisonRB3 7 років тому +5

      The difference between Teac O'casse and Xbox One: The O'casse could play music when it launched.

    • @zaptor1514
      @zaptor1514 5 років тому +2

      Ciprian Amarandei Elect a Libtard or Democrap and they will manage and complicate your life.

  • @Wolf_K
    @Wolf_K 5 років тому +6

    These are so much cooler than MP3 etc.
    I imagine Japanese kids had great fun with these while they lasted, I know I would’ve.

  • @Teth47
    @Teth47 9 років тому +6

    All the convenience of reel-to-reel, with all the sound quality of a birthday card under water! A win-win!

  • @ZeroChannelZero
    @ZeroChannelZero 4 роки тому +8

    Dear TEAC, please contact me regarding my design for a CD player where you have to drop the laser on the disc to start playing. And of course you have to lift it up at the end otherwise it just keeps going tha-runk tha-runk tha-runk forever.

  • @VectrexRoli
    @VectrexRoli 9 років тому +7

    Always impressive what you find out there, never seen that before.

    • @Techmoan
      @Techmoan  9 років тому +7

      VectrexRoli that's a compliment coming from you...the king of the obscure. Everyone who is reading this who enjoys retro games (and fun) I recommend that you go straight to VectrexRoli's channel now.

  • @TommyCrosby
    @TommyCrosby 8 років тому

    I love this channel and the reviews of old tech that no one knows and probably for a good reason.

  • @thesimstecoo
    @thesimstecoo 9 років тому +4

    Going through all of that fuzz just to play a cassette is EXACTLY what I'd love to do omg I love putting effort into something in order to listen to music!! I wish you also mentioned what bands or artists released music in these formats if there were any.

    • @Techmoan
      @Techmoan  9 років тому +7

      +thesimstecoo There were none - it's just a blank tape.

  • @IllusionSector
    @IllusionSector 2 роки тому +1

    As a kid, I always wanted one of these sooooo bad. These used to model cassette players in catalogs because they looked so slick in the photography.

  • @lavenderfox2430
    @lavenderfox2430 8 років тому +35

    You remind me of James May.
    Subscribed.

    • @lucianoszmulewicz2477
      @lucianoszmulewicz2477 8 років тому +1

      i thought the same

    • @consolehacker54
      @consolehacker54 8 років тому +2

      Just recently started watching this channel, and immediately thought the same thing, sounds just like James May

    • @Psythik
      @Psythik 7 років тому +1

      Shit, now I can't unhear it! I've been watching Techmoan for YEARS

  • @DigitalAndInnovation
    @DigitalAndInnovation 4 роки тому +1

    "now a'days people have twitter, but back in the 80s teac thought people would like to start spooling their own cassettes" gets me every time!!

  • @demondik
    @demondik 8 років тому +3

    it's amazing such a complicated hassle actually made it to the consumer market!

    • @quantumleap359
      @quantumleap359 8 років тому +1

      +Mr. Lowery An open reel deck is fiddly enough, but this thing is ridiculous! Wow, some marketing people tried to push coolnes over practicality. No wonder it didn't make it.

  • @darrkstarcustoms2972
    @darrkstarcustoms2972 8 років тому

    i can sum it up in two words, LOVE IT. i remember these back in the day, and they were a bit of a chore to mess with but well worth it, but they went the way of the cassette tape, more like the way of the dinasuar, but in retro spec they are like old school muscle cars, now we wish we had kept them, even with there horrible gas mileage, and not so great handling. These things rock, because they look so much cooler than a normal cassette or a CD, its like comparing a very nice looking turntable to a audiophile grade cd player, visually the turntable wins hands down, and in most cases sounds better too, now picture this cassette tape in a Pioneer CT-F900 open face cassette deck, it will look awesome, or even the Pioneer CT-F700 with its huge retractable clear cover. which i just happen to own both. the real down side to these type of cassette tape is the price, i really had to search for a US seller, lots of them in Russia, germany and austria, average price is about $150 or more. it would be awesome if a machinist made one of aluminum.

  • @Royalbigness
    @Royalbigness 8 років тому +6

    These are amazing little things. Very nice thing to have in that early 80s Era.
    I actually have several of these, brand new in the original packaging.
    Hard to find and very expensive

  • @alextreasurehunter3811
    @alextreasurehunter3811 5 років тому +1

    Am i the only one that thinks that is the coolest thing ever. I know all the negative comments are valid but as a retro piece to add on your shelf as a cool little scaled down reel to reel layout. Old time blues and jazz can't be reproduced with today's tech as well as analog reel to reel could do. The same way guitar players want tube amps because you can never get that vibe and feel digitally no matter how hard you try. it has a lot of crazy potential for a mini recording studio with a retro feel. Like an old album collection with a mint needle and a dome record player. lol
    Also keep in mind who this was marketed for. It was not the student with a Walkman and on his way to school but I would thing during the date it was put out was more for the serious audio enthusiasts who wanted something better than what was out there. The better quality blank cassettes were bloody expensive and this was an alternative for that i would think. Just putting myself in the time and era and not looking at it from today's point of view it is not as stupid as one would think.
    I am going to search one out for the shelf as a conversation piece.

    • @xxdjsolomanxx
      @xxdjsolomanxx 5 років тому

      I also think its really cool. I love to tinker with electronics and such, so, for me this would be awesome. I Have been looking for some of the items he makes videos about on Ebay and have found and purchased a couple already. This is definitely one i will be looking for as well!

    • @alextreasurehunter3811
      @alextreasurehunter3811 5 років тому

      @@xxdjsolomanxx I found two on eBay for a staggering $550-$900. Considering the packaging was deteriorating it tells me the storage method most likely means the tapes are. I guess the fact that I could only find 4 on eBay tells me how rare they are. I think considering what it is, I will just add it to my list labeled:
      [✓] Things I will buy when I have so much money I don't know what to do with it all.

    • @xxdjsolomanxx
      @xxdjsolomanxx 5 років тому

      @@alextreasurehunter3811 Yeah, i seen a couple of them in that price range and got a little sad. I cant justify spending that much on something i wont use more than a couple of times before it sits in the "Awesome stuff" drawer, some call it a "Junk drawer" hehe

    • @alextreasurehunter3811
      @alextreasurehunter3811 5 років тому

      @@xxdjsolomanxx OMG You are alright empress. It is not a junk drawer it is a f--king toy box when anyone says such things about the treasures in that top drawer. My son recently got a turntable and has been buying vinyl . He is 17 and when he asked me " Dad you like a cave man and i was wondering what are some good vinyl records to buy"? Well after a 15 minute cry from the flood of happiness I said " son i can die now because you have taken the side of light and the evil will never win when you use the Dark Side of the Moon as your armor. Then i had to calm down and say to myself " He is a grasshopper and not ready for Physical Graffiti or Iron Maiden's Eddie Head. He doesn't even know the black light and Hendrix yet. Soon he will oww yes he will.

    • @xxdjsolomanxx
      @xxdjsolomanxx 5 років тому

      @@alextreasurehunter3811 Hehe. I love my treasure dwawers. I have several.. All sorts of little baubles and trinkets, gadgets and gizmos. I am thankful i have them because i always tinker and fix electronics and things, and always end up digging in these treasure drawers for things. I also love to go to thrift stores and flea markets. And of course, my ass is up every other weekend at 7am to go yard saling. I have found countless treasures over the years. And made really good money flipping some of the things i find. Also, you should put a couple of black lights in your sons room while hes away so when he comes home and goes to bed, they will be on. hehe. Oh, put the glow in the dark stars up on the ceiling.. Those are RAD.. I have thousands of them here in my office on the ceiling. Cheers mate!!

  • @biggles1024
    @biggles1024 9 років тому +27

    I don't know how you keep finding these quirky pieces of technology, Mat. I've never heard of this one. I had my regular cassette deck which was a component in my stereo and a portable cassette deck too but somehow, this passed me by. After watching this video, I'm not sorry about that. Much too fiddly for my liking. ;)
    Cheers, b.

    • @Techmoan
      @Techmoan  9 років тому +6

      biggles1024 unusual things are getting more expensive and harder to find. I've got a couple more planned, but after that I'm out of ideas.

    • @custardo
      @custardo 9 років тому

      Techmoan Is a wire recorder one of those ?

    • @Techmoan
      @Techmoan  9 років тому +3

      custardo that's a bit too hard to come by, even for me.

    • @Nash1a
      @Nash1a 7 років тому

      Techmoan deserves a grant from the Smithsonian. Years ago, my dad told me how he used to record using a wire recorder BUT he couldn't show me one. He's gone now and finally I have seen a wire recorder.

  • @Naviaravideos
    @Naviaravideos 7 років тому

    I got 2 of these because of your video... it is complicated to change, but it's the best looking reel2reel cassette tape I saw yet...

  • @ecchitense4095
    @ecchitense4095 7 років тому +3

    Honestly, that's a brilliant idea for the time.

  • @vladtomoiaga4721
    @vladtomoiaga4721 8 років тому +1

    Using that golden Walkman with an O'Casse as a datasette for your C64 or ZX Spectrum would look absolutely dope

  • @ArashShahi
    @ArashShahi 9 років тому +6

    Great Video Techmoan , Thanks

    • @Techmoan
      @Techmoan  9 років тому +3

      Arash Shahi you're welcome. Getting a simple thanks is very rare nowadays so it's appreciated.

  • @gunfighterzero
    @gunfighterzero 8 років тому

    i had a few of these in the 80s, they just looked cool and made your audio system look more high end

  • @danxepha4535
    @danxepha4535 9 років тому +15

    I'd really like to see more of the tape to tape Walkman.
    Any chance of doing a video on it please?

    • @Techmoan
      @Techmoan  9 років тому +8

      +Dan Xepha unfortunately it's non-working. Perhaps one day I'll take it apart.

    • @danxepha4535
      @danxepha4535 9 років тому +13

      So it becomes a repair video.
      I'd be happy with that!

    • @IlBiggo
      @IlBiggo 8 років тому +1

      +Techmoan I guess "non-working" is the natural state of that particular Walkman after a couple years. I tried to repair mine, and the electronics inside are so cramped you'd need a microscope to solder anything. The mechanical parts are built to last until warranty expiration + 1 day. Really, some of the last-century stuff is UGLY inside as it's beautiful on the outside.

    • @danxepha4535
      @danxepha4535 8 років тому

      Any progress on this? I'd really like to see a more in depth look of the device.

  • @ricklangley3438
    @ricklangley3438 7 років тому

    "It's such a bloody ludicrously stupid idea" is your best comment yet! I'm loving your reviews. You manage to find such quirky items to test. Keep up the great work!

  • @DoctorWhy777
    @DoctorWhy777 8 років тому +15

    They seem really fiddly and annoying to use but dam the look so cool I want one :)

  • @JessHull
    @JessHull 8 років тому

    I LOVE this I love how fiddly it is. I love how slow it is to reload and I love how it looks. I need to find one of these.

  • @LivingWithTheGuzmans
    @LivingWithTheGuzmans 7 років тому +7

    Cool but too much too mess with.

  • @chiliboy82
    @chiliboy82 8 років тому

    it's both beautiful and convoluted! beautifully convoluted~

  • @PilotPlater
    @PilotPlater 9 років тому +21

    You can't copy music onto tapes! What are you trying to do, kill the music industry? Damn pirates!
    :P

    • @jayswarrow1196
      @jayswarrow1196 5 років тому

      -Hurry... hurry, Bruce Willis will be *here*.
      -I can hear helicopters...
      On(c)e upon an old TV show.

  • @TimeToCheckReality
    @TimeToCheckReality 3 роки тому +1

    Teac made regular cassettes with clear cases and two miniature reels inside. Maybe they recognized this mistake and decided that they could get that reel to reel look without the inconvenience.

    • @cindydott452
      @cindydott452 3 роки тому

      I loved those. I used to have a bunch!

  • @Atka59
    @Atka59 9 років тому +12

    Very cleaver title, my friend.

    • @Techmoan
      @Techmoan  9 років тому +3

      Atka59 Thanks - I thought it was apt - I couldn't decide whether or not to preface it with the word 'Needlessly" - but I thought it might be a bit of a spoiler.

    • @Atka59
      @Atka59 9 років тому +2

      Techmoan
      Your decision was spot on; for the intelligent viewer, which I suspect comprises 90% of your subs, "Needlessly" might have been a bit redundant. Primarily because they would surmise that aspect at first glance anyway. Your clever reinvention of a familiar cliche syncopates cometically well off of that initial internal impression. As you obviously determined any preface to that gem would have throw it out of cadence and rendered it somewhat less pleasing.

    • @milehigh61
      @milehigh61 9 років тому

      Atka59 wot!!??

    • @Atka59
      @Atka59 9 років тому

      milehigh61 Wot, no kidding. I remember misspelling "comically" and then not finding a correct spell checker choice, but I have no idea how I ended up with "cometically". Actually, having read my second comment over, I should have followed Mat's lead and just left the initial comment alone and unadulterated. Thanks for calling my attention to an obviously over thought and not well explained comment on comedic timing! LOL

    • @milehigh61
      @milehigh61 9 років тому

      Atka59 also no 'a' in clever

  • @francoisgermain3991
    @francoisgermain3991 8 років тому +2

    This looks amazing, beautiful technology!

    • @fernandom6724
      @fernandom6724 4 роки тому

      made in japan..china made is a copy

  • @AleLGB
    @AleLGB 8 років тому +10

    **see the video** Oh God I must have it!
    **check the prices** Never mind...

  • @calebcain4729
    @calebcain4729 5 років тому +1

    For mass market, this is of course not a great idea, but for certain markets it's brilliant. (Or at least it would have been, if cassette had become the leading format, rather than the leading format for these groups skipping straight from vinyl to CDs.)
    The two markets where it would be great would be audiophiles (And I'm speaking of mass collectors more than people concerned with range quality. See above parenthetical statement) and techs.
    Basically for people wanting to archive huge amounts of audio, without taking up a ton of space, this would be an amazing format.
    The time taken changing out reels wouldn't matter if you had 3 cassettes, (record/play one while you load and label another) but the space taken up by 500 full plastic cassettes mattered in the age before digital media storage and terabyte hard drives.
    Imagine being a road manager for a comic, or other spoken word performer recording sets with cassettes and having to keep all of your recordings and blanks with you until you were done touring.
    (Anybody watch the show Marvelous Mrs. Maisel? People actually did that. Hell, I did that as recently as 2004 with video tape, and I would have loved a system like this instead of 50 digital8 cassettes a trip.)
    So, yeah... Not for everybody, but still a brilliant idea.
    Don't discount an idea before asking how it might be used differently than you first thought, and why people might have wanted it.

  • @TomMcRand
    @TomMcRand 9 років тому +10

    that looks like SOOOOOOO much extra work. this is why they invented the cassette tape in the first place.

  • @DearbornJohn
    @DearbornJohn 8 років тому

    I was under the impression that tape which is analog had a broader and better signal than the digital more convenient devices of today. Today most can't distinguish the difference and convenience has won the audio signal war. Watching your video made me wonder if you could expand on that since you seem to have a better understanding than myself? Enjoyable video covering this concept, yes alot of tinkering with loose tape. Thank you, John

  • @jitterball
    @jitterball 8 років тому +24

    Is this James May talking?!

    • @Rroy137
      @Rroy137 8 років тому

      +jitterball sounds just like James May!

  • @yeeboi5545
    @yeeboi5545 7 років тому

    I love your vintage audio videos.

  • @BlackieNuff
    @BlackieNuff 8 років тому +7

    Good lord, I thought swapping out and flipping over regular cassettes were a pain in the ass! Having to unspool and re-spool these little reels? Ugh!
    Unless one can buy empty shells or "caddies", to load once and leave it, this would drive me nuts.
    Nifty for novelty only. Not practical, and I doubt sound quality has much to boast either.

    • @amirpourghoureiyan1637
      @amirpourghoureiyan1637 8 років тому +4

      Blackie Nuff I think you could change the tape inside/ buy ones with higher quality tape, I think it looks kinda cool but I'd probably just put them in separate tapes of their own to avoid the tediousness of swapping them out

    • @Colddirector
      @Colddirector 7 років тому +2

      Honestly, if i owned a *massive* cassette collection, I think it'd end up being more economical to have a few open cassette caddies + a huge amount of these reels than a huge bundle of cassettes.

  • @carlinfamily1157
    @carlinfamily1157 5 років тому +1

    I didn't know these even existed. Amazing. Great channel thanks!

  • @RaggedTiger70
    @RaggedTiger70 9 років тому +7

    Yikes, among other problems, I'd think this would also make the heads dirty quickly because of the oils from people's fingers touching the tape leader...another advantage of standard cassettes.

  • @AudioFileZ
    @AudioFileZ 8 років тому

    Techmoan’s videos are pure fun for the aged audiophile while they’re informative for all regarding vintage sound gear. Now, I never saw one of the Teac O’Casse cassettes in person so other than a picture I learned more here. The idea is far out, too much in fact! The look is the best ever for a cassette however. In fact if cassettes looked more like this I think they would have lasted longer in the marketplace. I mean I’d rather look at this than even the best metal from Maxell or TDK.

  • @PaulMansfield
    @PaulMansfield 5 років тому +6

    Did nobody invent a giant cassette with 10" spools to replace open-reel decks?

    • @mzwtjp
      @mzwtjp 5 років тому +1

      There was a thing called "EL Cassette".

    • @mattgraham4340
      @mattgraham4340 5 років тому

      Largest cassette ua-cam.com/video/1WQbJ0VFrFQ/v-deo.html

  • @Gomrath
    @Gomrath 2 роки тому +1

    Lovely! Which machine are you using at 6:36 out of interest?

  • @BADBIKERBENNY
    @BADBIKERBENNY 9 років тому +90

    Has anyone told you sound like Ringo Starr?

    • @Tonybmw1988
      @Tonybmw1988 9 років тому +5

      now that you mention it...

    • @FernieCanto
      @FernieCanto 9 років тому +5

      +BAD BIKER BENNY
      Yeah, he actually does!
      P.S.: Sorry for the lateness of my reply.

    • @TheSimonScowl
      @TheSimonScowl 9 років тому +1

      +BAD BIKER BENNY Kind of a cross b/w Ringo Starr and Mike Rutherford of Genesis.

    • @TheBaconWizard
      @TheBaconWizard 8 років тому +4

      +Big MITTY so the real one then....

    • @Nukle0n
      @Nukle0n 8 років тому +5

      +BAD BIKER BENNY Ringo Starr with a cold

  • @paulmcdonald7535
    @paulmcdonald7535 6 років тому

    The first Walkman with the mini reels is the coolest thing I have ever seen.

  • @Jerbod2
    @Jerbod2 9 років тому +4

    When clicking the thumbnail I fell in love with what I saw, but now that I'm at the end I have to agree with you that it's a stupid idea, although it does look cool.

    • @Techmoan
      @Techmoan  9 років тому +1

      Manny Calavera Stupid and cool often go hand in hand.

    • @Jerbod2
      @Jerbod2 9 років тому

      Techmoan Last update on that Foscam IPcamera in the birdhouse; oi61.tinypic.com/2eupyxj.jpg
      Proof that it can be done with a camera like this, although sometimes the camera crashes and it starts doing the "look around" thingy, the mother'll get mad but then after a minute she starts minding her own business again.
      Perhaps interesting to people who ask you for this if it's any good to keep an eye on the nature around the house.

  • @davidfountain6607
    @davidfountain6607 7 років тому +1

    I bought one of those new, back in the eighties. I agree with you, it looks cool but I couldn't be bothered swapping over the tapes, so it's got the same reel loaded all the time.
    But it still looks amusing in the tape deck!

  • @TruAnRksT
    @TruAnRksT 8 років тому +7

    Actually the 8-Track beat the shit out of any cassette tape in sound quality

    • @Techmoan
      @Techmoan  8 років тому +39

      +TruAnRksT it did....until it didn't. You see whilst 8-track tape formulations didn't really improve since the 60s, the cassette got chrome then metal, Dolby c, s, hx-pro. I've made a video about 8-tracks and one about compact cassettes...both these are in the HiFi playlist on my channel.

    • @chieftp
      @chieftp 8 років тому +4

      +TruAnRksT are you insane? 8 tracks sounded mufffled and jittery from the always unstable transport mechanism.

    • @theartisanhack1720
      @theartisanhack1720 8 років тому +1

      +chieftp You needed the obligatory pack of matches to get the fidelity :)

    • @chieftp
      @chieftp 8 років тому +1

      Russ Greene
      oh yes, that would decrease the wow and flutter by a percentage of 5 decibel hectars.

    • @TruAnRksT
      @TruAnRksT 8 років тому

      +chieftp
      LOL well it did have it's draw backs but when it was playing good? Only damaged tapes sounded "muffled", back during the Vietnam conflict I had a portable that used eight D cells and it really cranked out the jams. In stereo with speakers that could be separated up to 6 feet. Later I had an 8-track in my car that made other car radios at the time sound like shit. It had a whopping 8W per channel! LOL.
      Yes I agree there were some technical issues with the format but the actual tracks themselves if separated from the rest of the tape, for some reason sounded better than the tape used in commercial cassettes. Cassette tapes have always sounded a little flat and stage-less to me. All varieties.

  • @readmedottext
    @readmedottext 8 років тому

    I used to see those used in advertisements for cassette decks, but I never actually new what they were beyond being expensive TEAC stuff. Thanks for the explanation.

  • @EnhancedNightmare
    @EnhancedNightmare 8 років тому +3

    It looks so cool I'd frame it and hang up on my wall.
    Maybe in some kind of motorised frame that would spin them. Now that would be a sexy display piece.

  • @RiffRaffMama.
    @RiffRaffMama. 5 років тому +1

    I started getting all tense when he was feeding the tape in. Memories of snapped tapes came back as I watched him gently feed the flat tape through the labyrinthine plastic casing... stressful stuff in the 80s!

  • @BlokeOzzie
    @BlokeOzzie 9 років тому +14

    I can't believe this is actually a thing that someone thought would be a good idea. It just isn't. Okay, yes, it looks cool... but I'm a practical sort of guy. 3 seconds to pull out one cassette, slap in another, press play. Done. If I had to do this every time I wanted to listen to music in the 80s, I would have stopped listening to music in the 80s, and resumed in the late 90s when CDs became popular.
    That said, I used to take my cassettes apart, invert the reels, and play them backwards to see what the sounded like. Thankfully, my parents only thought I was experimental, and not possessed by the devil.

    • @frankh4958
      @frankh4958 9 років тому +1

      These were VERY handy for a once profitable niche. Bring in your broken audio (or data) cassettes and we'd have you redubed to a new cassette in no time. We popped cases and swapped reels until this critter. All that was left was correcting tracks for breaks after repair and collecting the fee.
      Cassettes were the end of the market for repair and we all knew it but this little product did keep us in it a tad longer.
      Vinyl was our heyday. The 8 track made things more disposable and while there was work with them, it was too little. The flip side of that was the fact that the world had moved on to disposable media and when something meant value to someone they would once again be willing to have it saved (the only reason this little product was useful).

    • @Rebel9668
      @Rebel9668 9 років тому

      BlokeOzzie I'd have went back to vinyl, lol.

    • @krashd
      @krashd 9 років тому

      With that logic why would you use a cassette at all when they need to be rewound? I would have stuck with vinyl.

    • @Rebel9668
      @Rebel9668 9 років тому +1

      Well, regular cassettes don't need to be rewound, you just flip them over and play side two, unless you have an automatic reverse tape player and it just changes direction on it's own when it reaches the end of one side

    • @James-eg3nf
      @James-eg3nf 9 років тому

      Rob Fraser Because even in the 80s, we had the need for portable music.

  • @juanfrancisco4274
    @juanfrancisco4274 7 років тому +1

    I got really impressed by that technology.
    Only the Japaneses can create stuffs like these.

  • @bummer6
    @bummer6 8 років тому +31

    Wow! That thing looks like some hipster's attempt at making cassette tapes relevant again. Seriously, you could have told me they were funding it on indiegogo or kickstarter and I would have believed you.

    • @johnmorris2170
      @johnmorris2170 6 років тому +3

      bummer6 i owned one of those things back in the 80's. It died out because it is, was, and will.always be a stupid idea. The whole point of cassette was not to have to go through all this nonsense. It came and went. And it's really pointlessness when TDK and BASF (if you had the right machine) had the best tape.

  • @djemergency512
    @djemergency512 7 років тому +1

    Even though it's old tech, those gold tape wheels looks nice as heck spinning in that good condition Sony Walkman, I'd use that thing!

  • @BlueRidgeParkway
    @BlueRidgeParkway 7 років тому +6

    I was losing my patience just watching you try to unfurl that reel :-0

  • @paulws81paulws81
    @paulws81paulws81 7 років тому +1

    im not gonna lie, thats the coolest looking cassette i have ever seen. be cool just to have one.

  • @skswig1
    @skswig1 8 років тому +10

    This is what massive amounts of cocaine use will do to your products and profits.

  • @runtt01
    @runtt01 8 років тому

    I do remember Teac keeping the idea of the reel for their basic cassettes. They were internal. It saved the tape from miss winding and rubbing against the inner wall of the cartridge.

  • @themonkmanmarlkalone6963
    @themonkmanmarlkalone6963 5 років тому +6

    What a utterly useless but awesome looking piece of tech!

  • @ravenouspathogen
    @ravenouspathogen 6 років тому

    I had 3 of those cassette cases and a load of reels, I loved these things.

  • @TheRealMrCods
    @TheRealMrCods 9 років тому +106

    I love this type of useless crap lol

    • @jamesgrimwood1285
      @jamesgrimwood1285 9 років тому +33

      ***** Maybe one day in 2040 he'll be reviewing the Apple Watch ;-)

    • @DickOswald
      @DickOswald 9 років тому +3

      James Grimwood :D epic comment

    • @LOTPOR0402
      @LOTPOR0402 9 років тому +1

      James Grimwood Or umpteen other gadgets from today

    • @cybersed57
      @cybersed57 9 років тому +26

      In 2040, they will have a ton of silly Kickstarter gadgets to review...

    • @mantrox
      @mantrox 9 років тому

      +Baerchenization "Can you imagine that back in 2015 people payed hundreds of dollars to get one? That's just silly!"

  • @soundlemonade
    @soundlemonade 8 років тому

    Thanks for clearing this up for me! I saw one of these in the movie Iron Eagle WAY back in the day and always wondered what was being used.

  • @Leo_Berger
    @Leo_Berger 9 років тому +5

    My God what a stupid stupid idea. Wasn't a hit, was it?

    • @Techmoan
      @Techmoan  9 років тому +5

      +Leo Berger ...and that's exactly the reason why this video exists. No point making a video about something everyone has seen and used.....don't see too much demand for a videos about a Scotch 180 min VHS tape.

    • @Leo_Berger
      @Leo_Berger 9 років тому +8

      +Techmoan I demand a video about a Scotch 180 min VHS tape

    • @maicod
      @maicod 8 років тому +1

      +Leo Berger ROFL

  • @markesajanus
    @markesajanus 6 років тому

    Very beautiful system, I adore this design