Type 0 Cassettes - PART 1 - Do they actually exist?

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  • Опубліковано 4 вер 2019
  • In cassette communities, "Type 0" cassettes are talked about. What are Type 0 cassettes? Should I avoid them. Well, watching this video will answer both of these questions.
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  • Наука та технологія

КОМЕНТАРІ • 423

  • @vwestlife
    @vwestlife 4 роки тому +59

    Remember that the official "Type" designations didn't exist until 1981. Before then there was an especially large variation in the quality and specifications of standard ferric tapes as tape formulations kept changing and improving every year -- to such an extent that some decks, like those from BIC, had separate settings for Low Bias and Normal Bias, to better cover this wide range. On a deck like that, a lot of what you call "Type 0" tapes would probably perform better using the Low Bias setting.

    • @CassetteComeback
      @CassetteComeback  4 роки тому +16

      Insightful as always sir!

    • @Musicradio77Network
      @Musicradio77Network 4 роки тому +3

      In addition, I got another ONN brand cassettes which is a 2-pack I bought for $3 at Walmart. And it was utter trash than all of the “Type 0’s” from the past. The J-Card is different than the previous J-Card that used a TDK knock-off, but it was yellow, with no brand name, and no mentioned of “Type 1” or Normal Bias, and no length. Just a standard 90-minute cassette with no “C-90” on there, and no Compact Cassette logo. ONN never made a 60-minute version. The shell is clear, but you can clearly see it says “A side” and “B side”. No index, no brand, no mention of “Normal Bias” or “Low Noise”, and no length that says “C-90” and no Compact Cassette logo, and there’s no label. What is up with ONN these days.

    • @okaro6595
      @okaro6595 4 роки тому +3

      I recall in Finland they talked about Japanese and European setting for the bias TDK D was one and AD the other. I assume that European would be the low bias.

    • @BlueNeon81
      @BlueNeon81 4 роки тому +2

      I saw a cassette deck from 70's, which had tape type switcher: LN, LH, CrO² and FeCr.

    • @qwertykeyboard5901
      @qwertykeyboard5901 2 роки тому

      @@Musicradio77Network I have their usb flash drive. Its feels cheap but works well (and is probably more reliable then that shitty 2 pack of "16gib" usb drives that ended up being 32gib with one failing).

  • @rwparker1968
    @rwparker1968 4 роки тому +41

    On the Sonya case, I love how the wrapper pull tab covers the "a" in Sonya, so it reads "Manufactured to Sony Standards." I'm sure that's purely coincidental.

  • @LucyDejima
    @LucyDejima 4 роки тому +32

    @13:16 it's a cumpact cassette :D

  • @stevesimek7588
    @stevesimek7588 Рік тому +4

    Thank you so much for this show, I grew up in the 60’s taping off the radio with a cheap shoebox tape recorder on clearance. I never lost my enjoyment of tapes and the ability to record onto a physical medium that didn’t cost an arm and a leg!

  • @joshuabrazile
    @joshuabrazile 4 роки тому +5

    For years as a kid, these "Type 0" tapes were prevalent in my life. I didn't become a tape snob until I was in my teens and had better tape decks and Walkmans.

    • @Musicradio77Network
      @Musicradio77Network 2 роки тому

      These “Type 0” cassettes can be used for 1980’s computers like Tandy and Commodore 64 where you can save data and information on there which is a great idea if you want to get a Commodore 64 and a data cassette recorder.

  • @rwparker1968
    @rwparker1968 4 роки тому +47

    I really suspect something is off with the calibration facilities on the Denon deck. I suggest that all the tapes deserve a rematch using the Dragon, in the interest of science.

    • @CassetteComeback
      @CassetteComeback  4 роки тому +7

      A video of me spending 20 minutes trying to dial them in. That would be boring, although I think a follow up using the Revox auto cal might be in order.

    • @GeoGrig
      @GeoGrig 4 роки тому +5

      @@CassetteComeback not all of them. only 2-3 of them, just to see the difference.

    • @GeoGrig
      @GeoGrig 4 роки тому +2

      @@CassetteComeback it will make an interesting video to see, for all of us

    • @MikeBracewell
      @MikeBracewell 4 роки тому +2

      @@CassetteComeback Yeah, I'd definately check 'em out on a different deck. The tapes are, probably, still gonna sound crap, but'll at least it'll be worth it just to see if the Denon's working OK. Did you get much crap off the head, pinch-roller etc, after this?

    • @CassetteComeback
      @CassetteComeback  4 роки тому +5

      There's something on the way...

  • @thaddeuses2279
    @thaddeuses2279 4 роки тому

    I love how you made videos out of your friends blank tapes he couldn’t sell. Keep them coming! I’ve enjoyed every videos you’ve made

  • @emmettturner9452
    @emmettturner9452 4 роки тому +8

    I'm pretty sure the factory pumping out these "Type-0" cassettes was sourcing all kinds of tape to salvage which is why it seems to be luck of the draw. Some look surprisingly good and others look like sandpaper and yet others are cut strips of videocassette tape.

  • @davidline2454
    @davidline2454 Рік тому +2

    remember being given some of this hi-tech tapes back in the 90s and thought my deck had gone wrong it sounded so bad! great video

  • @Ale.K7
    @Ale.K7 4 роки тому +5

    For some reason I really, really like the aesthetics of "type 0" cassettes, especially those in clear shells like the TAC.

  • @walterharriman
    @walterharriman 4 роки тому +10

    9:28 I can’t help but notice that where it says ‘manufactured to Sonya standards’ on the J-card, the red tear-off strip conveniently covers the A of Sonya... probably a coincidence but still...

  • @stephensrailways
    @stephensrailways 4 роки тому +6

    I was bought 3 of those Hi Tech tapes by my parents. Two were wound into the case the wrong way, so I was recording on to the rear of the tape, and one had faint traces of someone else's recording on the tape that had not been fully erased!

    • @matthewrichards88
      @matthewrichards88 Рік тому +1

      My goodness this was exactly the same for me in the mid 90s. My dad got me the hi tech tapes and when I played them there was faint music fading in and out like it had been bulk erased. Then another had the tape backwards. So this must have been a known thing with them. If only I had kept them and used Shazam to recognise the tunes!

    • @stephensrailways
      @stephensrailways Рік тому +1

      @@matthewrichards88 I never thought of that. I kept the cases and used them for other tapes

  • @PFCKruger
    @PFCKruger 4 роки тому +1

    This Video was very satisfying for me because even I could hear the SONYa drop out at -20 :D That gives me hope that I, as a non "audiophile", will still be able to make decent recordings on decent quality tapes.
    But at the same time I'm shocked that tapes of that bad of a quality existed and were allowed to be sold. A waste of resources and an insult to any persons ears.
    Lucky are we present day Tapeheads that we have somebody who tests those tapes for us so we know which ones are bad.
    Thanks a lot for another great video!

  • @EtoileBleu52
    @EtoileBleu52 2 роки тому +9

    37:08 it wasn't a mistake
    it was a warning from the tapedeck to stop putting garbage tape inside it

    • @Musicradio77Network
      @Musicradio77Network 2 роки тому +1

      One of the “Type 0” cassettes plays fine, and I am recording “Light’s Out”, a radio horror show on a Certron C60 cassette from the 1990’s, and it was a 1940’s radio show created by Arch Oboler, and I have 14 of them in my collection that I got at a thrift store last year.

  • @jonasgustafsson9766
    @jonasgustafsson9766 4 роки тому +12

    The older Acme "type 1" tapes with the red, green or blue arrows printed on must be some of the worst type 0 tapes ever. They were also sold under the brand "Mark" ”Meltronic” and a few other brands here in Sweden. They were High Noise Low Output sandpaper tapes in a 45 degree flexible shell 😁

    • @jonasgustafsson9766
      @jonasgustafsson9766 4 роки тому +3

      Btw the Maxim looks suspiciously like the terribly bad Acme MS-400. Same shell. Other paper label. Same with ITN. Btw the ITN is trying to mimic BASF (chrome from 70:s) and not TDK 😄

  • @robguitarwizard
    @robguitarwizard 4 роки тому +1

    Cool channel. Just discovered it. I am of the cassette generation starting in the early mid 80s, when some of my friends and I would only insist on using BASF Chrome and the like.
    My main interest in cassettes going to the present time is as a musician. Did a lot of home recording on Tascam 4 track cassette recorders
    which are biased for Type II and often run at double speed, or have the option of running at half/normal/double speeds.
    I still have my Tascam 424 machine which I bought ca. 1995. Beautiful machine, well looked after, still use it!

  • @Musicradio77Network
    @Musicradio77Network 2 роки тому +5

    As of now, I have a bunch of “Type 0” cassettes that I got off of eBay. Mostly Certron’s, Quality Tape, Master Sound, Sterling, CVS, Gemini, and others. Plus a bunch from the 1970’s that were after market brands like Kmart and others.
    I also have a bunch of Gemini MP 60-minute cassettes and they were “Type 0”. I got it at a Red Hook Yard Sale a few months ago, and it belongs to my collection.
    These were commonly used for saving data on a computer like Tandy and Commodore 64 back in the 1980’s if you have a data cassette recorder, you can save some data for playing a video game.

    • @qwertykeyboard5901
      @qwertykeyboard5901 2 роки тому

      Huh, id expect most computers would fail reading those tapes.

    • @9852323
      @9852323 Рік тому

      @@qwertykeyboard5901it’s terrible for music but decent for data storage

    • @wisteela
      @wisteela Рік тому

      @@qwertykeyboard5901 You'd be surprised

  • @cartoonworld1000
    @cartoonworld1000 3 роки тому +1

    That Yoko joke made me chuckle, good one you earned a sub from me

  • @markorendas1790
    @markorendas1790 4 роки тому +53

    YOKO CASSETTE... GUARANTEED TO MAKE YOUR RECORDING SOUND LIKE A TURKEY WARBLER....

    • @Popart-xh2fd
      @Popart-xh2fd 4 роки тому +1

      But that was a known manufacturer.in that time..

    • @Cheese_1337
      @Cheese_1337 4 роки тому +2

      'tape squeal' :))))

    • @Schlipperschlopper
      @Schlipperschlopper 4 роки тому

      @@Popart-xh2fd Yes Yoko had TV sets, Stereo components and car radios, I think they were a Korean or Taiwan made brand

    • @Popart-xh2fd
      @Popart-xh2fd 4 роки тому

      @@Schlipperschlopper But being Korean is surprising how bad their tapes are!

    • @Schlipperschlopper
      @Schlipperschlopper 4 роки тому

      @@Popart-xh2fd One should examine a Yoko tape closer (hibs etc..), they might be Saehan or SKC made? These even look Japanese made (TDK?) www.ebay.com/p/Yoko-90-Vintage-Audio-Cassette-Tape/1532697266

  • @5roundsrapid263
    @5roundsrapid263 4 роки тому +7

    I tried to record some Beatles music on a Yoko tape, but it kept breaking up.... 😀

  • @tobymummert3035
    @tobymummert3035 4 роки тому +5

    I must agree with the fellow that had the comment below this one that a rematch should be done with all of these tapes with the Nakamichi Dragon. Like the man said in the name of science you should try that, Tony! I have a few tapes that I got over the last few months that I'm assuming are going to be type 0 tapes and I haven't gotten the chance to try them yet. They're all attractive tapes and shells. One of them just says Audio Tape on it. I have no idea where it's from or who makes it because there is literally nothing else on it. There's another one called Gemini. Clear shell not too bad looking but I have a bad feeling about that one. There is also two Onn that I grabbed at Walmart just because to be honest, I didn't know Walmart carried any kind of blank cassette tapes and they just happened to catch to catch my eye and I said I've got to try these because they are actually to me a very attractive looking tape. The shells are a little shabby but other than that they look really clean. Once again I haven't tried any of these out yet. So far out of all the tapes I acquired in the last year that I assumed we're going to be type O cassette tapes, I purchased a Scotch Highlander in a really cool cassette case that you just slide the tape out of the right side. Similar to the really cool Memorex MRX 2 or Memorex MRX 3 shells where you just slide the tape in and out of the case. I have a Yamaha KX 390 cassette deck and also a Nakamich CR-2A cassette deck and one of the really cool things that's on the Yamaha KX 390 is a play trim feature. Even after you bias a cassette tape and record on it you can still adjust the frequency during playback with the play trim which I think is bloody brilliant! This Scotch Highlander cassette tape recorded So dull on the Nakamichi cassette deck but using the Yamaha cassette deck which I prefer over the Nakamichi any day, the Yamaha actually made this Highlander tape sound listenable. If I were you Tony, I crack this down to two choices: a rematch with all those tapes in your Nakamichi Dragon or use them for spare parts. And if that doesn't suit find a nice little Cliff nearby your home and throw them over the cliff and have some fun! This was a really fun video, Tony! Thanks!

  • @matthewrichards88
    @matthewrichards88 4 роки тому +1

    Tony that Hi Tech type brought back memories! When I was 10 years old in the mid 90s I purchased some off the local market. Believe it or not when I put one in my deck there was music already recorded on them but I had been erased (badly) you could hear music fading faintly in and out. I always wonder if it was the market store owner who had used them and wrapped them back up?! A mystery.... and confess I still have one with some childhood memories on it along with another cheapo brand ' :Power makes sense' .... brilliant video mate

  • @robguitarwizard
    @robguitarwizard 4 роки тому +1

    Very interesting video.
    Never heard TYPE 0 mentioned before.
    Look like the sort of tapes your mum would bring home when you asked her.

    • @CassetteComeback
      @CassetteComeback  4 роки тому

      They're not a real Type, just slang for cheap cassettes that were barely usable

  • @extrahourinthepit
    @extrahourinthepit 4 роки тому +9

    The most interesting thing is that Maxim logo: while you were claiming it was a Maxell soundalike, it uses the same exact font as the Mazda logo!

    • @CassetteComeback
      @CassetteComeback  4 роки тому +3

      Good spot.

    • @5roundsrapid263
      @5roundsrapid263 4 роки тому

      Ironically, there was a vacuum tube manufacturer in the 30’s and 40’s named Mazda. No relation as far as I know.

    • @srgsnz62
      @srgsnz62 4 роки тому +1

      I love how cool maxim cassettes look,used to have one back in the 90's.

    • @pgtmr2713
      @pgtmr2713 4 роки тому

      Mazda decent cars, middle of the road, some analog and fun, the best models came with a tape deck option. Not sure on the vacuum tubes

    • @pgtmr2713
      @pgtmr2713 4 роки тому

      One more thing, it's audio related. I love the sound of my Mazda V6 engine, a good sound system is nearly pointless. Every piece of my exhaust was chosen carefully not to interfere with the sound. Engine sound was a part of the design. Similarly Ford spent millions on the sound engineering in the modular V8 in the Mustang 4.6l 2v all the way up to the 5.0l, 5.2l, 5.4l V8s. 5 and 10 cyl. engines are where it's at though. Exotic, musical sounds.

  • @anthonyperkins7556
    @anthonyperkins7556 2 роки тому +2

    I also remember Melsonic and HH cassettes at 50p a sleeve, they didn't have cases at all which meant they could be easily damaged and before recording on them had to have the slack wound with a pencil or hexagonal biro pen.

  • @Musicradio77Network
    @Musicradio77Network 3 роки тому +1

    I just ordered two Scotch BX cassettes from eBay today, and they are the later versions from about 1988, but I have a couple of 1986 BX and they had cheap “Type 0” shells and the tape itself looks good and sound pretty darn good.

  • @BILL-2002hst
    @BILL-2002hst 4 роки тому +10

    I suggest you keep these cassettes for spare parts (apart from the tape inside them) :-)

    • @jonasgustafsson9766
      @jonasgustafsson9766 Рік тому +1

      The tape housing and parts are often so bad that there’s no point saving parts as spares. You will only end up scrapping the useful donar tape

  • @Musicradio77Network
    @Musicradio77Network 4 роки тому +3

    And now, the “Type 0” madness continues. I remember back in the 1980’s and 1990’s, I had many of the cassettes that were “Type 0’s” like ToneMaster, Silver Shadow, Newnational, Melsonic, Muratape, Royal Sound, Martronic, Quality Tape, Certron, Professional Quality, Star, Hoyin, Nippon, Hi-Tek, Astrosonic, Recoton, CVS, Sentry, Concertape from Radio Shack, Sim, and just to name a few.
    I had recordings of Old Time Radio shows on cassettes that were “Type 0’s” and they were fine, but I don’t think it can cause “Dropout City” whatever Tony says all the time. ONN is a Walmart brand that I am aware of. I have a batch of “Type 0’s” In my collection, a few of them are from the 1970’s. Some of them are rare like Capitol and Columbia which were the two major record companies made “Type 0” cassettes.
    I usually buy “Type 0’” tapes at cheap dollar stores back in the 1980’s and 1990’s like Woolworth’s, grocery stores, Winn’s Discount, $0.99 stores, Odd-Lot, and others in Brooklyn, NY back in the days, but I missed buying “Type 0” cassettes.
    That TAC branded cassettes that I have not seen had the same label layout than the early TDK cassette did back in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, and the Big Ben “Type 0” cassette from the 1980’s.

    • @todaysbestmix
      @todaysbestmix 4 роки тому

      I had a few Melsonics. The cassette labels all fell off of them, as well as sounding rather dodgy, but hey... they were only 20p at my local "cheap" shop.

  • @KristianWontroba
    @KristianWontroba 4 роки тому +1

    Fascinating look at the dark side of cassettes and the weird knock offs out there. Love it. Side Note: Took a drink every time you said "crap" in this video. I may regret that later. LOL

  • @its-all-happening2172
    @its-all-happening2172 2 роки тому +5

    I bought one of these unknown tape brands once and recorded over it. It sounded so awful I threw it away. And I don't throw tapes away I collect them as much as I could. It was that bad.

  • @nicksmith4507
    @nicksmith4507 3 роки тому

    Wow, I never thought I would see a Leda again. I remember my Dad had a few of them in the late 70s, and I recorded some Radio 4 comedy and Chart hits on them - on my prized Tensai Radio Cassette player.

  • @chevycaprice87
    @chevycaprice87 4 роки тому +1

    I have a few Soundex C-90 tapes that looks like Type-0, also have a ribbed tape, but sounds very closer to Sony EF. Also I have ACME\VENUS MS-400 in cheap black shell that sounds very bad for music, maybe good for voice recordings, and ACME MS-800 in clear True-Mechanism-like shell that sounds good. So sometimes they have levels of "quality" that actually have a difference.

  • @jasejj
    @jasejj 4 роки тому +11

    You actually found a semi-usable Maxim tape? Something seriously wrong there! They were usually far worse.
    The Yoko is more representative of a lot of market stall tapes... She'll is not moulded right so the tape comes off the hubs and gets itself in a right old mess. Often this would happen after half an hour and the tape would end up wound all over the recorder's mechanism and sorting that out would be next to impossible without taking the recorder to bits.
    I've had a couple of the Incas tapes, they're later than most of the ones you have there and mine were fairly usable.
    Pyral were quite respected, and I had some Sprint tapes back in the day. I think they were just standard 70s LN tapes, voice grade but OK for what they were. They were priced between the real type zeroes and say a Sony CHF, and they perform to the price. Pretty good for computer games and reliable.
    The clear-shell tape was made by Swire Magnetic rather than the usual HK tapes that I think were made by 100 different small factories, usually by hand. Swire were a more professional outfit, they made a range of tapes from crap to quite decent. I have some Cambra tapes from the same maker and although the tape is sandpaper they sound OK.
    One thing to note with these type zeroes is they usually had 1/8", rather than the slightly wider cassette standard. This meant that the right channel was usually down on the left. I think this was because they were slitting computer tape that was 1/2" into fours.

    • @Musicradio77Network
      @Musicradio77Network 4 роки тому +1

      Swire also made Laser brand cassettes which was “Type 0”, and also Laser XL and UHDII cassettes, and also made Scotch BX cassettes from the 1980’s that aren’t “Type 0’s” Scotch did put out BX back in the mid to late 1980’s and the early 1990’s when they switched it to a clear shell using SKC hubs.

    • @jasejj
      @jasejj 4 роки тому +1

      @@Musicradio77Network Swire also made "DSC" cassettes for Dixons in the early 1980s, these were a clear plastic case containing five C60s with different-coloured clear shells (yellow, blue, red, magenta and green) but no J-cards. These were decent enough as well.

    • @nigelbarrett4936
      @nigelbarrett4936 4 роки тому

      Ahh, I think you just solved an old mystery for me: I had a hitachi boom box with twin vu meters, the left was often higher than the right after recording..

    • @Musicradio77Network
      @Musicradio77Network 3 роки тому

      @@nigelbarrett4936 I also have a couple of Scotch BX cassettes including the 1987 and 1988 versions that had "Type 0" shells and hubs that looks like a "Type 0", and the tape looks perfect on the inside, and it was not a "Type 0". I tried it on my deck and it plays great without any distortion when it reached at +5 on the level meter.

  • @wisteela
    @wisteela 4 роки тому

    Superb.
    I have an International, and maybe a Hi-Tech. I will have to see what delights I have.
    Computer data is just square waves, so even more basic.

    • @wisteela
      @wisteela Рік тому

      @@GladeSwope Indeed. Couldn't/can't go wrong with TDK.

  • @wrestletube1
    @wrestletube1 3 роки тому

    Hi-Tech went all out on the front cover trying to be one of the old The Hits Album compilations.
    We have a few of them on tape the rare locked shells without screws look lovely but when you give it a flick yeah the shells feels really brittle like you can break a hole into it with your thumb and the tape very stiff to fast forward with your fingers.

  • @mapp4751
    @mapp4751 4 роки тому +16

    where did you get that tape winder? would love to get my hands on one of those! Cheers

    • @jamiewyeth8153
      @jamiewyeth8153 3 роки тому

      Also is another sign of it that says clear sound instead of saying low noise?
      I remember Poundland doing decent type 1 cassettes under their signalex brand but I was quite disappointed when they stopped doing it and replaced them with the hot cassette which is terrible even in a cassette deck. I’m also doing a video of the difference between cheapo cassettes vs more expensive better quality type one. The memorex dbs from either 85/87 is really good sound quality even if you’ve recorded music from a shoebox cassette recorder with a line out going into the mic input of the cassette recorder. As i used it he signalex to make mix tapes from cds in a. Cd/cassette player in one. But I was young at the time so I didn’t know about quality of tapes I was like if it sounded good then I was impressed now I know about quality I now want to buy more expensive good quality good sounding tapes instead of paying a £1 for tapes , especially now I have a cassette deck with cr02 type 1 and type 4.

  • @RoughJustice2k18
    @RoughJustice2k18 4 роки тому

    Reminds me of the Ingersoll, Audiosonic and Viva cheapo 90-minute tapes I bought when I was a teenager. Horrid jammers they were; the expensive high-end deck I used at the time (owned by a friend I was staying with) wrecked a bunch of those due to their flimsy design (but it played/recorded premium branded tapes perfectly). I had less hassle with G-Tape and MFP despite those being cheap as well.

  • @Musicradio77Network
    @Musicradio77Network 4 роки тому

    Yesterday, I got 80+ cassettes off of eBay, including a bunch of “Type 0’s” from the 1970’s like Certron, Universal, InterMagnetics, and Ampex. The Ampex 530 which is the one I got, but I got two of them has a groovy looking design which is blue and it’s the 90-minute version. The 60-minute version of the Ampex 530 has a red label with the same groovy design which is a typical 1970’s “Type 0” cassette. Ampex made a bunch of “Type 0” cassettes during the 1970’s outside of its reel-to-reel tape production.

  • @harrystevens3885
    @harrystevens3885 4 роки тому

    I collect these 0 type but only sealed and if open then the J-card and case is the only value in them,I have one that as the Comet electrical stores logo on it. really enjoyed this video and it makes you appreciate the modern Maxell UR versions that are available to us. Personally I wouldn't use that particular model Denon cassette deck for any tape review but then again I wouldn't let them 0 cassettes anywhere near your Revox or Dragon,just my opinion but again I say great video enjoyed every minute of it and loved that TAC shell and design I would definitely put some decent tape in that.

  • @moshezaharia4666
    @moshezaharia4666 4 роки тому

    The INT brought me back memories of our first stereo, an "all in one" Pilot (Goldstar) that came with one Sony CHF60 and two International 90min. These INT were terrible and the deck chewed them in every pass (even as a new, clean deck), the Sony played flawless. anyway, great collection of "0"!

  • @OldSonyMan
    @OldSonyMan 2 роки тому +1

    I got unsubscribed but I am back, keep up the good work !

  • @appenginenode
    @appenginenode 4 роки тому +1

    Found out I've got a couple of type 0s - never knew they existed. It's a Keybee C60. Cig packet covering, Low Noise. Clear leader. Paper label. Compact Cassette. Flimsy. Can't smell anything though

  • @clayerik
    @clayerik 4 роки тому +7

    YOKO Have even one screw missing.

  • @_innerscape_
    @_innerscape_ 2 роки тому +2

    I have a few "type 0", the only use I found for them is creative music production: record on them an already distorted guitar riff or ostinato, or synth pads or drones, the more high frequencies the better and use them in a pinch with other good sounding tracks for contrast, Nine Inch Nails style. Or make a loop and record it playing and dying away like William Basinski did with The Disintegration Loops.
    Here in Italy I went into a local family owned tech shop, very old, one of those with the granny behind the counter and the nephews serving the clients. I spotted chrome tapes in the internal windows, custom made, with the name of the shop as the brand! They looked a bit like my (actually my fater's) old Denon and TDK with non trasparent case. I thought "they look kinda good, chrome tapes are rare... let's buy 10 of them!". I went home and tried one. It crapped on my GX-75! Wobbly, drop outs and low signal, of course, and particles all aver the place. I went straight to the shop for a refund. Of course they put the other 9 tapes still sealed in the window again O_o. They offered me to scout around for some Sony HF... I said "no thanks, I already have a stash of TDK D and Maxell UR fresh and sealed (bought them for cheap some 10+ years ago before the frenzy), I just wanted chrome..."
    Lessons learned:
    - old chrome tapes decay like milk out of the fridge in a hot summer day.
    - don't trust no name brands.
    - be happy with nice modern type 1 and a good deck.
    - forget about chrome and metal tapes (I have some, but not as much as I would :-P).

    • @Musicradio77Network
      @Musicradio77Network 5 місяців тому

      These “Type 0” cassettes can be used for computer data via Commodore 64, or it can be used to record voice on a shoebox cassette recorder with a built-in microphone.

  • @HyperBiker
    @HyperBiker 4 роки тому +1

    That YOKO even had a screw missing from the shell. 9:23

  • @stomms
    @stomms Рік тому +3

    I used to have this Maxim back in a days 😁

  • @Musicradio77Network
    @Musicradio77Network 9 місяців тому

    In addition this, I got a very old Sentry “Type 0” cassette from the 1970’s and it looks great, and it’s over 50 years old. The label looks like an early Certron cassette. It’s rare and very hard to find, and it was an early “Type 0”. Sentry was based in Mt. Vernon, NY, and it was known for their cheap “Type 0” cassettes.

  • @InflatablePlane
    @InflatablePlane 4 роки тому +1

    Damn. Bog roll issue cassettes. I’ve got a few of those. Good as beer coasters or stabilizing a wobbly chair.

  •  4 роки тому +1

    Hey Tony @8:15 you said something interesting I wondered before.. about reuse of VHS Stock tape to audio cassette.. do you have evidence this was actually done? It makes sense to me as that tape can be high quality..but wondering what the cross over implication could be. Is there a forum discussion about this somewhere.. i looked but couldn't find it. are you on Tapeheads?

    • @CassetteComeback
      @CassetteComeback  4 роки тому

      I don't remember exactly, but in this thread someone else mentions it, but I've no proof. It's just a theory.
      www.tapeheads.net/showthread.php?t=17956

    • @Musicradio77Network
      @Musicradio77Network 5 місяців тому

      @@CassetteComebackIt was re-slit video tape where they used for cheap “Type 0” cassettes like Certron, Sentry, Gemini, Quality Tape, and others.

  • @oldar7742
    @oldar7742 Рік тому +1

    A head cleaning between each K7 would certainly have improved the test. 🤨

  • @tharkthax3960
    @tharkthax3960 4 роки тому

    By the way - that tune you used to test is brilliant!

  • @chadergeist
    @chadergeist 4 роки тому

    When it is stuck like that, tap it on the desk or table and then shake it a little bit. It has something to do with it being wound up tightly or other. I am not sure on that one, cause i found out about it long time ago and forgot why they do that. Even press in around the area where the tape is at and around the outside of the cassette wheel.

  • @macdaniel6029
    @macdaniel6029 4 роки тому

    Thanks for the tape zero marathon :)

  • @kevinpatrickmacnutt
    @kevinpatrickmacnutt 4 роки тому +8

    I think your auto calibration has gone a bit wonky. I stopped using my Denon of the same model because it was making a lot of good tapes sound awful. That might account for why it was calibrating all those type 0 cassettes rather than saying "reference". It is probably just calibrating everything in some arbitrary way.

    • @CassetteComeback
      @CassetteComeback  4 роки тому +2

      Yeah. I was surprised. Something went awry there.

  • @longhairscorpio3976
    @longhairscorpio3976 9 місяців тому

    yup! i remember the "low noise" cassettes mom used to get them for me at the grocery store when the sound got loud, it muffled it badly they were cheap and easy to find there so.....

  • @danielc6925
    @danielc6925 4 роки тому

    Great job man !

  • @tarstarkusz
    @tarstarkusz 4 роки тому +1

    I still have some type zeros I had as a kid that I recorded from the radio as a teen in the 80s. I don't remember them sounding as bad as they do and I had much, much better hearing at the time. Point is, if they sounded alright in the 80s, they degraded way more than any other tape from that time that I have and they were all stored together.
    So even if you get a type zero that sounds half decent, what will it sound like in 5 years?

  • @jhj22
    @jhj22 4 роки тому +3

    2:55 I cried from laughter here :'D

  • @Pawelmps
    @Pawelmps 4 роки тому

    Very good channel. Thanks

  • @NJPurling
    @NJPurling Рік тому

    When you talk about the cassettes loaded with re-slit video tape. I thought that video tape was not ferric type. Maybe more like a Chrome. What am I missing here?

  • @bob7872
    @bob7872 4 роки тому +3

    Most of them were definitely a type "Negative 1", but 2 were ok. I remember a knockoff name Memex, (for an imitation of Memorex of course.) My dad got a Panasonic LTD amp with AM/FM tuner in the 70's, and some of the type zero tapes actually sounded good on it. But, they did look a bit like light brown sandpaper. Sandpaper tape..... hmmm, sounds like a song.

    • @750kv8
      @750kv8 4 роки тому

      Memex... That "brand" name would sell very well these days....

  • @birdscds47
    @birdscds47 4 роки тому

    Thanks for the video. I had headphones on for the comparisons and the sound of some of them made me laugh. A case of, it was so bad, it was good.

  • @maestrolx
    @maestrolx 4 роки тому

    Ive got some irish brand tapes from 83 but the housing bit the dust long ago the tape plays as good as the day i recorded it from the radio. Im sure it was a type 0 one is on ebay now for $28 where can u buy quality shells or housings

  • @grabham59
    @grabham59 4 роки тому +8

    Can confirm the Hi Techs were indeed absolute rubbish....

    • @RoughJustice2k18
      @RoughJustice2k18 4 роки тому

      So were the International/Silver Shadow/Silver Sound/Amtec branded ones and G-Tape as well.

    • @stephensrailways
      @stephensrailways 4 роки тому +1

      The only good thing about the Hi Techs was the cases came in handy for other cassettes!

    • @Musicradio77Network
      @Musicradio77Network 2 роки тому

      @@RoughJustice2k18 And of course, Gemini, one of the many cassettes here in the US that classified a “Type 0”. It was made by Gemini Industries in Clifton, NJ where it can be found in department stores like Caldor, Jamesway, Ames, and Bradlees for years.
      Now I can record “Hallmark Playhouse” on my Gemini MP60 “Type 0” cassettes, and I have a bunch of them.

  • @KR1275
    @KR1275 4 роки тому +7

    Is the Yoko missing a screw??

  • @miguelnglopes
    @miguelnglopes 4 роки тому

    Yes, I remember TONY, KDK and BASK very well. Here in Portugal we had a lousy brand Sonovox that used to shed oxide on the heads until the recording was inaudible :) Also Roadstar, Berec, and a few others :) All type -1 actually :)

    • @DeltaFox1970
      @DeltaFox1970 4 роки тому +1

      as versoes identicas, pelo menos de aspecto, ás BASF até eram boas, mas as primeiras eram horriveis !!

    • @miguelnglopes
      @miguelnglopes 4 роки тому

      @@DeltaFox1970 As verdes eram péssimas :)

    • @DeltaFox1970
      @DeltaFox1970 4 роки тому

      @@miguelnglopes nunca tive dessas, falo de umas a imitar as BASF LH

    • @miguelnglopes
      @miguelnglopes 4 роки тому

      @@DeltaFox1970 O logotipo era 'inspirado' no da BASF :) As primeiras eram verdes escuras e mais tarde apareceram umas laranja, e a caixa era tal e qual as das BASF :) A única diferença era mesmo o logo e a marca :P :)

  • @tharkthax3960
    @tharkthax3960 4 роки тому +1

    Had hi-tech tapes before. They are really bad!
    Most entertaining video 😁

  • @drakonolus7922
    @drakonolus7922 4 роки тому

    Hi. I'm new at your channel.
    Once upon a time a saw a very strange kind of cassettes; using tapes with very funny colors, such like bold clear red carmin, clear bold green and bold clear blue. Don't remember if those tapes were for at home recording or already factured music cassettes from artist musicians.
    They looked strange, but cooler.

  • @Fluteboy
    @Fluteboy 4 роки тому +1

    One video I would like to see in future (you're in charge of course!) is TDK D through the years, and how each one biases up on the Aiwa. The early ones will likely need negative bias, but when did they stop needing that negative bias and become the truly trustworthy cassette? Was it the 88, the 90, the 92 or the 95? I am curious....

    • @CassetteComeback
      @CassetteComeback  4 роки тому +1

      Yeah, I guess that would be do-able

    • @rich_edwards79
      @rich_edwards79 4 роки тому

      I love the TDK D. My go-to cassette all through the 1990s. I still have a few unused wrapped ones knocking about.

  • @TaswcmT
    @TaswcmT 4 роки тому

    Why do the capstans keep spinning even after the tape is stopped and the door is open? I've never seen that in any deck (not my Denon DRM-800 or any other).

  • @ThriftyAV
    @ThriftyAV 4 роки тому

    I picked up unrecognizable brand sealed cassettes that may be considered "Type 0" today. These were super cheap 3-packs that had no shells. If you don't mind (and maybe if you do mind) I will credit you with the "type 0" designation when I reference them in my thrift haul vid.

    • @CassetteComeback
      @CassetteComeback  4 роки тому

      They are endearing, but I'm sure I heard the term Type 0 on tapeheads.net first

    • @ThriftyAV
      @ThriftyAV 4 роки тому

      @@CassetteComeback I ended up saying that you used the term, not that you coined it... Thank you for the link. I will join that forum.

  • @vqey2
    @vqey2 4 роки тому

    Used to see tapes like these for sale in the old exchange and mart in the early eighties

  • @RetroDakota
    @RetroDakota 3 роки тому

    When I was younger, I didn't know any better and recorded a lot of radio airchecks using these type-0 cassettes, mostly purchased from the local dollar store. Among the "brands" sold in American dollar stores in the late 90s and early 2000s were Sterling, Volt Master, Longway, Sound & Image, Sentry, and Contek. Sterling tapes were literally a scam. Sterling tapes labeled as C60 were really C30s, while Sterling C90s were just C60s. Sentry tapes never worked properly so I ended up avoiding them, and I had to literally re-shell older recordings on Sentry tapes in common Maxell UR shells just to get them to play without jamming up. Nowadays, I stick with well known and trusted brands like Maxell or TDK.

  • @lordbyron3511
    @lordbyron3511 4 роки тому

    What is the winding machine you’re using? Are they still available anywhere?

    • @CassetteComeback
      @CassetteComeback  4 роки тому

      I did have some, but they sold quickly. Keep checking eBay.

  • @managestpl2320
    @managestpl2320 2 роки тому

    could you pleae name the device that you have used to rewind the tape?

  • @joshuagood4237
    @joshuagood4237 4 роки тому +1

    The main trouble with those sort of cassettes is not only that they sound terrible but after using them you will have to give your heads a good clean because there is so much rubbish on them

    • @CassetteComeback
      @CassetteComeback  4 роки тому +1

      They look kitch cool now, but yeah, you don't want to try and record on them.

  • @AqourSMAT
    @AqourSMAT 4 роки тому +1

    In South Korea, most "Gilboards" used TYPE 0 blank tapes in 1990s. Example, GOLDEN STAR CT(Fake model of GoldStar DJ), and HIFI SR, SMART SD-X, HAPPY MUSIC NT(NOT Type 2), TBK(Fake brand of TDK and NOT Type 2)

  • @joearnold6881
    @joearnold6881 3 роки тому +1

    Haven’t seen a cassette since I was a teen in the 90s
    Hell yes I’m watching 45 minutes of bad cassettes.

  • @andygozzo72
    @andygozzo72 4 роки тому

    poundland had some cassettes a while back, i got 2 , havent tried them yet, but heard you sometimes find there are 'joins' in them, so not filled with a full single length!! and the colour can vary within one cassette!!

    • @vaughntonkin539
      @vaughntonkin539 4 роки тому

      I've been dudded by VHS tapes with 2 or 3 splices in them in the mid 90's Waltham, Stereo Club, Finex, all from Cuntinghams Warehouse stores Australia, I lined up all the splices to the tape opening on the Finex tapes and got my refund on them, splices are totally unacceptable on video tapes because the dropouts are extremely annoying, lines through the picture and chopped up HiFi audio, 2012 I used a PVR to catch old re-runs of Neighbours and dub to VHS, a splice was found near end of tape and I smashed it in anger, then burned it in the wood stove, I had to re-do the recording before deleting off the Humax 9200T PVR (No USB copy)

  • @rager1969
    @rager1969 3 роки тому

    Does the sniff test work reliably for you? Some people swear by the lick/taste test.

  • @janchristianursuaaguilar7434
    @janchristianursuaaguilar7434 4 роки тому

    i have only 2 type 0 tapes that i bought in a thrift store in the philippines. one is the "RIVER LN60" and the "CORONET LN" tape. both from hong kong.

  • @1980sGamer
    @1980sGamer 4 роки тому

    Should have recorded some Yoko Ono on that Yoko cassette. And on a related note, there's a flea market that I go to where I spotted some cassettes that look exactly like they would be type 0s. I'm gonna pick them up just for fun. Type 0s are pretty interesting. To me, at least. :)

  • @olaniyi570
    @olaniyi570 4 роки тому +7

    I wouldn't try to record any Beatles albums onto that Yoko tape. Guaranteed dropouts.

  • @tvfreak7777
    @tvfreak7777 4 роки тому

    Can you try some of these cassettes in your airwa or Nak? I don't trust the Denon because also the fuji did not worked correctly . .

  • @ChristopherSobieniak
    @ChristopherSobieniak 4 роки тому

    Ironically I don't recall too many cheap cassettes using the "Compact Cassette" logo stateside in the 90's.

    • @Musicradio77Network
      @Musicradio77Network 4 роки тому

      I recall other cheap brands that has the Compact Cassette logo including Hoyin, Star, Martronic, Melody, Melsonic, Sim, Astrosonic, and others. Except for a handful of brands from the 1970’s like Realistic and Concertape which were made by Radio Shack, Universal, Recoton, Pic Pac which was a brand that were sold by Two Guys, a defunct department store in New Jersey, and lots more.

  • @bigtimefans100
    @bigtimefans100 5 місяців тому

    Oh, Tony you always make me laugh with your snarky comments. I'm definitely getting some of these for the novelty and aesthetic but not without swapping them with a UR or TDK D. hearing the "aluminum foil" (as my friends call it) distortion made me writhe and die a little inside. It reminds me of when I used to record on a shitty lil shoebox player. Oh, the horror. But hey, we all start somewhere..I'm so glad I have a nice lil technics now:,)

  • @europa2000man
    @europa2000man 4 роки тому

    Hello Cassette Comeback. I know its off topic but I bought 3 TDK FE Ferric 90 cassettes from a local record shop (Ireland), and I recorded on them, but there seems to be a problem with them. There's little to no output on the left channel. Do you know why that could be, because TDK cassettes in my opinion are usually very good quality.

    • @CassetteComeback
      @CassetteComeback  4 роки тому

      Could be bad storage, could be a problem with your deck.

    • @europa2000man
      @europa2000man 4 роки тому +1

      @@CassetteComeback I'd say its bad storage in the shop I bought them from, because I put in a Maxell UR90 cassette into the deck and there was no problems at all. I store my cassettes in my wardrobe on a shelf for easy access and to keep them safe from dust, dampness and heat. I had the Maxells for nearly 2 years and I only bought the TDKs about 2 weeks ago. Thanks for the reply.
      LONG LIVE THE CASSETTE TAPE!

  • @tomekkruger
    @tomekkruger 4 роки тому +2

    I've got french Pyral ATA151 reel to reel tape, is quite good. Maybe not good like BASF DP26, but with 19.5 cm/s sound is acceptable. There was no Alme tape, the real trash.

    • @denesbesenyi2729
      @denesbesenyi2729 4 роки тому +1

      I have the same tape and it sounds really good even on 9.5 cm/s on an Akai deck

    • @tomekkruger
      @tomekkruger 4 роки тому

      @@denesbesenyi2729 I have Sony TC280, maybe Bias is wrong or head is used up, but I like Pyral tape sound.

    • @denesbesenyi2729
      @denesbesenyi2729 4 роки тому +1

      So the basf biases up good on the Sony but not the pyral,that means that the biasing circuit is giving out a weak bias(not to magnetise the tapestack) printtrough, then none of the 50u tapes would work with the deck but i tired it on a teac a4010s and a tascam 32 and it works excellent, studio quality tape for sure,and the basf,well it sheds oxide sadly and needs low bias

    • @tomekkruger
      @tomekkruger 4 роки тому

      @@denesbesenyi2729 Thank you for this information. I will check the service manual regarding the BIAS current value. Unfortunately, data old-time reel-to-reel tapes is often not available. I also have a Polish tape recorder ZRK ZK146S by Unitra and this equipment records AGFA and ORWO tapes quite well (especially black-brown ORWO CPS 35 tape) because BIAS level is very low. But the tape recorder's parameters are quite poor, so I don't use it for good tapes (Fq 40Hz-10kHz -3dB). ZK is a souvenir from childhood.

  • @160rpm
    @160rpm 4 роки тому +1

    They had to pay royalties to use the CC logo?

  • @pancudowny
    @pancudowny 4 роки тому +1

    Memories of Laser Type-I 90-min, Tone Master, K-Mart red or blue label ones that come 3-bag and some other cheapo with a curved rainbows to the left of the label come to mind.

    • @Musicradio77Network
      @Musicradio77Network 2 роки тому

      Radio Shack used to have Concertape back in the 1970’s and 1980’s and they were “Type 0” quality, I have a bunch of them along with the Realistic cassettes from the 1970’s and 1980’s and it wasn’t “Type 0”, but didn’t have Type 1 on there.
      There’s also Scotch BX cassette from the 1980’s that had a cheap black shell on it, and the tape itself sounds good for its age that it wasn’t a “Type 0”, it was Type 1.

  • @cranklabexplosion-labcentr8245
    @cranklabexplosion-labcentr8245 8 місяців тому

    Type O cassette? Finally, a tape worthy to copy my OG Bloody Kisses album to!

    • @Musicradio77Network
      @Musicradio77Network 5 місяців тому

      Or it can be used for voice recording, dictation, and for saving computer data when using Commodore 64 or a Tandy computer.

  • @marcwaters2600
    @marcwaters2600 4 роки тому

    what type of cassettes will the new 2020 music albums be on

  • @chadergeist
    @chadergeist 4 роки тому

    I have never seen that pocket winder before.

  • @sdrape4964
    @sdrape4964 4 роки тому +2

    TAC. You know - the affordable Teac. 😂
    I love how you say "wrapped like a pack of fags"
    In the US, that's a #TriggerWarning 😂😂

    • @CassetteComeback
      @CassetteComeback  4 роки тому

      That's like here in the UK the word "fanny" refers to a lady garden...

  • @Kuiper3282
    @Kuiper3282 4 роки тому +13

    Omg Tony I did send you some crap didn't I ??? :-O

    • @CassetteComeback
      @CassetteComeback  4 роки тому +7

      Yeah, but they made 2 great videos, so thanks so much for them 👍

  • @markphilpot4981
    @markphilpot4981 4 роки тому +7

    Dog doo cassettes that aren’t worth playing on a hurdy gurdy! It was fun watching the tape trials. I’m surprised you didn’t throw them against the wall! Oh well trash is trash and you can’t put sugar on it and make it taste sweet! 🤬🤢🤣🥴

  • @dean6816
    @dean6816 4 роки тому +2

    Poundland used to sell them!

    • @RWL2012
      @RWL2012 4 роки тому

      which ones specifically...?

  • @chinnyvision
    @chinnyvision 4 роки тому

    Got some of those Maxim's in a shop in Pompey once. They were dreadful. My abiding memory is the dropout and how the tape damaged really easily.

    • @CassetteComeback
      @CassetteComeback  4 роки тому +1

      Yeah, don't know of any quality Maxim products. Used to always see this brand at those dodgy "sales" they used to hold in hotels on Sundays in the 90s.

    • @Musicradio77Network
      @Musicradio77Network 4 роки тому +1

      I had a Maxim once back in the 1990’s, they’re not 90 minutes, they’re not 60 minutes, NO! They’re 100 minutes. Get it?! I remember there was a Maxim LN C100 cassette on there. It sounds like trash. The Maxim C100 are indeed rare for a “Type 0”.

  • @batteryman2852
    @batteryman2852 4 роки тому +5

    13:23 that person who was working at the factory was probably a wanker, .... *cricket noises*
    Well anyways, you ranting and open cassettes in a half aggressive way makes me chuckle :-P
    You know what the cassette remainds me of in quality? back when there was this bit rate war between mp3, wma and ogg, some tried to compress as low as possible , and those cassette sounds like if someone re-converted a mp3 64kbps to a wma or ogg 32 kbps . the vocals are drowning in gargling and noises XD

    • @750kv8
      @750kv8 4 роки тому

      As I found out, lossy compression is basically removing some components of the signal. You convert a sample block of original data into a block of data that encodes the signal in a less direct way, so if the encoder "nullifies" some of the data bytes in it, instead of "dropouts" you get something that after decoding sounds more or less (but usually less) the same as the original one, and you may or may not notice the difference.

    • @batteryman2852
      @batteryman2852 4 роки тому

      @@750kv8 but you know. 64 kbps and below is so low that some very funky distortion and "gurgling" as it sounds like something is drowning.

    • @750kv8
      @750kv8 4 роки тому

      @@batteryman2852 - Yea, compression artifacts. Just the same as what you see on an over compressed image, only with the sound.

  • @foureyedchick
    @foureyedchick 4 роки тому

    A characteristic of "Type 0" cassettes is that there are no 4 Phillips screws in the 4 corners so that you can fix them if they jam up. Another characteristic of them is that they are 40 minutes long, or only 20 or 10 or 9 minutes long. You have to put a crumpled piece of paper in the anti-record "tab" corner to record over the crappy music which is recorded at the factory. Most of these pre-recorded cassettes are recorded on a very wide multi-track tape, and then the tape is sliced by a crappy (probably magnetized) blade, and put into the cassettes and GLUED shut !!!