loading up on some ol'reliables

Simple early 90s yamaha set up. Sounds decent and I like the look of 90s yamaha a lot. + some hip hop tapes

Okay so let's be honest up front, I want to make some mixtapes of audio captured. Most likely from my phone using higher bit rates from streaming services. I'm not going to be playing them back on any kind of fancy decks or anything of that nature. Just kind of as a hobby to mess with. A very low end and basic Walkman is probably the only thing they will ever find their way into.

I understand that large expensive decks with three heads and things of that nature are what people tend to recommend for great sound quality, but is it possible to find something online That's pretty cheap and still has what I would call. Decent audio quality and Dolby noise reduction? If I have to get a two head that's fine, but I'm curious of what model numbers I may search online to find something that'll get the job done. I've checked all my local thrift stores and haven't found a single bit of tape equipment so that one's out for now.

Want all the equipment have you guys used and gotten good results from? I'm 40 so my hearing isn't the best to begin with. And like I said, I'll be playing them on a cheap Walkman most likely hooked up to a soundbar or other low quality audio equipment. So the sound quality isn't the most important.

I'm trying to record music onto a blank type 1 cassette using a DR-1 I just acquired. The recording that results is extremely distorted. In addition it seems to only be picking up the loudest sounds in the recording. In other words, it's as if there is a "Db Threshold" where any sound under doesn't get picked up. For example a percussion hit will have the transient captured (distorted) but any tail that exists gets cut off. Any ideas what's going on and how to fix it? I've attached a video. Here's a list of observations/things I've tried. Much appreciated!

• I can monitor the source signal and set the level so the incoming signal is strong (hovering around 0-+5 db). The source sounds good when monitored through the cassette player
• When I begin recording and switch to monitoring the tape the sound is much quieter and very distorted. To get the sound to be anything but very quiet I have to max the rec level
• I cleaned all 3 heads with 91% isopropyl, they appeared to be recently cleaned
• I've sent into the line in both the line out of my stereo pre amp and straight from my headphone out on mac laptop
• tape is set to type 1, which is the type of tape i'm using.
• no dolby or mpx filter is on

Hello all, This is a subject that is quite new to me. I collect cassettes from shows I go to and now I kinda have become interested in listening to them. Ive used tape decks before although they have always been cheap, the kind of tape decks you'd find in any average house back when this was the standard format. Im not looking for anything portable but something compact that wont take up too much desk space would be nice.

The original belts of my player melted, and 91% isopropyl alcohol isn't doing the trick. Unfortunately, I don't have any acetone either. What are some other around-the-house solvents that would be better for removing the rubber residue? Also, the headphone jack only plays in one ear- any way to fix that? And how can I reduce the wow and flutter? Thanks!

Super happy to have found Wilco A.M., surprising to hear how rough-and-tumble country they used to be before the current indie rock they are now.

Absolutely love the clear red sparkle men i trust cassette.

P.S. absolutely did not pay $12 for Letter From Home, got the shop owner to come down to $6

Hello r/cassetteculture

My tascam 4-track seems to have an issue with its 4th track. When I record something on it, no matter how hot I get it on tape, once I play it back it's always way quieter than the level it was recorded at. This happens only on track 4, like I can record the same thing at the same level on all 4 tracks and track 4 will always be quieter during play back. Anyone know how to fix this?

Thanks in advance

I came across a couple of cassettes which feature 20 years of the best UK news reports from 1973. I haven't been able to find anything more about the tapes of the rest of the drama collection they appear to be from.

But anyway, if you're from the UK and enjoy cassettes, I thought you might like this find also.

There are 3 parts uploaded, the first tape is in one and the second is split into 2.

https://youtu.be/GvU29jWPjK8?si=0A2nMcOLyIW_tfUu

I like to clean the inside of my cassette deck often, but it's annoying how easily the fibers come off the q-tips and stick to the pinch roller, capstan, and heads. If possible, I'd like to avoid this little annoyance when cleaning. They can be very hard to even see with a flashlight. Like, I'm trying to clean and improve the sound quality, not simultaneously leave behind fibers that will get in the way of the tape path and reduce the sound quality. Any tips? I'd appreciate it. Thanks.