Subbu68
Well-Known Member
How many still have these?
Tape head cleaner spray, head cleaning tapes, head demagnitizers
Tape head cleaner spray, head cleaning tapes, head demagnitizers
Nostalgia....how many still have these?
- Thread starter Subbu68
- Start date
Might hv some cassettes still lying around. Not the cleaners anymore though.
Cassettes were fun! Side A Side B.
That time we listened more. Now we tweak n tinker more.
So very true. Things were simple back then...
Subbu68
Well-Known Member
I do listen to cassettes occassionally as some records from 80-90s are not available on CD at least with me.
Last night I took out the paraphernalia and cleaned up the heads, put in some tapes and through the ACAs ..Whoah!!! Never heard them so clear.
Tweaking was in vogue then too... Adjusting the head for more clarity, changing to looking for a TEAC head and replacing the original and so on...that we don't or can't do on a CDP or NAS
Had all these and Reynolds ball pens and cellophane tape rolls to repair and wind up mangled tapes 
The level of interaction with audio gear was even more intimate than with Vinyl!
Good old days, long gone now.
The level of interaction with audio gear was even more intimate than with Vinyl!
Good old days, long gone now.
Subbu68
Well-Known Member
Oh I missed it. Before Reynolds came to India, for me it was Natraj pencilsHad all these and Reynolds ball pens and cellophane tape rolls to repair and wind up mangled tapes
The level of interaction with audio gear was even more intimate than with Vinyl!
Good old days, long gone now.
True, the interaction with Audio gear was more that is now moved to Apps!!
It used to be aftershave lotion in place of the "pro" fluids. They are just Isopropyl alcohol.
That spray I got sometime in 2004 or so in Cochin!! Still have some left in it. Keeping it for the memories of Philips. A couple of years later I scoured Cochin city for it. Failed miserably.
Subbu68
Well-Known Member
Felt like going back to the basics. Was using a Mi Box to connect to NAS that started "tripping up" lately. Missed the bus to get a Chromecast Audio.
Then the solution is NAS >PC > USB DAC > preamp > Amp... cut the chain CDP / Tape > preamp > amp - two less
The next one will always follow.
Subbu68
Well-Known Member
I could have given you CCA but your location shows UAE.Google stopped any iteration of CCA. They are seeking the powered speaker manufacturers to include Chromecast in their units. Even some amps have CC built-in - Integra, Onkyo, Pioneer to name a few. Google even stopped Home Max that was said to be a wonderful speaker.
Subbu68
Well-Known Member
ANILKUMAR
Well-Known Member
Playing with the Tapes and Tape players are interwoven into my thoughts and mind. Who can forget them.. who can forget the "mix tape" making fun and magical experience of listening it.
We used to carry the Tape recorder to friend's home to copy the tapes for each other.... happend until the Double deck/twin drive came....
Similar to Reynolds Pen and Natraj/Apsara Pencils, we even used slim testers or even mini Philips screw driver handles to wind the tapes...also the tip of the little finger every time to tighten the tape....
Not to forget the Colourless Scotch tape used to fix the broken magnetic tapes (those days, we usually used to get Scotch tapes from Middle east ... as I was born and brought up in a very remote southern country side with many people working in the Middle east...Thanks to those Persian and middle eastern travellers, to introduce the most modern technology of that time, to our tiny village). They used to bring those wonderful Thomson tapes with Malayalam, Tamil , Hindi and English hits. Mostly the black/white hard plastic TDK tapes.
During 70s and 80s, playing with the corded mono mic which accompanied the Tape System was also a fun.... Iam still using my very old Akai Mic from 80's for voice conferences.. online meetings...
Presenting my journey with Tape recorder cum players-so far ( Presenting them in year wise order, as I have witnessed in my home)
We used to carry the Tape recorder to friend's home to copy the tapes for each other.... happend until the Double deck/twin drive came....
Similar to Reynolds Pen and Natraj/Apsara Pencils, we even used slim testers or even mini Philips screw driver handles to wind the tapes...also the tip of the little finger every time to tighten the tape....
Not to forget the Colourless Scotch tape used to fix the broken magnetic tapes (those days, we usually used to get Scotch tapes from Middle east ... as I was born and brought up in a very remote southern country side with many people working in the Middle east...Thanks to those Persian and middle eastern travellers, to introduce the most modern technology of that time, to our tiny village). They used to bring those wonderful Thomson tapes with Malayalam, Tamil , Hindi and English hits. Mostly the black/white hard plastic TDK tapes.
During 70s and 80s, playing with the corded mono mic which accompanied the Tape System was also a fun.... Iam still using my very old Akai Mic from 80's for voice conferences.. online meetings...
Presenting my journey with Tape recorder cum players-so far ( Presenting them in year wise order, as I have witnessed in my home)
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keith_correa
Well-Known Member
Ha! Ha! Beings back fond memories. I still have a large suitcase full of those Thomson tapes. All attempts of my family to get me to throw them out have been futile till now.
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Subbu68
Well-Known Member
I am just listening to one of them from my "Thomson" collection. Their clarity was (is after 25 plus yrs) something to note. So too HMV and later Magnasound.
@ANILKUMAR you are encouraging me to add to this thread. Have to search out the photos of my journey with tapes
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keith_correa
Well-Known Member
Really?! Wow, very impressive! Mine are 25+ years old too. I must give some of mine to someone who has a tape deck to test their sonic integrity.
ANILKUMAR
Well-Known Member
Truly , yes. I still use my Dad's Spool tapes from 1970s to 80s. and even old Thomson and home recorded Cassettes from 70's -90s.. Still sounding good. Seems like they made the electronics and magnetic coatings to last for at least a century....OLD is GOLD.
Check if fungus/white mold(mould) has settled ..if yes, you have to do a bit of dirty work with isopropyl alcohol coated piece of micro-fibre cloth wound on a Johnson’s ear swab stick trick to un-dust it.
Subbu68
Well-Known Member
Here's mine @ANILKUMAR , @keith_correa
Oh, yes @ANILKUMAR the local cassette shops used to charge a few rupees to record the songs you chose. Fortunately I had a neighbor with a shop who used to do it free for me. I had to pay only for a blank tape.
It's only my own assets not from family
I got my first job in 1990 and first thing to get a Videocon Radio - Cassette Player (Walkman) Unfortunately no photo on the net
1991 - got this cute little one in silver. Still have it in India but battered by someone who took it from me
Next was this National AFD. Got it in UAE in 1994 when I came on an assignment from my company in India. Impressive for the size. Excellent bass and overall response. Again bashed up by the same person. Works but capstan and belt are worn. Keeping it for my memory.
Moved back to Chennai and got a Kenwood Tape deck. Again forced to give that same guy who chewed it up and left it for me to repair later. Still perhaps available in India.
Moved to UAE in 1998 and the first thing was this impressive ONKYO Midi PTS-707. Dolby Surround 5.0 with AM-FM, 10 CD changer and twin tape deck. That was an overkill due to my misguided thinking HTs were the next thing in audio
. should have gone for Onkyo or any other separates.
A small addition to record the babbles of my daughter (who now helped with my Amp Camp Amp project ) . Maybe needs some restoration to make it work
Then in 2002 got this Yamaha that is right now playing (photo is a few minutes old playing the venerable Thomson tape with Kishore Da award songs !!) - whew 20 years
Oh, yes @ANILKUMAR the local cassette shops used to charge a few rupees to record the songs you chose. Fortunately I had a neighbor with a shop who used to do it free for me. I had to pay only for a blank tape.
It's only my own assets not from family
I got my first job in 1990 and first thing to get a Videocon Radio - Cassette Player (Walkman) Unfortunately no photo on the net
1991 - got this cute little one in silver. Still have it in India but battered by someone who took it from me
Next was this National AFD. Got it in UAE in 1994 when I came on an assignment from my company in India. Impressive for the size. Excellent bass and overall response. Again bashed up by the same person. Works but capstan and belt are worn. Keeping it for my memory.
Moved back to Chennai and got a Kenwood Tape deck. Again forced to give that same guy who chewed it up and left it for me to repair later. Still perhaps available in India.
Moved to UAE in 1998 and the first thing was this impressive ONKYO Midi PTS-707. Dolby Surround 5.0 with AM-FM, 10 CD changer and twin tape deck. That was an overkill due to my misguided thinking HTs were the next thing in audio
. should have gone for Onkyo or any other separates.A small addition to record the babbles of my daughter (who now helped with my Amp Camp Amp project
) . Maybe needs some restoration to make it workThen in 2002 got this Yamaha that is right now playing (photo is a few minutes old playing the venerable Thomson tape with Kishore Da award songs !!) - whew 20 years
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