What was the last cassette or R2R tape you bought; or the last thing you recorded onto a blank??

Kevin, if you ever want a closed thread opened then just ask.  

As for the last tape I bought, it was nearly a year ago now, and IIRC it was Shelley Manne on 7 1/2 ips pre-recorded 7" 4 track reel.  Unfortunately it seems that the word is out on the old 4 track pre-recorded reels (I see that KK in HFNRR is talking them up) so they're getting rather difficult and expensive to buy these days.

I have just sold most of my pre recorded cassette tapes bar a few. Only kept concerts and peel sessions recorded years ago for sentimental reasons. Still using the Revox and  putting together mostly compilations made of jazz tracks. Did consider selling the Revox  but it keeps staring  and smiling at  me with those big eyes.  Haven’t got the heart... yet!

I made a recording from vinyl to cassette of Steve Hillage’s album Green to play in the car.

Yep I have a cassette player in the car!

Kev,

I did a compilation tape for a good mate this week, which is something of a ritual when i go to stay.He has a Yamaha cassette deck which I got for him years ago in pristine condition from the local paper for £20.It's got a really nice sound and has a feature called play trim on it which you can adjust the high frequency balance.Anyway did a compilation of stuff I knew he would like onto TDK AD C90 and among other artists featured I put 4 tracks from Pink Floyd's Obscured by Clouds as have been enjoying that album a lot of late and as he's a Floyd fan and never heard it got the first 2 tracks and Burning Bridges and the incredible Absolutely Curtains also a fabulous version of Clapton doing Layla from his 1978 Uk Tour streamed off Youtube which was followed by Stephen Stills doing Go Back Home which features a blistering Clapton solo.So very considered what went on and it's a challenge getting the order right what follows the last track in terms of mood etc.

Had a cracker of a night went to see Mike Leigh's new movie The Peterloo incident at the cinema and after there was a live video link up with Mike Leigh at a Cinema in Manchester which was fascinating as the movie was very fresh in our minds and there where questions from the audiance up in Manchester.

Anyway on getting back home we always play chess as we are mad crazy about the game and listen to the music on the compilation.Compilations are great fun and make for a personal,unique gift.I have done loads and sometimes think I have done the perfect one but have come to my own conclusion it doesn't exist as you replay them and think maybe that track is a bit weak...argh drives you crazy.

Here is a nice pic I took before the chess started and compilation tape is on the left  just above the wooden box on the table .You can see a blue cover I made......just about to be inserted into the Yammy........also Clapton doing Layla....wow what a guitar sound from just himself.He was drinking 2 bottles of Brandy a day on that tour according to a biography I read about him but what a blistering Layla and what a solo.

Good as always to see the spirit of cassette's alive and well on the forum.....steaming.....to sterile for me.

8-Track.
Rumours by Fleetwood Mac, for playing in my Classic car which is fitted with an original Radiomobile 

Bought it probably 30 years ago, but currently listening to a cassette of Alan Freeman's Saturday Sunday Rock Show recorded on Radio 1 in September 1989 from what was more than likely by then a NAD 3020 tuner. The cassette is a TDK AD90, and the deck at the time was a Technics twin deck with optical auto-reverse that recorded onto both cassettes, giving 3 hours recording time which was ideal for Fluff's show. There are a few in the box to work through, all from 1988-90. Sounding good.

Bought at the Thumpermonkey album launch in Dalston - "Rarities" - Limited Cassette. It contains some demo's for Make Me Young, etc and one track with elements of all 7 tunes from the album (as told to me by Rael Jones).

https://www.rockosmos.com/prod...de-rarities-cassette 

Whatever it was, it would have been recorded onto a TDK SA90 - my final blank of choice before I (reluctantly and eventually) gave up on cassettes. Those were the days, my friend.

I still miss putting together a good mix tape for a chum - done well, it was an absolute art and there isn’t really any equivalent now. No slightly geeky 15-year-olds are putting together Spotify playlists for their girlfriends and that makes me iust a little bit sad.

Mark

I can’t even remember buying most of these, but must have been back in the 80’s

And you thought sealed TDK MAXG C90s were dear at £75 a pop! This is a £100 reel of half inch blank tape (2-inch tape is even more expensive - at 15ips, you can only fit about 25 minutes on a £300 reel!).

 It contains the master of "Up In Smoke", the all-analogue debut album by Ese & The Vooduu People. Got to admit, it sounds better than any cassette I've ever recorded.

Kevin-W posted:

And you thought sealed TDK MAXG C90s were dear at £75 a pop! This is a £100 reel of half inch blank tape (2-inch tape is even more expensive - at 15ips, you can only fit about 25 minutes on a £300 reel!).

 It contains the master of "Up In Smoke", the all-analogue debut album by Ese & The Vooduu People. Got to admit, it sounds better than any cassette I've ever recorded.

 

 

Does that hint at a vinyl release? Put me down....

Kevin-W posted:

And you thought sealed TDK MAXG C90s were dear at £75 a pop! This is a £100 reel of half inch blank tape (2-inch tape is even more expensive - at 15ips, you can only fit about 25 minutes on a £300 reel!).

 It contains the master of "Up In Smoke", the all-analogue debut album by Ese & The Vooduu People. Got to admit, it sounds better than any cassette I've ever recorded.

Kevin, lovely photos

Kevin-W posted:

 

And you thought sealed TDK MAXG C90s were dear at £75 a pop! This is a £100 reel of half inch blank tape (2-inch tape is even more expensive - at 15ips, you can only fit about 25 minutes on a £300 reel!).

WOW! Those bad boys remind me of the moment when I received my first VCD a couple of weeks ago. I assumed a VCD was similar to a DVD and imagine my surprise when the thing turned out to be as large as a vinyl record

Eoink posted:

Does that hint at a vinyl release? Put me down....

Eoin, indeed, it will be released on vinyl, with a gatefold sleeve. Completely AAA. Caspar at Gearbox Records is cutting it on Monday on his 1967 Haeco Scully lathe, and it will be pressed at Optimal in Germany. Hope to have initial test pressings in mid-December. I think it'll sound brilliant on the old black stuff, if Caspar's digital 24/96 master is anything to go by.

The files sound lovely - really rich and chunky with punchy bass, and just a tiny touch of reverb on the vox where needed. Everything sounds clear and organic and "live" but not at all congested. You can hear everything and follow the instruments clearly but it all sounds as if was played in the same room at the same time (which it pretty much was). The vocals are beautifully placed in the mix too and Sheena (b/vox) complements Ese perfectly; the standard of musicianship from Basile (bass), Pharoah (drums) and Jackson (Hammond, Wurlitzer electric piano) is very high. And the album begins with a real "BLAM!" moment.

I'm very, very proud of it and very proud of my artists.

It'll also be on 24/96, redbook CD plus all the usual streaming and download services. I might even get a few cheeky cassettes made .

Look out for the new single, "Silver Spoon," in a couple of weeks! It's a monster!

ALANP posted:

Kevin, lovely photos

Thank you Alan. The music is a zillion times better!