1 am : Sick of hearing my rather digital mixes after working on them all day, wonder what they'd sound like on a tape

1:30 am : Hunt down old tape player and cassettes from long ago

1:45 am : Watch cassette player die in my hands, dashing hopes of headphone listening (I'd never figure out how to get the stuff onto the tape anyway)

2 am : Listening to mix tapes from when I was twelve on old boombox, lolz ensue...

To be continued.

Outs 1/2 from your Saffire --> 1/4 to 1/8 adapters --> dual 1/8 to single 1/8 adapter --> line in on your cassette deck.

I like the shittiness of cassette more than the shittiness of a 128kbps mp3.

...the idea makes me wish I actually had tape for my analog machine.

I would add in 2 1/4 to 3/4 pipe thread on each side and put a cast iron radiator before the cassette to make it moar metalz.

I managed to use my sister's old boombox to send the audio from a CD-R to cassette last night. Unfortunately its CD player skips constantly, and that all went on tape of course. But the parts that didn't skip I really really liked. Maybe I was just hearing what I wanted to hear / drunk but the tape removed a lot of the detail and replaced it with darkness and mystery which I think really helps the moody space vibe that I intend my music to convey.

I will have to try the methods you outlined Mr. Snaxy... that is if I can see if my dad's old tapedeck works. I fiddled with it last night but I couldn't get it to play a tape.

...the thought strikes me: what are the inputs on the cassette deck? That's kinda relevant. I fail.

But the line outs from the Saffire into that should do the trick.

Remember a while back when I was talking up that Fields Of The Nephilim record? I still have it on tape for precisely the reasons you outlined. Something about the vibe of it on cassette...

I will have to consult with the father on his ancient tape device later. But I imagine if it works out I can also send the tape audio back into my computer. What if you sent you Fields of Neph cassette audio into the computer, hmm?

Yes this actually works quite well. The stuff you guys have heard of my old band from LA with the chick singer was all cassette into my computer then onto CD. I have the stuff on DAT just too lazy to borrow an old DAT to put it on a computer directly

this is from cassette: http://www.soundclick.com/player/single ... i&newref=1

of course it's on shitclick so it loses a lot there but you get the idea

That recording has exactly the kind of darkness and softness I'd like to hear. I am engorged with anticipation.

and seriously is did it from a really bad walkman directly into the sound card on an old computer.

oh shit I just remembered this was also done on 1 inch 16 track. Anyway bouncing down to cassette may give you results you are seeking padawan.

The tape deck doesn't work.

I have a stupid good Kenwood deck somewhere.


Dunno if it still works or not though... it hasn't been used in like 6 years.

Well, if you any one is curious this is how it sounds onto a tape and then back into my computer: http://www.mediafire.com/?kklb0dd0m5b2za4


If anyone wants I can load the entire thing for their enjoyment...

That sounds fucking delicious.


Time to fire up that old Kenwood deck and see if it still works.

Hehe yeah! Probably not the greatest thing for public consumption what with the occasional crackle and other things but for folks like you and I whose ears could use a little something different sometimes it's lovely.

That sounds great dude. I even like the crackles, real nice warm sound to it.

Aye, perhaps due to being a vinyl fan, a little crackle never bothers me.

I have a copy somewhere of one of my favorite Spiritualized records that i originally ripped onto my computer from the tape. Something weird happened to the high end and the lower mids. That is my favorite version of that record. There are parts where it just starts to sound like it is going to take over the whole house and shake it apart. It doesn't do that thing at all with the CD "normal" copy i have. It still sounds awesome, but it is missing that ugly weird EQ thing That really sets the tape off.

Also, tape players *really* do not seem to like a bit of neglect. A while back a friend brought over some homemade tapeloops he did to rip them onto my computer so he could manipulate them digitally. It was then that i discovered that all six or so tape decks i have are now broken. They all worked when i stopped using them a few years back. And it is not just slipping or broken rubber drive bands and shit, they are like seriously mechanically non-functional now. Fucking odd.

I DO still have the two reel-to-reel two tracks however. And a box of tape reels. Still haven't used them for anything yet though.

That there is gold.

What kind of reel-to-reel machines do you have, Chris?

One is an Akai, and the other is a Pioneer. Both 1/4" i think? The Akai is in its box, but IIRC, they are both rackmounty. Which is part of the reason i haven't been using either, as i had vague plans to do up a proper monster rack with all kinds of toys in it a while back. Which obviously is at odds with my brokeness, and so saw indefinite postponement.