Friendly reminder about dark forces (or about tapes!)

[Zoltan]

I just did some digging and found three bags filled with tapes. 90% of those tapes are live recordings, rehearsal place recordings and jams with different people. They're mostly from 96-99 (i think).

Anyway i don't have any proper cassette players anymore and turns out the one i used to record these is dead (and i'm not into resurrecting it). Then ah, i found this Walkman -like thing. Unfortunately it wasn't a real Walkman but instead it's a cheap copy. Much to my surprise it worked. And less to my surprise it ate the tape.

Kinda fitting considering what that tape contains. I mean... Maybe it's a warning! (Don't buy cheap copies?).

[Farrell Jackson]

Just wind the tape back onto the spindles with a wooden pencil that has an eraser attached. Hahaha, that's way I used to do it, unless the tape was broken. That way you can try it again and the Walkman can completely eat the tape. I have a similar box of cassette tapes hiding out somewhere, but I think I'll let them stay hidden.

[Zoltan]

Just wind the tape back onto the spindles with a wooden pencil that has an eraser attached. Hahaha, that's way I used to do it, unless the tape was broken.

I already did. I'm old school But i don't have anything to play it with. And i agree. It MIGHT be best to let the sleeping dogs lie...

[T.C. Elliott]

I can tell you 100% that I'd be finding a way to digitize them all... and then promptly forget about them for a few more years. (I'm not saying that I've done this exact thing...... but I'm also not denying it.)

[Mike_S]

I remember once or twice if there was a bit completely mashed beyond fixing I cut a portion out and rejoined the 2 ends using sellotape on one side. I think it worked, but you had to do it pretty well!

[StephenM]

ain't this fun and yes... I remember getting eaten up about tapes being eaten up... lol... Zoltan you always manage to crack me up...

hope you can salvage these after all... would love to hear some of that....so I can remember how glad I am that we don't have to use the tapes anymore...

[Blooby]

I bought a cassette deck a few years back to transfer some old demos.  If you really want to transfer them, pm me. It may take a minute, but I can Dropbox the music as I finish each tape.

Blooby

[Zoltan]

If you really want to transfer them, pm me.

Thanks Blooby for the kind offer! But i think this is a road i have to travel myself

(Also a reminder that i live in Finland).

[Ted]

Call me a sentimental fool, but I also have a box of tapes in storage in the USA – degrading every day – and I still imagine digitizing them one of these days. I wouldn't use an old walkman. Go to a pawn shop or such – or even eBay. You'll be able to find something that is good quality and will be gentle on your tapes.

I still have a decent cassette deck (also in storage, also degrading), and I still have my old Ross 4x4 recorder. In theory, I could digitize all of the raw tracks and remix them in a DAW.

I think there is a less than 50 percent chance that I will ever actually digitize all this old stuff. But if I ever do, I will do it right. And I will do my best to play the tapes as few times as possible before digitizing them.

Admittedly, I'm too precious about old stuff and new stuff. There is power and freedom in allowing that old stuff to meet its oblivion, as will we all. Do as you will, Zen Zoltan.