[whitebark]

I didn't know that tapes had compressed dynamics, but it is possible. Regarding dynamic range compression, I wish that the car manufacturers would put a compression option in their audio systems. The wide dynamic range of classical music in particular can make it difficult to listen to in a noisy car. One vehicle I owned quite a long time ago did have a compression button, right on the stereo faceplate- oddly enough, it was a Ford Ranger pickup truck! Why Ford did that, I have no idea, but it was a welcome feature. Since then I've never seen a compression option in any more recent cars.

[MtnGoat]

It's just that the dynamic range is lower, so a tape is 'compressed' in dynamic range with respect to digital audio. The other issue is of course a higher noise floor, which is noticeable at home, but on the road, not so much.

[Ringangleclaw]

Have any of you heard the new Foghat album?

[Malachai Constant]

Still have all my vinyl, got a news turntable for xmas, my old one disappeared in a move. Found some interesting virgin records at goodwill. Most of my old tapes were murphied especially commercial ones. I digitized some.

[Brucester]

Last weekend while trying to get my computer to "recognize" my new waterproof iPod Shuffle, took like 2 hours to figure out how to transfer purchases. I have multiple Shuffles and one was corrupt. In doing so I remembered back to the Sony Sports radio's I used in the 90's to use while hiking and then for hiking the Appalachian Trail. So easy, all this syncing and clouds and recognition and playlists, really? We used to just press play and we were rocking down the highway.

[Brucester]

I remember I had this chest mount pack designed for the Walkman, that thing was so cool. Got it for skiing and mountain biking back in the 80's. So long ago, are we that old? Anyway, the iPod Shuffle works now, much better than the first generation one I had. And much better than cassettes. No more fast forwarding missing that song or tapes being eaten and then repairing tape with scotch tape.... Feel so old now.

[Ringangleclaw]

[MtnGoat]

Ok now, 8 tracks, that's where even this mouth breather draws the line. At least cassettes are relatively reliable.

[mike]

Yeah, roadsides used to be littered with 8-track tapes people got pissed off at

[captain jack]

The cassette tape was the worst format ever invented for recording music. Period. The wax cylinder with the knife was better. Its the only format that was so bad they had to invent a noise reduction system specifically for it. 8 track was better because it was faster, even reel to reel made better recordings. Plus, magnetic ? Seriously ? Run the vacuum too close and, "sorry, your recordings are gone " Nice. Then add a pinch drive system with a really sticky tape, in a plastic case that warps when you look at it funny. Sigh, I feel guilty for calling myself human sometimes.

[Bedivere]

I stuck with Cassettes for many years longer than most folks. Back when CDs first came out they were expensive and the equipment for burning your own CDs was pretty much non-existant. I had a big vinyl collection and a top-of-the-line Akai tape deck with full logic controls, music search, three heads, etc. Every time I got a new LP I'd record it onto the finest "metal" (Type IV) cassette the first time I played it. Those recordings rivaled CD quality and were worlds better than any pre-recorded/mass produced cassette. Even when I started buying CDs instead of LPs I still kept my tape deck and a selection of mix tapes for playing on the go. Cassette decks for cars were still cheaper than CD players and cassettes didn't skip in the car deck or old walkman like CDs did when they got jostled. A CD recorded on one of those metal tapes on that Akai deck sounded just like the CD at first. Of course, after a hundred plays or whatever the sound quality started to degrade but it was still the best way to go for making mixes. Eventually CD burners became cheap and I gave up on cassettes altogether. I still had that Akai deck up until I moved into my new house a little over three years ago. I never used it any more but it had its place in my old stereo rack and it had some sentimental value. But, rather than move it with me it went to the Goodwill. I hope someone somewhere is using it. Nowadays my entire music collection is on my phone. No need to carry anything extra. The phone links automatically to my car stereo via bluetooth and I have a nice pair of ear buds for listening on airplanes. At home I usually just listen to Pandora these days but its easy enough to plug the phone into the stereo receiver if I want to hear something specific. I also have an HTPC and just about anything you might want to hear is on Youtube as well. Nope, don't miss cassettes at all. Don't miss CDs either. I do still like vinyl though and still have all my old LPs and occasionally give one a spin just for the fun of it. I dunno if there's really anything to it, but I swear Dire Straights "Love Over Gold" sounds better coming off vinyl than from any other media.