Re: [ARSCLIST] The state of cassette tape

[steven austin <stevena@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Aren't cell phones in Japan well along in providing these kinds of
functions? Audio messaging that can be sent home to your computer? With
pictures, even.

I suspect phone technology soon will be suitable for all our low-tech
needs for environmental and location recording. Maybe a mic jack on the
side of the phone might help with the input quality. And a Flash card
for a certain amount of cacheing.

File sizes might not matter that much for transfer either. Yahoo! Is
routinely managing to handle 20MB email attachments these days. Better
things are probably here or just around the corner. Streaming, real-time
transfer to your computer at home (like FTP), and clear, unbroken
satellite uplinks from any location would do nicely.

Then we can give all the camouflaged Uher portables to our kids (who
will find them quaint and useless).

Steven Austin



-----Original Message-----
From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
[mailto:ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of John Ross
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2005 4:20 PM
To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] The state of cassette tape

I think Andy's point is that cassettes are likely to follow open-reel
tape
within the next few years, and so those of us who support low-budget and
technically unsophisticated sound collectors will have to find something
to
replace them.

I don't think minidisc will be the answer, because the inexpensive
recorders do not include a digital output.

My own guess is that the new standard will be some kind of solid-state
digital storage, like the media used in today's digital cameras. Maybe
even
the same media, such as the Compact Flash cards used in the Marantz and
Denon portables. Either the cost of media will come down to a point
where
it's practical to use them for permanent storage, or it will be routine
practice to transfer recordings into a computer's hard drive, a CD-ROM
or a
DVD.

John Ross
Northwest Folklife
Seattle
So there's a great market opportunity for somebody to produce a $200 (or
less) digital stereo recorder without the "professional" features of the
current models. No motor, no moving parts, and unbalanced inputs and
outputs.

At  1/12/2005 03:10 PM, Matthew Barton wrote:

>Maxell still makes XL-II, but not XL-II-S, though some stores still
have
>it.
>
>
> >>> akolovos@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 1/12/2005 6:14:46 PM >>>
>Folks,
>
>I realize that there is no direct connection between the developing
>Quantegy story and the state of 1/8" cassette tape, but it does get me
>thinking--what is the state of the manufacturing and the longer term
>prospects of cassette tape in the world today?
>
>We deal with a lot of "oral history" materials and give advice to a
>lot
>of people interested in "oral history."  Many people out there who
>come
>to us for advice are befuddled and intimidated by digital recording
>technology.  As a result, I tend to give them a few options in
>cassette
>recorders.
>
>When I'm asked, I generally tell people that I figure one should able
>to
>obtain decent quality cassette tape for "Uh, at least the next--uh,
>perhaps--five years.  Maybe.  Maybe longer even."
>
>As for where that number comes from, I pretty much make it up.
>
>I certainly feel like I'll be able to easily obtain cassettes after I
>have to scrounge around to find 74 minute CD-Rs, and looooong after
>I'll
>have to rely on Ebay to get MiniDiscs, but still...
>
>Thanks,
>
>andy