Recent Articles of Interest

In the eighties and early nineties audiocassette was prevailing popular audio recording media and one of the biggest steps in the lives of any young child was what their first audiocassette was. However, if the same question is asked to the current younger generations the answer most likely will be CD or MP3. Very few of us will remember the days of audiocassette.

Audio cassettes were a door to a new world of music. These allowed us to take our music from our homes, to our cars and even on walks. This was the beginning of a music revolution. We were able to listen to music and not risk the same damages we had discovered with vinyl.

This doesn't mean that cassette tapes were a perfect technology. The ribbon inside was delicate and easily twisted or broken, and once that happens there was no way to repair the tape. Audio cassettes are not as fragile as the previous generation of music on vinyl discs, but the CD had advantages that would push cassettes out of the market.

Most of my friends have at least one story about an old TDK mixed tape. One of them, for instance, had her mother make a tape of lullabies for her to fall asleep to while she was away. Another one would have a brother in college mix tapes of new, fascinating music. Audio cassettes have made a powerful impression on many of us, and the advances in technology haven't diminished that impact one bit.

For several years, audio cassettes and CDs managed to coexist. CDs were consistently more expensive, but their higher sound quality and other features made them worth the extra expense. You couldn't skip around easily on an audio cassette the way you could on a CD. You could listen to just one or two songs on an album if you wanted. Eventually, the better function of the CD killed the audio cassette.

But no matter where technology leads us, we will always fondly remember the audio cassette. It had an important role in the evolution of music technology. It lasted a good long time and still exists today. Although the audio cassette will never again live up to its' former glory. But we will always remain held close in the hearts of those who love it.