What is a compact cassette? If you ask this question to today's youth, you are unlikely to get the right answer. But older people with pleasure and even a certain feeling of nostalgia will tell you about how they listened to the musical compositions of their favorite artists on compact cassettes and dreamed of getting a few blank cassettes in order to be able to record a good collection of songs for any occasion. After all, it was almost impossible to buy a high-quality storage medium in our country. Therefore, the lucky ones who had access to imported audio compact cassettes could count on a flurry of popularity among their peers. All these stories seem incredible to modern children and teenagers. But the history of the compact cassette is the history of an entire era. That's what we're going to talk about today.
What is a cassette?
As soon as this medium was not called at the time of its popularity! But still, most of it is known under three names:
- compact cassette;
- cassette;
- audio cassette.
All of the above formulations refer to one item, peak usewhich fell on the period from the sixties to the nineties. At the time of its appearance on the territory of the Soviet Union, more than once one could hear disputes among young people about what better conveys the sound quality - a familiar reel or a compact cassette. Usually the scales have always tipped in favor of the novelty. But what is it really?
Audio compact cassette is a storage medium on magnetic tape. Its purpose was originally to record sounds, as well as their storage. Since the novelty also required special devices for recording playback, the spread of cassettes also gave rise to a leap in the development of companies producing sound recording equipment.
Visually, the cassette is a plastic box with two spools on which the magnetic tape is wound, and wheels for its free movement. On sale there were audio cassettes with two or four tracks for recording and playing sound. They also differed in playing time, magnetic tape thickness, playback speed and other parameters. However, such distinctive features appeared in this information carrier after years of its use. And initially, no one could have thought that this simple item, presented to the public in the sixties of the last century, would instantly conquer the mass consumer and just as quickly sink into oblivion.
The history of the cassette
For most people, the history of the compact cassette began in the sixties of the twentieth century. However, if you look a little deeper, you can seecurious details about its creation.
For the first time, the Germans thought about creating an information carrier assembled in a corps. This happened back in the thirties of the last century. And literally five years later, the invention began to be actively used in German tape recorders produced by the Lorenz company. We can say that it was a kind of prototype of a modern compact cassette. A novelty was being developed for wire tape recorders, and therefore it consisted of two spools sealed into a metal case. Tape recorders of other German firms also worked on the same type. This solution was considered the reference almost until the fifties.
During this period, German companies developed a new cassette format. Now a magnetic tape was placed in a plastic case on two reels, which significantly lightened the weight of the product and expanded its options for use. It is noteworthy that in the first cassettes the tape formed a loop and could be scrolled indefinitely. A patent for this product was obtained in the fifty-second year. Over the next few years, some inventors tried to improve the cassette, but all options did not become close to the consumer. This form was not in demand.
In the early sixties, cassettes appeared in North America, most closely related to the new generation of compact cassettes, released a little later. They had four tracks and were generally intended only for sound reproduction. Self-recording or erasing information on them was not provided. They have become popular as a carrier forcar radio However, their mechanism had a lot of flaws, which is why the sound quality suffered in the first place. If the consumer had to jump from one song to another, then the playback head began to move at an angle, which over time led to its loosening. The sound began to "float", which did not add popularity to the cassettes.
However, in the year 1963, everything changed, and the history of the cassette took a new turn.
Modern cassette format
There are still disputes about which company developed the compact cassette in the form familiar to most. After all, she had many prototypes that claim the palm. However, Philips is officially recognized as the founder of the audio cassette. It was she who presented to the experts a completely new audio cassette format, which is distinguished by its simplicity and ease of use.
It is noteworthy that at that moment no one could promise a great future for the novelty, but they were still interested in it. Philips' main rival in the recording market in the 1960s was Sony. Its specialists also worked on the creation of their own cassette and could well have developed something more interesting. In order to end the rivalry once and for all and never again return to the topic of which company developed the compact cassette first, Philips decided not to charge a fee for the license to manufacture their invention. This became a decisive moment in the fate of the audio cassette.
Already a year after its first show in Germany, it wasmass production of new items was launched, and then it was distributed around the world. The production of cassettes began to be organized everywhere, which made them a rather cheap product. He went to the masses and in record time won the recognition of his consumer.
History of the development of compact cassettes
Since the modern audio cassette format is the brainchild of Philips, it was she who introduced a certain marking, which other companies began to use. Almost all new media were marked with the letter "C". Numbers were added to it indicating the duration of the recording. Most often it was forty-five, sixty and ninety minutes. Less common were cassettes with a playback duration of one hundred and twenty minutes. However, all of them had one significant drawback, overlapping a lot of advantages - disgusting sound quality. In addition, it was possible to listen to the recordings only on a voice recorder. The technical devices for the new cassettes were not yet commercially available at the time, but the demand for them was high.
Approximately eight years after the release of the first compact cassette, Philips managed to eliminate the main drawback of their invention. They introduced cassettes with a new type of magnetic tape to the consumer. It was coated with chromium oxide, which at times improved the sound quality. This option was in great demand, so the first models of tape recorders for compact cassettes began to appear on sale. This move allowed Philips to consolidate its position as a leader in the recording industry.
Of course, the first tape recorders were far from theirmore modern models released decades later. They had an inconvenient size, but allowed not only to listen to music, but also to make recordings. Not only laymen, but also professionals recorded their favorite compositions on compact cassettes. Eminent musicians worked with this media in the studios, creating the most famous hits of the eighties.
Note that the popularization of cassettes would not have been possible without the evolution of tape recorders. First of all, the manufacturer tried to make them affordable and multifunctional. Thanks to this, the sale of cassettes in the world grew rapidly. The years of popularity of compact cassettes fell on the period from the seventies to the nineties. This time was also marked by the rapid development of technical devices for listening to sound recordings.
Production of playback devices
The boom in popularity of compact cassettes came in a short period of five years. From the eightieth to the eighty-fifth year of the last century, almost every civilized inhabitant of the planet had a decent music library in his house, consisting of a large number of cassettes. They were sold in the millions and at that time they were the only carrier of information that supplanted all the others that had once been used before.
Compact cassettes of a new generation demanded from global companies the production of special listening devices. And here Japanese corporations and small firms came to the fore. In the eighties, they were able to launch three types of tape recorders on the market, which instantly began to use a hugepopular:
- fixed listening devices;
- portable tape recorders;
- players.
Each of the listed types had its pros and cons, and therefore always found its user.
Decks
This is how stationary tape recorders with excellent technical characteristics began to be called. Thanks to them, the devices were very popular, but were not available to everyone. The dream of most consumers was the "decks" of the Nakamichi company. The Japanese manufacturer quickly navigated the changing world trends and launched the first tape recorder on the market in the seventy-third year of the last century. Already these models, not quite perfect in every sense of the word, have become a real standard and model for all other companies.
Consumers considered the problem of flagship models to be the imperfection of sound, but after seven years almost all the shortcomings were corrected and Nakamichi began to produce devices for listening to sound recordings of the highest quality. They were completely satisfied by ordinary buyers and professionals. The only problem was still the extremely high cost of equipment.
However, in the late eighties, numerous small manufacturing companies entered the market. They were able to copy the devices manufactured by Nakamichi, maintaining their quality, but significantly reducing the cost. As a result, "decks" became available to most of the buyers and gained unprecedented popularity. The most famoussuch companies as Sony, Akai and Yamaha are considered manufacturers of that period (compact cassettes of the last of the listed manufacturers over time also became in great demand among consumers).
Portable boomboxes
This type of listening device appeared almost simultaneously with the "decks", but it was intended for completely different purposes. American and European manufacturers realized in time that the consumer wants to listen to music not only in closed and isolated rooms. In addition, the new generation audio cassette format made it possible to do this without any problems. "Boomboxes" became a factor that pushed the development of the hip-hoper subculture. She meant street performances with a large crowd of people. Portable tape recorders and rappers were highly appreciated. This subculture originated on the streets and is a kind of voice of the common people, telling about everyday life. Therefore, it is not surprising that the ability to organize impromptu concerts with good sound became an incentive for the development of various directions in music.
American manufacturers were quickly replaced by Japanese ones. Sharp and Hitachi, for example, instantly took the lead in the recording market. Buyers appreciated their "boomboxes", which are distinguished by their unusual design and wide functionality. However, in the late seventies, Taiwanese firms competed with them. They launched their models on the market, the distinguishing feature of which was the identityEuropean manufacturers. Selling their products under the label of well-known brands for several times cheaper, the companies quickly satisfied the consumer demand for "boomboxes". As a result, the cost of devices continued to decrease, contributing to the popularization of compact cassettes.
First cassette players
The end of the seventies was marked by the emergence of revolutionary technologies. Sony managed to launch a product that was truly unique for that time - an audio cassette player. The commercial success of this product has been overwhelming. After all, the players allowed music lovers to listen to their favorite songs around the clock, regardless of their location.
Consumer demand for players simultaneously provoked a boom in the popularity of compact cassettes. Almost until the end of the twentieth century, they were bought by the millions. At the same time, the companies continued to improve their devices, releasing more and more interesting player models to the market every year.
Types of cassettes
All compact cassettes produced since their first appearance have several specific characteristics. Depending on them was the cost of the media and its popularity. Until today, cassettes are distinguished by three characteristics:
- The composition of the magnetic tape. Early compact cassettes suffered from poor sound quality, which has been corrected since the advent of iron oxide media. Many called this solution hematite and at that time such cassettes were a revolutionary product. However, according toBy modern standards, these devices were far from ideal, and the companies competing with Philips understood this. Therefore, a new type of cob alt-coated magnetic tape cassette soon appeared. The novelty was intended for professionals and fully satisfied their needs. But the cost of the cassettes themselves and the devices for their playback was prohibitively high. Not all record companies could afford to buy something like this. Therefore, such cassettes have not received wide distribution. Modern types of audio cassettes include those whose magnetic tapes are coated with iron dioxide and other pure metals. It is they who have become in demand among the inhabitants and professionals. Interestingly, tape recorders from different companies were designed to play certain types of cassettes. There were those that could only play information from one type of media, but some were intended for all existing audio cassettes.
- Recording time. Experts know that in general there are more than seven options for the duration of the sound recording. Cassettes with the ability to play music for sixty, ninety and one hundred and twenty minutes were in great demand among consumers. The minimum duration is forty-six minutes, and the maximum is one hundred and fifty. However, at the peak of the popularity of audio cassettes, there were attempts to introduce other types of cassettes into use. The sale of media, allowing you to make recordings with a duration of one hundred and eighty and two hundred and forty minutes. But as practice has shown, fragile magnetic tape on suchcassettes quickly failed, and therefore was unreliable and did not gain distribution. In addition to these standards, some companies actively experimented with the duration of the recording. If desired, one could find cassettes marked "30", "10" or, for example, "74". These numbers represent minutes. Unfortunately, these formats never became popular.
- The thickness of the magnetic film. Interestingly, the duration of the recording directly depends on the thickness of the film. The longer it is, the thicker the magnetic carrier. For example, for the production of a two-hour cassette, a film of nine micrometers is used, but for an hour cassette - already sixteen micrometers. These indicators are the standard, however, manufacturing companies have made their own adjustments. Therefore, the magnetic tapes on cassettes of different brands may differ from each other.
Pros and cons of cassettes
Despite the fact that in the early eighties, Soviet factories also began to produce media based on magnetic tape, the best compact cassettes were still supplied from abroad. Many still remember boxes with the inscription "TDK", "BASF" and others. YUSB compact cassettes were quite common in our country. All trade brands had, in principle, similar pros and cons, in which specialists were very well versed.
The following list items can be safely attributed to the advantages of this carrier:
- low cost media compared to today;
- cassette resistance to damage, ascase securely protects the magnetic tape;
- audio cassettes allow free transport without packaging;
- sounds are easy to play even with significant vibration;
- compact cassettes are characterized as high overwriting media;
- easy storage at home.
However, despite the large number of advantages, cassettes also have a lot of disadvantages that we cannot remain silent about:
- sensitivity to high temperatures;
- poor sound quality compared to today's media;
- possibility to damage the record when the tape is “chewed” by the player;
- not universal media (it's for audio only);
- the inability to randomly play songs.
The above disadvantages, as well as the emergence of new more functional media at the end of the twentieth century, led to the fact that compact cassettes began to gradually lose their popularity, and the percentage of sales dropped noticeably.
Recession in audio cassette industry
In the West, the 1990s were the period when there was a significant decline in cassette sales for the first time. Annual sales fell by thirty to sixty million copies a year and this caused the ruin of many companies.
This process began with the advent of CDs. This carrier turned out to be more convenient, multifunctional and not so expensive as to scare off consumers. Gradually, he began to displace compact cassettes from the market, and the distributionMP3 players have practically completed this process. Soon consumers began to download music from the Internet and, if necessary, listen to them on MP3 players. This was the end of the era of audio cassettes and tape recorders for them. Out of habit, some music lovers still used cassettes and CDs in parallel, but still, by the beginning of the 2000s, they abandoned obsolete media.
Today, cassettes can still be found in stores, albeit with difficulty. Their cost, according to the latest data, is surprisingly low, but the demand for this medium is not growing. This is partly due to the fact that the latest models of playback devices do not support the cassette format. It is believed that the last device on which the cassette could be listened to was sold approximately ten years ago. Yes, and these media are no longer produced. Leftovers are being sold online and in some stores.
Digital technologies are confidently pushing all other media formats out of the market, and only memories remain of them, and boxes gathering dust on distant shelves with carefully selected music collections recorded on cassettes. How to dispose of them, no one knows. Sometimes on the Internet you can find requests on the topic of what to make from compact cassette cases. But most often they lie idle in pantries. Some music lovers hope that someday cassettes will return to everyday life, and their story will take a new turn.
