Like vinyl, the cassette is making a comeback. There are even music labels devoted to distributing cassette-only releases. While this is really awesome in 2017, it was the 1980s and 1990s that were the Golden Age of the cassette.
Buried Musical Treasures Waiting to be Rediscovered
Packed away in cases all across the world, there is a treasure trove of awesome mixtapes, rare albums and band recordings from the heyday of the cassette.
Unlike digital formats like CDs and MP3s (and even well cared-for vinyl records), cassettes deteriorate as time goes by, no matter how you treat them.
Parts of the cassette simply fall apart, even if you haven’t played them for a long time. Much like motion pictures on celluloid film, cassettes have an expiration date.
All Cassette Tapes Were Not Created Equal
Longer tapes (90 and 120 minutes) required the use of thinner tape, which makes those tapes more susceptible to breaking.
Older tapes using chromium dioxide as a coating may not be as durable as later tapes using magnetite, cobalt-absorbed iron oxide, or ferric oxide and cobalt.
The felt pressure pads on cassette tapes deteriorate and fall apart in time. Tapes recorded on both sides may not last as long as single-sided recordings, due to bleed-through of the magnetic fields.
Bottom Line: The Clock is Ticking on Your Cassette Tapes
You’ve probably thought about transferring your precious cassettes to the digital format to be stored on your computer, on CDs or external drives, but just haven’t gotten around to it.
That’s understandable, as it is time consuming, painstaking and requires hardware and software to do it.
That’s where Magic Ears comes in. We will transfer your cassettes for $15 per tape for a basic transfer and $30 for added sonic enhancements (including tape hiss clean up, raising volume levels to current listening standards and track separation). There will be a $5 charge per tape for S&H, if you want the tape returned via USPS.
Magic Ears wants to help preserve your music, your memories and a precious piece of your youth.
For more information, CLICK HERE or contact us at magicearsmastering@gmail.com.
NOTE: Magic Ears is not responsible for damages to cassettes. If a cassette cannot be transferred, Magic Ears will ship cassette back upon request. S&H costs will be deducted, along with a $5 service charge per tape. The remainder will be refunded to buyer.