Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by cmn32480 on Monday November 13 2017, @06:51PM   Printer-friendly
from the what's-old-is-still-old-but-they-are-making-more dept.

Submitted via IRC for TheMightyBuzzard

National Audio Co. is the only company in the U.S. that produces cassette tape. Now, as cassette tapes enjoy a resurgence in popularity, National Audio has less than a year's supply left of the stuff, The Wall Street Journal reports.

For the last 15 years, National Audio's co-owner and president Steve Stepp has been clinging to his company's dwindling supply of music-quality magnetic tape. In 2014, National Audio's South Korean supplier stopped making the material, so Stepp bought out their remaining stock before they shuttered — and has been left with a shrinking stockpile ever since.

Although the demand for tape has increased in recent years, the quality and supply has not; National Audio has long relied on outdated gear that Stepp jokes is "the finest equipment the 1960s has to offer." That's why the company — which makes cassettes for everyone from indie bands to Metallica — is planning to build the U.S.'s first high-grade tape manufacturing line in decades.

Crap! Where am I going to store my TRS-80 programs now?

Source: https://theweek.com/speedreads/735269/america-running-cassette-tape


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 13 2017, @07:26PM (7 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 13 2017, @07:26PM (#596392)

    Speaking as a (real-life, gig-playing, self-managing, indie) musician, in small runs tape is still cheaper to publish than even CD.

    The reasons can come from the supply and the demand ends of the spectrum.

    Starting Score:    0  points
    Moderation   +2  
       Informative=2, Total=2
    Extra 'Informative' Modifier   0  

    Total Score:   2  
  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by frojack on Monday November 13 2017, @09:04PM (6 children)

    by frojack (1554) on Monday November 13 2017, @09:04PM (#596459) Journal

    in small runs tape is still cheaper to publish than even CD.

    Except people have no where to play it. Cassette players have vanished from cars, nobody is really building home component audio systems with tape players any more, and you can't even find a walkman anymore.

    Furthermore, I doubt your claim. 5 minute of web searching turned up: Tape tends to be more like $20/tape.

    With blank CD media (reasonable quality) being available for about 20 cents a disk.
    A small volume CD printer/Recorder is around $500 bucks, artist communities often buy and share these.

    You don't want to get all techie, you buy professionally packaged CDs with artwork for just under a buck apiece.

    There are even companies that specialize in getting you published on Amazon/Google, etc.

    --
    No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
    • (Score: 3, Touché) by EvilSS on Monday November 13 2017, @09:17PM

      by EvilSS (1456) Subscriber Badge on Monday November 13 2017, @09:17PM (#596466)

      Furthermore, I doubt your claim. 5 minute of web searching turned up: Tape tends to be more like $20/tape.

      You should spend more than 5 minutes then because you are off by a factor of 10.

    • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 13 2017, @09:36PM (4 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 13 2017, @09:36PM (#596483)

      Except people have no where to play it. Cassette players have vanished from cars, nobody is really building home component audio systems with tape players any more, and you can't even find a walkman anymore.

      Just the other day, I handed a tape to a woman who has a tape player in her car - and no CD. And you're missing the (quite substantial) boombox community. Oh, and do a quick Amazon search for cassette players.

      You may be surprised just precisely how incredibly wrong you are.

      Furthermore, I doubt your claim. 5 minute of web searching turned up: Tape tends to be more like $20/tape.

      http://www.atozaudio.com/html/azezcass-J.html [atozaudio.com]

      Search better next time. 100 60-minute tapes with full colour j-cards, wrapped, $180.95. From the same site, comparable packaging, $2.50 each for CDs at the same volume, and that's a damn good price.

      You don't want to get all techie, you buy professionally packaged CDs with artwork for just under a buck apiece.

      You're right! ... if you're buying at least a thousand. Realistic prices for small run (a couple of hundred) is nowhere near tape levels of pricing.

      There are even companies that specialize in getting you published on Amazon/Google, etc.

      You're right! ... but if you want to actually hand fans a physical thing that you can sign rather than signing body parts, online publishing ain't where you're going. Is it in the publication mix? Sure. Is it the only thing on the list? Not for me, and not for many, many others.

      • (Score: 2) by bzipitidoo on Tuesday November 14 2017, @12:23AM

        by bzipitidoo (4388) on Tuesday November 14 2017, @12:23AM (#596569) Journal

        Does anyone want to buy my modest vinyl record and cassette tape collection? Got some VHS too.

        Every time I see one of these stories, the first thing I want to know is where can I unload that old crap.

      • (Score: 2) by urza9814 on Tuesday November 14 2017, @07:14PM (2 children)

        by urza9814 (3954) on Tuesday November 14 2017, @07:14PM (#596924) Journal

        http://www.atozaudio.com/html/azezcass-J.html [atozaudio.com]

        Search better next time. 100 60-minute tapes with full colour j-cards, wrapped, $180.95. From the same site, comparable packaging, $2.50 each for CDs at the same volume, and that's a damn good price.

        You don't want to get all techie, you buy professionally packaged CDs with artwork for just under a buck apiece.

        You're right! ... if you're buying at least a thousand. Realistic prices for small run (a couple of hundred) is nowhere near tape levels of pricing.

        https://duplication.cdbaby.com/quoter/default.aspx [cdbaby.com]

        100 CDs, full color printed and packaged in jewel cases, for $139. Pretty close to a buck a piece, and significantly less than what you quoted for tapes. Higher capacity too.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 15 2017, @02:59AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 15 2017, @02:59AM (#597117)

          I just took like-for-like from a given vendor that does both. I didn't say it was best in market - and cdbaby isn't the best choice for a lot of people (look at their T&Cs).

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 20 2017, @06:40PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 20 2017, @06:40PM (#599326)

          Dude, just followed your link to CDBABY.

          What I'm seeing isn't anywhere near what you're posting. I went to basic, CDs in Jewel Cases, 100 count ...

          $418.00 before shipping.

          I couldn't get anywhere near $200 (or $2/each, the tape ballpark) until I went for slim jewel cases.

          Where's the secret button to get the $1/CD jewel case packed and wrapped 100 count small run quote?