Looks interesting...question is will it ever release in the market or just a concept design. https://www.yankodesign.com/2022/11...i-will-make-you-part-of-the-tape-renaissance/ Sony Walkman was one of the most iconic pieces of personal tech. As the first commercially available personal cassette player, the Sony Walkman TPS-L2 revolutionized portable music consumption in more ways than one. Now, as retro becomes the new modern, the TPS-L2 forms an inspiration for the ERA – Portable Cassette Tape Player that intends to match the vintage with a modern outlook. BY GAURAV SOOD 11/28/2022
Looks like someones CGI dream project. Two questions Where is the "Stop" Button. How and why would you have an information display like that? Very few CDs have been made with that capability (which really impressed a friend when my car stereo displayed the track I was playing). I doubt if a single pre-recorded cassette was ever made with that capability and you would need a special deck to add it while recording.
This one's most likely just some very nice exercise on product design and CGI. It's used differently, but there was a system marketed in my country that actually has the text of the lyrics encoded on the cassette. The dedicated player has the usual RCA audio outputs + a composite video output to display the text on a screen. It's a one direction machine that uses a 4 track head, so I'm assuming it stores the data on the other 2 tracks. I'm not sure if there's other systems like it elsewhere, a quick search turns up nothing. Maybe I just didn't use the right keywords?
Sounds like some kind of Karaoke system. If Techmoan doesn't have one already he will be looking for one. However, the point is that it is only possible to do things like that if you veer away from established standards. Easy if you are releasing a Karaoke machine and some matching cassettes at the same time but nonsense otherwise. While The 1975 have released cassettes, it is extremely unlikely that they have embedded track titles on them (except printed on the J Card).
Very nice! Disc or direct driven please under 500 Euros, with line out, configurable noise reduction, eq, and rechargeable battery. I’ll back it when to be produced by a reputable company.
Nice looking design. Now let's find a manufacturer who's willing to make an 80s quality deck mechanism. Doubtful anyone would.
The idea itself is nice, but there are some tell-tale signs it probably won't be manufactured (at least not at a reasonable cost): - given the soft-touch buttons and the functionality, the mechanism needs to be a full logic one. No such mechanism is available today, so they will have to design it from scratch. - the unit is extremely small compared to the cassette inside, comparable to the smallest units ever made. This means a lot of custom parts are needed. They mention nothing about EQ or noise reduction (let's say the NR I understand as Dolby no longer licenses it). EQ is important for me, much more important than WiFi, Bluetooth or a lithium battery. For me personally, a lithium battery would be a burden if I would not use the device regularly as it will get depleted relatively quick when in storage given the soft power on. The idea itself is nice, but to me it looks more like a 21st century device than a vintage one with the screen, WiFi etc. Still don't understand what WiFi would be useful for... I definetely do like the design, but to me this design would work better if it would be a DAP, not a walkman. Just replace that door with a big touchscreen, add some balanced ports and call it a day.
as i wrote above: i would buy one, if the price is right - but i agree to Valentin: we will probably never see a „ready-built“ one. it‘s just one of those projects, wich will either end as an unfinished fund-raising-thing, or the project will not be continued. nowadays no serious electronic company will spend any kind of resources for a complicated new cassette-movement. that‘s it. featuring the usual bluetooth and wifi will be good enough for the masses, so that the cassette-part would ba just a retro-gimmick… anyway, get your tapedecks serviced, make your own mixtapes and take your originals for a walk
just get a large ghettoblaster like my toshiba s90 the first time i have used it in months been so ill,pollox to walkmen although i think the design looks ok though
It's like a car designer that doesn't talk with the engine guy..... I can draw cool looking "Walkmans" all day long but without taking into consideration the internals the point is moot. Just a pet peeve, the slotted screws look like crap, they remind me of an outlet cover, the last place they still use them and I have killer precision slotted screwdrivers and I hate them all.
Your comment made me think of something a real car designer said in a documentary. "Designing a V12 engine for a supercar is easy. Designing an engine that can be made by the million for under £1000 to fit in family cars is a much bigger challenge". Unlike turntables there doesn't currently appear to be any market for £10000 cassette stereos so the best we can reasonably hope for is an enhanced Tanashin mechanism.
Although I like the logic controls, unless they go all in for high quality and create twin capstan motors with very low wow and flutter, Ill stick with my vintage Sony Walkman's. And the display will be pretty useless unless you find a way of putting the digital information onto the tape. I use my my Aiwa XK-009 to make tapes to be used on my Walkman's, but it has not the capability to put text onto the tapes.
it will probably cost 500 i wouldn't pay that for any walkman.... coupled with new electronics that always break in 6 months i doubt i would be interested
