Silly, Silly Tape Recorder IV - Make a Cassette Timing Test Tape!

How do you know if your cassette recorder is running at its rated speed? Is it fast, is it slow? You can buy special timing equipment and hook it up, or you can use this Silly, Silly Tape Recorder project to make your own Timing Cassette, which will cost you nothing (or next to nothing) and give you the information you need.

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Whether you are a collector of cassette tape recorders, or have just one, it is helpful to know how accurate the overall speed of the machine is. Using this project and some technical expertise, you can adjust your cassette tape recorder so it runs very accurately at its rated speed of 1-7/8 ips (4.7625 cmps in the metric system). The logic is simple.

If it is running on speed, it will pass exactly 18.75 inches of tape across the play head in 10 seconds. (1.875 x 10 = 18.75). If it is running fast, it will pass MORE tape across the head in 10 seconds, and if it is running slow, it will pass LESS tape across the head in 10 seconds.

This video will show you how to take any cassette and mark it safely (this will not hurt your cassette or your tape recorder) so you can time it and if necessary, adjust the motor speed (on machines that have motor adjustments) to get it spot on! It's a simple project as you will see.

Enjoy the video.


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Copyright Disclaimer:

This is an educational video, a critique, and report on an historic piece of vintage audio electronic equipment that is no longer manufactured or sold in stores. It is covered by the Fair Use Section of U.S. Copyright Law:

"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

The video's opening music is called "Quantum Cube" by Tim Thompson and his XV Orchestra and is the property of Tim Thompson and ClydeSight Productions.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• clydesight
• cassette
• tape
• recorder
• timing
• Get
• It
• Done
• DSPP
• subliminal
• messages

[RODALCO2007]

Excellent method. I have never checked cassette accuracy.

I have done it on a reel to reel.

Just used a reel of Scotch leader tape with the 7.5 IPS timing marks and ran it for 20 or 40 seconds. then counting the marks.

[clydesight]

@RODALCO2007 Thanks, I did not know about the Scotch leader tape having timing markers, but now that you mention it, it does make sense. I checked some cassette leaders, but the marking don't seem to correspond to timing.

[btown2011]

thanks!

[clydesight]

@btown2011

You're welcome!

[thethirdq]

I can tell how much time and effort it took to make this video and channel. I hope you like mine and we can chat some time.

[clydesight]

Ah,

Well, happy holidays to you, and all ClydeSight viewers too!

Thanks

[IRM783]

You. He don't have a beard. I know this has nothing to do with the purpose of your video, so forgive me for that, but when I saw you it reminded me of him. Peace, merry christmas! :)

[clydesight]

Thanks IRM783,

So who has more hair, your science teacher or me?

[IRM783]

You look like my Science teacher lol, except more hair.

[clydesight]

There are a lot of advantages to digital, for sure. A lot of people like the sound. Devices and storage are still expensive though.