Analog Audio Design Showcases Tape Deck TP-1000 at SouthWest Audio Fest 2024

A project of passion and perseverance the Tape Player TP-1000 from French company Analog Audio Design is available to order since 2023 and is now going to be presented at the new Southwest Audio Fest show in Dallas, TX (March 15-17). The TP-1000 is a 1/4" 2-track tape player supporting 15 and 7.5 ips speeds with switchable NAB or IEC equalization curves that combines a completely new DC motor, belt drive design with a microprocessor for precision mechanical control and allowing for a modern touch-screen display and user interface.

To signal the 50th anniversary of TASCAM, IK Multimedia announced the T-RackS TASCAM Tape Collection, a collection of AAX, VST and AU plugins for mixing and mastering that faithfully emulates the strengths of four meticulously restored TASCAM analog recording systems long recognized for their audible hallmarks. This means that we can now make any mix sound like it was originally recorded with a cassette TASCAM Porta One Ministudio from 1984.

Wavesfactory, a creative Spanish developer of software audio tools, has announced Cassette, an audio plug-in that faithfully emulates the sound of vintage cassette tapes and decks in excruciating detail. According to the company, the plug-in has been carefully modeled after exhaustive analysis of audio examples recorded into real tapes, allowing anyone to obtain the same awful sound and unpredictable behavior of the original media. For whatever that might be worth.

IK Multimedia has released the T-RackS Tape Machine Collection for its industry standard T-RackS mixing and mastering software workstation. This new collection of plug-ins recreates the iconic sound and character of four classic tape recording machines from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s: the Ampex 440B, the Studer A80, the MCI JH24 and the Revox PR99. In addition to finely detailed machine emulations, the collection also offers a selection of reel-to-reel tape formulas, variable tape speed, transport controls, and other tone shaping features.

Did you know that audio cassette tapes are outpacing all other audio formats - including vinyl - in sales growth? Yes, exactly. Since cassette sales reached its peak in 1989, when the US market alone counted 450 million albums sold in cassettes, the format was quickly replaced with Compact Discs and the digital recording uprise in home studios. But cassette tapes never went away and they are now returning to considerable volumes. Enough for RecordingTheMasters, the leading worldwide manufacturer of reel-to-reel tape to introduce a new music cassette with superior quality. Available in the US in November 2018.

Yes, you read that right! A dual cassette deck! Tascam’s new 202mkVII is the latest generation of the company's professional cassette recorders. For those who still remember what a cassette was (and that’s the target, because you’ll probably still have hundreds of those in drawers…), Tascam’s cassette decks were always coveted for their reliable performance, comprehensive feature set, and audio quality. With the new Tascam 202mkVII Dual Cassette Deck users actually have a way to copy cassettes and they have a USB output to digitize those contents for good.

audioXpress February 2018 explores the progress being made by ORA Sound and GraphAudio, two pioneering companies with distinctly different approaches to the use of graphene based transducers. We explain why open reel analog tapes are coming back in force, the differences between Line Source and Point Source speakers, and how Dante Domain Manager is providing an integrated approach to media network management. All this and much more, now available!