Classic Tech - Sony TC-D5 Field Recorder

[@EposVox]

Wow, that playback into the camera sounded amazing...

[@andriealinsangao613]

Word!

[@GeoffBosco]

As soon as I heard it I was like, "That is the exact sound of every local TV remote new broadcast voice-over I heard growing up in the late 80's." Wow!

[@meandmyEV]

I worked in radio in the 80s, left in the early 90s, and when I returned in the 2000s was surprised to find that my new station was still using these recorders. These machines were incredibly dependable.

[@AndersEngerJensen]

Gotta say, I love the thoroughness and amount of detail you put in your videos, all the way down to the information in the description. Well worth supporting you on Patreon! Thumbs up! :)

[@fatpaws]

I just noticed you're name on one of the tapes!

[@AndersEngerJensen]

Uh oh, busted! 😃

[@DrWhutsSurgery]

Not to mention the production quality has gone through the roof as of late. It's well shot and well edited. Something that a lot of high sub channels are painfully missing.

[@TiggiTheWillful]

Anders Enger Jensen I echo that. I wish I could have afforded one of these back of the day. I was always breaking them as a kid.

[@faszikellemeszene]

Aders Enger Jensen I love your music

[@YowLife]

Thanks for putting the model numbers and taking the time to ensure anyone who wants one knows how to get one.

[@HaydenX]

You are a better man than I for not making the obvious "bias adjustment" joke about news professionals.

[@624radicalham]

HaydenX Nice one!!

[@Real_Retrophilia]

I was thinking the same thing! XD

[@rostlaur]

I still have my TC-D5M purchased in 1981. I had to replace the belts but that's it. The 'M' model has a sendust and ferrite head that will last forever, mine after 37 years and countless hours of use still has no sign of wear. The limiter on those units is nothing less than a professional quality unit on its own. I used the limiter for years when recording concerts and it performed like a true professional standalone unit feeding exquisite Technics RS-1500 reel to reel recorders. Servicing the TC-D5M is not for the faint at heart, the service manual is a must and available on the net for free. The main circuit board is linked to many mechanical controls under it and removing it should never be done without the service manual. Even with the manual; take pictures of what is linked to what mechanically otherwise you are in for a very difficult if not a nightmare re-assembling it. It is on my list of the very best audio units of that period.

[@СергейЩепачев-л1л]

Thank You, I'm Яussian and I cry some times while watcing Your «tape videos». Nostalgy, You know...

[@plushifoxed]

Man, the industrial design of that thing is gorgeous... I miss when Sony had really great design on its stuff. Though of course you had to pay well for that design.

[@josuelservin2409]

Roxie Mika, Those old times when the pro model actually meant quality...

[@alritedave]

Roxie Mika Yeah. I really like SONY’s old designs from the 80s/90s.

[@wclifton968gameplaystutorials]

unfortunately SONY is just a generic Japanese brand these days.

[@gsxerwhite]

Roxie Mika you could spot the Sony gear from across the department store. Their designs just looked like quality. Had the sound to back it up too.

[@marzuqahmed218]

@@gsxerwhite would do anything to walk through one of those stores.

[@neilgrundy]

Top quality gear from the last century. I'm talking about the shirt. No idea about the cassette deck.

[@jondryden7776]

Neil Grundy zeroster, hahaha

[@Breakfast_of_Champions]

The shirt I saw once in a second hand store, but where does he get these jackets??

[@breth8159]

Porki Chili ... that jacket looks pretty cool I think it's from Memphis Tennessee it's got a Kentucky Colonel look to it 👀

[@neilgrundy]

***** I actually really like the clothes but hey I'd be honoured if my comment inspired a muppet skit.

[@SoundJudgment]

A shirt?? Phooey! Do you know how long I have been begging him to wear his Lav-microphone RIGHT-SIDE UP on his lapel in these videos? Why.. all of two minutes! And he still doesn't do so! *Grumble-grumble...*

[@meandmyEV]

Really takes me back! I used these in radio news as late as 2004, even after we were otherwise all digital. As a reporter, I preferred these to the minidisc recorders that were also available at my station. We would play the tape into the computer for digital editing. In another video, you talk about the high sound quality you can achieve with cassettes and it reminded me of this machine. They sounded great when paired with a high quality mic. Thanks for the stroll down memory lane!

[@ashknoecklein]

When you see piles of vintage sound tech at flea markets and tag sales, it's hard to tell what something is at a glance. I love how you describe exactly what all these things do!

[@longhairedtechie]

I bought my TC-D5M on 1986, and recorded a lot of Dead shows with it. Awesome deck. I still have it. If you looked at the tapers section at a typical Dead show, D5's were the predominant recorder, followed by WM-D6's, and then everything else. Stacks of D5's were the norm, with multiple recorders daisly-chained off a single set of microphones. One useful trick on the D5's, is that if you hold down the REC button when stopping the transport, the electronics stay active, and anyone daisy-chained downstream of you does not have their feed interrupted.

[@preparationhijklmnop]

I'm pretty sure you are the only person on KZbin doing this type of thing in this depth. I watch every new video you make. Keep it going.

[@chrysanth.5700]

I echo what other people have been saying, these videos have helped me a lot in my own presentations for college and whatnot. I think it's the thoroughness mixed with the occasional content-relevant humor which makes these videos a nice guide while also being really informative about obscure technology.

[@id104335409]

I'm riding on my horse while listening to my walkman right now! I wear huge 80s style sunglasses and I got a Denim jacket with huge Marlboro sign on the back and I gotta tell you: I feel like a badass!

[@bennylofgren3208]

id104335409 Did you record this episode to cassette tape so you can listen to it? :-)

[@benwhackley]

I'm broadcasting this episode from my own antenna as I watch it on my Sony Watchman...

[@ClassicAustralianTV]

I was given one of these for free a couple of years ago - never realised how valuable and high quality it really is

[@saintjeff920]

Thank you for keeping cassettes alive! I've been obsessed with buying them from thrift stores lately. I love cheap music.

[@MrMarci878]

I gotta say the D5 looks astonishingly good, i love the looks of all the connectors and nobs in such a tiny space. I adore techy looking stuffs

[@KurtGrosser]

Techmoan: Come for the Content, Stay for the Muppets.

[@kevinszabo7035]

Thumbs Down, Unsubscribe, and Single! Hilarious!

[@ICanDoThatToo2]

But when does he get to the moaning? I haven't seen any moaning in ages.

[@God-yb2cg]

LONG LIVE THE MUPPETS

[@boanergelopez8608]

Kurt Grosser 😴😴😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😂😂 JjjjjjjjjkkkkN

[@Selrisitai]

@@kevinszabo7035 Scene

[@theodoretreinen5206]

i've had a superscope/marantz cd320 "professional" portable cassette deck since 1979. which at that time was $150, that came with dolby, dual flywheel, servo control, mic att, tape type etc, that has worked flawlessly since i've had it.. It does take 4 d cells, but can be plugged into the wall without an adapter. Its a heavy brute but the heads are in mint condition, and it has great sound. Unfortunately, the belts went out on it. i was gonna pitch it until i saw some of your videos on bring vintage equipment back to life. i was able to find replacement belts on ebay and was able to change after cleaning off all the rubbery goo. I'm now cleaning the goo of some of the electronics. Hopefully, i will get it back together soon and be using it again. Thanks Techmoan for helping me save my cd320 from the landfill!!!

[@DJignyte]

@ 6:31 that external power plug is *center negative.* This should be noted for anyone at home wanting to power their TC-D5's with the external plug because most DC barrel connectors are wired to be center positive. Cheers for sharing this impressive bit of kit! And great quality video as usual, man.

[@Saavik256]

Whoever decided that center negative plugs should exist was clearly a moron. >_>

[@myofficegoes65]

A lot of Radio Shack equipment was "center negative"

[@Dazzy84]

Seems the negative pin is a japanese thing.. just look at most casio, yamaha and rolands. They have centre pin.. and theyre designed in japan

[@lobsterbark]

@@Saavik256 Center negative was the standard for a long time till it changed to center positive for some reason. The change started in the eighties, and by the 90s most things were center positive. I don't know they they changed. But to this day, music related stuff that uses dc power is still center negative.

[@jakublulek3261]

It is quite easy to rewire your own power source. Just label it clearly, so nobody would use it for something else.

[@renjay3743]

Love your passion for what shouldn't be forgotten about. Some of the technology in the days of way back is so much better than the current technology. You could repair those things and that's what's great about them. Serviceable and there was the ghost in the machine aspect which is for the most part missing these days. I love the digital and I hate it. It's incredibly portable but that's where it ends.

[@Acolis]

im here for the grateful dead. what an amazing piece of music and technological history

[@greatquux]

I just listened to 9/24/83 copy which was recorded on the original D5. Sounded crystal clear. Looks like an amazing device!

[@williamking7420]

Amazing well done review. I have a TC-D5M which I've had for over 30 years. Amazing machine that served me well. Paid $450 for it all those years ago. Only had it serviced once for a minor issue. Built like a tank. Used it for lots of live band recordings. In my opinion the built in limiter is the most useful feature for loud live recordings. Unlike many limiters on other products today the limiter on this product worked extremely well with very few negative audio artifacts that often plague such limiters. As the saying goes "they don't make things like they use to" certainly applies to this amazingly well built piece of tech.

[@ahmedrisha]

this was so amazing how these "retro" stuff where so sophisticated and well made to have amazing longevity , unfortunately most stuff these day are more commercial. honestly this channel is just amazing and give a great idias for something didn't know it exist.

[@wrockage]

don't own a single cassette any longer but for some reason i want this device. thanks for sharing!

[@HarmonicaMustang]

Great video as always Techmoan. I use a modern equivalent every once in a while when recording on-set dialogue or for a small multitrack recording, and the concept of these hasn't changed at all; £50,000 audio console condensed to a size of a book, built like a tank and still industry-priced. The only things that have been updated is the storage medium, mic preamps and inclusion of SMPTE connections for camera and timecode generator synchronisation. But the beauty of industry standard equipment is that they're built to withstand time and offer top quality productions no matter what era they're from. Consoles from the 80s are still used today and in perfect working order, and these recorders can still find use today.

@7:20 - it's very slight but it does warble a bit. when you get swinging the unit on the hip if walking it will get worse. But it's the best in that manner of all portables I have used. Quite amazing.

[@theoneandonlymattp]

Wow!! that shirt is something James May could be proud of.

[@GreenLockProduction]

dont even know what half of these things are, but im fascinated with the technology and your videos are great!

[@g-r-a-e-m-e-]

Still got my Marantz, excellent machine, still working perfectly after about 30 years. It got short-changed in the review, in my opinion.

[@g-r-a-e-m-e-]

I agree, a great little machine and still working fine from I think the late 80s.

[@DubsBrown]

enjoy your tape videos. The other day my university was throwing out electronics and i spotted a three head cassette deck with 3 heads and dolby C. thanks to your videos I knew it was a treasure so I took it home and now it is a nice addition to my analog music setup. Just have to demagnetize and clean but no better price than free

[@stevenscholte7153]

We used the TC-D5 Pro in the 90-s at our local radio station to record interviews. Editing was done on Revox B77 tape recorders in the studio. Brings back memories! @Techmoan: I have a spare brand new protective case for this Sony lying around. If you're interested I'll send it to you! Love the channel, keep it up!

[@FrankMyonk]

I have been working on that in 1993-1994. Magnificent piece of technology.

[@LaurentValette1234]

I have two of portable recorders, the Sony TC D5-M and a Marantz CP430 and I prefer the Marantz !

[@curlywurly1987]

ive commented a couple of videos but I gotta say I find them so detailed and so fascinating that slowly it has cause me to slowly build up a vintage hi-fi setup and even looking at one of these makes me want one so bad.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Anyone notice this tape recorder in this weeks episode of better call Saul?

[@datzkar]

Oh shod love your videos

[@bamboosa]

In 1991 I needed a tough field recorder and I found a refurbished Professional Walkman for four-hundred bucks. I built my own stereo mic systems as I could not afford the hundred dollar Sony stereo mic. I hiked the Santa Monica Mountains during full moon nights to record the many ecosystems in the mountains - coyotes, horned owls and the list goes on. Crickets. All of the night critters are on TDK tape in that box right over there. The machine took new batteries last night and works fine on TDK IIs. Don't mention the belts!!! Bad stuff will happen if you do. I have that tiny stereo mic now and this channel has made me superstitious and I'm afraid to record. Pray for me. I love this channel as much as I love my Realistic table-top recorder.

[@meatbyproducts]

I used one of the Pro versions as late as 2008 in the US military.

[@zacharywolf5666]

It makes perfect sense that sturdy reliability is prioritized over newer flashiness when in the military

[@Saavik256]

Why replace something built like a brick dunny with something that breaks as soon as you look funny at it ? ;) Lots of our kit was pretty old as well.

[@meatbyproducts]

Most people just record in camera now for all audio. I have a Zoom H6 that goes with me everywhere, it is built solid and would last for years in some of the worst places.

[@pqhkr2002]

​@@KRAFTWERK2K6 This is why I keep using my old cassette boombox, it's a machine do exactly what you order it to do immediately, until it break down or run out of batteries.

[@geebonzo]

I remember seeing a cassette recorder for the first time in a camera store. It was some kind of Phillips, I think, with a "T" mechanism for play, FF, and REW. I liked it from the start and things like this Sony always fascinated me. A bit too expensive to own. I think the little digital Tascam units that Amazon sells do more, and they are so cheap, relatively and absolutely. I used to listen to the BBC World Service a lot. They showed what a good journalist could do with a tape recorder. I like audio better than video in a lot of ways. It is more of an interaction. The reporter is just trying to start a conversation, so it is minimalist. Some of the BBC journos, like Owen Bennett Jones, could really do interviews. I guess I like journalism better than social media. We used to know what journalism was, and this was a real tool of the profession. Great job. You know how to use KZbin, BTW!

[@TheAussieStig30]

You know what I just thought while watching this? My daughters are 7, and I don't think they would know what either a cassette, or maybe even a VHS tape is. That's crazy considering I still had cassettes in my car up until about 2000ish, and one of my cars has a cassette player now, but i don't have any cassettes. I don't remember when my VHS player left me. I don't even have a DVD player now. I used to love going to my friends house as a kid, his mum had about 8 bookshelves full of VHS tapes, and I pictured myself as an adult having libraries of VHS, Nintendo, Commodore 64, etc cartridges and tapes in my huge audio room with walls of Marshall speakers and amps... and then I moved out and lived on pot noodles and bread until I progressed through the ranks. Now I've got kids I tend to hide in my shed and listen to motorhead.

[@alairlibreinsfreie5785]

i used to do interviews with one of those, working for a local radio station, while i was studying!! brought back happy memories... great video, as usual!! thanks a lot!!

[@jacknetarchive]

Those small VU meters look lovely for such a high-grade product.

[@lornespry]

I have a very high-end cassette machine, but I use my Sony TC-D5 for recording off the net because it sits nicely beside my bed and my computers. Very convenient, and it makes great recordings. All my audio stuff is basically dinosaur era - but I hang about demonstrations of new kit, and I am not moved to any envy. The downside is that some of my stuff when it needs repair or service is out of my league for DIY. So, I have to pay a technician and hope there are spare parts available. Fortunately, where I live in Japan, there are still some older folks who know exactly what to do. I hope this remains the case for my TC-5. Audio: you choose and you pays the price - more or less. The Sony TC-DC5 is worth spending the dosh to keep it fit - if that is what serves your purpose! It was/is a brilliant piece of technology. I believe it was the device used by the character portrayed by John Travolta in "Blow Out". Check it out! I keep my TC D5 as one of my prize possessions. WHY? Because it still brilliantly does the job required ... although the FF no longer is working :((. Well ... another decision: do I need it?

[@sachinkapur7569]

I m guessing and hoping that u will reach cult status or legend status someday for the quality of ur work. The care for details is mind blowing

[@warriordrum]

Rod's humor aside, these videos are going to prove to be historical and important. This channel rocks and I am a solid subscriber. Thanks for your video standards Techmoan!

[@unfa00]

Wow. These machines are gorgeous! I was never a cassette type (no pun intended), but this machine makes me want to get back into that.

[@dougf94912]

Excellent piece, as always, Matt! The -20dB att was the Achilles heel of the device. We sent a reporter to Spain to record a Christmas special and she noticed that it was hard to get a decent indication on the VU meters while recording. When she came back it was obvious what had happened and the recordings were almost unusable. If only she'd phoned home! Marantz came out with another machine, aimed at radio reporters, which included a phone jack (RJ11) and circuitry to allow the reporter to do a number of handy things; record a telephone interview while in a hotel room (say), go live to air with the station, via the phone but using the higher quality microphone plugged into the recorder, cue up a snippet of a previously recorded interview and play it in as part of a live report to the studio. Such a device would never, ever have gotten Post Office, or BT approval to connect to the UK telephone network! Keep 'em coming!

[@breth8159]

Nagra Swiss a fascinating childhood memor was watching the sound man hover over his beautiful Chrome looking Swiss reel to reel thanks for inducing the memory also I seem to remember in the eighties a great Akai Pro?

[@hardencryption]

There´s something magical about plain old analog VU meters that catches the eye. Its a piece of technology that should never be replaced by digital counterparts

[@Samuel-ge7im]

Great job Techmoan! You are my favourite tech youtuber, your videos are always amazing, very detailed and interesting.

[@Austin.D]

Can't stop watching Techmoan

[@BMRStudio]

The problem with Your videos, after You release, the price on ebay is going up :) Last week I look after this recorder exactly... So now I have to prepare more money... Greetings from Berlin!

[@woohooman-fl9vq]

Ich auch! }:( Ich lebe in die türkei, also ist alles viel mehr teuerer

[@woohooman-fl9vq]

hasse dass...

[@varkokonyi]

The Techmoan effect. Exactly

[@casperguylkn]

Search ebay for the WM-D6C. Expensive.

[@InstabilerStoff]

Just wait again for some time and its good again :)

[@revokdaryl1]

This is awesome! What a cool machine. When you mentioned metal type cassettes, I remember my dad buying a couple for me in 1998 while I was with him. They were easy to find, but expensive even back then! I did some transfers from Compact Discs and the recordings to the metal tapes were excellent.

[@ryonasammio7375]

7:15 "For the last time, WHY DID YOU EAT MY CASSETTE?!?"

[@theotherone58]

The first thing I thought of when I saw this title was my old Grateful Dead bootleg tapes. Great video!

[@chillstar]

Great video as usual, thanks. Glad I bought my Pro II last year before this video came out and the prices went up for ever more! Also have the CP430 & it's not all plastic- the top and base are thin pressed steel panels, but I agree that its build quality doesn't match the Sony's. It's possible to change the belts in the Marantz- wonder how long the rubber on the Sony's disc drive wheel will last? Imagine it'd be hard finding spares if it goes.

[@Sebo19966]

The TC-D5M was used in a couple of episodes of a Netflix show, called Mindhunter. Funny that, the show takes place in 1977, but the recorder is from 1980.

[@softy8088]

"You need to stop doing what you enjoy, and do what I want you to do, and then I'll feel happier about the choices I've made." - Everyone on the internet. Yes, including me.

[@davidherbst]

I worked at a small, rural radio station in the early 90's, and we had a well-worn D5 that we use for remotes. It might have been the nicest piece of equipment in the building.

[@mymomsaysimcool9650]

Have you ever considered covering Military Grade Kit? Looking at the sides for inputs reminded me of the old field radios and line phones we used in Desert Storm. Mine was a holdover from Vietnam. If it ain't broke..... Great videos. Don't know why I find them so fascinating.

[@Buglet720]

WOW! I still use one of the PROII's that I got when the radio station retired them. It was only last year, that I bought my first digital recorder (a Tascam). However, I still pick up the Sony with my stereo mic, as a force of habit. It's still so much easier to use, thatn the Tascam.

[@welbow]

Always look forward to seeing you talk about new things. Keep up the good work!

[@Neffers_UK]

I'd love a quality tape based field recorder such as this. There's something about them that has always appealed to me. Even if it were to sit atop my digi rack to listen to my tapes and never see a field for the rest of my days, it'd be loved.

[@matthewkriebel7342]

Thumbs up for the puppet skit and the digital noise during the outro.

[@richardlincoln886]

21:20 "You need to stop doing what you enjoy and do what I want you to do, then I'll feel happier about the choices I've made" Love it :)

[@rodmunch69]

Your videos are great now, but wow are these going to be valuable in the future as products truly disappear to everything but museums. Someone will be reading this in 2117 in their mylar suits while vacationing on Mars and wonder what a D-cell battery is and how in the world can something that large only power a device for 5 hours, then they'll eat their space ice cream and mentally transmit their vote for Justin Bieber IV as president of Earth.

[@robertwoodall4330]

Dude I fucking love your comment

[@jakestech28]

Rod Munch I hope I am dead before this happens.

[@ExtremeBogom]

That's a really depressing thought.

[@Not-Only-Reaper-Tutorials]

it was so in the past, it will be so for the future :) Welcome development :) What is amazing, to whatch these musea devices, is how they were ingenious to find solutions, with the limited technology at that time available :)

[@PorucznikBorewicz]

Let us hope no Russians will hack that vote with some DDoS attack.

[@I-Libertine]

Radio News reporter here. Tcd5 pro2 was the state of the art. Easier/handier and more reliable for daily use than anything else until the hand held zoom digital recorders with on board mics took over. Wonderful unit.

[@EmergencyChannel]

Company I worked for threw away about 25 of these back around 1996. Didn't think to save them at the time, shame since they sell for nearly $1000!

[@KingBlonde]

D'oh!

[@CommodoreFan64]

I hear ya, one of my late aunts had a couple of them, and after she retired in the mid 00's from being a court reporter she asked if I wanted them, and not thinking I said na I don't really use tapes anymore(had moved on to Mp3, and such), so she donated them too a local church charity shop she was volunteering for time. D'oh!!!!!!

[@TheBrokenLife]

'96 seems pretty early to move off from tape for that purpose. I'm curious about what they replaced them with.

[@kaitlyn__L]

maxwel - minidisc?

[@Blackadder75]

+Commodorefan64 When I was younger I always would volunteer to help out at my parents church charities (despite being an atheist) for exactly this reason. Always lots of great quality stuff brought in, and I would get something for myself and at the same time prevent some elderly ladies from selling something technical worth hundreds of dollars for $15 because they wouldn't know what it was... So it was a win-win situation.

[@MrJornlund]

What a great show you make. I'm looking for this recorder, I love the sound from tapes, more full than digital, this craft is not presented elsewhere but only in professionals recording gear, I love your shows - thanks from Denmark

[@rkgaustin]

I just saw this device on the new episode of 'Better Call Saul' tonight!

[@l3p3]

Yes, it is still used.

[@Marios5556]

RKG Austin Was looking for this exact comment.

[@HidrogenoyMau]

Me too!

[@SiavashTechDaD]

yes , great timing from @techmoan :-)

[@andysim232]

RKG Austin I saw it too!

[@timmc6009]

I'm not sure what it is but there's something almost hypnotic about your videos. Maybe it's nostalgic in a way?

[@wolvenar]

Awesome puppet skit! Please keep them coming. Great way to call out all those negative people. "Tact"

[@swiftfox3461]

wolvenar Yeah, keep on doing them Techmoan. I think they are pretty funny.

[@CommodoreFan64]

Awesome video, and I honestly don't remember the model # but my aunt use to carry one of these around as late as the early 00's with metal tapes, as she was a court reporter, and swore by SONY as it never let her down.

[@DogsBAwesome]

The lack of wow and flutter then you were waving it about was very impressive.

[@robelicit]

brian whittle Yes, it was amazing, most folks these days can't appreciate the difficult engineering & quality build needed for that purpose! 🚀🎯

[@pancho1993]

i highly respect your attitude towards trying and loving all genres and ages of music, from new to old. not something you see much. but i guess its the same with your love of technology old and new.

[@patrickm2191]

You're the best Techmoan! I love you

[@bennylofgren3208]

Patrick M I think he is the only Techmoan, too. :-)

[@patrickm2191]

Oh you! Put a comma in there so it makes sense :P

[@bennylofgren3208]

Patrick M Sorry! Couldn't resist. :-)

[@oschiri66]

Great recorder, great video. The limiter is much more versatile. It can be used for dynamic compression. Standard procedure when making interviews: Adjust recording level to about +3 dB and turn limiter on. Then speech is compressed, great for broadcasting. When recording live music, adjust level to 0 dB and switch the limiter on. You'll get the full dynamic range, but in case the drummer "phreaks out" during a session, it will prevent distortion. Very useful.

[@ingenjelly5480]

Me: "That looks interesting, let me see if I can find one on eBay" 5 minutes later: "They're $600 dollars?!?!?""

[@masterchief5417]

IKR they going for the same prices as the D6c which is normally a expensive Walkman

[@alastairward2774]

Aww who in the hell is still complaining about Techmoan's voice? I wouldn't have thought to ask if anything was up even without knowing about the nasal thing, the genial delivery is one of the things that keeps me subscribed.

[@zetecfiesta]

Awesome video and machine - Every time I watch your vids about cassettes I go do some listenening or recording! The Sony ES series decks from early to late 90s have proved to be very relaible and solid machine (once serviced) and also the Technics direct drive machines from the same era

[@seansmyth5172]

You bring so much joy to me, not forgetting the past while looking forward to the future. thanks.

[@RegularCars]

What's up? I am in the UK RIGHT NOW!

[@centurybug]

I love the new outro. It's like a compilation of the reasons I watch this channel.

[@Morghuul]

Dr. Octagon! Rarely good rap I've heard, and I'm mostly into metal :D

[@Redspl]

you know that the video is good when you liked it when it started and made sure that you've liked it at the end. Good work, Techmoan!

[@MasterYoshidino]

I wonder when it will become retro and he does a full video on streaming.

[@andrewcutts7416]

I remember these, but opted for the WM-D6C back in 1990, which I still have today, and have used carefully and always in it's case. Thanks for the review.

[@oldotoko8085]

I've never clicked on a video so fast in my life.

[@masterchief5417]

ikr

[@EpictheEpicest]

I still use one of these on low-budget film projects. It's a lovely machine, perhaps too expensive for the average enthusiast. A good alternative I found is a Marantz PMD 222, it's only a mono recorder but it has good features, is well built, inexpensive on Ebay, and has an XLR input that makes it great for dialogue.

[@NotInTheBox]

Look's like something Scully would carry around when investigating an X-File.

[@NovaDoesBass]

good choice with the Dr Octagon cassette! love that album!!

[@cmonkey63]

"And that's really quite impressive." Right, time to take it apart... :)

[@chriseganiii]

The stereo imaging and panning on this vid is so good, I had to take my headphones off to make certain the tape player wasn't magically playing in my apartment, in real life. Audio VR!

[@mhausb6436]

Great video, as always! Where do you always get all the catalogs and magazines, do you just happen to own them already or do you buy them specifically for each video?

[@Techmoan]

With the very occasional exception they've all been found on the internet...although searching takes up quite a bit of time.

[@SianaGearz]

But how do you know what to look for? I'm always curious how much this and that computer component cost in say 1993, and so far i failed at google-fu. I tried searching up some catalogs, but i come from another part of the world where we didn't have all these things, and i don't even know the names of the store chains that existed at the time in the West, none of them seem to be around any longer, and the few that i could vaguely remember come up empty too, perhaps nobody scanned those things?

[@tinplategeek1058]

And avoiding the pitfalls of being side tracked by an interesting article or ad when searching. Old magazine research can waste a lot of time for those of us who are easily side tracked.

[@re-agent9364]

Just picked up one at an estate sale for $35. With microphone, cables, and instruction manual.

[@DaSuthNa]

Aussie PM Bob Hawke at 2m07s / 2:07 !! :-)

[@retrogameon]

DaSuthNa Hawkeeeeey

[@IanTester]

Bloody legend :)

[@WilloTehWisp]

hands down, this is probably my favorite youtube channel.

[@pordzio]

I wonder. What are those sounds on the end of the video (last few seconds)?

[@SianaGearz]

Me too!

[@SteveBrace]

I've been racking my brain on that, it's very familiar. My first thought was RFI from a vacuum fluorescent display but I don't think that's it...

[@SianaGearz]

What if it's USB RFI as recorded by a tape recorder?

[@RAL2010]

The audio output of a previous motherboard used to make those noises while I was listening to silence. The sounds change depending on what you do on the computer. On my next computer I reintroduced a sound-card.

[@SianaGearz]

ruud waij I had this problem on multiple PC enclosures and every time the cause was the same: there's a nasty ground loop in the front panel assembly! You usually need to cut only a single trace and run a couple easy jumpers to fix this. On a single sided board in the front of your enclosure that can be usually replaced for $2 if you mess it up. USB power carries mainboard ground noise, but the soundcard has its own ground section with ground current suppression. When the front panel connects the ground between audio and USB, the current forced through the audio ground pollutes ALL outputs, not just the front ones.

[@UnitSe7en]

As soon as I saw it I fell in love. This. Is. *Gorgeous*. I love the style. I love the quality. I want one, even though I'd never use it.