Mid ’70s tape-deck natural selection and a Japanese time-machine dead-end

I’ve imported a cassette deck that has an uncommon feature. Showing this oddity creates an opportunity to talk about the accelerated evolution of cassette deck design in the mid 1970s.
Attributions & Links:
The First Stereo Cassette Recorder (VWestlife KZbin) • The first stereo casse...
HiFi Brochures & Pictures: www.hifiengine.com www.hifi-archiv.info www.cassettedeck.org
Pioneer Company History: global.pioneer/en/info/histor...
Green Screen Explosion: • Explosion croma key gr...
The tune used around the 2min mark is So Smooth - by Danny Kean/Doug Maxwell
From the KZbin Audio Library / audiolibrary
00:00 Intro
00:31 Favourite things
01:14 This thing
03:52 1970s Evolution
08:44 Pushing all the wrong buttons
10:02 Timer Demo
13:24 Logo trivia
13:54 A future repair video?
AFFILIATED EBAY LINK - For Reel style tapes - You can see a gold one of these in this video. ebay.to/2DaJSZR
A statement regarding Handbrakes
I don’t have a stance on how anyone should use their handbrake - I’ve always pushed the button out of habit because that’s what my driving instructor in the 1980s taught me to do - even though on a 2015 car it apparently doesn’t make any sense and according to some car mechanics is more likely to stretch the cable than just letting it ratchet. One chap even told me his car’s manual explains that you definitely shouldn’t press the button in order to know that it’s properly engaged. Apparently on one model of car, the button had a habit of getting stuck in and as a result the hand brake didn’t latch - so there were some incidents of parked cars rolling away and crashing. This is all just dust in the wind though as manual handbrakes are rapidly being phased out and in a few years you’ll struggle to find one on a new car. I just wanted to use this an example of a piece of advice that people repeat to one another, pass down through the generations, without finding out whether it’s accurate.
A statement regarding TIMED RECORDING and the PAUSE key.
A number of people have mentioned that the machine should automatically release the pause when the timer function is activated (to keep the pinch roller off the capstan until it’s required). It is very possible that my deck is malfunctioning as it does not release the pause automatically (I’ve tried). This deck was in a non-functional state when I got it and still has one known fault that requires a part that is no longer available . It is very possible this part is also responsible for automatically deactivating the pause. I’ll explain more in the repair video in a few weeks.
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---------Outro Music----------
Over Time - Vibe Tracks • Over Time - Vibe Track...
-----Outro Sound Effect-----
ThatSFXGuy - • Six Million Dollar man...
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[@GodPikachu]

I really love the old "heres your sodding tape" ejection system over the more modern "your casette sir" type slowly opening doors.

[@nkt1]

I had a Sony HMK-30 horizontal-style music centre with a ridiculously violent eject system. The door would still be clattering up and down against the cassette as it flew out towards you. The transport buttons themselves had sharp edges and could be painful to press.

[@ConsumerDV]

Both are outdated like cassettes themselves.

[@TheRealColBosch]

@@ConsumerDV Hush. If you don't like videos about obsolete equipment, there's millions of hours of other stuff on KZbin. Anyway, yeah, the slow-open doors are cute for about ten minutes, but I'd always get impatient with them.

[@ConsumerDV]

@@TheRealColBosch I do like the video. But there is no "more modern". There is modern, and there is outdated.

[@juango500]

"here, have your fucking disgusting BTS hits tape" [CLACK]

[@fluffycritter]

Digital clocks with the flipping-card faces VU meters showing signaling traces Brushed metal finishes giving a sheen These are a few of Mat’s favorite things Experimental Japanese domestics Cassette deck changers with complex mechanics Hi-fi components for opera that sings These are a few of Mat’s favorite things

[@nickelundertone]

"I'm no expert" proceeds to restore an intricate esoteric feature-packed machine to factory spec in excruciating detail

[@michaelrobertson4298]

“I recorded around 10 hours of video. I need to edit that down into something snappier.” I almost guarantee that some of us would love the raw version.

[@thecorruptedbit5585]

1mil sub special

[@DJzSith]

I remember seeing his shortened mini disc unwrap upload, pausing that to watch the full 73 minute video, and then coming back and finishing viewing the abridged version as well.

[@albanana683]

@@DJzSith I almost did that, but stuck with the Long Play version. I have zero reason to buy a MD player or any of the software, but I was riveted for those 73 minutes.

[@oliwier000b]

That will upload 9999hours

[@nathaniliescu4597]

Sad.

[@AmazingJeeves]

Best use of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” award goes to this montage of Techmoan favorites.

[@woodywoodverchecker]

Maybe also some brexit criticism.

[@melskunk]

I laughed AND smiled at that use

[@Mythteller]

Neon Genesis Evangelion series & Die Hard movie reference.

[@fisqual]

I can't help but think of Clockwork Orange every time I hear it. Especially in a British context.

[@andreasnagel9377]

Well even "Freude schöner Götterfunke" is in German and i am German i could never understand what they singing ;)

[@jeffhughes1318]

When your cassette deck lulls you to sleep with soothing music, then the sleep timer wakes you up with a less than soothing CLUNK.

[@runeodin7237]

When the end of the tape arrives, the CLUNK will sound, sleep timer or not!

[@davidlawrence8711]

Beats falling asleep watching a VHS on my girlfriends built-into-tv player back in he pre streaming day and waking up to the end-of-tape squealing!

[@hjalfi]

You've never woken up to the melodious splatter and asthmatic gurgle of a proper Teasmade.

[@jeffhughes1318]

I have indeed, more than once. A proper Goblin Teasmade no less.

[@hjalfi]

@@jeffhughes1318 Sweet! I'd love to have an original Goblin --- but I live in Switzerland and they're too expensive to import. They still make them, but the modern ones look like suck.

[@trevorspiro945]

From 1976 - 1979 I was marketing manager for AIWA UK, highly respected for their cassette decks. I visited the Japanese factories and was involved in highest level discussions regarding future international designs. As you are well aware, for every manufacturer it was normal to introduce new models every year and if there were no new technical features available for incorporation (for example wireless remote control, Dolby C, three heads, metal tape, etc) then the newest models tended to have cosmetic revamps similar to motor cars. Having been involved in a lot of market research in the UK with focus groups, three things stood out: front loading was greatly appreciated by the vast majority, one of the benefits being that you could remove the plastic door to gain access to the heads and pinch wheel for manual cleaning purposes, as well as degaussing the heads; secondly, soft touch piano keys and damped door opening had great tactile value in marketing and sales terms; and thirdly when micro hi-fi arrived in 1978 it established the first truly ‘wow!’ factor amongst consumers. I, myself, loved the AIWA AD-1250 slant cassette deck, which was our greatest seller and established the AIWA name internationally, and therefore appreciate why you like other brands representing a lost genre!

[@rich_edwards79]

This is a beautiful machine. The subtle lighting and the mirror effect on the angled, backlit cassette slot are very disco-era. I love a big chunky deck of this period but then I also love the later black fascia stuff too (especially Panasonic / Technics, I'm putting together a retro Matsushita stack for my living room). The Japanese manufacturers were absolutely at the top of their game between the mid-Seventies and the late 1990s and I think we've lost something important and tangible with the move away from physical media and the machines used to play it. Well done on saving this beauty - I suspect the restoration video will be worth the wait :)

[@MelsvanWees]

I’m only two minutes in but these videos start to look more and more like little masterpieces! Really awesome!

[@321bytor]

Agreed. Superb content every time 👍🏼

[@thebeeskl]

One of the most consistent KZbin channels, always interesting to watch every time.

[@mergieismoronic]

+Lachlan Lau If you’re a patron on Patreon, you get to see the videos early. You have to pay a certain amount, however.

[@carlhartwell7978]

I don't own or even collect very much tech, just not really very much _into_ it for personal use. But the videos are so interesting and well done, I watch Every video this guy puts out, I really don't care what he's going to be talking about, I know it's going to entertain me no matter what.

[@Ridcally]

How is your comment published 1 week ago?

[@pghcoyote]

Looking forward to viewing the restoration sometime in the future!

[@Techmoan]

I’m not really looking forward to editing it - there’s a heck of a lot of video to scrub through. It’ll probably be a couple of weeks before I can start on it.

[@pghcoyote]

@@Techmoan Much appreciate your slogging through it when you get the chance. I am very interested in watching others solve problems with old tech as much as viewing the end result. I do the same as a hobby which I quite enjoy.

[@philipdavis_ie]

@@pghcoyote +1 to looking forward to the restoration video :) do those videos get more views that normal overviews/reviews?

[@Techmoan]

Views seem to be pretty random all-round. I never know what's going to do well - usually my favourite videos, the ones I'm happiest with, do worst.

[@Will-fn7bz]

@@Techmoan Don't sweat it too much. I think I speak for a lot of people who want as much as possible. I mean, it's not like we have some place to go.

[@misterchippie]

14:25 There's something very reasssuring and comforting in the warm orange glow of bulbs on old hifi equipment. Reminds me of nights spent trying to tune in distant radio stations in a desperate bid to hear something a bit different.

[@albanana683]

Better still, the blue/yellow glow from a tube amp.

[@ButcherSevenActual]

I literally said out loud to myself "and it's got a flip clock too!" right as the music came to a crescendo. That montage checklist is one of the coolest things you have shown. Hans Gruber's reaction truly conveys that feeling tech nerds get with a cool piece of gear. 😄

[@soulchorea]

I have never seen the angled cassette door before - I love it!

[@frankschneider6156]

I guess that's part of the charm of this channel. You see weird stuff from the past that used to be kind of common, but seems completely odd by now.

[@Danny-wv8ec]

How is this comment 6 days ago? Didn’t this video drop a couple of hours ago?

[@dennett316]

@@Danny-wv8ec Patreon backers often get to see videos earlier.

[@Danny-wv8ec]

Paul Dennett ahh, I didn’t think of that. Thanks for clearing it up.

[@soulchorea]

@@Danny-wv8ec now I feel so special :)

[@richcolour]

Thanks Mat for this. My dad's CT-F2121 was used for recording many 'pause button mixes' in the mid 80s - fast choppy edits of electro and hip hop records. That simple pause button with instant stop-start was essential back in the day. The rest of the buttons received some severe mashing but the deck never failed. Wish I still had it!

[@shadshowadradna]

The pause button on our hi-fi's tape deck eventually broke off (metal fatigue?) for the same reason. One too many n-n-n-n-19 inspired stutter cuts and I had just enough time to notice the button had gone a little 'soft' before it simply fell off.

[@cheater00]

can you tell me what the hip hop beat was that was played by the end of the video?

[@musicandfilms9956]

Your dad was cool.

[@BaumInventions]

When i was young i always called the Pioneer Logo "the broken ohm symbol" ... never saw the tuning fork... Thats actually amazing. BTW : 1250 DM from 1975 are about 1660 Euro / 1860 USD / 1500 GBP today (inflation corrected). Crazy.

[@tilmanahr]

Well, given that somewhat upscale HiFi/audiophile DMPs (which I arbitrarily took as today’s casette deck-equivalent) appear to run from about 500€ to 25'000€, averaging at about 2'000-ish, I don’t think that’s all that outrageous… Going by this roundup of tests by one of Germany’s better known and long-established HiFi magazines, at least: www.stereo.de/hifi-test/kategorie/netzwerkspieler

[@Tom2404]

I'm from Germany and my Grandparents like to calculate the price of stuff in Marks by using the 2001 exchange rates of roughly 2 marks for 1 Euro. No grandma, 500€ doesn't equal 1000 Marks in 1990. But to be fair we are from the east, so they never learned what inflation means because prices in the GDR stayed the same from when they were born to 1989.

[@membertotal4154]

These aren't any KZbin videos. This is surely art. What you're doing here is extremely rare to see in any other KZbin channel. You are simply born to do this, I guess. Please keep up the amazing job!

[@ArkhamTool]

When the music swelled, and the front was revealed with all the bits AND the flip clock, I literally lol’d. Well done.

[@albanana683]

When he went through the "favourite things" list, I couldn't see much of a connection between flip digit clocks and cassette decks. When I saw the whole machine facia, I nearly fell off my stool.

[@REXXSEVEN]

Yes. Well done, indeed.

[@enojelly9452]

I love how the sound of the tape stopping and the music rapidly winding down goes perfectly with that funky music at 12:35. Well done!

[@garrettstauffer4763]

Yeah... I wouldn't be surprised if he did that on purpose😂

[@DrNathan_]

I have been figuring out what song it was. Since It sounded quite familiar to me, Does anybody know what the name of the song and the artist was?

[@RobCamp-rmc_0]

These retro hifi videos are among a few of my favorite things. Never fails, there is always a dopamine rush to go with them.

[@BrightSpark]

07:52 Thank you for crediting me with the invention of the door-held tape loading mechanism! You are the first person to do so, my time and space-transcending genius constantly goes underappreciated.

[@juango500]

wait, what? you invented that? I need to see proof!

[@VivaMidnight]

@@juango500 I think at this point a youngster usually arrives to make mention of a certain reddit thread..

[@jamespfitz]

@@VivaMidnight And people who actually socialize with people roll their eyes and move on.

[@onesixfive]

Another amazing video. Riveting. Never saw a 30 degree loader before in my life. When you zoomed out to reveal this thing had a flip clock my reaction was palpable. I’m drooling at the repair video. Feel free to post the full raw 10 hours. The huge minidisc unwrapping was still a highlight of 2020. Thank you for creating and sharing this!

[@walterheukels]

You've still managed to show the clock showing 13:37 😂

[@DilipMuralidaran]

I really love these retro videos. As an '80s born child in India, I'm now realizing how valuable tapes were to listening to music. With CD's and Digital, what we gained in convenience, we lost in patience. Back in the days, we used to more or less listen to the entire album, despite liking only a few songs on the cassette. Gradually, it made sense, why the artist arranged those specific songs in that specific order. Call it repetition or call it an appreciation for art, it's all the same now. At 38, I'm now going back to Vinyls, Tapes and CD's and I find the connection with a solid medium adds so much more value. The artwork, the sleeve, the lyrics on the inside cover. Digital misses out so much on all of this stuff. Don't get me wrong. I love my FLAC's and how solid they sound, but there is something about touching a Vinyl sleeve or a Cassette / CD box cover that is missing while I mouse over and click on my computer to play music.

[@marhar2]

I loved the illumination on this type of equipment. Nothing better than late night listening in a dark room lit only by the stereo. Especially with a friend!

[@XSpamDragonX]

The premise of this video is amazing. As much as I love a video focusing on a single device, covering the patterns of development and features in a category of products, and especially how different technical accomplishments either revolutionised the industry and appealed to customers, or were a commercial failure that didn't make a meaningful difference for the customers. Sometimes incredibly intelligent people are able to make incredible inventions that nobody wants to buy.

[@LongPeter]

12:35 I rather enjoyed how the sleep timer killed the song exactly on-beat.

[@SimonB.]

I got myself an Akai GXC 709D. Man I love those designs of the 70's tape decks.

[@sesa1076]

Oh man. I just had a perfect week celebrating the wedding and honeymoon my fiancée and I were supposed to have starting last Saturday before normality blew up. We stayed at my Aunt’s house in the country, relaxed, played music, and just drove home with our cat to the backdrop of a HUGE orange moon low on the horizon, while illegal 4th of July fireworks exploded in front of it, my favorite radio program of early 29th century country music playing all the while. Just when I thought this week couldn’t have been more perfect, (aside from the postponed wedding and all) and as I began to mourn its passing, Techmoan posts a PIONEER hifi component video!! Thank you, and if you’re looking for a good wedding present, next year around this exact time, I’ll have another!

[@DRDCC]

Well done. I really hope to see the repair video. You had me at that drill!

[@Techmoan]

It’s not a good day when you have to take a drill to a cassette deck.

[@lindendrache8998]

Also is it just me or is the frame of this machine looking a bit wonky when it is opened up in one picture?

[@Dazzwidd]

@@Techmoan 🤣

[@jkclayborn1]

@@Techmoan I would to hear where you source the cassette drive belts!

[@keeponjammin456]

I love it when Techmoan uploads; it's one of those incredibly interesting and educational shows that gives such a necessary and fulfilling reprieve from the insanity that is basically the rest of KZbin. Best wishes sir; another fantastic video!

[@ergosteur]

That whole transition from “my favourite things” to the unpacking of the tape deck, to the shots of the sections of the deck set to Ode to Joy was beautifully perfect.

[@frvo]

Whoaa! I'm Fran from Argentina, the owner of a FW-91 Phillips DCC mini chain. I'm really blown away by the Sony deck with Dolby S and what it looked like a Phillips DCC 900 deck. What a pleasure...

[@JacGoudsmit]

Brilliant! Can't wait for the repair video.

[@Dazzwidd]

I'm on board with you there too. I am an electronics experimenter and I have watched him fix things before and admire his persistence and method with his limited knowledge. He does extremely well

[@firescoob999]

Brilliant Matt. Great in depth info. Stunning deck with the flip clock. Love the way most of the units display the complete face of the cassette and not just a letterbox view. So much effort and love went into the designs of HiFis in the 70's. Take care. A&J

[@Dazzwidd]

I think tape should have stuck around, but who am I with my antiquated tastes 😅

[@th3sunsh1n3st8]

Onemillion! Congratulations! Enjoy watching your videos for several years now. Very entertaining and inspiring. Thank you!

[@autoneurotic]

I watch every single video you post. Each one is absolute gold. Thank you.

[@pennygadget7328]

2:07 every time I start to unsee rolling shutter.... :P

[@Fuzy2K]

The tape deck has rubber needles :P

[@pantherplatform]

I love that 70's stereo equipment. Everything had a brushed stainless steel face on it. All my stuff is the same way.

[@dorfschmidt4833]

@Perverted Alchemist Yeah, nowadays aluminium is something nobody can afford.

[@straightpipediesel]

@Perverted Alchemist Literally all my midrange modern stuff has a brushed metal front. Yamaha, Denon, Martantz, Pioneer. No idea what you're talking about.

[@straightpipediesel]

@Perverted Alchemist I am talking about all modern stuff. I have a 4K receiver and it's brushed metal. It's a ridiculously thin piece of aluminum that's been stamped and put over a plastic frame, but it's metal.

[@straightpipediesel]

@Perverted Alchemist You make no sense. By definition expensive equipment is expensive. And as I said, the stuff has the same brushed metal. Look at Marantz. Look at Accuphase. Mcintosh is glass with brushed metal inserts. If consumer midrange gear has metal fronts today, then audiophile stuff does too.

[@davidjames666]

fast forward 30 years to 2000, and a stainless steel / brushed steel kitchen was and still is the style

[@buckshotbob1]

I cant say how much I have enjoyed your videos, thanks and keep up the good work. 1 Million subscribers looks like its not far away either.

[@Robin-ie3ns]

Heavily inspired by this channel I bought a Pioneer CT F2121 about a year ago. Lovely looking machine.

[@Will-fn7bz]

Another great video with all the interesting details well explained. Thank you.

[@batterieman3001]

12:37 now that stop was pretty groovy

[@CrashPilot1000]

I always like how well researched your videos are. Thanks.

[@sibeex]

Wonderful as always. Love that cassette deck. Thanks

[@CartoonCade]

You're not too far from one million subscribers on here, and I'm afraid I'll miss it when it happens, so I'll go ahead and wish you an early congratulations on one million subscribers, Mat! I've enjoyed watching your channel for about 4 to 5 years now, and your foray into many unusual forms of tech and the machines that operate them never fail to impress me. You're one of the most entertaining creators I've seen on KZbin in a long time and I enjoy every single video. (Not to mention that you've got an amazing taste in electronics!) You could talk about a can of beans for 20 minutes and I'd still be equally entertained.

[@notbugs]

Wow, this was just like my first cassette deck which i bought used in the late 70's. It was also a Pioneer in the same design but without the timer clock, apparently the CT-F2121 as i understand from watching your video. It was perfect for "pause button mixing" which i did a lot back in those days before i got my first mixer and set of turntables.

My father owned a CT-F9191. The flat piano keys were just push buttons. Everything on the transport system was solenoid-driven. Obviously, you could jump from one function to another without pressing stop, as delays were inserted. What a machine it was!

[@johnmarchington3146]

Another fascinating video. Thanks, Matt.

[@thrillscience]

I was impressed when you unwrapped it and it looked brand new--and at the end we learned it was because you spent a month restoring it. Beautiful machine! There was one more evolution in tape loading: The tapes held by the door, but loaded "upside down" -- with the part that contacts the head on the top.

[@respibob]

I just laughed out loud. When the music started playing I thought "Hans just got the safe open" and then boom, there was Hans.

[@MarkTheMorose]

I’m going to count to 1337. There will not be a 1338.

[@giveall9695]

Why doesn't this comment have more likes...

[@jrcollings]

Always enjoy watching your videos and continue to learn from them, blasts into the past that deliver goodness.

[@notoriousshoe]

So close to a million! One of my favorite youtubers. You deserve it.

[@rich_edwards79]

I always wondered what the Pioneer logo was meant to represent - I just thought it was a cool-looking symbol, never saw the tuning fork / ohm symbol but once it's been pointed out it's so obvious!

[@aquos_fox]

11:32 Oh my god I love this shortwave receiver !

[@warmstrong5612]

Always loved the way these old displays lit up. Sort of a vac-tube style warm glow.

[@johnbowyer6902]

Yet another brilliant demo. Thankyou!

[@TheTapeDiscMan]

0:25 I recently just bought a children's music cassette with the same lady on the cover. The title is also "The Sound Of Music" but only the eponymous song is included (no "My Favourite Things" though). The rest are some weird selections of songs with the most peculiar one being the Ghostbusters theme song.

[@ozmond]

The great thing about your content is it isn’t constrained to the themes or trends of KZbin. KZbin is just the platform you put these on, but they could exist independently on say a DVD release or anything outside of the context of KZbin. Keep it up! I’ve always been curious about those weird cassette decks with the angled tape mechanism.

[@AUDIOVISUALLY]

Love This Channel, Always Watch It And Love Seeing All The Different Interesting Things There Was Or Is Now, Congratulations On Making It To The 1 Million Subscriber Mark! I’m Happy To Be One Of Them.

[@soo-inoh2122]

Brilliant demo and story to follow. Thank you very much for sharing the video

[@Kwstr42]

1975 where the more wood grain it showed, the higher end the model lol

[@PSNGormond]

1:16 Strange how that song reminds me of Christmas 😎 Welcome to the party, pal!

[@Techmoan]

Come out to the coast, we'll get together, have a few laughs...

[@alanguile8945]

@@Techmoan Don't forget your vest!

[@PowerGlove79]

I was just about to comment how “Ode To Joy” always reminds me of “Die Hard” , and then.... Hans Gruber appears Lol

[@RMoribayashi]

@@PowerGlove79 The lovely lovely Ninth always reminds me of A Clockwork Orange (as does Singing in the Rain) so you know I'm probably not from the UK. The movie was banned there for years. So my dear droogs I shall now retire to breakfast for some lomticks of toast and a bit of moloko on me Cheerios. Viddy you all anotherr.

[@PowerGlove79]

RMoribayashi See, “A clockwork orange” makes me think of the song “Singing In The Rain”

[@VintageLuxmanStereoCollector]

I love my recently restored Dual C939 console cassette deck. It was produced from 1977-79. Four track head and autoreverse. Built like a tank. As always your videos are produced to the highest standards as so incredibly nice to watch 👍👍

[@golfman9290]

Matt, in my 60s now, so i really enjoy watching these vids on 70s stuff as i like to do a bit of fiddling and repair on my old stuff when needed, so looking forward to seeing the follow ups to this vid on what went wrong, great vid as always, cheers.

[@CrashPilot1000]

BTW: Do you remember these "Braun Atelier C3 Highend Kassettendeck" wich had a drawer coming out? When I was a kid we visited a relative and he had such a machine and I could press the button to make that motorized drawer come out - that blew my socks off :)

[@albanana683]

The ultimate in automatic cassette machines was of course the Nakamichi auto-reverse mechanism that physically unloaded the cassette, manually turned it around, and then re-inserted it. Magic.

[@CrashPilot1000]

@@albanana683 I remember those from the local HiFi dealer, great stuff! BTW: I have never seen this mechanic: kzbin.info/www/bejne/npDNlH-In9d6hsU . I am just wondering, what else is out there!

[@bendowson3124]

9:23 Wait, so I didn't have to stop the tape before rewinding and fast-forwarding? Man, all those seconds I wasted.

[@juango500]

well, depending on your time of usage of those functions, you could have lost a whole hour of your life.

[@brendancarlson1678]

If you used a VHS tape rewinder, you made up for it in time.

[@mal2ksc]

Although the equipment doesn't care, the tape can still snap or stretch if jerked around too hard. I would still hit stop when going from fast winding (forward or backward) to playback, so that you don't have what are effectively little flywheels (the spinning tape reels) yanking on tape that just got pinched between capstan and roller. From play to fast wind? No need to hit stop first, the mechanical slop will allow sufficient gap between the two events.

[@bobblum5973]

The later decks with solenoid-operated mechanisms protected the tape but were slow to switch modes while listening to the "ka-chunk, thunk" each time. I recall as a kid playing with the piano key style function buttons on a low cost portable; I got it to play at high speed and even backwards once or twice!

[@tilmanahr]

Depended on the mechanism. Some didn’t care, some didn’t like it, some had interlocks to prevent it, some were designed to handle it safely (usually by stopping the mechanism before engaging the selected operation automatically). Except for the latter, at least going from rewind to fast forward or play-and vice versa-would always be at least somewhat hard on the tape itself, though.

[@GandyGamingHD]

Congratulations for hitting 1 Million subscribers, so very deserved!

[@maxwellbalazs5857]

Congrats on a Million!

[@MrFurriephillips]

The heat death of the universe will come, before you wear out the ratchet in a car's handbrake! -- Mechanic

[@Selrisitai]

Unnecessary comma.

[@MrFurriephillips]

Selrisitai I do overuse them. I like to write, as it the reader is a breathless old person.

[@EEVblog]

I'm guessing that audio clip was just a tad under 20 seconds long to avoid the copyright bots :->

[@maicod]

always thought it was

[@Techmoan]

It’s from the youtube audio library - one of the few recognisable classical pieces they’ve got available.

[@greggv8]

@@Techmoan how do you get by playing bits of BBC broadcasts?

[@PhilipBallGarry]

By the way. Was that Gary Oldman? 😁

[@Techrewinds]

70 hifi was the golden era of design Amazing Piece of Gear 😍

[@Famous_Mist]

Very good 15 minutes. Thank you

[@pupu4234123]

01:30 Europe

[@maximilianwimmer627]

my first thought exactly^^, a lighthearted comment on brexit...

[@SiriusXAim]

7:55 - And thus began the era of less stable tape transports. While the door may be more practical, ditching the pegs meant the tape wasn't as firmly maintained in place as it used to be. High end decks didn't suffer from that, but lower ends decks, especially walkmans? Well, that's an other story.

[@danniskooij2553]

Thank you very much for your great videos.....I collect everything that has to do with retro audio/video.... Thanks to you I've discovered a lot of unknown media formats to me.... Please keep doing this for a long time.... Greetings from the Netherlands

[@renemunkthalund3581]

On my list of favorite things your channel ranks high, Mat. Happy to see 1M subs closing in.

[@calebbell5018]

TechMoan: "I shot over 10 hours of video which I really need to edit down to something snappier" TechMoan fans: "Post It as is :D"

[@scrumtrellecent]

Boomers and Xers can probably attest to this comment. Tech during the 1970's was not cheap. Look up any Radio Shack catalogue from the Seventies as a reminder.

[@krzysztofczarnecki8238]

And don't forget to adjust for inflation

[@pault151]

@@krzysztofczarnecki8238 Yup, my receiver, a previous year's Kenwood on clearance, and my ESS bookshelf speakers, each cost somewhat more than about one full month's student rent.

[@jamespfitz]

The Shack only sold cheap stuff. Real audio components were crazy expensive until the late 70s.

[@russellgladstone8790]

That is a beautiful machine buddy, when I was a nipper in 70s my mum had a sharp music center, which I grew up with and adored, in the 80s she bought a Pioneer midi system, and that changed everything to me, now 40 years later I saw someone selling the same midi system £40 and much to my fiancee annoyance I bought it anyway from doorstep without a demo. Once home found tape belts shot, and volume knob had earth probes and blasted full volume at a touch of the knob, so I let it go free, I still have the 2 way midi size speakers, they're in excellent condition and sound great, not bass reflex, but decent, dont know what to do with them, love your videos and adore your home setup, I share your love of old hifi and minidiscs and can only dream of owning a powerful system again after moving to Dorset from Essex, thin walls meand my Bose lifestyle 28 theater sits boxed in storage.... you lucky fella

[@owuzet]

Waiting for that 1 million subs. You really deserve it!

[@shazib21]

Has this ever happened... Mr Tech Moan - "Mrs Tech Moan, shall we turn the lights down?" Mrs TM: "oh... Yes, shall we?" Mr TM : "yes... Now, look how much better those VU meters look!"

[@watershed44]

@Shaz Ahmad Has Mrs. Techmoan ever appeared on his channel? lol

[@gdogg3710]

“Pearl Harbour didn’t work out, so we got you with tape decks...”

[@BertGrink]

True that 🤣

[@gdogg3710]

I don’t know if the music choice was a deliberate nod to ‘Die Hard’, bit it made me think of that line...

[@nutsnproud6932]

Thanks for the video Mat. I love seeing historic hifi. Best wishes.

[@eddiem5220]

I have never seen a tape deck with a built-in flip clock. I absolutely love this stuff. Thank you for posting!

[@GARY.94]

I'm old enough to remember these classic electronic devices made all in Japan, unfortunately these days most of it is made in china. I owned several different Japanese electronic devices, and let me say that they were 100% BETTER QUALITY then today's throw away Chinese junk. Oh those good old days of proper electronics. -( regards.

[@gregerfulgerman7802]

That intro was hysterical, Awesome vid as always

[@reelbytes6447]

Congratulations on 1 million subs. Great tech content.

[@Sarah-sd8pp]

I grew up in the 90’s with my father’s absolutely insane hand me down Technics SA-6000X quadraphonic receiver with a speaker in every corner of my bedroom, listening to Yes albums instead of New Kids on the Block. 😂 I love your videos of vintage stereo equipment, they bring back awesome memories.

[@sikend6674]

I finally managed to track one of these down. The design is very interesting and i cant wait to tear it apart on the bench and sort out how to restore it. Thank you so much for both this history lesson and your tear down and repair attempt.

[@opuscat999]

Your video tours are brilliant. Excellent detective work tracking down all the old printed materials. Thanks.

[@neilnotniel01]

It's so nice that you always say, "Thanks for watching". I say, thank YOU for always making such fascinating, entertaining videos. You, sir, are a star!

[@butlaoctu4464]

Already at 1 mil, you deserve this!

[@mr.grumpygrumpy2035]

This video brought me back to the late 1970s when my Dad would take me to shop for groceries in the department store downtown and I insisted in visiting the electronics section upstairs to see the latest and greatest stuff. Ah good times...

[@gembaasg]

Hello. as always, good material about hifi by the way, it is because of you that I became interested in old hifi equipment and thank you for that

[@clayerik]

One of the best looking tape mechanism ever made. Tape intro was very good selected, in that moment i remembered Die Hard and suddenly Hans Gruber pops in. 😀 Its very thin humor going on. And also, thank you for the program what you make in youtube, its very cosy to watch. Regards from Estonia!

[@lerpack455]

You are a real 👍This was an very interesting development and one does not register it when ones lives at this time. Your docu’ s are brilliant. Thank you.

[@Jason-Scott]

I just love your channel it’s so good 😊

[@vageli]

I have watched ~100 of your clips this past month. You attention to detail and excellent information is invaluable to us all. I was always wondering why our mid-70's Optonica 2050 had an angled tape loader. You have answered this question for me and many, many more. Thank you!

[@SteveMaves]

Cool deck, thanks for pushing through the repair to show it too us!

[@bl1zzard100]

Congrats to 1 mil. Subscribers. I am following your channel since the Tefifon video.