More Memorex - The "Clown" Cassette & a couple of hidden gems.

Memorex are often underrated. Put off by their 70s cassettes people avoid them. In this video, I test a couple of "under the radar" cassettes in the MRXIS & CRX II as well as see if the classic DBSi "Clown" cassette is all looks or not.
DECK USED: Nakamichi Dragon
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[@waz3128]

Love it. Those yellow turn reels! Everything about it makes me think of a fun mixtape with doodles scattered over the spine and tracklisting. I've gotta get hold of them for a cassette release of my next album

[@sean70729]

Post the title, I want to support it.

[@RecordKrate]

Memphis Design influence was all over the 80s including this beautiful Memorex. They look great next to my Swatch Watches!

[@CassetteComeback]

Couldn't get more 80s, unless you were wearing a Benetton sweater.

[@chadergeist]

I always like the smell of the vintage Maxell blank cassettes.

[@spankysmp]

I'm still going through my old tapes and I have a couple of Memorex MRX3 Oxide, taped stuff from looks like 1981 and still playing!

[@NJRoadfan]

I have a copy of C+C Music Factory's "Gotta Make You Sweat" album on a Memorex dBS. Can't get any more 1990 then that!

[@petikan]

I recall having these Memorex tapes years ago. Very colourful tapes.

[@BC-qb7tx]

I have some last of the line memorex dbs that are super quality. They pulled out all the stops, even a smokey shell and smokey case, and the tapes are solid. The tapes even auto-lock if not in a player. It's like they went super high end right at the end.

[@BC-qb7tx]

They have a date of 1997

[@BC-qb7tx]

Ok they dont auto lock, but they are so precision tight that it is hard to spin with your finger. They are skc hubs and diagonal lead.

[@Musicradio77Network]

I have a couple of these dBS cassettes which was dBS I in Europe and the UK, and here in the US, it was just dBS instead of dBS I.

[@rwj777]

I still own and use this exact cassette today and the sound quality really isn't all that bad for recording.

[@SnarkyRC]

Haha I used that model of cassette to record When I Come Around by Green Day when it premiered on my local radio station back in the 90s

[@cdwhiley]

If only I could travel back in time and buy these casettes to no end. :) Best I Can do is go to every estate auction and tag sale I can find and buy ALL casettes no matter what. ;)

[@chuckaluck123]

I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the work you have done. I've just found your channel with my revived interest in cassettes(born 1976). Thank you thank you thank you. P.s. I know you wouldn't let me but I really want to roll out the dent in your dragon door. Keep up the good work!

[@flyingkillerrobots877]

Holy Synchronicity! I just got back from the thrift - after picking up a 10 pack of the 1989 - 90 minute flavor- for $3! :)

[@buppie2000]

You overpaid.

[@bryanotero123]

Damn that was expensive as shit

[@anthonyperkins7556]

I had a Aiwa MW SW FM LW Metal tape capable Dolby B noise reduction twin tape auto reverse ghetto blaster in the 80's, and I used these in Memorex dBSI 120 guise, to record the Top 40 from Radio 1 in stereo via the (better) quality Radio 2 FM Stereo frequencies and thanks to the ultra-reliable Japanese built auto-reverse mechanism, I got the full two hours of the Top 40 in stereo.

[@rubyalfaro2576]

Although with a cold, makes a video of one of my favorite cassettes. Champion!

[@Gojirosan]

Yes! A proper appraisal of my beautiful Memorex friends! Cheers, Captain!

[@MrocznyTechnik]

Nostalgic indeed. On such cassettes we received Commodore 64 software from western world.

[@303nitzubishi4]

Thank you for the follow up on Memorex and giving the MRXI the recognition it deserves. I commented in the last Memorex video that I took a few of the older MRXI tapes (the ones with no head suspension-just the foam block) and put the tape and reels into the newer "clown" shell. Best of both worlds :) excellent tape in a reliable shell

[@markphilpot4981]

You’re such a howl! So glad we have you to give a care about this hobby. You make taping fun and that is really what all this is about! By the way, got me one of the tape head gauges to check my none auto aligning decks with. All of us can’t have Dragons and Revoxes Tony!😊💖👍🏻

[@S161064]

hi great channel. watching your videos made me dig all my old cassettes out of the loft.now started to build another hi fi after all these years.i forgot how much fun it was recording music.also i have had to repair a few cassettes as pressure pads fell off. ohhh what fun i have had when the tape unwound itself. back to the good old days.look forward to watching more videos.

[@Acoustic_Theory]

Those were my first cassettes, bought for me at the tender age of five for my Fisher-Price cassette recorder. (SKC-style dBS-60.) I was into tapes until maybe high school, when they were still a convenient way to record garage bands in stereo using two mics and a tape deck. I even got my hands on the translucent gray 1990 MRX-1 which was less clown-y, and later when a Best Buy opened up in South Austin, TX, my parents bought me a 12-pack of Scotch BX-90, which stuck around my house for years, and I recorded a few band shows on them.

[@beyondfluid4271]

i just found 2 unopened TDK D60 cassette's in back alley.. they are the older not as flashy packaging.. I also found 2 unopened JVC T-120ps VHS Tapes... made my morning... thought you might appreciate... just sharing..

[@rokas6823]

never had problems with Memorex even second hand and open since the 80s/90s, still sound fine and have good tape, SKC made great tapes

[@brettjames1992]

I love the Memorex blank tapes alot!!!

[@bryede]

Super late to the game, but the reason some tape is warped at the ends is the leader clamp on the hub. Some designs are better at allowing the tape to lay flat than others, and it was recommended that several extra seconds of silence be used past the leader to allow the the creased tape to pass.

[@kevinjenkins6136]

Back in the day,you got the "Clown Cassettes" for a dollar at the liquor store

[@wildbilltexas]

I always bought mine in 2 packs or bricks. Many times Memorex would have a "Buy 4 tapes get one free!" deal. I do remember buying Memorex DB Series tapes for a buck at Dollar Tree in the late 90's-early 2000's. The DB Series were all made by Saehan. Not a great tape but good enough for recording off FM radio.

[@kevinjenkins6136]

@@wildbilltexas That was only reason I used them...just for recording off the radio

[@nickbitten6037]

Another intetesting video. Love the key-fobs. Nice one.

[@nout1972]

I have seen about 20 videos of your channel and I think it is safe to say that the majority of tapes (type 1 and II) are fine, well at least you seem to like all of them. That was my experience in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s as well. I never favored any tape brand over the other. The aesthetics of the tape/brand and the price determined my choices. But I must say that I have the fondest memory of the 2000 iteration of the Sony UX-S, that's when I used my Kenwood tape desk for the last time.

[@csscott9803]

Those Memorex dba cassettes were wonderful

[@bradjones1977]

Pretty sure I used these around 1987, but your knowledge will be better than my memory from being ten!

[@CassetteComeback]

It could be, the internet sources aren't always 100% accurate.

[@DonSolaris]

Excellent video. I had that dBSi SKC cassette as a kid. What a shock seeing it after so many years. I wish i remember what was on it.

[@CassetteComeback]

That's it. It's a cassette everyone remembers.

[@twistedviewlabs]

Here in the US, the SKC variation was what I purchased back in the day...typically at any drug store, K-Mart or Target. In later years, when I had better equipment and was buying Type II & Type IV cassettes...I'd see these at the local 99 cent store. The sound quality was surprisingly decent. I recall these first being available in 1987 or 1988 actually. The first decent quality deck I ended up with was from Teac...looked about from the late 70's with the analog VU meters and metal casing (I couldn't tell you the noddy model # as I had it for about 2 years and didn't pay attention)...actually found it on my 15th birthday (so April 1990) outside a dumpster. I took it inside...it powered on but needed new belts. Got it working properly and it served me well. Around 1992, a friend of mine traded my Teac for his Technics deck that not only had Dolby B & C but also DBX. He just wanted mine for the VU meters but quality wise, I got the better deck. I made many a mix tape for friends with it...usually using the dBS cassette. Keep in mind, back then most of us just wanted something that sounded decent on our portable cassette players with (usually) rubbish over the ear headphones and I usually copied from CD rather than the radio and used Dolby B. All in all though, that SKC variant of the dBS was actually pretty good for our purposes. My personal recordings (when equipment permitted) were on Type II TDK or Sony cassettes as I got the best results with those.

[@wildbilltexas]

LOL @ 11:08 ! The dBS's to stay away from are the "Made In USA" versions that have the hubs with the tiny 4 holes. It's a durable tape, but it doesn't have the high end response of the SKC Korean made dBS's. I bought a lot of these in the 90's usually in 5-7 packs for recording my radio shows because they were so inexpensive.

[@Rompler_Rocco]

Thank you!! I'm dying to know exactly who manufactured these. I just bought a load of USA-made MRX-I's with those same hubs. They look *almost* like SKC. But just like the USA-made DBS, the tape inside is extremely transparent (even though it isn't thin). I haven't recorded onto them yet, but I'll be surprised if they perform well with such a weak-looking magnetic layer.

[@CannondaleCAAD]

Great video my friend! I have alot of these memorex's and there pretty scratched up but the tape is clean.

[@paulb4uk]

My versions from back in the day are the saiyhan and the new sealed i have is the same i always liked the look of the dbsi,s i will keep my eye out for an skc version back then i had no idea who made what so all these years on there is still a lot i never new and still lots to learn about cassettes .

[@5roundsrapid263]

1:59 I’m ten years old again...

[@ralphreinhardt6020]

A job well done on this vid. 😎👍

[@theaylesburycyclist8756]

I've got a couple of those cassettes kicking around. A 60 & a 90. Both full of Sex Pistols.... Yeah, I was a bit obsessed with the Sex Pistols back in the very early 90s. 🧷🧷🤪

[@bjrntorearstein6347]

@Tony: A ring with the HD-8 on it...yes, please!!

[@Godzilla941]

I had a few of these dBS I cassettes as a kid, SKC, 60 and 110, along with a 1981-ish TDK D60 and a few '86-ish SA90s. I still have them. :) I don't really have the heart to erase them and tape over most of them because they're really, really good time capsules not unlike a box of old photos. I think I was attracted mostly to the dBS I because I remember it being somewhat interesting to actually be able to see the hubs going around and the tape slowly moving from one side to the other. I'm still that way about mechanical stuff... I never could find 'reel cassettes' at the time even though I saw pictures of them here and there and really, really wanted them... If nothing else, the desire for the flashy dBS I at the time kept me away from the type 0s!

[@BilisNegra]

Hey, you don't use the Bic's pen cap to wind tapes! I mean, you somewhat can, but you have to push into the hub, it still loses traction sometimes...It's so much better with the pen shell itself.

[@Scratcher1tbp]

Those hazy looking leaders are the head-cleaning ones, the SKC (though clipped on to the reel sloppily) and not like the Saehan. I like their high bias tapes.. like the Cire' and HBS-II. Those early Memorex tapes had that big felt head pad with a layer of foam that rotted just like Scotch had.

[@vinylcity1599]

I had the same problem with warped tape back in the day! Take care of that cold , man! You sound rough!

[@juliancurtis4071]

I had some MRXIS that were SKC hubbed, as you say, very underated cassettes

[@VonStierlitz]

I still have that SKC typo clown cassette with two albums of “Camouflage” on it. A bit hissy, sure, but not too bad. I think it’s basically an entry level SKC LX in disguise. Don’t have many Memorex tapes. Just two HBS II 110 and half a dozen of German made Db Series. The later are essentially AGFA HD Ferrocolor.

[@kirkmooneyham]

I happen to have two of the SKCs and one of the Saehan. Different types of music on each, but now I want to listen to them, and see how they've held up. Well, the Saehan has Live, Throwing Copper on it. I recorded too hot, and it has some distortion, but it was probably recorded for a car stereo so that wouldn't have been a big deal back then. No dropouts though, and otherwise it sounds decent for the age and all. One more edit: Playing one of the SKCs, it has Joe Satriani, Surfing With The Alien. Recorded at a more proper level for the type of tape, highs are just a bit muted, but the mids and bass have great punch to them, no Dolby so there is a bit of hiss, but not enough to detract from the rock music at all. Quite happy to hear it after all these years.

[@Musicradio77Network]

The others were “Made in USA” version with the tiny 4 hubs. I have a few along with a bunch of them.

[@simonhodgetts6530]

Definitely remember these, but I was more of a Sony UCX fan myself

[@bobbyberetta4206]

Wow, this brings back memories. I remember having a lot of “mix tapes” on these. Wish I could go back to that time, not because of nostalgia but because I get a do over on life.

[@CassetteComeback]

You're not alone in that sentiment...

[@robturner3065]

Used to get these in Tandy, pretty sure they were exclusive to them, could never find them anywhere else

[@thomasmaiden5298]

Wasn't there a green and yellow (instead of pink) version of that dbs1 aswell?🤔 great video as usual.

[@CassetteComeback]

Yeah, the 60 minute version

[@josephfrye7342]

you know what I hope there is a hat and mouse pad versions though. i am in for it too.

[@barnabas5688]

I forgot that these had yellow J cards inside them. I think I threw all the cards away (used to like making my own!)

[@Ale.K7]

Consider me deeply offended by the use of the BIC with the cap on ;-). Great video, get well soon!

[@esseferio]

Finally!!!! :)

[@charleshill2936]

I always look forward to your videos. Quick question. How do you feel about demagnetizing? Is it necessary? Thanks

[@CassetteComeback]

I have one of those electronic cassettes that I use after I clean a deck, but can't honestly say if it makes a difference or not.

[@MrBillmcminn]

I remember using SKC cassettes when I was a teenager.

[@milojenikolovski7522]

I never buy one of these , but I remember latest most modern dBS1, solid cassettes.

[@gevowavemagnet]

Never really considered Memorex back in the day. I could still buy bricks of Maxell's and TDK's relatively cheap, just became a habit.

[@sinistarmr2]

I remember them but was turned off by their splashy appearance which made them look cheap at the time, so also didn't consider them. But they do have a cool factor at this point from a nostalgia perspective. Good to see, or hear I guess, they were actually pretty competent tapes though.

[@middlesbroughmike1027]

We always called them 'Neons'. I always preferred the early models with the small holes hubs (which I now know is skc). I've got quite a few MRXIS and I often find the sound a bit 'wobbly' at the start. I wonder if they too are a little un-even at the start like the sahaen branded dbsi in this video 🤔

[@CassetteComeback]

Yeah, I think your y right about the Saehan Memorex.

[@mercurialmagictrees]

Theres a diffrent upc code on the first tapes as well. 4:53

[@tarstarkusz]

I seem to have the best luck with ferric tapes. They take lots of signal and sound good in pretty much any deck. I cycle a lot and I like to make up mix tapes to listen to when I am cycling and so I am almost always wearing headphones when listening to them. While some have a little bit of hiss, most sound just fine to me. Maybe if I had a better recorder it would make a difference, but with the stuff I have, ferric tapes sound the best to me.

[@showstopperrob1097]

Great video again and a very nice idea those keyrings. Are you watching your video's back after you uploaded them? If so turn on the subtibles just for fun. 😎😎

[@CassetteComeback]

I'm sure my accent causes problems 😄

[@dremunoz2600]

Lol, I bought one last weekend at a swap meet for $1🤣🤣🤣

[@sberrysrtcakes3810]

Yes the cassette I used to tape all my 45s for my car. Still have the cassettes but not the car.

[@rodedamiguelez631]

Please make a video about RAKS cassettes. I've only used the type II and they are really really nice. The SP2s performs great. Nice tape nice shell. Plus they are a lot cheaper than others

[@CassetteComeback]

Here in the UK they're rare and not cheap...I don't have many.

[@bluemantom77]

I live in the USA we had them I still got one left I recorded my records on I coved one side with silver paint marker I was 12 in 1989 lucky I got that one left for the most part I've had Scotch brand tdk maxell radio shack realistic Sony

[@cubdukat]

Ever since I found your channel, I've been taking a look at the hubs to give me a clue who might have actually made the tape. Does SKC make chrome tapes that aren't pure chrome? I'm asking because I've seen a couple of the HBS II tapes that have the SKC dotted hubs, but I'm not sure if they could be pure chrome tapes. I remember only using HBS II once or twice and not being overly impressed with it; could it be that they were true chromes that I was using in a deck that couldn't compensate for that (no bias adjustment)? That's the thing I really like about your channel; I'm learning so many new things after I thought I knew cassettes inside and out.

[@CassetteComeback]

SKC basically had 2 Type 2 formula. QX, which was a decent Ferro cobalt and CD which was Cobalt doped chrome. Memorex like the CRX and CD used the Cobalt doped chrome formula. If you sniff them and get a whiff of crayons, it's chrome based.

[@kaiokendo]

do you review the sony de nueva laredo cassettes???

[@sportscarsmovies]

One time in 1977 I bought new a pair of Memorex in an unusual box open system . The recording was good but very fast the tape stuck itself on the reels and was unusuable... Never again !

[@killcar5nbike2]

I remember buying them from Dixons.

[@chadergeist]

I had one or two of the first two and i didn't have any issues with them.

[@allansan5588]

Keyrings its nice idea 😍👍

[@anthonynewcome128]

could only find memorex tapes in tandy where i live... bought a memorex single cassette deck aswel,,, made good recordings from memory.. unlike my top of the line technics TR 979 which always sounded dull

[@csscott9803]

7:13 I remember those were yesterday

[@Curi0u50ne]

Wow how cool is that now I want to see a 70s red, black n white Tdk D one, or an orange BASF One from the same era LH90 SM🤗 anyone remember what the LH stood for?

[@britsluver]

I’ve been coughing up plegm too so cool

[@britsluver]

When you said ribbed for her pleasure I was DEAD

[@vilaintrolltrollinsky8007]

They sound like almost every cassettes from the show. Softer, smoother, cosy-er and less sharp than the original. But we hear almost no differences when the song shift on the second gear and the music reach a natural ear "saturation point".

[@watershed44]

@Cassette Comeback Volkswagen took a page from Memorex and created the Harlequin Golf, and Polo back in the mid 90s! Most folks that remember the Harlequin affectionately call the it the "Clown Car".

[@CassetteComeback]

I remember these. All the panels were s different colour...

[@watershed44]

@Cassette Comeback Exactly. They were probably the last "fun" car VW has made, also like the Memorex Clown Cassettes these Harlequin VW are also highly sought after today.

[@jamiemarinic3854]

What year was the Saehan dbs 1 made?

[@Mouse2113]

I wonder if the "out of this world" editions had dBSI tape in them

[@CassetteComeback]

It's probably all SKC LX formulation.

[@ThriftyAV]

Back in the mid-80s, I purchased some MRX-I cassettes that gave me trouble with tight hubs, so I generally avoided this brand. However, a girlfriend made me a mix tape on a "clown cassette" and it still plays fine.

[@SK-qu4wo]

Why do cassettes sometimes get too tight to turn properly. I have a couple of TDK cassettes that are like that when the reel gets halfway. Is there a way to fix this?

[@JohnDoe-fo2rr]

Give them a tap on the table a couple of times and a few shakes. Should spin afterwards nicely.

[@DeltaFox1970]

The BIC pen is for use without the cap P that's why we use BIC and not others :)

[@watershed44]

@DeltaFox1970 Is it just me or is it a very comforting feeling to put the Bic pen in the hub and twirl away? Hahaa.

[@0e0]

i had so many of those clown tapes ha

[@MistaMaddog247]

I bought those at Radio Shack by the pack and TBH I only used them for recording songs off video tapes and FM radio so there's always background hiss anyway. Plus the clown tape design fits the hip hop songs I put on them. From better audio sources I spend a little more on better brands...

[@CassetteComeback]

I'm not saying they're the best, I'm just saying they're not shit...but more importantly nostalgia is a major part of this hobby and most people remember them.

[@kevinjenkins6136]

Depending on the deck,you could get a good sound out of the DBS1s

[@buppie2000]

That was never the case with my expensive TEAC or my cheaper Sony decks.

[@Musicradio77Network]

dBS 1 was the international version of the dBS, but in the US, it was dBS without the “1”.

[@barryp9463]

What do you think of the Mrx2 oxide and the unusual style of case

[@CassetteComeback]

Have a look. I did a video one them

[@kevinjenkins6136]

We only got the skc versions in the states,you were lucky if you found the Saehan version.

[@buppie2000]

No one was lucky. Those were garbage tapes.

[@CassetteComeback]

No. Your decks / recording skills were garbage. Did you even watch the video?

[@buppie2000]

@@CassetteComeback At 20:27 you make my argument for me. Hissy is the very definition of shit. But hey, you're probably right. 38 years in broadcast engineering have taught me nothing.

[@PrankZabba]

i always hated those dbs I tapes. i know i've had a few, but i don't anymore. cool reel idea. it'd be cool to swap out the reels and load up some Maxell tape on to them. and then put it back in a Maxell case.

[@davmatt74]

I had a pile of these cassettes. They were good quality, cheap. I believe a 4 pack would cost $2.99.

[@johnstark5324]

I never used the "clown" tape but recently came across some used for free. I tried em and was dumbfounded. I sat back and stated WOW! Back then I used only TDK SA and Maxell XLII. I was a "snob".

[@CassetteComeback]

Nah, you were a bloke. These weren't targeted at us.

[@sputumtube]

I've got a drawer full of old cassette tapes, some recorded by me and some shop-bought which I can no longer play on my old Panasonic stack-system (one unit in reality) as it stands dusty and forlorn because it stopped working decades ago. You sound like an Englishman like me (Cheshire) and I was just wondering what equipment you use to play/record your tapes on? I've recently found an old Alba cassette player/recorder (value about £10 max) and it was/is my intention to record some short stories for my 89 year old uncle who's visually impaired. An ancient Bush microphone was recently delivered via eBay for a fiver and works fine (just waiting for a five pack of Maxell UR90 tapes to arrive). In your opinion, will this cheap and cheerful set-up be adequate?

[@Synthematix]

All i remember about most memorex was they were down on treble

[@donk1822]

I found some data in my memory banks you might find interesting. MRXIS Treble lever (10khz) -0.3db Sensitivity - 0.3db Hiss -50db Mod noise -39db Overload 315hz MOL +3.4db Overload 10khz SAT -1.5db Dynamic range 53.4db CRXII TL (10khz) +0.2db Sens +1db Hiss -54db Mod noise -42db Overload 315hz MOL +1db Overload 10khz SAT -4db Dynamic range 55db I will see if I can find anything about DBX I in my library.

[@thurimogreen6281]

Where do You find all these Cassettes?

[@TheBrandonn]

just grabbed a 12 pack of 89' clowns for $20. hands down most nostalgic from my childhood.

[@Musicradio77Network]

There was also an earlier version of the dBS from about 1987 and it was a US made cassette before it was made in Korea for both SKC and mostly Saehan.

[@droogsurgeon1440]

Bought 1 for 7$ :( it’s okay though next time I’ll just look a little harder to buy a 12 pack.

[@jitmancanth6698]

I hope that one day you can turn your attention to pre-recorded cassettes. My experience with cassette tapes these days is all about revisting the music from my youth, taking a break from CDs and mp3s for a while. Those tapes that I recorded myself still work as they did back in the eighties, from Sony HF to TDK SA, but when it comes to those tapes that I bought pre-recorded, it's a whole other matter. Some still play as on the day of purchase, some just stick in the shell and are useless, some suffer from dropouts. Is it down to pot luck, is it down to studio, is it down to tape manufacturer?

[@CassetteComeback]

I have no love for pre recorded cassettes.

[@jitmancanth6698]

@@CassetteComeback Pre-emptively asking forgiveness for forgetting I asked this question already, six months down the line. It plays on my mind everytime I have a wobbly tape moment with a pre-record.

[@raywilson9450]

Bought a Sony Walkman at the car boot the other day for $1. I was excited to see it had a Clown Cassette in it! How sad is that?! Of course I had to play it. Someone, long ago, had recorded perhaps their own band playing a decent set of original rock songs. They sounded good!

[@bryanotero123]

You found gold :) i can relate to that experience with a crate of cassette they gave me.

[@djstephennicholls]

To the point "not as many people say, shit" lol love it. I never found them terrible as I use dolby c hiss is never an issue.

[@oscarflores1980]

I had tons of those cool clown tapes. I hope I can recover all of them along with my tape collection

[@ahah1785]

Actually i think diagonal lines on leader tape is SCS (spelling?) I had SCS taped in early 90's with blue diagonal lines...just daying...