A classic cassette deck
I hope you enjoy this video about the Sony TC-D5 cassette deck. A tape recorder that was the go-to high-end portable for the best part of two decades.
Over the next few weeks I'll be working flat-out to get ahead by a few videos . I need to have a few videos completed before I go off on holiday for a fortnight. In order to achieve this, I'll likely need to concentrate on making a few shorter or simpler videos. So if you notice that there are a few short videos in a row, its not a permanent change of direction...just a temporary one.
Comments (29)
From 2001 to early 2006, I used a much lower end portable cassette recorder to do field interviews. This thing would beat it hands-down.
Add "nonfunctioning professional portable stereo tape deck" to the list of things your videos have encouraged me to buy. This one made me remember the time I saw a whole stack of these things at the MIT flea market and decided to pass. Which was probably the right move, as the seller wanted a little less than $200 apiece for them ten years ago (and they looked so dusty and beat up that I imagined they had been dragged behind a horse before being pulled from service). Still, the desire for a Sony TC-D5 lingered hard.
I always feel I should apologise whenever anyone buys something that turns out to be less than perfect off the back of one of my videos. Hopefully you'll know someone who's able to bring it back to life. If not, you've still got a nice retro paperweight.
The Marantz was just on Better Call Saul (S3:E5). Small world :)
Yes, it's funny how many people thought it was the Sony in the YouTube comments. It seems my channel must share the same audience as Better Call Saul.
Ok, I've only gone and bought one on eBay (the M version, because line-in is more useful to me). Watching techmoan is expensive!
Congratulations, I hope it turns out to be a good one. Although I'm sure there are still plenty of people around who can service these if necessary...and they're easier to ship than most decks. Let me know how you get on, and report back on your impressions of the machine. It may well be the best put together thing I've ever held.
Very good as always, Matt. I was aware of the TC-D5 but it never appealed as much as the Uher; I always wanted a Uher Report but could never afford one. I was even looking at them on ebay a while ago, but as I have a Tascam DR-40, I was dissuaded from purchasing by my other half but I was sorely tempted.
The Uher reel to reel machines are very desirable. I'm also particularly found of the CR-240 cassette machine because it's unlike anything from any other manufacturer.
Double Dolby...there's a term I haven't heard in a while. What that means is that is had dual Dolby circuits. One for encoding during recording and one for decoding during playback. The "dual" part came in to play because it's a 3-head deck, so you can record with the Dolby encode circuit on - while simultaneously monitoring the recording live with the Dolby decode circuit. Why they needed to state that must have been a marketing ploy because it's kind of obvious. I worked at a place that used the Marantz decks and they were OK, but we had our share of transport issues with them. The Sonys do look better built.
Whoops - thanks for the clarification. I'd only ever seen it on machines that did DBX & Dolby so presumed it was to do with that. I've done a quick edit on the video, which can take youtube hours to process....but it's seamless so no one will ever know. Thanks for telling me about this before it went live, otherwise most of the comments would be about this.
Proper Sony engineering, lovely stuff. It'll still be going when cassettes are musem pieces
Wow, they don't make many things like that any more.
I would've LOVED to own one of these in my college years! I'd check out the radio station's Marantz portable PMD-430 cassette recorder and sneak it into concerts - in my pants! Damn thing was gigantic but I never got caught. Spent those years dreaming of owning either this one or a WM-D6, then finally scored an affordable DAT deck at a pawn shop but always preferred working with cassettes. Thanks for reviewing such cool artifacts!
Quite interesting that Auntie plumped to kit out their roving reporters with the smaller - and much more easily "left on a train" D6C over what was clearly the industry standard.
I have always pined after one of these after seeing one in a friend's basement.
Yet another great video, thanks very much. Although I fear for your safety once this goes on YouTube, using ANY car reference for ANY purpose is living on the edge isn't it? Have a great holiday.
You're right about that. The mere suggestion that the worst model of Lada was not an excellent car in an old video is still bringing in hate mail years later.
That's an interesting piece of hardware. Love the sturdy construction of it.
Great one! It reminded me of a Sony Walkman Pro a friend has had for years. It makes a great "field" recording and is ruggedly constructed. Love the VU meters on your TC-D5.
take a break..your quality is worth waiting for...
Great episode. I saw Anders' cassette again! hahaha. I have tried researching for a good cassette recorder and have come across this unit myself. But they tend to be a bit pricey. Loved the puppet section too..
They are expensive, although the Marantz are often a bit cheaper. It's one of those - 'no one ever regretted buying quality' type objects though.
Even though I bought music in just about all the major formats, except mini-discs (which didn't take off here - even though it should've), my format of choice was the compact cassette. So I like to think of doing something like this as returning to my youth.
I'm 100% with you. Cassettes were the only way I listened to music for the majority of that part of my life when I was really into music. Most people go through a spell like that from their late teens to their mid 20s...and the musical preferences that are developed during that time stick with you for the rest of your life. So just like I still enjoy most of the music I listened to back then, I also associate it with the way I listened to it. I just can't get nostalgic over an mp3.
Now I want one of those! Sadly, my cassettes are gone. But who knows. If I can get my hands on a TC-D5 Pro II, I might start collecting compact cassette tapes again.
I consider my job done whenever I can get anyone interested in buying something that they really don't need and didn't even know they wanted.
Can't the puppets take over in your absence ?? 😂
Not a bad idea.