Hipac - The rarest audio format (so far)
I've been working on this video for quite a few weeks now and I'm really happy with how its turned out. It's difficult to describe the enjoyment to be had from finding, repairing, learning about and then finally demonstrating something that very few people know existed. It's a thrill to know that this video could result in a new entry being added to lists of old music formats.
After I've dropped dead (I've no immediate plans to) - I hope some of the things I've put online over the years will live on in my absence. So far the most likely candidates are the recording of Cuba Baion by Kurt Drabek, an appreciation of the Tefifon outside Germany and hopefully now an acknowledgement of the existence of the Hipac format.
In other news Youtube has been very unpredictable in recent months. Views for my videos have been falling off as the active lifetime of each video gets shorter. After the first 48 hours views now dry up to a trickle.
I really thought that last week's LetterPack video should have some legs. I hoped it might pique the interest of tech historians on blogs and forums or get a mention on a popular gadget site or two, but the video came and went in the blink of an eye with nary a whisper.
It's a bit of a worrying trend so I'd just like to again thank everyone here on Patreon for supporting the channel and providing some much needed stability. In addition if you think there is something that I'm not covering that you originally signed up for, please let me know about it. I do have some more dashcam reviews in the works, in addition to various unusual old and new tech devices to show off.
Anyway, that’s enough business chat...please just enjoy the video, it's one of my favourites.
UPDATE 28/9/17 11:57am - I've reuploaded the video to remove a section about format wars that made absolutely no sense because I'd mixed up Pioneer with Panasonic, I reworded the section about the purpose of the aerial socket at around 2:41 and added a few words that better explain Pioneer's motivations for launching the format between 09:22 -09:44. Thanks for your help..this pre-release stage is vital in ironing out any issues before the other 150,000 people get to watch the video.
UPDATE 2 28/9/17 15:00 - I’ve re-edited the video once more to remove the word Midget from the comedy outro. I was unaware that this has become a derogatory term in the US. My first car was a MG Midget and I still don’t think the word has any malice attached to it in the UK, but if I can avoid upsetting someone, I will do.
Hipac - The lost tape : Pioneer's forgotten 1970s cassette rival (YouTube)
Comments (66)
For the recent drop off in views perhaps it is a function of people getting themselves and/or their kids ready for the new school year and then adjusting to that routine. Now that school (in North America anyway) has been back in for almost a month, perhaps people will have more time for their YouTube viewing. Whatever the reason, your videos are better and better. It's interesting (to me anyway) to juxtapose the format "war" this video highlights with what is currently going on in the digital file realm with MQA. The puppets in this video were very funny. Thanks.
Hello, Matt -- Here's potentially another one-off tape format, proprietary to the Austrian Eumig cinema camera company (you have one of their C3 or C8 cameras on a shelf in your studio). There is next to no information available on the web about this unit. I found one mention at an analog collectors website. The tape is clearly in a cartridge. But did the operator load standard 5" reels into this cartridge, or was the cartridge a priprietary design, sold by Eumig? <a href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/Eumig-575-Tape-Recorder-1962-Untested-8613/182747037478?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://www.ebay.com/itm/Eumig-575-Tape-Recorder-1962-Untested-8613/182747037478?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649</a>
Techmoan. Thank You for doing these interesting videos. I am glad I can support You now. Greetings from Slovakia
I’m glad you are here, and thanks for supporting the channel.
I wonder if this was a demonstration unit? Something that a sales rep could carry around. It doesn’t seem to have been designed to save space nor materials, and having it run off about 12 volts worth of D-cell batteries makes me think that battery power was never part of the original design- just an afterthought.
This is a masterpiece. And you've elevated the puppets to a whole new level!
Hi Mat, just been looking at this video and think I might have sussed out the purpose of the aerial.. When you had the unit apart to the left of the cassette door there is a collection of leaf springs that probably connect to a radio pack that slots in the front?
That does make sense. I was wondering what those leaf springs were for when I was looking at the footage during the editing process. I hadn't paid them any attention when the machine was open because I was just interested in getting it working at the time.
"Techmoan has a new video about an audio format that I've never heard of" -- that's always a great way to start the day. :)
I don’t know how much longer I can keep unearthing these, so please enjoy it while it lasts.
Lovely video Matt. I wonder if the transportable version was intended as a demo device or for shop point-of-sale ? I can imagine some poor rep lugging the thing round to demonstrate the wonders of the new format. Dragging someone to your car wouldn't work so well perhaps ...
Anything is a possibility, and I considered this too, but it seems strange that Pioneer would take the trouble to give the case a model number as well as means to power it from a vehicle.... and then there’s the issue of the chap on YouTube in Japan who has a slightly revised model with a different model number.
Review was interesting and worth the time doing. The puppets were spot on. And almost as interesting was the Billboard article saying the Beatles took 900 hours to produce the Magical Mystery Tour album. Keep up the good work for all us old fart tech nerds please!
Just in case you don't know - those Billboard issues can all be read on book.google.com - just search for a phrase.
I am always amazed at the early tech of my childhood, nearly all analogue in those days yet still works years later. So I enjoy your videos immensely. I also used to take things apart to fix them, usually a snapped rubber band or a loose wire, still fun to get inside to see how it works. Can't do that with chips. Fun fact for today: Ford motor company in North America used up it's remaining 8 track tape players around 1968, when you got one whether you wanted it or not. It was all cassette tapes after that. I had a Blaupunkt removeable cassette player in my VW Golf in 1991. Size of a lunch bucket that was.
Another fascinating video; thanks! I can't imagine what your YouTube viewing statistics mean. For my part, I don't tend to watch videos like these the instant they come out. It's more like every so often, "what shall I do this evening? I know, I haven't watched any TechMoan videos in a while..." I must say I like the Patreon model best as you get to pay for niche things that you like. Whereas it seems like people have to be really click-bait-y and SEO-y to get YouTube revenue.
<img src="https://c10.patreonusercontent.com/4/patreon-comment/eyJ3IjoxNjAwfQ%3D%3D/vwXiH8QWZaq2Xr2KhwqjHI-R3Pe4FSYs5kXbt5KFRaGlHO0qPAiYNAE_NvI3ZgK0.jpg?token-hash=0hXNIKIvp1ibvheojafKoFnAMAXcWmnmzKPwp9Q1M5c%3D&token-time=1794009600"><br>That seems to be what people want. The UK’s number 1 youtube tech channel looks like this. It seems reviewing phones is the way to go.
Another tape format saved from vanishing into obscurity. Makes me wonder how many other weird and whacky formats just didn't make it to the public eye, or got very limited sales. Excellent video as always
Hey Mat, if you're ever stuck for something to make a vid of, I'd be interested in a run-down of how your Jennings machine works that's in the Moans at the end? I've just got my first electro-mechanical fruit machine and whilst I'm sure there are other vids of totally mechanical machines out there (I'm assuming the Jennings is completely mechanical?) would be great to see one of yours!
That’s not a bad idea. I’ve watched a few videos from experts on YouTube explaining exactly how they work and they are incredibly complex and a bit beyond my comprehension. However I could do something about it but keep it light...not getting too bogged down in the mechanics of what does what in what order.
I don't pretend to understand how it works but is it possible, that because your subscribers watch through the Patreon email/notification then you miss out on some 'viewer figures matrix' which would normally result in 'recommended for you' listings?
Everything does get counted fortunately but surprisingly few patrons watch videos through here. I can understand why though, as it’s easier to wait for them to pop up in the subscriber feed on YouTube rather than visiting Patreon.
Fascinating stuff Techmoan. Basically you can buy any piece of broken retro electrical gear, post a video of yourself fixing it and/or explaining it's history and I am pretty much guaranteed to watch it as soon as I can. For me, it's kind of depressing to see that the bacon grill gadget video got about the same number of views as the Voicemail 1967 video, the latter I'm sure was a labor of love and must have taken hours to do. Keep up the good work!
The bacon vs Voice Mail was a bit disheartening. The bacon express was filmed with a live voice over and took about a day in total whereas the Mail pack video took me a couple of weeks. People complain about the hastily shot poorly made rubbish on YouTube, but when it gets the same views as the more complicated and well produced videos you can see why it makes sense to cut corners.
Once you go back to covering more traditional/modern tech, affiliate links may provide you some supplemental income that seems to be disappearing from YouTube.
You’re right about that, although in recent updates YouTube have made the video description text box harder and harder to find. On some mobile apps it’s almost impossible. I’ve had people email me to ask where it is.
A fascinating and enjoyable video -- at least for this old-tech geek. I wonder if you could poll a bit of demographic info on your patrons. I'd venture a guess that old-tech videos appeal to a fairly small niche audience of males the majority of whom are 55+ years old ... and to an even smaller niche of electronics DIY types. The closest parallel I can think of today is ham radio operators ... or dedicated analog film camera users. Not too many of us, granted, but we are insanely devoted to these types of products, spend more time and money on them than is reasonable, and in some ways remain engaged with a pre-digital way of connecting with the arts that has all but disappeared.
I’ve been mixing the genres a bit recently and launching the bacon video vs the Mail Call on the same day was an experiment to see what happened. It turns out they both got approximately the same views even though they were very different topics, because almost all the views came from subscribers.
You have gotta realize, that there aren't millions of viewers who love watching videos on obsolete tape formats. But your life's legacy amongst your 10's of viewers will surely be the re-discovery of "Cuba Baion" For that, the remaining 5 of us will ever be grateful. Love your vids !
Great video. I am sure most of us remember car stereos of the pull out variety, and if you didn't have the money there was the trashier option of a battery or inverter driven boom-box. The Hipac seems like the 'party to go' option serving you in the car with the 12v cable, at the beach via the battery, back in the car, and then back at home with the mains cord. Early in college I was offered an 8 track recorder, and at that time aftermarket car stereo thievery was widely practiced, so I gave thought to going 8-track for my vehicle. I did not go this route, but went from boom-box to pull-out stereo as funding permitted. A fellow with a 1966 Mustang stayed the course with his (probably) original 8-track. I specifically remember seeing either Van Halen II or Women and Children First as his on-deck listening choice.
Another outstanding video. Looking forward to finding out where the body was hidden in a future episode. I'd love to see a Moans/Don't Hug Me I'm Scared crossover!
Is the antenna part of an AM band transmitter? That would make the non-removable tape player make more sense in the context of a device designed for occasional use in an automobile.
The Tefifon my girlfriend gave me as a birthday present (after I showed her your video) is still waiting for me installing a new pickup, but I already bought the Schlager Revue Tefi cartridge with Cuba Baion. So yes, you've already build a legacy ;-)
As for me/us, solely due to you, I/we have purchased a UoPlay Gimbal, a WindowBot and two LG Ulta-widescreen monitors for our PCs. :-)
About the video lifetime: Could just be a natural thing, if every one of your subscribers just waits for your next video and views it as soon as possible, the big wave will come in faster but end earlier. But who knows, nobody actually understands the Internet...
From what I can figure out - it means that subscribers (albeit only about 20% of them) watch the video within the first day or so - but then pretty much no one else watches them after that. To me that means that my videos they aren't being suggested to youtube users - or perhaps the topics just don't appeal...even though they used to.
One question comes to mind now, when will you run out of obscure formats to delight us with? Keep em coming, at least i love them! :D
I have a few more, but not too many. I’ll be giving them a break for a while to focus on other tech.
The completist in me hopes you pulled those D cells out of the case before they leak and ruin it. Sure, it won't happen today or tomorrow, but eventually they will leak.
They’re already out. I’ve got other plans for those batteries.
One thing - The Youtube video title says Panasonic, but everywhere else it's Pioneer. Am I missing something?
Thanks....that’s why I rely on this pre-release stage. Looks like somewhere along the way I ended up mixing up Pioneer and Panasonic. I'll get back to editing this one tomorrow and fix all the mixed up sections.
A little Googling in Japanese shows that it is indeed pronounced "High-Pack"
Thank goodness for that....it really was a shot in the dark and usually on these 50/50 choices I’ll pick the wrong one every time.
Great video as always But my favourite bit this time was the puppets. Glad I am not the only one to pick up on the 10 minutes of actual content per hour on tv programs. Last time on...., coming up on,,,, snip it of actual content,.... coming next... ad break.... before the break we saw...., later we see....., snip it of actual content..... next time on.....
How long do you have to plan ahead to make these dead format videos? It must take months to find all of this stuff :)
This one didn’t take too long. It started back in July when I bought the machine. One slight complication was that once it arrived I realised that this format marked the end of the Playtape story, so I decided I would have to cover the Mail Call first...to keep things in order.
The inside of that tape player looks almost (but not quite) like a modified cassette mechanism. I wonder what could have happened if this format would have been more popular and Philips would have based their DCC system on it. No interruption halfway into the tape when it has to start playing the other side! But of course no fast-forward or rewind either...
Cracking job. I wonder if they might have got a bit further as a dual use device? Car and home for example. Not that I have particularly fond memorie sin the 90's lugging about various sizes of car head units to deter the legions of little scotes from trying (and all to often) succeeding in stealing car stereos.
I love the organic-looking design of PCB layouts from the days before CAD made all the lines straight. Kind of flowing and psychedelic..
I always love your videos be they forgotten favourite or new tech, puppets or no puppets, obscure or mainstream. Your dedication and passion come through every time. Never doubt yourself. PS. My wife requests more Liverpool (she's Scouse-Canadian).
If it ever stops raining for a full day (it hasn’t for weeks) - I plan on taking my new 360° Camera and an old film camera to Liverpool to get some interesting shots.
Can't wait to find out why there are no tall midgets.
That came from something a girl I worked with said to me years ago “you have to watch out for those tall dwarves”.
Great video. I noticed you are now using a few more computer-generated illustrations. I also found "The Moans" to be quite funny too, because it's so true. I have been watching this show called "impossible engineering" and it's so annoying because they show is stretched out to be twice as long as it should be because after every commercial break they recap several minutes, and then before each commercial break the show what is coming next. I mean, it might be one thing if the next part was going to come a week or month later, but it's just a commercial break.
The idea of covering this issue occurred to me when I was watching Bering Sea Gold...this season they’ve been re-showing the same ‘earlier this season’ clips far too many times on every episode.
Very nice. I wonder if that case was meant to be used for sales demos at an executive level. That could also help to explain why it survived. It looks like it was barely used.
I had considered that too and mentioned that possibility in one earlier take of the outro, but I cut it out for length. I was saying that I didn’t think it was used for that due to it having a model number as well as features and labelling that a saleman wouldn’t need...also there’s the other model that a bloke on YouTube owns..in a different style of case.
1,310 patrons now. Pretty soon the outro is going to be longer than the rest of the video! :)
Thanks for another entertaining and informative video. You put a lot of hard work into these and it shows. I always look forward to your posts.
It's really interesting that there is so little reference to the format out there in the Interwebs. "As ever, thanks for showing!"
I had to show that a Wikipedia search drew a blank as the last time I mentioned that something wasn’t on there I got dozens of people sending me the link to the article....an article that had been created by a viewer as a direct response to the video.
Does anyone think the Antenna plug could be for plugging your car's antenna cable into this to act almost like an Aux output that runs over your FM radio? It would be quite something if that's true, I don't think I've seen an FM Modulator built into a portable stereo unit of this age.
I thought the same, but it’s not something I could test out.
Awesome video. Loved every detailed minute.
I am continuously blown away by the quality of your videos. So glad I'm able to help support you.