Sony's proto-Walkman that went to the moon
July 2019 saw two big anniversaries. This video attempts to connect them together. I hope you enjoy it.
I've been burning the candle at both ends to ensure these last two videos were completed on time. I could now really now do with taking a few days off to recover and hopefully get out of the house while the weather is decent. The next video might be delayed slightly as a result.
UPDATE: Sorry - the comments have reminded me to mention that there’s a comedy outro on this one (it’s not a classic).
Comments (46)
Hi Matt, the centre-pole-negative thing used to bug me as well. However, there was a valid reason for Sony's decision - back in the day when many devices had single-use batteries and the option for a mains adapter, having the negative pole in the centre allowed the positive to be switched from battery to mains simply by plugging-in. Only the outside connector is switched in this scenario and it is customary to switch the positive power connection, since the negative could be grounded externally...
It’s never bugged me - I just assumed some manufacturers do it one way and some another. From the comments on previous videos though you’d assume that Sony was some kind of weird outlier rebel trying to electrocute everyone - I was just trying to put that right by saying that they’d been doing it that way for decades, so maybe it was time to reassess and rethink that assumption.
Hi there. Hope your ears are getting better. I don't know at all if you notice messages on old videos, but Sony uploaded a new short video today that talk about the creation of the Walkman (pretty much exactly what you already told in the video, but I though you might enjoy their video as well https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F24v79XXQ5w
I saw this video listed, but didn’t realise it was a new one..so thanks for that I’ll watch it in a bit. I’m also probably going to get a Anniversary model digital Walkman. If you haven’t already see it - do a search on NW-A100 TPS
OT: Congratulations with YT 800,000 subscribers - the number has increased significantly here in 2019 ?? :):)
Thanks - if half of those people watched each video, things would be a lot easier. Things seem to be getting a bit better at the moment though - I hope it continues.
You've been linked by Daring Fireball. I hope that get view ups. https://daringfireball.net/linked/2019/07/23/sony-proto-walkman
It’s created about 3,500 views, although it’s tailing off now. Every little bit helps.
UPDATE: If you want to know what music the Apollo astronauts played on their Sony TC-50’s - here’s an article https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/12/mickey-kapp-apollo-11-astro-mixtapes
Hey Mat, expect a spike in your views. You've been linked to from John Gruber's Daring Fireball site probably the biggest Apple Blogger on the inter webs. Congrats (hopefully). https://daringfireball.net
I spotted that. There’s been a little bit of a bump, but it already seems to be dying off. However it might result in additional reposts/links to the video as whenever in the past a trusted name linked to a video then a lot of the websites that just rewrite things they’ve read elsewhere pick up on it. It’ll be interesting to see if this gives it any legs.
More historical gadgets, you just need one of those orange ball TV's and a chair that hangs from the ceiling and you will be Austin Powers :)
What's the song playing from the youtube audio cassette at 7:03?
That took quite some finding (these tapes are recorded from a randomly shuffled playlist of hundreds of tracks) - but 30 mins and approx 100 youtube audio library songs later, here it is https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary_download?vid=d0bf103c03604738 Feel the Funk by Jimmy Fontanez
The self-deprecating "cashing in" bit was my favorite part, I think. :-) But seriously, I knew about the Pressman thing (probably from one of your videos, come to think of it) but never would have guessed that another Walkman ancestor (not even a distant ancestor, even) went to the moon. Can't wait for this to go public so I can share. THANK YOU! Made my Saturday morning (and yes, I put my coffee in my Flippin 'eck mug before I even knew that the Moans were going to make an appearance.
I aim to put it out on Sunday morning - the 21st seems the most appropriate date.
I love walkmans so much. I'm just sad that i had a string of DD devices that kept failing. I even had 2 that were supposed to have been "professionally restored". Sadly, they were restored just long enough to be re-stored. So i ended up selling them. Some day i'll have another DD-30 thats actually in good order!
I’ve been tempted to try and follow this guide using a new replacement wheel assembly - it does look pretty complicated though http://walkman-archive.com/articles/sony-dd-repair-guide_01.html
Very interesting, I didn't know they made cassette recorders that small, that early. We used to have one of the first Philips cassette recorders at home (I think it was the EL3302) and I thought that was about as small as they could be, until all my classmates got a %&*%)()^!# walkman in the early 1980s. Brilliant sketch at the end! I sort-of expected you were going to tilt the camera down and show that he had no legs or feet and THAT would be the "Flippin' eck' moment, but I was still not disappointed :-)
I love that packaging. That black box, kind of a "spacy packaging" attracts me, don't know why, but it works. The device itself looks just fantastic. I would have thought the design was from the late seventies. I enjoy these buttons and lever. I am pretty sure when TC-50 was new; it could keep up easily with these Tanashin mechanisms from today. From now on I'll call my walkman, "post magazinematic tapecorder". ;-)
Interesting and funny. It looks like better riding weather Sunday on. It can’t be 40 years ago, I refuse to be that old! 20 year anniversary showing of The Matrix this week too!
I recently saw the 50Th anniversary IMAX film of Apollo 11, (the 70mm footage is amazing and looks like it was shot yesterday.) The film briefly showed one of these. I thought I was imagining it, thinking Walkman-type devices where still years in the future. Now I know. Amazing.
I’m looking forward to seeing that film. Getting to an IMAX isn’t really doable, so I was hoping for a UHD Blu-ray, but so far I see only Blu-ray preorders which is a shame.
I was recently reading up on the Sony TC-50 after seeing Apollo 11 in the theatre again and wondered whether you might feature one in a video soon. Terrific work! Loved how you included the first Walkman and showed the technology progression. Many thanks!
Those original Walkman models prices went stratospheric after Guardians of the Galaxy came out. I bought mine as a demonstration prop rather than a player a couple of years ago.
Thanks Mat I learned something very interesting today. "The Moans" were fun too! Take time off. Best wishes.
Sony...the one and only!
Thanks for this story. One wee piece of Apollo history that's new to me. Now I'm curious to see the Muppets' dog ... !
I think that’s one character that’ll have to remain off camera. It has ‘appeared’ once before though a couple of years ago. https://youtu.be/QWKf_xvwc-s
https://youtu.be/_MMecOeC3e4?t=28 - Seems to be one of the later models, though.
I recall some scenes from Ron Howard's "Apollo 13" movie where Kevin Bacon's character was listening to music on a cassette player as it floated around the spacecraft. When I first saw the movie, I remember thinking that I could not recall such a small form factor portable cassette player existing in the early 1970s. Now I know what it was. Great video!
Yes, when I saw the movie I thought that to be an anachronism, too. Turns out they may actually have had a device like than on Apollo 13.
Enjoy your break!
Came in to say thanks for an interesting video and say that I was amazed by just how small and thin they could make the walkmans(men/mens?) by the end Glad I did, as i'd have missed out on the outro too, didn't look for it, only that it was mentioned here Enjoy the break, whatever you decide to do. Give me a nod if you get over to Liverpool, love to buy you a coffee :o) Outro made me go hunting in the depths for my Epson HX-20 too, the device that 'dad' uses reminded me
I’ve yet to try turning that HX-20 on. I honestly wouldn’t know what to do with it if it powered up.
Then I've set foot in a lot of places, love to walk around bare-feeted ;-) Thanks for the interesting video, and wish you good "holidays"
I’ve just looked at the weather...and it’s raining for the next week. I was hoping to take the bike out. Flipping eck.
I'll take the rain over the 100-degree weekend we're expecting in this area...
Enjoy your break Mat!
Please enjoy the weather and a break, just like a normal person.
Yeah... puppeteering! And a very funny one. Ah, ok, yes... the Sony Walkmen thing was good, too. ;-)
Brilliant. Both the video as the sketch. Question: where did you get those “reel to reel” cassettes, if you get my drift.
I acquired them over a few years. They were easier to buy a couple of years back. Tapeline in the UK used to stock them in a few colours...but they no longer have them. You can usually find a Belarusian bloke on eBay making his own custom reel cassettes...they look cool, but I’ve found they scrape and wobble about when played. You might find some on eBay if you search for ‘Reel cassette’ the good original ones can get pricey though. There’s usually some cheaper Eagle brand 15 minute computer cassettes for sale - but they look pretty ugly.
I worked in the TV/stereo department of a department store in high school. My boss had relocated from the downtown Chicago store, which carried some higher-end stuff. He had connections with the manufacturer's reps and one of them sent him one of the first Walkmen. He showed it to me and was very excited about it. Frankly, I wasn't all that impressed, thinking that Sony already made something similar. I was very wrong.
I remember the first one I saw - a Japanese import probably around 1980. I assumed the orange button was the record button, but when I found out it couldn’t record I thought it was very odd.
So much stuff you made to watch! Enjoy the weather it's brilliant!!