about tapedeck
Tapedeck.org is a project of neckcns.com, built to showcase the amazing beauty and (sometimes) weirdness found in the designs of the common audio tape cassette. There's an amazing range of designs, starting from the early 60's functional cassette designs, moving through the colourful playfulness of the 70's audio tapes to amazing shape variations during the 80's and 90's. We hope you enjoy these tapes as much as we do!

about audio tapes
The compact audio cassette medium for audio storage was introduced by Philips in 1963 under the name Compact Cassette. Although there were other magnetic tape cartridge systems at the time, the Compact Cassette became dominant as a result of Philips' decision (in the face of pressure from Sony) to license the format free of charge. It went on to become a popular (and re-recordable) alternative to the vinyl record deck during the 1970s. During the 1980s, its popularity grew further as a result of the Sony Walkman, with cassette sales overtaking those of LPs. (Vinyl overall remained ahead due to greater sales of singles, although cassette singles achieved popularity for a period in the 1990s).

The mass production of compact audio cassettes began in 1965 in Hannover, Germany, as did commercial sales of prerecorded music cassettes (also known as musicassettes; MC for short). The system had been initially designed for dictation and portable use, thus the audio quality of early recorders was not well suited for music. Some early models also had unreliable mechanical design. As time went on, various improvements (in particular, the introduction of Dolby noise reduction) resulted in the format being taken seriously for musical use.

Although its use in the West has declined as a result of more advanced technologies, it remains widespread, and is still the dominant medium for listening to music in many third world countries.

In essence, the audio cassette is simply a cassette-based (and smaller) version of the older reel-to-reel tape format. It consists of two miniature reels, between which an oxide-coated plastic tape, or magnetic tape, is passed and wound. These reels (along with some other mechanical parts) are held inside a protective plastic shell.

Four single audio tracks are available on the tape. These are paired to produce two stereophonic tracks – one played when the cassette is inserted with its 'A' side facing up, and the other when it is turned over (with the 'B' side up), thus mimicking gramophone records.

(Source: Wikipedia, right here. Wikipedia Copyright stipulations apply.)

send us your tapes
Have you got some cool audio tapes lying around? Send us a picture then, we'd love to get e-mail from you!

Please take a picture of your tape on white background from straight above without using a flash. The tape should measure about 800x600 pixels on the image. Please try to use as little JPG compression as possible (quality 10 or better when saving from Photoshop) and send the files to tapes@tapedeck.org

Thanks you all so much for the contributions tapedeck.org has already received - without your input this site would be impossible. Thank you very much: Alexandru, Diego, Ahmed, George, Dominik, Marcello, Jouse, Pascal, Niko, Jaromir, Tim, Paul, Luciano, Marc, Andreas, Colin, Alexander, Roland, Maurice, Sven, Radu, Daniel, Scott, Reinhard and Ronny!



fuji_jp_is_60 audio cassette tape

orig_0037_pdm_cd_x_60 audio cassette tape

konica_sgi_60 audio cassette tape

orig_0001_fliptape_fl_60 audio cassette tape

goldstar_hp60_081022 audio cassette tape

basf_chrome_maxima_ii_60_111214 audio cassette tape

fuji_jp_is_60 audio cassette tape

tdk_ad60_080515 audio cassette tape

goldstar_hp60_081022 audio cassette tape

EXCLUSIV-C60-RED-Black-2_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

tdk_sa_60 audio cassette tape

tdk_j60_080417 audio cassette tape

tdk_ieci_ad_60 audio cassette tape

goldstar_hp60_2_081022 audio cassette tape

sony_metalmaster_60_111214 audio cassette tape

studio_60 audio cassette tape

ICM FERROCHROM C60_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

konica_sgi_60 audio cassette tape

orwo_audio_cr_e_ii_hifi_60_1_1989 audio cassette tape

fuji_cdfan1_60 audio cassette tape

tdk_black_limited_sa60_080417 audio cassette tape

cc_gelb_60 audio cassette tape

HIFIFERRO C60_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

nec_ld_60 audio cassette tape

fuji_fxi_60 audio cassette tape

lanier_c_60 audio cassette tape

gemini_mp_60 audio cassette tape

SONY-UCX-S-60_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

tdk_ferric_60_071126 audio cassette tape

goldstar_bf60_081022 audio cassette tape

basf_chrome_extra_ii_60e_081001 audio cassette tape

SONY-WALKMAN-60-ferro_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

sound_2000_condor_60 audio cassette tape

tdk_jet_age_60 audio cassette tape

sony_cditii_60 audio cassette tape

scotch_dynarange_60_welded_shell audio cassette tape

scotch_bx_c60 audio cassette tape

philips audio cassette tape

philips_cd_one_60 audio cassette tape

kmart_blue_cassette audio cassette tape

hitachi_dl_60 audio cassette tape

goldstar_bf60_2_081022 audio cassette tape

gold_international_c_60 audio cassette tape

cycles_c60_111214 audio cassette tape

basf_chromdioxid_c_60_2_1972_090322 audio cassette tape

maxell_ur60_080417 audio cassette tape

orwo_audio_cr_e_ii_hifi_60_2_1989 audio cassette tape

goldstar_popconcert_60_081022 audio cassette tape

hitachiud audio cassette tape

ilford_hf60 audio cassette tape

maxellur audio cassette tape

sanyo_ln_60__year_1977_aprox audio cassette tape

Svema audio cassette tape

tdk_d60_fals_071201 audio cassette tape

sound_2000_chrom_60 audio cassette tape

sony_hf60_080515 audio cassette tape

radioshack_hd60 audio cassette tape

orwo_k_60_1_1975 audio cassette tape

memorex_dbs_60 audio cassette tape

ICM HIFI CHROMDIOXID C60_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

hitachi_dl_blau_60 audio cassette tape

goldstar_hp60_3_081022 audio cassette tape

EXCLUSIV-C60-RED-RED_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

sony_metal_master_60_1 audio cassette tape

phillips-60 audio cassette tape

SILVERSOUND C60_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

thats_fx60_111214 audio cassette tape

time_ton_c_60_081001 audio cassette tape

toshiba_c-60ax audio cassette tape

TRAVELLERS SOUND C60_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

ts_c_60 audio cassette tape

VISONIK C60_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

maxell_-_udii_60_080417 audio cassette tape

maxell_ul60_080417 audio cassette tape

PROFI C60_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

reel_cleer_rc60_red_081001 audio cassette tape

watson_c60_small_081001 audio cassette tape

maxell_epilaxial_xli_60_081001 audio cassette tape

maxell_LN60_080417 audio cassette tape

orwo_cre_ii_60_090811 audio cassette tape

maxell_ud60_081001 audio cassette tape

maxell_ur_60_080417 audio cassette tape

MaxellXL2-60_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

permachrom_c60_090802 audio cassette tape

Philips-C60_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

SANWA-C60_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

SHAPE C90_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

basf_chrome_maxima_ii_60_081001 audio cassette tape

sony_hf60_080417 audio cassette tape

HORTEN-HIFI-C60_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

sony_fx60_071126 audio cassette tape

Kontak audio cassette tape

sony_hf_60_i_081001 audio cassette tape

fuji_dr_60_i_081001 audio cassette tape

sony_ux_s_60_081001 audio cassette tape

sony_ux60_071201 audio cassette tape

basf_lh_60_080417 audio cassette tape

basf_lh-e_i_60_2_071126 audio cassette tape

Dynamic audio cassette tape

sony_hf-s60_071126 audio cassette tape

congress_60_081001 audio cassette tape

sony_hf60_071126 audio cassette tape

hgs_cro2_60_081001 audio cassette tape

sony_hf-s60_super_ferric_071126 audio cassette tape

sony_metal_master_iv_60_b_081001 audio cassette tape

sony_metal_master_iv_60_a_081001 audio cassette tape

sony_hifi_60_071201 audio cassette tape

sony_hf_60_081001 audio cassette tape

phonola_c60_081001 audio cassette tape

orwo_60_schwarzweiss_hell_071126 audio cassette tape

maxell_ul60_071126 audio cassette tape

maxell_sxii60_080417 audio cassette tape

denon_dx_160_071126 audio cassette tape

ilford_pf60_i_081001 audio cassette tape

maxell_udi_60_080417 audio cassette tape

orwo_cr_e_ii_60 audio cassette tape

sony_walkman_60_081001 audio cassette tape

agfa_superferro_60_111214 audio cassette tape

AGFA-STEREOCHROM-60+6_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

ampex_370_60_111214 audio cassette tape

ARGENTINA-78-C60_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

AUDIO-CLUB-CHROMDIOXID-C60_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

AUDIO-SONIC-C60_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

AUDIO-SONIC-C60-2_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

EXCLUSIV-C60-RED-Black_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

HGS-C60ferro_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

HIGH-ENERGY-C60_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

orwo_K60_1_oge_120922 audio cassette tape

sound_tape_super_ferro_c60_a_oge_120922 audio cassette tape

sony_-_hf60_3_080417 audio cassette tape

sony_-_hf60_080417 audio cassette tape

sony_-_ux-s60_080417 audio cassette tape

sony_-_ux60_080417 audio cassette tape

skc_pure_chrom_c60_071126 audio cassette tape

tokaido_chromdioxide_super_c60_2_oge_120922 audio cassette tape

sound_tape_super_ferro_60_b_oge_120922 audio cassette tape

orwo_k60_2_oge_120922 audio cassette tape

KLASSE-C60_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

Kamichi-C60_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

JESKO-C60_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

hitachi_lownoise_c60_b_oge_120922 audio cassette tape

basf_chrome_extra_ii_60c_081001 audio cassette tape

EXCLUSIV-C60-Black_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

EUROCHROM-C60_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

basf_chromdioxidii_60_071126 audio cassette tape

AUDIO-CLUB-CHROMDIOXID-C60-show_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

AIWA-C60_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

agfa_hrs_60_111214 audio cassette tape

wegert_superferric_60_071126 audio cassette tape

waltham_ferro_lh_60_071126 audio cassette tape

vision_-_chromdioxid_60_080417 audio cassette tape

stilon_iec_i_c_60_081001 audio cassette tape

Sony_UX-S_60_111227 audio cassette tape

sony_super_metal_master_60 audio cassette tape

sony_EF_60_111227 audio cassette tape

sony_-_hf60_2_080417 audio cassette tape

skc_lx60-1_071201 audio cassette tape

SilverSound_C60_111227 audio cassette tape

siemens_c60_hifi audio cassette tape

Philips_UltraChrome_C60_111227 audio cassette tape

Mart_Chroomdioxide_C60_111227 audio cassette tape

DENON_hd6_60_111227 audio cassette tape

whsmith audio cassette tape

yoko_c60_081001 audio cassette tape

MARK II C60_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

maxell_ln60-1_071201 audio cassette tape

tdk_cding2_60_111227 audio cassette tape

sony_cdit_ii_64_081001 audio cassette tape

maxell_ur60_071126 audio cassette tape

maxell_ur60_b__080417 audio cassette tape

OLYMPIC C60_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

Scotch-C60_MCiPjH_121006 audio cassette tape

BASF_SM_60_111227 audio cassette tape

sony_bhf60_071126 audio cassette tape

Scotch-C-60-Extended-Range audio cassette tape

Reel-Cleer-Optics-I-60 audio cassette tape

Magna_Chromdioxid_60_111227 audio cassette tape

Europa_C60_111227 audio cassette tape

denon_dx_60_111227 audio cassette tape

UNION-1000-C60-23-04-2011 audio cassette tape

TELEFUNKEN-C60-1-23-04-2011 audio cassette tape

SEIKO-C60_2-23-04-2011 audio cassette tape

SAMSUNG-XM-H60-23-04-2011 audio cassette tape

UNIVERSUM-C60-23-04-2011 audio cassette tape

PHILIPS-STANDARD-QUALITY-C60-23-04-2011 audio cassette tape

PHILIPS-MOVING-SOUND-C60-23-04-2011 audio cassette tape

PHILIPS-FE-I-C60-23-04-2011 audio cassette tape

MAXELL-UR-F-60-23-04-2011 audio cassette tape

mallory_duratape_crd60_ii_081001 audio cassette tape

MAGTAPE-C60-23-04-2011 audio cassette tape

iplas_-_chromdioxid_60_080417 audio cassette tape

IMG_0230-23-04-2011 audio cassette tape

IMG_0015-23-04-2011 audio cassette tape

IMG_0010-23-04-2011 audio cassette tape

DAK_C60_23-04-2011 audio cassette tape

crown_silver_fantasy_i_60_081001 audio cassette tape

AUDIO-MAGNETICS-XHE-60-23-04-2011 audio cassette tape

ampex_472_normal_60_081001 audio cassette tape

technics_rt-60xa_080417 audio cassette tape

super_ferro_i_60_071201 audio cassette tape

studio_c60_071201 audio cassette tape

stilon_c60-bild02_080417 audio cassette tape

sony_ef60_071201 audio cassette tape

sony_bhf60_071126 audio cassette tape

sanyo_c60_ln_071201 audio cassette tape

sanyo_c60_ln_071126 audio cassette tape

Raks60_High_Dynamic audio cassette tape

raks'n'roll_c60_071201 audio cassette tape

radio_shack_xr-120_080417 audio cassette tape

pioneer_n1x_60_080417 audio cassette tape

pioneer_n1-60_080417 audio cassette tape

pioneer_n1_c60_071126 audio cassette tape

pinnacle_60_080417 audio cassette tape

permaton_ferro_i_plus_080417 audio cassette tape

COMBO-HIFI-C60-23-04-2011 audio cassette tape

IMEA-EURO-TAPE-C60-23-04-2011 audio cassette tape

raks_ed-x60_071126 audio cassette tape

TEXATON-C60-23-04-2011 audio cassette tape

AGFA-C60-4-23-04-2011 audio cassette tape

AGFA-C60-2-23-04-2011 audio cassette tape

3M-C60-23-04-2011 audio cassette tape

universum_hifi_super_c60_071201 audio cassette tape

thats_mr-x60_080417 audio cassette tape

thats_cdiif_60_080417 audio cassette tape

scotch_bx60_080417 audio cassette tape

scotch_bx_60_071126 audio cassette tape

orwo_k60 audio cassette tape

orwo_60_weissblau_hell_071126 audio cassette tape

orwo_60_schwarzweiss_hell_071126 audio cassette tape

orwo_60_gruen_080417 audio cassette tape

music_to_please_071201 audio cassette tape

memorex_mrx_is_60_080417 audio cassette tape

memorex_crx_iis_60_080417 audio cassette tape

memorex_60_071126 audio cassette tape

maxim_ln_60_071126 audio cassette tape

maxell_ln60_071201 audio cassette tape

lewis_d60_071201 audio cassette tape

jvc__gi-60_071201 audio cassette tape

iplas_-_superfero_60_080417 audio cassette tape

international_low_noise_hi_fi_c60ln_071126 audio cassette tape

fuji_fr-ii_60_071126 audio cassette tape

fuji_dr_i_60_080417 audio cassette tape

fuji_dr_i_60_2_080417 audio cassette tape

denon_spankingnew_i_60 audio cassette tape

denon_dxm_60_080417 audio cassette tape

denon_dx_160_071126 audio cassette tape

boots60_080417 audio cassette tape

basf_chromdioxidii_60_071126 audio cassette tape

akai_sx60_071201 audio cassette tape

agfa_stereochrom_60+6_080417 audio cassette tape

agfa_crii_60_080417 audio cassette tape

agfa_c60plus6_grey_080417 audio cassette tape

basf_chromeextra_ii_60_080417 audio cassette tape

basf_chrome_extra_ii_60_080417 audio cassette tape

Agfa_Ferrocolor_60%2B6_Albastra audio cassette tape

Agfa_Ferro_C-60 audio cassette tape

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tapedeck.org responsive layout

after changing the ad layout (which only supports the site and does NOT make me rich, by the way) on tapedeck to inline, tape-sized ads i was finally able to make tapedeck even more responsive: sizing your browser now gives you 1, 3, 4, 5 or 6 columns of tapes, depending on the space available. go ahead and try it! a few pics are on facebook

Isolating Tapes 101

[photo album] http://on.fb.me/MX2BHS — isolating this denon tape was a real piece of work. Still, properly isolated tapes make better tees! Remember that. New Stuff coming soon to Tapewear!

Updates first on Facebook

to stay up to date with the tapes we post, be a fan of tapedeck on Facebook — all updates are posted there first, sometimes days before officially appearing on the site! on Facebook, you'll also get updates on the tapes we're going to post in the future: the shape of tapes to come.