Reel-to-Reel Tape
The wire recorder had been developing for several years when in mid-40's, several companies began to work on a magnetic tape recorder. Several types of tape were introduced, including a plastic-based tape with oxide, which became the industry standard. Many professional tape recorders were introduced in the late 40's, and in 1950, two-channel tape recorders were introduced to make stereo recordings of music (for demonstration purposes).
"There are two physically distinct types of discs: Premastered MDs, similar to CDs in operation and manufacture, and Recordable MDs, which can be recorded on repeatedly and employ magneto-optical technology. The disc itself is enclosed in a small
(7cm x 7cm), convenient, cartridge."
There are currently many artists recorded on MiniDisc -- these MD's are available through several sites. Sony has over 400 selections available from The Vault; Sony Canada has over 170 titles in their online catalogue; CD Europe has over 1600 available MiniDiscs.
CD Europe has over 150 titles available on Digital Compact Cassette.
RCA Cartridges
Cassette Tape
In 1963, Philips demonstrated the first compact audio cassette using 1/8-inch tape at 1 7/8 ips. These were testmarketed in 1966 in Britain, more than a year before their release in the U.S. In 1984, cassette sales exceeded LP sales for the first time.
4-Track Tape
PlayTape
PlayTapes were common in the late 1960's, being one of the first truly portable formats. Over 3,000 artists recorded these 2-track PlayTape cartridges, including The Beatles and The Grateful Dead, along with the entire Motown catalog. With the upsurge of the 8-Track, PlayTapes were obsolete by 1970. However, PlayTape represented a major step in the pre-recorded music industry and is a joy and challenge to collectors of many sorts.8-Track Tape
The standard 8-Track, or "Stereo-8," format became popularized in the mid-60's and quickly overtook its near-identical twin and close competitor, the 4-Track tape, as well as PlayTape. The 8-Track industry enjoyed a boom in the early to mid-70's, but died off mainly due to the growing popularity of the cassette tape. In 1983, the recording industry as a whole ceased to manufacture 8-Track tapes -- however, there are still die-hard fans of the format who collect, sell, trade, and even still record 8-Tracks.Compact Disc
The compact disc...
Digital Audio Tape
The DAT-heads FAQ
Sony MiniDisc
From The MiniDisc Community Page:
"MiniDiscs were introduced by
Sony in 1992 as a disc based
digital medium for recording and distributing consumer audio that is ``near CD'' in quality... Digital Compact Cassette
Near the end of 1992, the Digital Compact Cassette, or DCC, was introduced. This technology was intended to be a step up from the analog cassette, and DCC players were indeed able to play the traditional analog cassette. However, this close cousin to the Digital Audio Tape was short-lived, and in October of 1996, Philips discontinued manufacturing DCC for home use. Digital Versatile Disc (DVD)
DVD was originally introduced as a successor to the laserdisc, but its other applications were soon realized. Audio is ony one of many possible avenues available for DVD. The audio standard has not yet been decided upon, but should be soon.
since 30 October 1997