# Are tape recorders still used? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 10, 2015, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tape-recorders-still-used/722181 "2015-06-10T17:26:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tape-recorders-still-used/722181/1 "2015-06-10T17:26:34Z")
In a thread I’ve been following, a poster stated he was going to use a tape recorder to tape a conversation. This made me wonder if tape recorders are still in use for some specialized reasons, or perhaps I’m being snobby and they’re commonly used? ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tape-recorders-still-used/722181/2 "2015-06-10T17:36:35Z")
I certainly see cassette tape recorders used when gathering evidence on staff disciplinaries ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tape-recorders-still-used/722181/3 "2015-06-10T18:06:40Z")
Cassette recorders are still being produced and sold (for instance on [Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_kk_1?rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Acassette+recorder&keywords=cassette+recorder&ie=UTF8&qid=1433959266)). I therefore assume that some folks actually use them. ---
**Author:** ![Lee\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/aeb1de/32.png) [@Lee\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lee_Q)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tape-recorders-still-used/722181/4 "2015-06-10T20:47:49Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > In a thread I’ve been following, a poster stated he was going to use a tape recorder to tape a conversation. This made me wonder if tape recorders are still in use for some specialized reasons, or perhaps I’m being snobby and they’re commonly used? I’d guess many people who want to record just use their smartphone these days. However I’ve seen lots of fairly recent clips of police interrogations where a manual tape recorder was used. No idea how common it still is in those situations, but it’s what comes to mind when I think of tape recorders. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tape-recorders-still-used/722181/5 "2015-06-10T23:40:18Z")
A lot of very good music is still being released on tape. Great format, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tape-recorders-still-used/722181/6 "2015-06-10T23:41:01Z")
> [@Steken](#): > > A lot of very good music is still being released on tape. > > Great format, I think. Not if you care about audio fidelity. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tape-recorders-still-used/722181/7 "2015-06-10T23:45:57Z")
I use a (digital) tape recorder to record phone interviews (I’m a writer/editor) or if I’m covering an event. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tape-recorders-still-used/722181/8 "2015-06-10T23:59:16Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > Not if you care about audio fidelity. I wouldn’t listen to Bach on tape. I would – and do – listen to [Mefitic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3TNcUWi774) on tape. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tape-recorders-still-used/722181/9 "2015-06-11T00:05:07Z")
> [@Steken](#): > > A lot of very good music is still being released on tape. > > Great format, I think. I read an article that said cassette tapes are making a comeback because some hipsters think that vinyl records have become too mainstream for their tastes. I have no idea how many people really buy them but somebody is. I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s. You can have all the cassette tapes, 8-Tracks, reel-to-reel and whatever other piece of shit technology you want from that era. There is no advantage to them whatsoever and lots of bad drawbacks. Cd’s are plenty old school enough these days and at least they sound good and generally won’t try to launch a murder-suicide mission inside your player. I have spent way too many hours of my life already fishing long ribbons of cassette tapes out of players and then trying desperately to wind it back up by hand and then splice it back together again if part of it is completely ruined. Take them all please. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tape-recorders-still-used/722181/10 "2015-06-11T00:08:54Z")
I grew up with tapes too. I like 'em, always did. Cheap and nasty, in a good way. Perfect for foul, necrotic underground metal, which is 75% of everything I listen to. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tape-recorders-still-used/722181/11 "2015-06-11T00:12:51Z")
I’ve seen court reporters use tape recorders (usually as a back up to their transcription). Sometimes (after obtaining the judge’s permission\*) they’ll put it right on the bench. \*If they’re smart. Some judges will rip into someone for not requesting permission. But some judges are assholes. ---
**Author:** ![Marion\_Wormer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Marion\_Wormer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marion_Wormer)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tape-recorders-still-used/722181/12 "2015-06-11T00:57:45Z")
Cassette players and recorders are still used by the blind. When I gave away my books on tape, an acquaintance’s grandfather was blind and still used the tape machine. This was a year or two ago ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tape-recorders-still-used/722181/13 "2015-06-11T00:59:04Z")
The only good reason to release any music on tape nowadays is if it’s the soundtrack to _Guardians of the Galaxy_. If you want a cheap physical medium, you get a CD. If you want a cheap physical medium and you also want to be able to listen to it in a pocket-sized portable player, you get a CD and then copy it onto an iPod or equivalent. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tape-recorders-still-used/722181/14 "2015-06-11T01:07:52Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I read an article that said cassette tapes are making a comeback because some hipsters think that vinyl records have become too mainstream for their tastes. I have no idea how many people really buy them but somebody is. I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s. You can have all the cassette tapes, 8-Tracks, reel-to-reel and whatever other piece of shit technology you want from that era. There is no advantage to them whatsoever and lots of bad drawbacks. Cd’s are plenty old school enough these days and at least they sound good and generally won’t try to launch a murder-suicide mission inside your player. I have spent way too many hours of my life already fishing long ribbons of cassette tapes out of players and then trying desperately to wind it back up by hand and then splice it back together again if part of it is completely ruined. Take them all please. There is no worse hell than trying to untangle and repair an 8-track tape. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tape-recorders-still-used/722181/15 "2015-06-11T02:01:04Z")
I can imagine occasions where a tape could be preferred as evidence - vastly harder to mess with and edit the content in an undetectable manner. But that would be a stretch. Tape machines have a sort of cult following in parts of the professional and semi-professional recording industry. Old multi-track recorders (ie one and two inch tape) that were gathering dust or being sold for scrap are being refurbished and used. Adherents claim to love the sound. And there is a sound - the sound of tape being artfully pushed is part of the rock and roll sound of the 80’s. But tape has inherent limitations. It doesn’t have the dynamic range of even 16 bit digital (it just about got there with the introduction of Dolby SR, but that came in just as digital was getting up a head of steam.) It has inherent distortion that can’t be easily removed, and there are nasty artefacts (such as scrape flutter) that are essentially built into the system. If you want the sound of tape, there are plug-ins for DAW software that emulate tape, many allow you to select the precise brand of tape, formulation, and other parameters. There are analog devices as well that emulate it - basically giving you a hysteresis curve with a lossy transformer. There does exist a lunatic fringe that likes the idea of fully steam powered audio - tape, all tube based electronics and vinyl. Each to their own. Everyone needs a hobby. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tape-recorders-still-used/722181/16 "2015-06-11T02:08:14Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > There is no worse hell than trying to untangle and repair an 8-track tape. Hahaha. I have fond memories of prying those buggers apart and splicing the damaged section back together. Once you do it a few times you get used to the routine. The first time it was “schproing!” and tape everywhere. I apologize to my older brother for trashing his “Quadrophenia” tape and then denying I had ever seen it. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tape-recorders-still-used/722181/17 "2015-06-11T02:42:39Z")
In my office we use digital recorders, but, we call them “tape recorders” because, yaknow, we’re old. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tape-recorders-still-used/722181/18 "2015-06-11T02:46:34Z")
May I point out to the “tape sounds like crap” population that there are huge differences between cassette and real tape? Even 1/4" open-reel is quite credible. Especially for those who think MP3 is “music”. (yes, I _do_ still have my 1969 Sony TC-377 deck). ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tape-recorders-still-used/722181/19 "2015-06-11T02:55:34Z")
I still see the old style tape recorders being used at meetings and some people using the “minis” for notes and things on the go. I would say more this past year than say 3 years back. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tape-recorders-still-used/722181/20 "2015-06-11T03:13:45Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Hahaha. I have fond memories of prying those buggers apart and splicing the damaged section back together. Once you do it a few times you get used to the routine. > > The first time it was “schproing!” and tape everywhere. I apologize to my older brother for trashing his “Quadrophenia” tape and then denying I had ever seen it. What’s even worse is when the tape wound so tightly around the spool, it stopped moving at all. Then you had to cut the tape apart, unwind a few turns to get it loose again, then resplice it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tape-recorders-still-used/722181.md?page=2)