Maxell Audio Tapes: Mixing It Up
One of the most frequently used brands of audio tapes used for mixed tapes over the last 25 years is Maxell. These tapes were used to create musical collections. Their most frequent use was as a love token, but sometimes they were made to reflect other emotions or to generally provide a sound track of a person's life for his friends to connect with.
The mixed tape, as an art form, made it easier for people who had trouble expressing their feelings to relay their emotions in a safer way, typically teenagers and young adults. It was much easier for people to speak through the song lyrics than to speak directly to their crushes, and it allowed the mixed tape artist a sense of inhibition.
One of the most popular audio tapes were Maxell, thanks to their jackets. These cards allowed mixed tape creators to list the songs on their tapes, and could be unfolded to provide more space. In addition, Maxell even thought to provide spare labels for each cassette tape, in case an error was made while writing the labels.
Maxell audio tapes were also manufactured with thinner cases, so people could fit more of them in their cassette cases or in their car storage places. They were also easier to carry in a pocket, so that the mixed tape artist could more casually slip it to the intended receiver.
Any audiotape should retain its sound quality over a period of time. It has been common for many mixed tapes manufactured with various brands lose their sound quality in just a matter of months. Further, heat and light also can affect the music quality. One of the brands of tapes that have been time tested for sound quality has been Maxell brand audiotape.
Many mixed tapes on 25-year-old Maxell cassettes still run perfectly well. The problem at this late date is finding a machine that will actually play the cassettes. Still, if even vinyl can make a comeback, there's no reason that audio cassettes couldn't, given the number of people and tapes still outstanding. Other tapes used for mixes were made by TDK and Fuji brands.
In the 1980s the rage was to make mixed tapes for friends and loved ones. Three main brands were Maxell audio tapes, TDK cassette tapes, and Fuji audio tapes, but Maxell became the preferred brand. Its expandable fold-out jacket size, complementary extra jackets, thinner tape size to allow for easier storage and portability, and durability marked it as the favorite brand to record on. Many of these tapes from the 80s are still in working order, and as long as there are cassette tapes and players, fans will love to hear them. So why not check out some old tapes sometime for fun!
Published August 9th, 2007
Filed in Motivational, Other
