WebCassette takes your digital audio back to Walkman times

Tape cassettes have yet to get the same retro love as vinyl, although there is a mini-resurgence in reel to reel players.

I was eight years old when, in 1979, Sony unleashed the Walkman upon the world. In doing so it revolutionised the way we listened to music. Now your music collection was totally portable and you could enjoy your tunes privately whever you were. Thankfully, roller skates were optional. Sorry, Sir Cliff.

Granted, being Wired for Sound back then may not match the quality of the latest full fat digital audio of now but, there is still space to be able to look back to those halcyon days of our youth.

Let’s face it, I still enjoy the snap, crackle and pop of an LP spinning on my turntable, and I still do have a soft spot for the aesthetics of a compact cassette.

WebCassette

Great news, then, that you can relive the 70s and 80s without having to fork out for a used Walkman and cassettes. All you need is a browser and a web connection, and to head over to a site called WebCassette. This will then go ahead and degrade your digital music files so the sound quality hearkens back to a time before compact discs hit the market.

To play your music, just hit eject and then browse for your tune of choice.

You can even dial in your required quality, or lack thereof, of the cassette tape, the quality of the cassette player’s motor, and the performance of the playback heads.

Whether this gets you misty-eyed as you transport yourself back to your BMX-riding childhood or make you realise how lucky you were to be born in the digital age will probably rely on your age. Either way, it’s a bit of free fun.

https://webcassette.klysmafax.se/