Before Christmas at age 14 in 1983 my grandmother asked what I wanted as a gift. I knew I wanted a Walkman-style cassette player, but without knowing much about them I pointed to a picture of one in the Sears catalog as an example. She bought EXACTLY the one I pointed to , which turned out to be a mono Panasonic one much like you show here. I thought it was broken when audio only came through my left earphone. I was disappointed when I figured it out but didn't want to tell my grandmother. So I more or less set it aside. Later, I discovered how to record from the telephone which turned out to be a lot of fun with friends. Then much later in the 90's I ended up using my Panasonic recorder to record interviews and phone calls for my college radio show. So despite my initial disappointment with my Michael Jackson and Culture Club cassettes, it was a blessing in disguise to have a solid press recorder! 🙂

I love your videos, VWestlife. There is genuine passion behind it and it is so comfortable listening to your voice. I think I have watched every singl VWestlife Video until now. This video was very interesting, too.

I remember one of my aunts who was a court stenographer had one of these as a backup deck, and for simple voice recordings they did their job more than well enough.

What I learned from my experience buying cassette recorders that aren't Walkman is that they're almost always mono. Both playback and recording.

@macdaniel6029

3 ай бұрын

Maybe today, not in the 80s and 90s.

@suikogarden

3 ай бұрын

@@macdaniel6029 I'm not talking about today though.

@macdaniel6029

3 ай бұрын

@@suikogarden I've never ever encountered a mono cassette player/recorder from the 80s or 90s, even the cheapest with only play/ff/stop were stereo models.

@suikogarden

3 ай бұрын

I think there's a misunderstanding here. My original comment actually refers to Sony's non-Walkman cassette recorders since it's what is being discussed in this video.

@Charlesb88

3 ай бұрын

⁠@@macdaniel6029Well, I’m about to prove you wrong. I went and pulled out two old Sony Cassette-Corders from the 90s I own. The earlier model, the Sony TCM-59V Cassette-Corder (1995) is definitely mono only. It records and plays back only in mono. The slightly later model is a Sony TCS-580V (1996) Cassette-Corder and supports both stereo playback and stereo recording. So while walkabout personal cassette players from the 80s/90s aimed solely at music playback (I.e. non-recording), including cheap fast forward (FF) only models, indeed all I ended to support Stereo playback by default, this was not often the case for personal handheld recording models unless you bought a fancier model. All of Sony’s TCM (M for mono) models where mono record/playback only. The TCS (S for Stereo) models all supported stereo playback/record. For anyone interested, the features of the two Cassette-corner models I own are as follows. Sony TCM-59V (1995): * Mono playback and recorder. * Mono “Ear” jack. * Duel mono speakers on backside. * Built-in flat mic on cassette door. * Voice activated recording (VOR) with high/low sensitivity switch. * Variable speed playback & recording via speed control dial. * Auto-reverse on playback. Manual reverse on recording via Direction (DIR) switch on side (w/ REV/FWD direction indicator) * Pause switch * External mic Jack w/ support for “Plug in Power” compatible mics. * Tape counter * Three Battery/recording level indicator lights. * One touch recording * Review and Cue feature. * DC-in Jack. * Hand strap. * Rubber Feet on speaker side to raise device off table/counter for when playing through speakers. * Considered top of the line for its time for Sony’s mono Cassette-Corder model lineup. Aimed at the handheld dictation recorder market. TCS-580V (1996): * Shared features with TCM-59V include: VOR, external mic Jack w/ plug in power, tape counter, hand strap, built-in mono speaker, speed control, pause switch, one touch recording, DC-in, and rubber feet on back. * Duel Stereo Mics on top. * Stereo Headphone Jack. * Tape type selector switch (Normal, CrO2/Metal) * No auto-reverse. * At end of hand strap is an attached hard rubber square with Sony logo embossed on it the can be inserted into a slot on back of recorder to prop it for better recording through built-in stereo mics.

A new video from VWestlife! My Sunday has improved now.

The pause feature not retracting the pinch roller is a lot like first generation teddy ruxpin models because as you close the door on Teddy's back, it puts it right into position. The worst part is as long as that cover is closed, it will always be on the capstan. So virtually ALL first generation teddy ruxpins have this issue as well.

Snap! I had exactly that model in 1991. It indeed made excellent recordings despite its budget price. Wasn't aware of the pause issue - I only paused it for a minute or two during recording.

I love it when things get fixed and repaired. Thank you for sharing this footage. As a kid of the 70s and 80s audio tapes have still a place in my heart. Keep up the good work. 😊

Your videos always brightens up my day! Thank you.

In my country journalists kept using recorders like this on the field until the early 2000s. A common sight on tv during soccer games, trials, or some politician trying to avoid uncomfortable questions.

I love these small mono recorders! I have one of the higher-end models from this series - the Sony TCM-37V. It has all the bells and whistles you could want in a recorder, including voice activation and a "cue marker" that places a beep on the tape when recording.

One thing I remember about these: at school where we learned Russian (was still a thing in East Germany even after the collapse of the Iron Curtain) we learned that “Воркмень” (literally Walkman) only meant Walkmen that could record and the playback-only ones were called “Плеер” (Literally Player). Are there any Russians here who can confirm or disprove that?

@naorunaoru

3 ай бұрын

I can only confirm the latter. But I'd assume that in my neck of the woods in the 90s even a device capable of recording would be called плеер. We dubbed our cassettes on stationary decks anyway. Regarding the term волкмень - that sounds plausible but I doubt it was widespread, perhaps someone invented it on the spot and the others in the group picked it up as suitable enough.

TCS are stereo, TCM are mono.

This was certainly an Unbiased review, which is good in a Pinch. 😅

@davidbono9359

3 ай бұрын

That was a reel good one!

...and to further complicate matters they also made 'TCS' stereo models!

5:58 -- OOPS! That bottom belt appears to be *twisted* !

@vwestlife

3 ай бұрын

I straightened out the belts off-camera before putting the cover back on.

@dhpbear2

3 ай бұрын

@@vwestlife Yay!

Sony also made a series of cassette models for the business customers that have the letters BM in the title. I know because I used to work for a Sony dealer in the 90's as the main repair technician and still have a BM-17 that I use quite often and it still works great. Some of the differences on my model are: the selector slides and chassis inside are made of metal, there is a "fast play back" slider in the controls, an "E-IDX" (for electronic index) also in the controls, a high and low setting for the tone, a counter, as well as "dictate" (for record) and "listen" (for play back). Originally, it would record voice on one channel of the stereo head and the electronic index on the other channel (so the transcriber could quickly find the various sections of the tape). I modified mine to record audio on both tracks as I used to use mine at my band practices to record our songs. It does have automatic level control and a built in mic (though it also has an input for an external mic which is what I usually used). There is also a mono headphone jack, an external power supply jack, AND a leather wrap removable cover AND a strap. All in all it's a very well made machine - much better than the Walkman OR the one you have shown here even though it IS based on the same mechanisms. Also, because I used to repair these, and other Sony business models, for a living, I still have complete official Sony repair manuals, loads of official Sony parts (not just belts and pinch rollers), and Sony test tapes and Sony torque test tapes. Sony used to make some of the very best cassette machines which is why mine is still working like new after all these years.

At 8:02, where you demonstrate the audible playback wobble effect caused by the deformed pinch roller, my cat sleeping in the adjacent cat tree opened up her eyes and gazed curiously towards me. Priceless!

2:30 The way it squeaks when you handle it makes it sound that the plastic was thin and flimsy.

Gabe Pressman was a distinguished reporter years ago for Channel 4, WNBC in New York City. 😊

@plushifoxed

3 ай бұрын

that's nominative determinism if I've ever heard of it!

Love the double wobble on the recorded playback 😂

>people are selling mono cassette recorders with stereo headphones That's kind of funny. I remember seeing not but a few days ago someone selling a stereo walkman with a transistor radio earphone. Strange times we live in.

The good thing about cassette transport pinch rollers is that they're still being manufactured today in all sizes and materials. And you can even approximate their sizes... no need to exact match. Of course you can't use a 2.5mm center pin roller on a 1.5mm slot for a roller with integrated pins but it is the case you can use a slightly different size with no adverse consequences.

One of the things I sell pre frequently are these old cassette players. Somewheres around here I've got a box of about 20 that all have the belt broken. It's becoming more and more common that when I get them the belt is broken. This is the first time I've seen one that is that simple to change the belt. I don't even think about taking them apart anymore because most of them the belt is somewheres in the middle under a bunch of mechanisms some cases multiple circuit boards gears or other things between you and any way of accessing the belt. It's the first time I've seen why you just pop the cover off and the two belts are right there. Once in a while I bump into somebody that works on them hence why I usually put them in one place but it's been so long I don't know where I put the Box. I chuckle when I hear the words astronomical price. I usually get between 10 and 25 bucks no matter what brand the damn thing is whether it's a Walkman or what recorder or stereo you usually get 10 to 25 bucks if they're working. I even have a box for a very early one from Sears with the headset but I don't have the cassette player that goes in the Box. I'd forgotten that the record button distinguishes them from being a Walkman myself.

Thank you for another free video.

These random infomercial cassettes will never cease to amuse me.

An hour of my time is priceless, which is why imma waste it watching KZread videos.

Very interesting you do a great job with your videos. Keep up the great work.

Oh Nice a new video! I love walkmans and cassettes recorderé. Thanks Kevin for bringing me in the past! you are the best indeed!.

The pinch roller dents are a dangerous thing and I hate mechanisms which do weird things with the capstan lifting process. I have a Hitachi boombox in which the head rack lifts with the main motor, so one day someone tried to play a tape, it lifted the heads and... the belt gave in. At which point the owner just gave up on it and used it as a radio for 20 more years. Needless to say now the pinch roller has a dent so big that when it reaches the capstan the roller stops turning entirely and the tape doesn't play anymore

I found one of these (a later version) the Sony TCM-459v supposedly from 1998. The seller on Ebay listed it for parts but is in fantastic condition. I hope to get it working and use for fun. With these machines that have a built in speaker, I find I can dictate (on the go if ideas come to me for a project). Then what I do is open MS Word and use the 'Dictate' function, press play and can go off and do something else while it types. I then proof read the final result and it works well. The one I bought has a mic jack so have ordered an 80s Sony mic to plug in as well

In the early 80's (but also later actually) Sony used Walkman tape transport for its series of TCM recorder (as an example, the WM-22 tape transport was used on many TCM's of the mid 80's); that is not the case for your TCM-31 which is using a tape transport developed for TCM only. Overall I like Sony TCM's but as they are all 30+ years old, it is rare to find ones with silent transport; and when the mic is so close to the tape transport, it is imperative to have a very silent mechanism otherwise your recording will mostly capture noises from the recorder itself.

7:00 this vintage tape is wonderful

I have my original Sony Walkman from 1979/80 The motor in that design featured a rubber suspension within the rather cylindrical housing. I never researched if a fix was made available for that or not

That Sony looks similar to one that I’ve got, nice to see that all it needed were some new belts! Mine has a few more features like a tape counter and an interesting microphone design, but it has some sort of electrical fault. At least yours can continue to play cassettes! I didn’t know that’s how the pause mechanism works on models like these, I guess it’s nice for in the moment use as it can quickly play again but definitely not good long term. Great video!

I really like the look of this device, very stylish

It’s Sony’s tape dictation series, Pressman was used in our schools for recording group presentations, it’s for the business and educational purposes!

Nowadays you can still find handheld recorders, but sadly they're all mono, just like that one. About ten years ago the school I worked for still used Panasonic RQ-L11 handheld mono recorders (kids recorded in class, listened at home) but unfortunately not the RQ-L31 with a microphone jack. Interestingly, the RQ-L11 did NOT need a stereo adaptor for headphones, it sent sound to both sides when playing commercial cassettes.

I had the Panasonic Stereo to go unit. It was great. The Sony corders were great. I had this model and the majority of them always had problems with the belts. I also had the My First Sony cassette player WM-3000 that had a window on the flywheel and they had design of yellow dots printed on it. I think it uses the same mechanism. Great video.

The design language reminded me a bit of the Sony WM-BF 49 I had as a teenager. It makes sense to keep these two product lines close together. The only question is, which product line was derived from the other?

Those 'electronic pause' switches are commonplace on handheld tape recorders, I've used many units like that over the years, so I understand the issue with the pinch roller. I understand it also happens with the very first Teddy Ruxpin model as the cassette door on that unit engages and disengages the mechanism when it's opened and closed, if you have no tape in the player, the pinch roller will always rest on the capstan. Not very good.

Good video VWestlife 👍

Wow that Magnavox D6600 at 1:32 looks familiar. Got the same one here right next to me but with a Philips logo

Never got into the Walkman. Spent most of my efforts in building a home comoonent system (mostly Akai), and later a JVC boom box. Still, an interesting bit of history.

0:00 I HAVE THE SANYO ONE!!! this was my first walkman back in 2022 (i'm 18 years old) the sound quality is really good, i recomend it

My 1994 Sony clock radio had the same issue with the pinch roller. I can only assume that it was left in the play position for a really long time. It took me a while to figure out that's what it was. I replaced the pinch roller with a new one off Alibaba express and it performs as good as new.

I have a Sony TCS-430 Stereo Cassette-Corder. It looks very similar to the TCM-31 in this video, but stereo. I replaced the belts, and it plays, fast-forwards and rewinds. However, no sound comes out of either the mono internal speaker nor the stereo headphone jack. Which is too bad because being stereo playback, I had high hopes that it would at least have decent sound. Very likely has a broken wire or a burned out component on the board. Not worth investigating, sadly.

The plastic case moldings are kind of similar to the WM-B47 I have. It's also a 1989 model. with auto reverse. bass/treble slider and Dolby B. It's also just as bulky. The internals aren't similar, but I recognize some parts, like the large grey flywheel. I replaced the belt on mine, surprisingly there's only one belt that passes around both flywheels, compared to this one.

All of a sudden I got curious about your office manager.

Deck tech (mana tree) my favourite belt supplier!

I scored recently at my local flea market yet another Walkman that also features an FM/AM radio. If you switch to the radio with the tape mechanism engaged, the tape also will get electronically paused like in your recorder. It's just another point of similarity 😅

For clarification to those younger viewers, an earphone is different than headphones. An earphone is the equivalent of a single earbud.

@HamtaroEL

3 ай бұрын

Modern earphone - PS4 mic/earphone.

But what are the things that poor office managers have in common?

hey i currently have a tcm-150 cassette-corder, which was released in the 2000s but i got this one very recently from a dirt cheap thrift shop for less than $2. never owned a walkman/pressman or any other portable cassette decks before but cassettes were still a thing when i was a kid in 2000s (early genzer here!), and we did have a double tape deck until 2010. for some reason during the pandemic my childhood memories flashed back, and one of them are cassettes, so i wanted to buy one but was too expensive (we are in a third world country anyway) but i started making playlists should i make an actual mixtape at some point. after 3 years when all was clear i would pass by at some thrift shops selling quite obscure gadgets, and when i find a portable cassette deck (i would still call it a walkman even if it is not a sony or if it is a monaural cassette-corder nevertheless) i would buy it from my allowance. i found this unit with the only defects being a gooey belt and some rusty screws. once fixed, i popped in some tapes i bought some time after, and yeah, that same W&F problem with these players. i once thought that alongside the belt and the pinch rollers, the fact that is mono-headed without a separator (like that of stereo heads) might be the cause of its wobbliness. still, i use it to make my own mixtapes by hacking the circuit by replacing the internal mic with a mic jack, as the former really smelled bad, not to mention i would always sanitize what i buy at those stores. i actually want to hack it further like extending its 250-6000 hz freq response rate like idk, recapping it? but overall i'm fine with this one as im very into retro stuffs, but my quest still goes on.

I have the exact same one but the record button is broken off but it still works for regular playback

So that's how they made those bootleg concert recordings back them...😅

I have a tcs-60dv which plays and records in stereo, but i accidentally ripped the ribbon cable going to the tape head whilst changing the belt.

nice easy fix for you good demo

I immediately confused 'Pressman' with the toy and game manufacturer! I guess I wasn't far off! ;)

I think I had the next model up, with a mic socket. I used it for my computers.

I also bought a Retekess TR606 which is a cassette corder but it when I record something and play it back on built in speakers it sounds wobbly especially when recording through music but when I play it with earphones the recording improves a bit and it is less wobbly.

It's funny to think that for something intended to be a frequently used device that could see many more hours of use and abuse than a Walkman that they chose to use plastic for the mechanical parts, but I guess they had to have abudget version to make their pricier versions look like a much better choice, kind of like cars, nobody wanted the base L, they wanted the GLX or something, even though it was pretty much the same car... :P

BTW: Poor office managers also have some things in common.

The mono OG 👍

i have a sony tcm-11 cassette corder and because im still new to using a cassette player of any kind, im kinda curious..how well does the in built mic record as compared to the mic plug that is seen on other models?

I really enjoyed this mate. I'd love to see more British Invasion bands covered. We had a lot of classic UK bands climbing the charts here in Australia during the 1960s and 70s.

The test recording sounds like it was from a 1930s news recording

Looks like the handheld Home Alone tape recorder if they extended the microphone and made it for kids.

Poor office managers also have some things in common.

I have a Sony recorder with micro cassette and had the same issue with the belts.😊

National Panasonic did the same thing when the original Walkman came out, they got their RX-1900 cassette recorder and removed the speaker and came with a case with neck strap and rebadged it as RX-1950 GO its litterly the same machine.... 😑

So if I get a stereo adapter I can get decent playback quality of cassette tapes when listening to them?

In fairness to Retrospekt, they run a great refurbishment and repair business for Polaroid cameras which I have taken advantage of. But I do agree that’s seriously overpriced.

My first Walkman style portable was a GPX brand.. we were poor..

VWestlife, what is the video camera did you used for this video? I'm on the market right now to buy a new camera to replace my missing DSLR camera. Can you do a video about it? Just curious. Hope you'll notice this...

@vwestlife

3 ай бұрын

I used a Canon HF200 from 2009.

@FranklyPeetoons

3 ай бұрын

@@vwestlife That's EXACTLY the same camera I have handed down to the spowess for when she needs to capture video with a zoom lens better than her phone's. For its age and price it produces excellent video quality in good light (in abusively low light it sometimes drops frames). I got it on ebay in 2014 for about $25 with a bunch of extra batteries and a tripod. Since then, vintage camcorders must have become "hip" because ebay prices are far in excess of what they were 10 years ago.

Nice 👍

Question Kev? What is the best CD And cassette boom box or table top player in your opinion available now?

I lost weight and could tighten my belts, too. 😅 Thanks for your interesting video. In England you Cue when you wait in a line. 😅

@Vaquero_Reducks

3 ай бұрын

Haha, good one! Actually, I think it's "queue," but it sounds the same. I'm going to a concert later today.... I hope the queue at the ticket window isn't too long.😊

@DerekLippold

3 ай бұрын

Queue

@raymondmartin6737

3 ай бұрын

@@DerekLippold Thanks 😊 Sorry about my spelling error.

Have you tried boiling belts? 12voltvids has shown that with certain belts it can be quite effective at restoring their elasticity

How do you fix if the microphone does not work or sounds distorted? I found no solution for it.

i wonder if boiling the pinch roller would get the dent out. like with belts. hmmm.

Did they ever make a dictation recorder that used 1 track for recording to increase dictation time? Example side A left, side A right, side B left and side B right.

I'm guessing the Pressman and Walkman used the same AM/FM radio IC, from the Sony CXA1019 series.

@vwestlife I was wondering what you are going to do when windows 10 ends next year? Will you just migrate over to windows 11 or will you give Linux a chance again?

Would that rubber roller swell and round out if you soaked it in hot water?

I notice you like to show off the reel to reel cassettes. I’ve found reproductions on eBay and even Amazon. Have you reviewed these? I am just getting into cassettes and would love to record my favorite music to some reel to reel style cassettes.

This guy is stuck in the 20th century! 😅

In a nutshell, this is a compact cassette dictaphone.

If it looks like a Walkman, feels like a Walkman, sounds like a Walkman, and clickety-clacks like a Walkman, then to me, it's a Walkman *Even if it's in mono, not stereo*

Interesting.

What track is that at 3:45?

@vwestlife

3 ай бұрын

Mr. Fantastic in the Wonderful World of Wurlitzer

When are you going to incorporate muppets into your vids like Techmoan?

@viktorakhmedov3442

3 ай бұрын

Everyone is doing it.

I have to ask myself where the heck I was? I just don't remember the Pressman from the 80's.

Okay but what are the things poor office managers also have in common?? Inquiring minds... Also this recorder and I are the same age and function very similarly: I also dislike being put on hold and my belts also need replacing.

That wobble in the capstan makes these recorders junk. Yes you can replace it, but continued pausing for good lengths will only ruin the new one, too!

"TCM" is an unfortunate naming... used as well since the early 1990ies by "Tchibo Certified Merchandise": cheap spot deal imports of electronic novelties in German coffee supermarket chain "Tchibo". boomboxes, record players, radio clocks... 100% plastic...

If the belts are Toulouse does one blame France 🇫🇷. 😊

Phony Walkman..

I had that model, but it broke!

I love bare 🦴 bones