Found out my favorite 90s mixtape was dubbed at half speed

I was reading a forum post about cassette duplication techniques and learned that some indie labels in the 90s intentionally slowed down the master tape to 1 7/8 ips for certain releases. Turns out one of my most played mixtapes from a small Portland label was dubbed this way, which explains the warmer sound. Has anyone else run into a tape that was slowed down on purpose?

2 comments

2 Comments

simon_wood7229d ago

Wait, is this actually a thing or just tape nerd folklore? I've got a few old tapes from tiny labels and they sound different but I always figured it was just wear and tear or bad equipment. Half speed dubbing sounds like one of those things that gets romanticized after the fact.

amy69229d ago

Heard a story from a guy who ran a tiny label in the 90s, he swore by half speed dubbing for his cassette releases. Said it made the bass hit harder and the highs less fizzy, but his real trick was baking the tapes in a food dehydrator before cutting them. I dunno if that's even real or he was just messing with me, but I tried it on a crusty old mix tape once and it did make it play smoother. Probably just dried out the sticky goo though, not some magic audio thing.