In our no-nonsense journey through the world of audio technology we’ve so far have looked at digital audio and the vinyl disk recording. What’s missing? Magnetic tape, the once-ubiquitous recording ...

A machine that records audio or video onto magnetic tape. A tape "recorder" or tape "deck" generally refers to earlier analog devices, such as a VHS tape recorder. Until the 1990s, analog audio tape ...

A German engineer wanted a cheaper cigarette. The popular crooner Bing Crosby wanted a vacation. Satisfying both desires inadvertently led to the invention of the laugh track. Along the way there were ...

Digital audio has made high-quality listening almost ridiculously convenient. A smartphone can now stream or play lossless ...

I’ve been recording my own music for a long time. And I’m on a more or less constant quest to find the best audio interface—that secret sauce that’s going to level up my home studio (okay, it’s a ...

TAPE recorders cost money. As recreational devices, they have found market, so far, among bird-song enthusiasts, sound maniacs, and cocktail-party gagsters. Now, however, that canny character, the ...

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As president of the largest manufacturer of professional-quality audio cassettes in the country, Steve Stepp is constantly asked how it happened—how did National Audio Company (NAC), founded in 1969, ...