Amstrad TS40 Tower System
My parents bought one just as I was geting interested in music and hi-fi, which traumatisd me for years afterewards. I could never understand why the cassette deck would playback with a reasonably flat frequency response, but in record mode was utterly useless, making tapes a mushy muffled mess. I still have some treasured tapes of Live Aid, and also of The Friday Rock show with Tommy Vance, especially the ACDC Live at Atlantic studios gig on TDK SA C60. Back then, and for many years afterwards it seemed that this was going to be my only ever copy.....
SteveR750:My parents bought one just as I was geting interested in music and hi-fi, which traumatisd me for years afterewards. I could never understand why the cassette deck would playback with a reasonably flat frequency response, but in record mode was utterly useless, making tapes a mushy muffled mess. I still have some treasured tapes of Live Aid, and also of The Friday Rock show with Tommy Vance, especially the ACDC Live at Atlantic studios gig on TDK SA C60. Back then, and for many years afterwards it seemed that this was going to be my only ever copy.....
Just on that theme of Live Aid and treasured recordings, I recorded most of Live Aid (the good bits, and my fav artists) on 3 TDK E180 video cassettes on my Sharp VCR. In mono. At the time (1985) NICAM was a new thing, and I couldn't afford a NICAM VCR. I was gutted.. I knew it was something I would want to keep, but I knew that I would have to endure watching it in mono forever.
And it got worse. Mandela Day at Wembley, 11th June 1988. I will never forget it. Some great acts, including Queen, were on during the day. But in the evening, when it got dark, was the headliner, and peak of this musical bonanza - Dire Straits featuring special guest Eric Clapton. It was magical. Some of the best live music I had ever seen them play. It sounded and looked awesome on my parent's new Sony NICAM telly.
Then my face started to drop.. It suddenly dawned on me that upstairs in my bedroom, my Sharp VCR was whirring away, recording this whole - 'absolutely never to be repeated ever' - pinnacle of Dire Straits live repetoire (they split not long after) in horrible muffled mono dullness. I still have that tape to this day, and watch it occasionally on my Sony NICAM VCR. The tape reels squeak, as I endure a now fading and grainy picture full of lines, orangey yellow ghosting, noise bars, and tape alignment issues, all coupled with a hiss that is now louder than the genius guitar playing of Messrs Knopfler and Clapton which is on it.
Why, oh why couldn't recordable DVD's have been around in 1988...
Just wanted to say also, that I met Tommy Vance on a number of occasions. He was a great bloke, and had a varied and interesting career. I used to chat with him in the BBC Bar in Litttle Portland Street, where many BBC staff and crew go to drink. He is greatly missed, as I can't think of anyone who elevated British rock music, and who introduced and gave a platform to smaller rock bands, like Tommy Vance.
TheEarthAngel:Just wanted to say also, that I met Tommy Vance on a number of occasions. He was a great bloke, and had a varied and interesting career. I used to chat with him in the BBC Bar in Litttle Portland Street, where many BBC staff and crew go to drink. He is greatly missed, as I can't think of anyone who elevated British rock music, and who introduced and gave a platform to smaller rock bands, like Tommy Vance.
Couldn't agree more.
Worked with/for him with a few unsigned bands in the late 70's/80's.
Bye the way, the Live Aid and AC/DC concerts are available on disc and Mandela Day was available on VHS with Hi-Fi Stereo sound.
Sir Alan tends to have that effect. . .lol. Not that particular model (that I'm privvy too, anyway) but I do remember the Amstrad did a small integrated. . .boy, did it grate as well. It was enough to take the fillings from a salt water croc. . . .
Leema Pulse MKII-S; Naim CD5i MKII; Denon TU-260L MKII; MA RS6 speakers; Pro-ject Xpression 1; loads of different cables...
Formerly known as plastic penguin