Mini-Cassette
 |
 | |
 Microcassette (L) and Mini-Cassette (R) | |
| Media type | Magnetic cassette tape |
|---|---|
| Encoding | analog signaland laterdigital |
| Capacity | 30 minutes |
| Readmechanism | tape head |
| Writemechanism | magneticrecording head |
| Developedby | Philips |
| Usage | dictation |
TheMini-Cassette,often writtenminicassette,is amagnetic tapeaudio cassette format introduced byPhilipsin 1967.
It is used primarily indictation machinesand was also employed as a data storage for thePhilips P2000home computer. As of August 2021, Phillips still produces mini-cassette players along with new mini-cassette tapes.[1][2][3]
Design[edit]
Unlike theCompact Cassette,also designed by Philips, and the laterMicrocassette,introduced byOlympus,the Mini-Cassette does not use acapstandrive system; instead, the tape is propelled past thetape headby the reels.[4]This is mechanically simple and allows the cassette to be made smaller and easier to use, but produces a system unsuited to any task other than voice recording, as the tape speed is not constant (averaging 2.4 cm/s) and prone towowandflutter.
However, the lack of a capstan and a pinch roller drive means that the tape is well-suited to being repeatedly shuttled forward and backward short distances as compared to microcassettes, leading to the Mini-Cassette's use in the first generations of telephoneanswering machines,and continuing use in theniche marketsof dictation andtranscription,where fidelity is not critical, but robustness of storage is, and where analog media remained in use long after digital media had been introduced.[5]
In 1980, Philips released several recorder models (MDCR220, LDB4401, LDB4051, etc.) that encoded and read digital audio on standard mini-cassettes.[6][7]A computer model (thePhilips P2000) also used the mini-cassette as a digital medium and provided automatic management of the drive, including search, space and directory management, fast-forward and rewind.
Similar products[edit]
Philips later introduced a smaller version of the cassette called anUltra Mini-Cassettethat had a max record time of 10 minutes on each side of the tape.[8]
A very similar (but incompatible) cassette format was produced byHewlett-PackardandVerbatim(the HP82176A Mini Data Cassette) for data storage in their HP82161A tape drive, which, like other minicassettes, did not use a capstan.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^"Desktop transcription system LFH0720T | Philips".
- ^"PocketMemo mini cassette LFH0005 | Philips".
- ^Archived atGhostarchiveand theWayback Machine:"Philips Mini Cassette transcriber, still available new in 2021!".YouTube.
- ^Microcassette Minicassette
- ^"Archived copy".Archived fromthe originalon 2010-05-09.Retrieved2007-02-24.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^http:// nascomhomepage /pdf/mdcr.pdf[bare URL PDF]
- ^http:// wda-fr.org/forum/download/file.php?id=2975
- ^Archived atGhostarchiveand theWayback Machine:"The Picocassette - Smallest Analogue Cassette Tape ever made".YouTube.