• BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    16 hours ago

    Why 8 tracks? They always sucked, even when they were in their prime. Cassettes were always the far superior format in every way.

    The only advantage an 8 track might have is that it was on a loop, so it would repeat by being on a single hub, and, spooling out from the center, and regathering on the outside. That required a dry lubricant on the back of the tape, that would eventually wear off, and the tape would jam up. It was even more prevalent with longer than average albums, like double albums (White Album, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, etc.).

    I guarantee that that 8-track loop jammed up decades ago.

    • RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      14 hours ago

      The “8 Track” in Voyager is not your standard 8 track, it’s a DTR and is arranged differently than the consumer tape cartridge for music. It was shut down about a decade ago, not because it was failing, but because of the power requirements.

      FWIW, 8 tracks were pretty good sound for the time. Previously there was no portable music unless you brought a record player with you. They got passed up quickly by the cassette, though.