Before CD's and fancy computer programs, how did people make mixtapes?

Question

Well, I can make a mix CD on iTunes and stuff, but I'm curious how mixtapes were made back in the day.

Answer 1

Dual deck cassette players.  :D

Answer 2

I had a stereo with 2 tape decks. I played the song I wanted on one, and recorded on the other.

Answer 3

When I was little I had Cassettes, and if you wanted to make a "mix" you would have to sit there and play the song make sure you passed it where that song ended, and put the next tape in. It took forever and a day to get a "smooth" copy, without the bump noises from you pressing pause and record. Thank God for itunes.  

Answer 4

They didn't make mixtapes. lol

of course with very complex and big devices

Answer 5

I used to do tape to tape recording, it took ages getting the gaps right though.

Answer 6

a radio and a tape recorder it took a long time but it worked

Answer 7

usually  a multi- track recorder, or a mixing board.

Answer 8

I still do... A radio and a cassette recorder

Answer 9

Radio & a tape recorder.

Sometimes you would record the same song like 4-5 times. A couple on each side. And to catch the song right when it started without the DJ talking, was a challange. haha

Answer 10

The old school way when i was a kid; a cassette tape u buy at the dollar store and a radio w/ a tape deck. It was really frustrating when u would record a song off the radio and then u had to hurry up and stop it before a commercial would come on or the DJ.Brings back memories......

Answer 11

the really cheap way -

you copied things from LPs onto a cassette tape, one song at a time.

sometimes using a microphone.

the quality was awful.

Answer 12

I don't know. Good question though maybe people used radios to record songs onto tapes. Or maybe nobody made mix tapes back in that day. Nobody really knows. Though what I know is that it is really easy on computers these days.

Answer 13

a mixer

Answer 14

lol.... "mix" "tapes"

You'd basically use a tape recorder (Could be a small one, a huge home stereo, or a professional device) to record off of the radio or another sound source... such as a ghetto blaster.

Answer 15

with soul power! lol

Answer 16

A few different ways. I would take a cassette and record different songs that were on the radio at the time.

Answer 17

A mixer.

Answer 18

Some cassette decks had 2. One to record & one to play. But it took ages! Stop. Fast forward. Rewind. Oops, went too far. Start again. The sound was pretty crappy too. And after all that fooling around & getting your best songs all onto one cassette, the machine would eat your tape. Ah, the good old days!