In today’s world of music streaming services, it’s easy to forget about the classic cassette tape. However, if you’re someone who’s curious about using a cassette Walkman, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll teach you the basics of how to use a cassette Walkman in 2019.
First things first, you need to have a Walkman and some cassette tapes. Most Walkmans you find will have a few old skateboard stickers on them, but don’t let that fool you. One of the big features on a Walkman is the anti-rolling mechanism. This helps prevent any undesirable hiccups in the tape’s playback speed that could occur when your Walkman is bouncing around while you’re listening to a book on tape.
Once you have your Walkman, it’s time to insert some batteries and your headphones. You can use either earbuds or classic red headphones, depending on your preference. Then, select a tape to listen to and open the Walkman. Figure out which side of the tape you want to listen to and slide it in with the side you want facing up towards the inside of the lid.
When it comes to controlling the playback, it’s simple. Hit play to start listening and hit stop if you want to go back or skip ahead. Use the rewind reverse button to go back and the fast forward button to skip ahead. If you want to crank up the volume, just roll up the volume dial.
Your Walkman may also have an AM/FM radio. Make sure it’s switched to tape when not in use because that means it’s turned off from radio playback. To listen to the radio, switch the tape to radio, decide whether you want AM or FM, and then use the tuning dial to find your station.
If you’re feeling adventurous, your Walkman might have a switch that says “DX norm local CRO Two Slash Metal.” This has two functions when listening to the radio. You’re switching between DX and local, which changes the radio sensitivity. DX picks up all the radio signals it can reach, while local will just pick up the strong signals. When playing a tape, this switch is more to do with sound equalizers to accommodate different types of tapes.
Lastly, if you think you won’t be using your Walkman for a while, take out the batteries so they don’t corrode over time. And there you have it, a beginner’s guide to playing a cassette tape. Don’t forget to rock on!