Mini-Cassette
 | |
 Philips Norelco Mini-Cassette | |
| Media type | Magnetic cassette tape |
|---|---|
| Encoding | analog signal and later digital |
| Capacity | 30 minutes |
| Read mechanism | tape head |
| Write mechanism | magnetic recording head |
| Developed by | Philips |
| Usage | dictation |
| Released | 1967 |
The Mini-Cassette, often written minicassette, is a magnetic tape audio cassette format introduced by Philips in 1967.
It is used primarily in dictation machines and was also employed as a data storage for the Philips P2000 home computer. In 2021, it was reported that Phillips still listed mini-cassette players along with new mini-cassette tapes on its website.[1] As of April 2025, both are still listed.[2][3]
Design
Unlike the Compact Cassette, also designed by Philips, and the later Microcassette, introduced by Olympus, the Mini-Cassette does not use a capstan drive system; instead, the tape is propelled past the tape head by 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 to wow and flutter.
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 telephone answering machines, and continuing use in the niche markets of dictation and transcription, 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 (the Philips 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
Philips later introduced a smaller version of the cassette called an Ultra Mini-Cassette that had a max record time of 10 minutes on each side of the tape.[8]
A very similar (but incompatible) cassette format was produced by Hewlett-Packard and Verbatim (the HP82176A Mini Data Cassette) for data storage in their HP82161A tape drive, which, like other minicassettes, did not use a capstan.
See also
References
- ^ "Philips Mini Cassette transcriber, still available new in 2021!". YouTube. 12 August 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-08-13.
(2:55) - you may think that's just old stock they're selling off but this machine is actually still listed on philips website and the brochure for it has a copyright date of 2021
- Also available via Ghostarchive copy - ^ "Desktop transcription system LFH0720T | Philips". Speech Processing Solutions (using Philips brand under license). Archived from the original on 2025-04-09. - Also available via GhostArchive copy
- ^ "PocketMemo mini cassette LFH0005 | Philips". Speech Processing Solutions (using Philips brand under license). Archived from the original on 2025-04-09. - Also available via GhostArchive copy
- ^ "Microcassette Minicassette". Archived from the original on 2012-06-30.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-05-09. Retrieved 2007-02-24.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "[Mini-Cassette Service Manual]" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2025-01-15.
- ^ "Service Manual - 8290 405 10601 - Mini Digital Cassette Recorder". Archived from the original on 2024-12-02.
- ^ Techmoan (Matthew "Mat" Taylor) (2015-08-02). "The Picocassette - Smallest Analogue Cassette Tape ever made". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2016-01-31.
(7:43) the Philips Ultra Mini [..is..] (7:50) Philips attempt to shrink down their mini cassette but as you can see it can only hold 10 minutes per side
- Also available via Ghostarchive copy
