Streaming playback is possible with a cassette deck!Get the latest prototype of "Cassettify"
What is the smart cassette tape "Cassettify"?
Cassettify is a "smart cassette tape" that allows you to play streaming songs with a cassette tape playback device.
It was around 2018, and when I posted the first prototype on Twitter, there was a great response.
Won the "Hero Awards IoT Selected by MA Pro" held in the same year, won the third place in the "Hero Award for MA".
Although some voices wanted to be released, it is difficult to commercialize as of April 2021 because it is difficult to respond to mass production, such as manufacturing, sales, and management other than development.
Yuji Nakata developed Cassettify, who worked as an UX designer in the design department of an electric manufacturer.
I am in charge of the new service and the UI of a smartphone app, and it is surprising that Cassettify has been developed on my own with leisure, regardless of work.
This time, I succeeded in contacting Mr. Nakata himself.I was able to hear the story directly.
The reason for the development was, "If the smartphone had not been invented, what would happen to the world now, and the culture of hardware -starting point like a bokeman and Walkman is a culture from the Internet -starting point like Spotify and Apple Music.It is said that it was an imagination that it was evolving in combination. "
From there, a car that only had radio and car steering deck, and remembered his own experience in listening to iPod songs via a cassette tape -type adapter, and streaming and playing music on the Internet, "Cassettify".The concept of was united.
It was said that the development period took two months because it was produced on a limited leisure on weekends.
Mr. Nakata said that it was the three gears in the center, packing many parts in a limited space called cassette tape.
Cassettify mechanism
The inside of Cassettify, which has most of the parts on the Chinese retail EC site "Aliexpress".
The main unit has a built-in Wi-Fi compatible microcomputer, rechargeable battery, magnetic head, etc., and the maximum operating time is about 30-40 minutes.Charging is performed from the Micro USB port located on the side.
The mechanism is that the microcomputer in the cassette can access the radio on the Internet, convert the streaming and played sound from a magnetic head to an analog signal and output it.
The details inside are explained on the Cassettify official website.
Click here for Cassettify official website
Successful to get a prototype
This time, the third prototype introduced at the beginning.I was produced to make this article.
When you solve the packing, you will get the Cassettify in the case.
Normally, there is a column to fill in the song order etc. on the back of the case, but in Cassettify, there were items for describing the information of Wi-Fi to be connected.
There was a micro USB port for charging on the side.In order to charge, you need to take it out of the case.
When you take it out of the case, it looks like this
It looks like this when you take it out of the case.The size is the same as a normal cassette tape.
In the upper right of the surface, information about the battery is listed, and you can check the discharge capacity and maximum drive time.
The major difference from the cassette tape is the USB port on the side and the magnetic head here.
The magnetic head is originally installed on the playback device side such as a cassette deck, and the cassette tape side is tape.
Make various settings on your computer
Set the Wi-Fi and streaming radio to which Cassettify connects on the computer.
First, turn on the Cassettify and confirm that the center of the main unit is blinking green.
The Cassettify in this state will function as a Wi-Fi access point and will be able to access from the computer side.It was possible to connect from a smartphone.
If you connect to Cassettify from your computer, you can set Wi-Fi and radio from the browser.
I didn't support the tethering of the iPhone12, so I decided to use a pocket Wi-Fi.
More than 200 Internet radio stations are registered in advance, so you can select your favorite station.You can also add a new one yourself.
While the settings are completed, the Cassettify charging is completed and the blue lamp turned on, so I will immediately listen to it on the cassette deck.
I listened to the car cassette deck
The model equipped with a cassette deck was an endangered species, and it was difficult to procure, but fortunately I was able to verify it with my friend's "Jeep Cello Key Sports".
Insert Cassettify into a cassette deck.It was not possible to post the operation here due to the copyright of the song, but I was able to play it.
You need a pocket Wi-Fi to enjoy Cassettify in the car, but unlike FM transmitter, it may be romantic to keep it as it is.
Nevertheless, at the moment, the practicality will be better for the FM transmitter and the Bluetooth cassette adapter.
Verification with cassette walkman
I decided to use it with the cassette walkman that I originally owned.
From the results, I was able to listen here as well.
Of course, portable cassette players have no cigar socket, and they cannot use the cable that protrudes like a Bluetooth cassette adapter.Because it is indoors, pocket Wi-Fi is not required.
So I felt that it was more suitable for portable cassette players, not the cassette deck of the car.
It is quite romantic that you can easily enjoy various streaming songs with equipment that did not have a playback media other than cassette tape.
The latest 5th prototype is unveiled for the first time!
The latest prototype developed by Mr. Nakata on April 30, 2021 will be released on Moby for the first time.
In the fifth latest prototype, the wiring area is refreshing by reviewing the composition of the board.
Mr. Nakata says, "It seems difficult to mass -produce at a factory in China, but we are trial and error whether it can be commercialized in a way such as home -based crafts and kit sales."
If commercialization is realized, it is said that it will be posted on Nakata's personal EC site.Let's look forward to commercialization.
Cassettify Official site Nakata's personal EC site