Cassette Battle F.A.Q.
[last updated March 6]


1. Are outboard effects or processors allowed?
-- No. Any effects boxes, guitar pedals, samplers, Echoplexes or other tape-based delay boxes, 
or any other pieces of effects gear are not allowed. However, using or modifing an 
existing audio cassette device to provide certain effects is allowed. ALL "EFFECTS" 
MUST BE AUDIO CASSETTE BASED.

2. Could I take a brand new commercial tape, put tape over the ends, and record 
while it's playing, so as to use the feedback during performance?
-- Yes. 

3. Can I use blank/recordable tapes?
-- Yes. You may use regular recordable cassette tapes as an element of your performance. You 
may also modify recordable cassettes as long as they are still blank. All audio material must 
originate live from from published audio cassette recordings (this is to keep people from 
assembling a set on a recordable tape and then faking lots of cool tricks) but feedback, 
recording tape loops in real time, etc. using blank or recordable cassettes are all allowed.

4. Can I open up the tape player and mess with the tape while it's playing?
-- Yes. There are no limits to what a competitor may do with their audio cassette tapes -- 
this is the point of the championship. The rules are simply meant to provide some sort 
of framework for the competitors and judges. As long as a competitor doesn't pre-produce 
any elements of their set on recordable tapes, just about anything is allowed.

5. I'm used to my own mixer, can I bring it?
-- Yes. Contestants may bring and use any cassette players, recorders, or audio 
mixers they like. However, the rules about "all source material must come from cassette 
tapes" still apply (i.e. if you have a dj mixer with a sampler in it you can't use the 
sampler). Please also remember that, since most competitors will bring at least some 
of their own equipment, all competitors must explain their particular setup to the 
judges before they perform in order to help the judges score their set accurately.

6. Will any cabling be provided at the championships (such as RCA and the such to hook 
up brought in mixers to a sound system?
-- Yes, we will have lots of cables and adaptors.

7. Will an amp/speakers/any sound system be provided or will each CJ have to provide?
-- We'll have a PA system, and also we'd like to do soundchecks earlier in the day if 
possible. While one CJ is performing, the next one will be setting up/fine-tuning, etc.
Since people will probably be bringing lots of their own gear, it would seem best to 
get as much setup ahead of time as possible.

8. Can you use a mic?
-- This one was actually a little tough, but we decided to allow LIVE microphone usage. There 
are so many cassette recorders with mic inputs, it seemed silly to disqualify them. Though we 
have our "commercial cassette only" sound source rule, it is only meant to encourage performance 
and discovery in the magnetic tape medium. So in the end, someone using a microphone live to 
interact with tape seemed appropriate (but just singing or beat-boxing with no thought to working 
with the tape will not score points with the judges).

9. is it outdoors?
-- No, it's indoors. 

10. Will there be free beer?
-- We certainly hope so.

Email questions to cassette@post-data.org
Back to the rules.