The Microcassette was introduced by Olympus in 1969. The Microcassette is significantly smaller than a Compact Cassette but it uses the same width of magnetic tape.
Using thinner tape and a 2.4 cm/s standard speed you can have 30 minutes recording time per side and double that duration at 1.2 cm/s. Unlike the Compact Cassette the tape spools in the opposite direction, from right to left.
Microcassettes proved to be popular for recording voice in dictation machines and answering machines. However, Microcassettes have also been used as a medium for recording music on Type IV metal tapes. This article presents some of the higher fidelity Microcassette decks that were manufactured for a short period of time in the early 80's.
Before microcassettes, PHILIPS intoduced the minicassette that was featured in the movie A Clockwork Orange but every body mistakes them by the OLYMPUS microcassettes.
From the movie A Clockwork Orange 1971
From the movie A Clockwork Orange 1971
List of hi-fi stereo microcassette decks:
SANYO RD-XM1 1980
FISHER CRM 500 1981 (SANYO rebadge)
JVC D-M3 1981 (Victor in Japan)
Lo-D D-MC5 1982 (HITACHI)
SONY TC-MR2 1982
Technics M212 1981 (compact cassette - microcassette)
Technics RS-G800 1982 (microcassette - tuner - amplifier)
Pre-recorded music microcassette