TAPETOP THREATENS DISK MARKET

Taupo Times, Volume VI, Issue 287, 8 August 1957, Page 9

TAPETOP THREATENS DISK MARKET

A new device for canning music or speech, soon to be produced in Britain, threatens to knock the disc business for a loop. For the retail price of only £2 10s the new gadget will play 100 to 150 tunes non-stop. What's more it will fit on your old 78 r.p.m. gramophone. A further development of the gadget known as "Tapetop," could completely revolutionise costly tape and recording machines. Tapetop was invented over the past couple of years by Frenchman Jaeques Durand-Dassier. Dassier, head of a concern who provided music for large stores and factories, and advertising on tape, found that the initial cost necessary to install tape recorders was far too high to let his business expand. He went to work and perfected his Tapetop. The gadget is made in a plastie container either 10 inches or 12 inches in diameter and about an inch thick. Inside, ingeniously mounted on sets of non-complicated rollers is an endless tape. All that is needed is to place Tapetop on a 78 r.p.m. gramophone, fit on the playing head used in tape machines — cost about £2 — and connect to an amplifier or radio set. The music will continue to pour out of loud-speakers in a non-stop stream. For parties there is no bother of changing records every few minutes In Britain three young men who have bought the British and Commonwealth rights to the gadget plan to have books on tape for those who just like to settle down and can't be bothered reading for themselves.